After UPCAT, What's Next?

After UPCAT, What's Next?

The University of the Philippines is one of the most privileged schools to enter; passing the UPCAT earns recognition, respect, and pride especially from the family-well most of the time.

 Our family greatly influences our life and most of the time it falls on them to send us to school. The choice of school and degree to take, the school to enter, and the opportunity to take the entrance exam of a certain university or college involves both the child and the parents and other older people in the family; although not all people are given a chance to choose between what they really want and some don’t even provide support at all. After all, the choice is upon you if you continue the path already laid for you- as a token of gratitude or make your own despite all the odds and redeem yourself later on. Then again, not everybody is given the freedom to choose due mostly to financial constraints.

“When it comes to education, somehow we have the chance to voice out the school that we wanted to enroll in. Well, there may be times that some of us don’t have the chance to choose the university we want to go in, but I am fortunate enough knowing that I can have the choice. Of course, even though I have the freedom, I should still take some things in consideration. There are circumstances in life wherein we should also practice the ‘give and take’ relationship. It is not always our parents who are giving, sometimes it has to be us to give something in return.”

First of all, taking the UPCAT calls for parental consent or agreement; other families pressure their children to take the exam and enroll a certain course though some would just agree and leave the rest to their children.

“I told my parents about it and they approved of my selected course which was Computer Science and my selected chapter, which is Baguio. And so, the day came. I feel, sort of, frustrated that my parents didn’t even said anything nor gave any emotional support before I went to UP Diliman. I don’t either remember now if they even bothered to give me money or anything I could’ve used in taking the entrance test. My only company that moment was my older sister. She gave me a McDonald’s burger, took me to UP Diliman’s Math building then left after.

When I was inside, my frustration about my parents’ inability to be there for me grew. I saw several mothers and fathers joining their sons and daughters walk around to look for their classrooms, coach them some techniques on answering the essay question and other things that’d relax them before the exam starts. I was there…alone…without anyone to tap my back and say ‘good luck’. I was there, alone, praying for myself.”

 Next, monetary or moral support greatly improves a child’s confidence and self-esteem in taking one of the steps she considers most important in her life. Most parents process the application papers and help their children enroll themselves.

“Pinasok ako ng aking mga magulang sa isang review center upang ako ay matulungan ng review center na ito na mas madaling maipasa ang UPCAT.” (My parents entered me in a review center hoping it would help me pass the UPCAT.)”

“It was during July 2013, my mom started fixing my application form for UPCAT. She was the one who filled up my application form with the course of my choice. She even passed the form at UPLB herself. After the UPCAT, she processed other College Entrance Exam Applications for other universities and colleges. As we waited for the results, my mom told me that she prayed that I pass the exam every night.”

              

After the exam is the result- the agony, uncertainty, and excitement, and the hesitation to grab a chance in front of you. As the song goes, “…kung gusto may paraan, kung ayaw may dahilan…” there was mixed reception from the parents and students. Not passing the choice of campus under the expected degree may cause disappointment, but exhausting all the possibilities to be able to get what you really want (knowing that it’s the best chance you’ve got) and succeeding in the end proves yourself- it gains trust and support in your family and makes you believe in yourself. 

“Then, here’s January. Someone texted me I passed UPCAT. When I told my parents about it, they were even more surprised than me. They said I did a good job and that was it. Destiny. I don’t know if it’s a god thing or not. Either way, I believed in its existence now. And maybe it was destined that my parents’ absence was needed for me to strive harder.”

“I was a bit disappointed knowing that I did not qualify to be in my 1^st choice campus. But I also realized that it does not matter where I passed, what is important is that I am an UPCAT passer. Even though my parents could not directly tell their disappointment with me, I could feel how dismay they were that time. My problem did not stop there. I had a problem with the campus that I chose. From then, my hopes to be an Iska suddenly disappeared. I just accepted the fact that I am not meant to be in this university. My father then talked to me and filled up my hopes. He told me that I could still take the chance to be reconsidered in UP Baguio. By the time that I got my admission slip, we went to Baguio and took the chance. By that little chance, I am not sure if I am qualified to be enrolled in UP Baguio so I enrolled in other university. After a few weeks, I received an email stating that there is still a slot in BA Social Sciences.”

“…nang malaman nilang napasa ko ang UPCAT ay talagang natuwa sila. Binalitaan ng aking nanay ang aming mga kamag-anak na ako ay nakapasa sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas. Ang aking tatay na hindi mahilig gumamit ng Facebook ay nagpost dito na ako, ang anak niya, ay pumasa sa UPCAT. Niregaluhan naman ako ng aking Lola, Tita at iba pang mga kamag-anak ng pera dahil sa kanilang pagkatuwa sa akin dahil ako ay nakapasa sa UP. (When they knew I passed the UPCAT, they were really happy. My mother notified our relatives. My father who doesn’t use Facebook regularly posted that her daughter passed. My grandmother, aunt, and other relative gave me money out of their happiness for me to pass the UPCAT.)

“Afterwards, my mom texted me telling me that I passed UPCAT. My mom and dad told almost everyone in the family that I passed UPCAT and I'll be studying at UP Baguio. Everyone congratulated me and said they are proud that I passed.”

“’Maybe it’s not meant to be, don’t argue anymore.’ That’s what my mom said, but after complications in the choice of course and the availability of slots in a certain school, we were forced to reconsider my application for UPB.”

               Now what? After all the ups and downs- with or without family support, we are in UPB. They say it’s hard to pass the UPCAT, but it’s harder to leave the university on time. We have made it this far, how far are we willing to go- what risks are we willing to take to prove our family and ourselves that this chance was worth taking? We got in, but it doesn’t end there, our family might have helped us get thus far but the final decision still lies on us, after all we are the masters of our faith. So, what’s next?