I want to share my college journey with you. Honestly, it was like riding a roller coaster. There were ups and downs, haha!
I started college in 2005 at the University of Cebu - Main Campus. My dream course was Civil Engineering, but I ended up taking Customs Administration because my older sister was having a hard time dealing with the large number of students enrolling in the Engineering department. So, she decided to enroll me in Customs Administration instead. Imagine that, from Civil Engineering to Customs Administration. I hadn't even started my classes yet, and I was already taking a different course. Haha!
Unfortunately, I only lasted one semester because my sister Lelith, who was supporting my studies at that time, could no longer afford the expenses. There were nine of us siblings, and I was the seventh child. It wasn't easy to support everyone.
I was the one who decided to stop studying for a while, but deep inside, I really didn't want to quit because I knew I would be wasting time. However, my sister couldn't afford the expenses anymore, so I had no choice but to stop.
After that, I went back to our province in Leyte and helped my mother sell snacks at our small space (Canteen.
My Second Chance at College
In 2009, my sister @Kellyane (thank you so much, Kellyane!) gave me another chance to continue my studies. I enrolled at Saint Joseph College, but I had to take another course because they didn't offer Customs Administration. So, I shifted from Customs Administration to Business Administration.
When I reached my second year, I almost had to stop studying again because my sister Kellyane had other expenses to take care of. At the same time, my mother was often getting sick and had to go back and forth to the hospital.
I decided to ask my eldest sister, Lelith, who had supported my studies before, if she could help me again. Thankfully, she agreed to support me once more.
I was so grateful because I finally had another chance to continue my education.
The Struggles During My Fourth Year
I finally reached my fourth year in college in 2013. But honestly, this was one of the hardest times of my life.
We had so many school projects, I was doing my On-the-Job Training (OJT), and we also had to work on our Feasibility Study. On top of that, our house in Leyte was being built during that time, so my sister Lelith had even more expenses to handle. Despite everything, she never asked me to stop studying.(Thank you so much Te)
But another challenge came when my father wanted me to quit school because I had an argument with one of my older sisters, who was the fourth among us siblings. My father wanted to take back the money for my tuition, but I refused to give up.
What I did was get on a bus and go straight to Maasin City, Southern Leyte, where my school was located.
By the way, I was staying in a boarding house because my school was far from home. I even turned off my phone because I didn't want to stop studying. I was determined to finish my education, no matter how difficult things became.
Of course, my mother got worried because she couldn't contact me. She even went to the house of my boarding housemate, who came from the same hometown as us. Eventually, I was informed that my mother had been looking for me.
Thankfully, things eventually settled down, and everything became okay again. Thank God! (P.S. It's normal for families to have misunderstandings sometimes. Thankfully, my relationship with my father and siblings is okay now.)
Becoming a Working Student
Since I was already in my fourth year, the expenses became even heavier. Aside from my school projects and other requirements, I also had to pay for my boarding house and daily needs.
When the first semester started, I decided to apply as a working student. I personally asked our dean to give me a chance, but at first, he refused because he thought I might not be able to handle everything.
My classes started early in the morning, I had my OJT, and I still had evening classes from 7 PM to 9 PM.
I explained to our dean that I really needed the job. I told him that if he didn't accept me, I might have to stop studying because there were so many things I needed to buy, and I was already embarrassed to keep asking my sister for money.
Thankfully, our dean finally agreed and endorsed me for the position. (Thank you so much Sir Arong)
I was assigned as a room cleaner. My duty started at 3:30 AM and ended at 6:00 AM. After cleaning the rooms, I would go back to the boarding house to prepare for breakfast and get ready for my OJT. After my OJT, I still had to attend my evening classes until 9 PM.
Can you imagine that schedule? Haha! Thank you, Lord, because my body managed to survive all those challenges!
The Funny Side of Being a Working Student
There was also a funny side to my experience as a working student. The truth is, I was really afraid of being alone, especially in the early morning.
Imagine cleaning rooms on the fifth floor at 3:30 AM! Haha! Even though there were several working students, only one person was assigned to clean each room.
Because we were all scared sometimes, we came up with a plan. After finishing my assigned room, I would help my fellow working student clean theirs. Then, they would also help the next person. That way, we didn't have to do everything alone.
Looking back, those moments were both scary and funny. We were all tired, but we helped one another get through our duties.
The Day I Finally Graduated
My graduation day was on October 19, 2013.
The night before my graduation, I had a hard time sleeping because I kept thinking about how I managed to survive everything. I was doing my OJT, working on our Feasibility Study, and working as a student cleaner all at the same time.
Sometimes, I still wonder how I managed to do it all.
But one thing I know is that God gave me the strength to keep going. As long as we put our trust in Him, we can get through the challenges we face in life.
Do you know what makes this story even more special?
My mother didn't even know that I was working as a student cleaner! She only found out during my graduation when I went up on stage and received an award.
Imagine her surprise! Haha!
All those struggles, sleepless nights, and sacrifices finally became beautiful memories that I can look back on with a grateful heart.
A Message to All Working Students
To all the working students out there, please keep going! I know it's not easy to balance school, work, and personal struggles. There will be days when you feel tired and want to give up.
But please don't lose hope. Always remember to pray and call on God whenever things get difficult. He will give you strength when you feel like you can't go on anymore.
Life may be hard right now, but someday, you will look back and be thankful that you didn't give up. The time will come when you can finally enjoy the results of all your hard work and sacrifices.
And to those who read my previous post about my interview. This was the proof when I was accepted as an HR Assistant.
Thank you so much, dear Hivers, for taking the time to read my story. I hope my journey inspires someone who is going through a difficult time right now.
See you on my next blog!
May God bless us all!