Sablay season once again and I stumbled upon graduation posts of my graduate school friends on Facebook – sharing their journey towards this culminating of another milestone in their lives.
In another universe, I would dare to write something like that and maybe post it together with my Sablay pic. This time isn’t the right time, though. However, I thought to still write something for my own consumption. After all, I am allowed to feel grateful for this hard-earned milestone.
Malayo pa pero malayo na.
Deciding to go to graduate school is not a question of whether I am or not escaping adulthood, nor being lost and might find myself in graduate school (typical naliligaw ng landas). It is a decision made by a depressed 22-year-old self who skipped her classes and realized that “oh shit I love studying” while on her study break. Taking a postgraduate is the surest of all the things I intend to achieve amidst my uncertainties with my truest goals in this lifetime.
My journey has been a never-ending struggle of finding my foot between academic and professional pursuits. This turned into feelings of frustration, disappointment, and loss as I resigned to dropping and delaying my final requirement submissions.
I still found myself dumbfounded by how I was able to accomplish my pending final papers that were long overdue while complying with the demands of my current subjects in this recent semester. I am grateful for having that strength and willpower despite the hurdles I’ve had.
In the midst of my personal struggles, I still find the joy of learning new things, creating and writing ideas, and having opportunities to meet some of my graduate school classmates. I couldn’t be more ecstatic to be in a pool of professionals in different fields than seeing myself to be one of the lingkod-bayanis who will equip this as I venture into another field sooner or later.
My greatest gratitude goes to all my family, friends, and colleagues who supported me in this pursuit. I wouldn’t be able to reach this milestone without any encouragement and reminder of why I am doing this. There was a time when I ranted to my mom about graduate school and yet she reminded me that it is something that I wanted and added, “ Hindi ba gusto mong dalawang masters?” Yeah, you’re right Mom.
This post-baccalaureate graduation illustrated my ebb and flow which eventually led to this point. I intend to bring that fire I once had as I sail in my master’s degree journey. Things will get tougher but nothing Ren would not manage.
- Ren, DipPM
