Lucky Fellow as a Thomasian Freshman

Once enrolled, I’ll officially be a college sophomore student. I go to a university known for its floods, literally; and as one of, as they say, the “big four” universities. I don’t get the point though, I mean, what’s the point of having a caption to your title when the contents are all messed up? I guess I’m not a normal tiger in UST, I’m not THAT proud. I don’t wear our university shirts, I don’t plan on buying any university-pride stuff either. But if given free, of course I’ll take it. But for me, it’s like any old university. The first year didn’t change what I feel about it either: just a kid going to college. Titles don’t really mean so much to me.

But like any other student, I went through freshman year. Difference is, I was a lucky fellow as a freshman. Why? First of all, I passed the dream university of so many, and let’s be honest, that just felt awesome. What made it more exciting for me is because my university today was never my first choice anyway, it was just a fallback. My fallback was the first choice of others; don’t care if you’re gonna hate me, but that just felt really awesome and if you were in my shoes, admit it or not, you would feel the same way.

They say alcohol is the best way to know who your real friends are. It was June, the first month of my freshman year, and I already got to know my block mates like they were the crazy, party-people I met from high school. I get to fart around them, and farting in front of people you’ve just met? That takes guts. And for them to accept your silly, stupid ways? That’s luck; you’re so lucky to get friends so fast. Some freshmen students would just sit in the corner, but not me. I was lucky enough to get new friends.

Not only from my block, I got to meet new friends from different universities as well! My room mates go to different universities than mine, so every time their friends from their schools would visit our apartment, I get new friends. From June even up to now, I know too much people than a normal freshman should know. My mom allowed me to live in a rule free apartment; most parents would put their kids in a dorm just to be safe, a dorm stuffed with curfews and rules; but my mom trusted me with my rule-free living–that’s something not every freshman kid goes through, that’s luck. Having friends come over your apartment? Party with them, laugh with them, do bullshit with them, have people of the opposite sex come over, overnights with them– and all so fast? That doesn’t happen to a normal freshman student.

By August, I got even luckier. I joined a university-wide organization, UST Mountaineering Club. I was lucky for many reason. Again, my mom allowed me to go up mountains with a bunch of strangers. I got to do something I loved, mountain climbing. Another reason is the fact that it was a UNIVERSITY WIDE org, which meant more people, not just your college-mates. It had students from different colleges: Faculty of Engineering, College of Fine Arts and Design, you name it! A freshman who knows so many people, not only from her own college, but from different faculties and universities? I knew so many people who were going to graduate that year. A normal freshman knows his brother who’s gonna graduate, no one else.

Best part? I got to know UST’s very own Paul Quiambao. Not only KNOW, but we’re actually friends. I didn’t even know he was famous at first. People kept screaming his name till finally I found out he was a famous photographer at the university. Not too much of a big deal for me, but c’mon, honestly, it felt cool. Knowing someone who was worshiped by hundreds, maybe, thousands. Not just Paul Q., I got the chance to talk to Yellow Jacket’s Jimson, thanks to some connections. I knew people in my first months, people who some seniors wanted to meet ever since they entered the university. I didn’t even know these people till someone tells me they’re famous, and I got to meet them. It was my pleasure to meet them. But meeting such people? That’s luck. Call me a loser, but for me, that was memorable.

The high light of all? The part where… I am a freshman student, in her first semester at the university, and I failed a Major subject. Unique right? It felt like shit having to fail that subject, but though that was “bad” luck, not all freshmen go through that bullshit and be able to overcome it with flying colors.

The next months went not so smoothly, but enough for me to pass it. I partied, I created memories. I was a lucky freshman because I got through shit in one year that some graduating students went through for for four years. I knew all the nearest bars and clubs, I lived without rules, I failed a subject during my first semester. I was a freshman living a senior life, only without the thesis shit and graduating part. And all in one year. I found out so much about the university.

The best part? It made me fall in love. Not only with the university, not only with new friends, but also, with a guy. Something I never thought would happen again. A civil engineering student; a sweet, funny, cute freak; who loves me too. How luckier can I be?

My freshman year means so much because I went through so much. It’s hard, but it’s worth it. College tip: meet new people, experience shit, experience things you didn’t get to experience cause you were stuck in high school. Everything that happened in my freshman year, it made me learn so much. And knowledge and wisdom is a gift, embrace it when given the chance. Keep those memories cause college?  It’s shorter than you think. One day you’re gonna graduate and look back. Don’t look back with regret, saying to yourself “I should have done that.”

This June, I am going to be a sophomore. And I’m going to make the most of it, like I did last year.

So what’s your freshman story?