COLLEGE is the time of our lives when we aim for higher education to pursue our future careers. Entering a whole new environment may come off as big thing for us. 

Aside from academics, getting into university is also when we get to have more freedom to explore various things that would build us to become who we are. 

College courses vary in years, however, in the Philippines. However, four-year degree courses appear to be the most common.

If you’ll think about it, four years is a lot of time for a person to experience things, let alone to encounter unexpected experiences. 

Graduation season is happening, and for those who are about to embark on their college journey, take time to read the stories of these graduating Gen Z students as they share lessons from their college journey. 

“Not as easy as it looks” 

If Julia Denise Baybay were to describe her college journey, it’s that “college is not as easy as it looks like on TV.” 

It was in June 2019 when Baybay started her journey in college at University of the East in Caloocan campus, where she had enrolled in a BSBA Major in Business Management and Entrepreneurship course.  

Photo courtesy: Instagram.com / @jupitersrose26

This was her first choice as she took the Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM) strand in senior high school. Her strand was bridged to her choice of course. However, during the opening of first semester in August 2020, she decided to shift to BA Communication. 

Course shifting isn’t always ideal for most students but reading books and writing stories have always been Baybay’s passion. 

“Reading books was one of my hobbies nung bata pa ako. Bago ako natuto humawak ng gadgets, books were my friends bukod sa panonood ng cartoons. Eventually I also liked to write short stories kaya nung nahagip ko nung minsan ang curriculum ng Comm, naging interested din ako sa course na yun,” she said. 

She said she had a hard time with math when she was younger. While she may have chosen ABM as her senior high-school strand, she eventually realized that math isn’t for her. 

This is what also prompted her to shift from business management to communications.

“Math has always been my weakness although Grade 10 math and SHS (senior high-school) math made me change my mind pero after kong na-try ang ilang subjects ng Business Management, sabi ko sa sarili ko di talaga para sakin ang course na may Math kaya nagdecide ako na magshift from BME to Comm,” she said. 

Even if Baybay chose something that she loves in the course she pursued—if there were one statement that would describe her college journey, it would be that college is not as easy as the ones projected on TV. 

“Kasi di ba sa mga palabas gagawa ka lang ng project, ipapasa mo assignments mo then yun tapos na in real life bukod sa mga assignments and projects kung masipag ka talaga meron ka ring extracurricular activities and other responsibilities,” the 23-year-old said.

“Literal na mapapa ‘yes!’ ka pag may natapos kang mabigat na activity or project. Kaya yes college is not as easy as it looks like on TV,” she added. 

Meanwhile for 22-year-old Antonio Agregado, they would describe their college journey as good. However, they said that it could’ve been better. 

Photo courtesy: Instagram.com / direktonio

“Honestly, my college journey as I perceive it was good, but it could’ve been better, probably because I don’t feel I had a proper work-life balance,” they said. 

According to Agregado, this is due to various circumstances where they had no choice but to comply or to adapt to. 

Agregado took BA Communications (under digital cinema track) at Far Eastern University in August 2020. They are set to graduate this July 2024. 

“Get used to people coming and going” 

If there were something that Agregado wish they knew before starting college, that is to “get used to people coming and going.” 

College is a place where you’ll meet a lot of people. Subject after subject, one can expect to see new faces every day. 

Although people are designed to be social creatures, being attached to people is something that we cannot really avoid. For Agregado, college life would’ve been easier if one did not have too many expectations from the people they meet. 

“You’ll never really have a fixed squad throughout your journey,” they said. “It would’ve made my life easier as I would not have had lofty expectations for the people I got to know during my freshman year,” they added.

Adjustments and heavy workload 

From peer adjustment to heavy workload, a major shift is something to expect in college.

Being in a new environment means that one should adjust. This is something that Baybay pointed out when she first entered college.  

“Nung first year adjustment talaga. Ang dami kong nakasanayan na di na applicable kapag college ka na,” she shared. 

Baybay recalled that her workload as a college student was heavier than the usual high-school workload. 

“Athough mas maraming workload ang high school, kung iisipin mo noon kahit whole day ang klase mo may energy ka pa pag umuwi ka. Pero nung nagcollege ako grabe ung downfall ng energy ko kaya may times kahit na may due project kami the same day last two hrs before pasahan ko na ginagawa dahil sa pagod,” said Julia. 

Having heavy workload every day is something that could drain us but despite the hardships that Baybay encountered, she was still able to overcome them—thanks to prayers, leisure time, and a strong support system. 

“Despite all of these, kinaya ko naman. Marami nga lang tulala moments pero with prayers, leisure time and a strong support system kinaya ko naman,” she said. 

Adjusting to new people is something to be considered upon entering college. After all, new faces mean new people to work with, and being in college will teach you that every individual has their own set of skills and talents. 

“My struggles during college, to be frank, always have to do with the other people I work with. Some were great peers and co-workers, especially in a production context, but those people I worked with in an academic or paperwork context,” Agregado said. 

They also explained how they struggled with working with others, as there were times on when they felt alone and had no one to reach out to for help. This also happened when it came to group work.  

“I overcame it by simply expecting the worst out of people when working in that context and getting the job done,” said Agregado. 

“I should’ve socialized more” 

Socializing is a must in college, as it presents many opportunities to meet people for future connections. 

Baybay took note that this is especially applicable when students start their OJT (on-the-job training) where having connections helps. 

“If there was one thing na dapat kong nalaman bago ako nagcollege, it’s how to become more extroverted. As a person who doesn’t have a lot of connections, mas maganda ang meron kahit papano lalo na kapag nagstart ka na mag-OJT or job -unting after graduation,” she said. 

Some advice 

College is where one should expect the unexpected. So Baybay and Agregado, who both survived their four-year college journey, shared advice for youngsters who are about to enter college. 

“A piece of advice I would give to students who will enter college might be peculiar but it proved to be practical, ‘always make sure na ikaw yung pinaka-bobo sa grupo niyo,’” Agregado said.

“I give this advice because for people like me who views college as a place of growth, hypothetically being the dumbest one in the group and always surrounding yourself with people smarter and more capable than you gives you the best position to grow as a student and as a person,” they added. 

Meanwhile as for Baybay, her advice is to never give up when it comes to reaching your dreams. 

“Sipag at tiyaga and of course maraming prayers! It’s okay to fall for a bit pero bangon ka ulit pag kaya mo na. Take everything one step at a time and lastly, enjoy,” she said.