Bracing for a Killer Semester

In a matter of days, I will be starting my 1st JTA Semester, which is a special academic calendar for students like me, under the John Gokongwei School of Management, who would be spending a semester abroad. I am pretty sure that this will be a killer semester because I need to complete a 15-unit load in the next 12 weeks (normally it is 18 weeks) that involves "killer" subjects such as FIN 102: Financial Planning, PH 101: Philosophy of the Human Person, CS 175: Introduction to Multimedia, MKT 101: Introduction to Marketing, POM 102: Fundamentals of Production and Operations Management.

JTA stands for Junior Term Abroad. It is a program of Ateneo de Manila’s John Gokongwei School of Management that gives students the opportunity to study abroad for one term. My parents were not initially supportive of my plan to study abroad because of the burdensome expenses. After all, my expensive tuition fee in Ateneo, is already a heavy weight on their shoulders. As selfish as this may sound, I still tried to convince my parents to allow me to go abroad last January during the application period because I have waited for this opportunity since freshman year.

Back in 2006, I initially got admitted in Ateneo for the course, Bachelor of Arts in Management Economics (MeCo) under the School of Social Sciences (SOSS). But after I learned that the Junior Term Abroad (JTA) Program was exclusively for the students of the School of Management (SOM), I shifted majors. My final choice was the course, Bachelor of Science in Management Major in Communications Technology Management (ComTech). 

Now that I am in my junior year, I did not pass up this opportunity. I applied like many other students in my batch. The Dean screened our applications and ranked us according to our academic performance, leadership capabilities and extra curricular activities. Gladly, I got the 64th spot out of the 200+ applicants. When I heard that the Dean was offering financial aid scholarships worth $2000, I decided to give it a shot. I had a spine-chilling one-on-one interview with our Dean. It was one of the scariest interviews I've ever had. But it was all worth it after he informed me that I got the scholarship! Whew! 

My initial choice was Sogang University in Seoul, Korea with a tuition-waived slot. The estimated cost of living was between $3,550 and $5,250. But when a slot for a low-cost Japanese university opened up, I changed my mind. Now, I got the tuition-waived slot for Akita International University in Akita, Japan. The Office of International Programs (OIP) estimated the cost of living to be between $3,000 and $4,000. 

I am very excited to study and live in Japan because I have never been to the Land of the Rising Sun. Moreover, my excitement stems from my past frustration post-high school and pre-college when I missed out on my chance to study and live in Japan for six months under the Hijas de Jesus Sisters' Shotoku Program. Back then, my parents were not so keen with the idea of me postponing college for one year in order to participate in a cultural exchange program. This time around, after I told them about the financial aid I received as well as the prestige of the JTA program, they eventually gave in!

God is indeed so good because he did not stop showering me with blessings even after that. One day, the Dean gave me a surprise call and told me that he nominated me to receive the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) scholarship and that it has been granted. The Japanese independent administrative institution would give me a monthly living allowance worth $800 plus extra money for pre-departure miscellaneous expenses. Alleluia!!

Batangas: Kawayan Cove

My blockmates and I drove to Kawayan Cove to enjoy the Bamboo Beach, a 650-meter crescent of white sand and sparkling blue water, considered as the best swimming beach in Nasugbu, Batangas. We had a yummy lunch buffet in the same resort. There was nobody else but us!

Throughout the afternoon, we just relaxed, played some games and fooled around like kids.

After dinner, the drinking began. The guys were creative enough to come up with a makeshift beer bong. Haha!

Tagaytay: Block R1 Outing

Last April 1 to 3, my blockmates and I went to Tagaytay and Batangas for a much needed R&R. We stopped at Laguna to have lunch at Chowking and to stretch our muscles as well. As usual, I ordered my favorite Halo-Halo from Chowking! 

We stayed at Den's place at "The Woodlands" located at Tagaytay Highlands. I loved her family's two-storey, three-bedroom log cabin especially its high ceiling, which provided more ventilation and allowed natural light to come in freely.

That afternoon, we headed to the clubhouse to break some sweat. We played squash and basketball. And yes, some of us played in our flip flops! Haha! Before heading back, we took one last group photo of our stinky, sweaty selves at the entrance of the clubhouse.

After we freshened up, we headed back to the clubhouse to have dinner at this small restaurant that doubled as a karaoke place. It was really nice to have the place to ourselves. 

Subic: Day 3

On our last day, we went to Subic Bay Freeport Zone. We visited some stalls at an open-air parking lot selling all kinds of things from local souveneirs to homemade quilts. Nearby, there was also an outlet shop selling famous brands like Nike and Kickers.

We then went to Moonbay Marina, a leisure beachfront property filled with restaurants and pubs. Everything was still close so we were all by ourselves at the deserted beach! 

Subic: Day 2

Our itinerary for the day was to visit Zoobic Safari, the only Tiger Safari in the Philippines. We rode an open-air jeep with grills to the sanctuary of the tigers. It was so cool seeing the tigers trying to attack our jeep.

Here are some interesting creatures in Zoobic Park.

Other interesting areas: Rodent World and Animal Muzooeum. 

I've always wanted to meet a real Aeta so I was very thrilled when I learned that there is an Aeta Trail in the park. On top of everything, there was also Croco Cafe! When we went back to our hotel that afternoon, we immediately plunged into the swimming pool. 

Subic: Sun and Fun

Last March 29 to 31, my friends and I headed to Subic on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales. After conquering four semesters in college, we felt we needed a break. Gire, Esh, Mark, Chona and I met up at Irma's house early Saturday morning because we were gonna use Irma's van for the three-hour road trip! 

We stayed at Legenda Suites. We got a two-bedroom suite complete with a sala set, a mini-kitchen and a dining area.

After unloading our things, we were ready to start our adventure! We got a little lost on the road, but good thing we found our way to Camayan Beach Resort. We immediately changed into our swimsuits and went swimming. It was really nice to just chill out on the beach and forget all about our lamentable grades, terror teachers and arduous schoolwork. 

That night, we had dinner at the resort and luckily, we were able to witness a fire dance show. We also got henna tattoos just for the fun of it!