The Road to El Dorado

College of Science - UP Mindanao

It is the 14th day of the third month of the year 2007. Well, this is just an ordinary day, until my mom told me to the last minute that we'll go to UP Mindanao Campus, just approximately 5 miles away from my crib. We rode a motorcycle or commonly known as habal-habal in Visayan language. We had no choice because that's the only mode of transportation accesible to the campus. Only a few jeepneys are available enroute to the campus. The ride was quite bumpy because of the road - uncemented. My mom was quite confused if we will go to the Administration building or to the Main Campus. Ideally and IRONICALLY, those two buildings were 2 kilometers apart, well never mind the rough road that we've ventured in. So we first stopped at the main campus and I observed that the students had no care with each other, well I mean, I saw somebody attending his class and he only wore slippers and a pambahay outfit. more or less, I think he came out from his dorm, without fixing his hair, after his afternoon siesta, just to attend his class! Wheewww!

But never underestimate them. Even they wore unprescribed uniform [though students had a freedom to choose on what will they'll wear during there classes], no, bnut seriously, even though they look like that, they had this intense intellectual capacity - really intense! Somehow, the environment is very conducive for learning. You can commune yourself to the nature, feel its wonder and its tranquility as you study in the campus.

Sad to say, effective last year, all UP CAMPUS in the country increased their tuition fee by 300%!. From the original tuition fee of 5000 pesos, the matriculation fee skyrocketed as high as 14000 pesos! Unfortunately, my course, which is BS BIOLOGY was the most expensive of all, the same with Food Tech, which is approximately 14000, excluding the miscellaneous fees and other stuffs to be complied in the enrolment period. The UP matriculation system hadn't increase for the last 16 years! - sixteen impatient years!! Malas ko naman oh!

Oh well, one week and a half week from now and it would be our Graduation Day! huhuhu!