The Confession of an Academic Owl in Manila

So, imagine this scenario: sitting again in front of the computer drinking your nth coffee cup, revising your thesis-slash-Feasibility study-slash-whatever. You stare blankly at the screen just re-reading the same old thing, until the words become imprinted on your mind and you barely read the document anymore because you know what it has to say.

You do this day and night, for the past few days and say to yourself “sana matapos na ‘tong sem’ na ‘to” again for the nth time. After that you have to do a report/homework/whatever and you just know na cool-off muna kayo ng kama mo.

The night’s silent and you only get to stand-up if you need to pee or get another coffee or go to the nearest 7–11 to grab something for the big belly you’ve invested in while sitting most of the time.

sounds familiar? … of course it is.

Slaving Away the best years of your life, for an adulthood filled with uncertainty.

Every letter you type, every blink of the cursor, it makes you think. Will this be worth-it anyway ? Does surviving this degree, guarantee me a job in the real world, especially when you’re in competition with other graduates from an exclusive school with an expensive education? If so, will that job pay me enough to sustain an average middle-class lifestyle, considering the inflation rate of prices?

work hard you will reap the efforts of your labor, they say, you hear this from the moment you entered your kindergarten up to now that you’re at the final stretch, and you just can’t help question the idea. Knowing that what you do in the real world is affected by your choices in college, even the choice of your college or university affects it! … which is also affected by the choices you make in High school… So does that mean you straightened out life from then? if so, what part of childhood do you still actually enjoy?

The irony of life: You work hard to enjoy a life, which you cannot enjoy because you’re working hard.

And God knows, that hearing stories from other people like, being a maid in the mountains of tra-la-la or a factory worker in wonderlandia earns a lot of cash, considerably more than what the common office worker with a bachelor’s degree-major-in-something-fancy makes. All you had to do is learn how to cook and clean or anything that doesn’t involve a four-year degree with a completed thesis and practicum, and you’re good to earn those dollars.

So why are you still working hard?

’cause you’re in too deep to quit. Your parents are expecting a degree from you soon (or some financial relief), you want to show-off your diploma or avoid the talks from your high school peers, how sad it is that you’ve wasted your intelligence by not graduating, or because you’re still hoping you can be a successful person like what story books have told you would become.

Anyways, its still “cool” to flaunt a degree (but I bet it’s way cooler to flaunt some luxury)… so you just drink that instant coffee, and continue what you’re doing and hope for the best.

Whatever happens… Good luck!