This Saturday, I was one of the first Senior students who took this year’s entrance exam of the country’s premiere educational institution, the University of the Philippines. Commonly referred to as UPCAT, the University of the Philippines College Admission Test is designed to pick out a few lucky thousand who can get into the state university. While I prepared myself for that day to come (tbh I had been eagerly waiting for it), I had been shocked to see how difficult it was…

OK, not really. The truth is, for MONTHS I had been anticipating my examination but when it came I was just… blank. BLANK. BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANK. Why? Because I was so fucking tired and sleepy and frazzled and still hangover from the activities at school. Our teachers gave us tons of projects to work on. I was sorely tempted to ignore these and relax, meditate and prepare myself for the UPCAT. I was so close to doing just that but conscience kept on knockin’ on my noggin’. And so, I spent countless nights in front of my laptop, researching and working on projects. I wore myself out. I got tired. I was not in my best form when I got to the topmost floor of Roxas Hall in Bulacan State University.

The test was easy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not bragging or what. It is easy. I would advise incoming fourth year students to not enroll in review classes for the reason that you won’t be able to use whatever they’re going to teach you when the time comes. All you need is stock knowledge, rest, wit and a little diskarte to pass. I’m saying this out of personal experience. It may be different with other people.

So, yeah, going back… it was easy. BUT I WAS SLEEPY. (lol unintentional rhyme right there. I blame all my earlier ventures into poetry.) I couldn’t focus while answering. In some items, I had to read the questions like 3 times to understand. Fortunately, I finished most of the subtests and answered with the most accuracy I can with my condition. Still, I have a feeling I won’t make it.

I can still remember some questions and my erroneous answers. I wasn’t able to think about a lot of items properly; I was too busy fighting fatigue. I felt like shit when I got home. I was so fucking close to crying. But friends and acquaintances, both real and virtual, made me feel less crap. I know I’ll be down when the results come out February next year. After all, it has been a long-time dream of mine to study in UP, and taking their admission test is a once-in-a-lifetime experience I kinda wasted (but not really). I know I’ll feel crap again but… I dunno. Oh, wait. I DO know. God has something better and more suitable in store for me.