Time for Tests

This weekend was all about tests, academic exams to be more specific. I accompanied my brother to Bocobo Hall (College of Law) in UP Diliman as he was about to take the UPCAT, the entrance exam to the Philippine's State University. He belonged to the first batch of examiners, Saturday morning, 6:30 in the morning! I decided to park somewhere and just wait for him to finish the 4 hour exam instead of going home. I brought review materials as I also have an exam the following day (which is today, more on that later). As I looked around, the campus turned into a big parking lot! Cars were parked left and right, on the roads, parking spaces, and even on places I never thought would be accessible to motor vehicles! I can just imagine the skill of these drivers! From time to time, I recalled my UPCAT experience...

Early Saturday morning, it was still dark. I was standing outside the Math building, which is one of the most well-known buildings in the campus (together with Palma Hall or AS and Melchor Hall, home of the College of Engineering). I was waiting for the longest time and I got the first taste of the UP (University of Pila) experience as we stayed in our lines for more than an hour. I had to be there early or I'll get stuck somewhere because of the attack of so many vehicles as the number of UPCAT takers reach thousands per batch. I was glad to be on the first batch because after that, I have the rest of the weekend to rest. A few minutes before 8am, we were directed to our rooms... I was armed with my pass, pencils, eraser, sharpener and lots & lots of packets of AirCool chewing gum. I remember, I was seated in the back row, two seats away from the window... I didn't know anyone in my room, I only had the chance to chat with a few friends while in the line, while waiting. Then in came the proctor, my heart was pounding... This is it! Cmon, I can do this! I took my first piece of AirCool and the minty blast hit on the spot! Started filling up our information then start with the exam... Math, Science, Language Proficiency and Reading Comprehension... During and in between subjects, seemed like every 10 items, I took a piece of AirCool and my mouth was immune, or should I say numb, from all that minty goodness. My breath could have turned a pool of water into an ice skating rink! My brain was throbbing, I was tired... After 4 grueling hours and 4 packets of AirCool later, I was done with the exam and I had a big ball of gum in my mouth! I proceeded to exit the room and walk out the doors of what seemed to be a temporary prison. I got in the car and took the rest of the week off... The UPCAT was the first of 4 entrance exams I took: the others were for Ateneo, La Salle and Mapua. Each was the same scenario, well, except for the AirCool and the location as I took the Ateneo exam in their campus while the other two in my beloved high school - Pisay. All I can do after all that was wait... Thank God, I got in all of them! I chose UP with a course in Civil Engineering and here I am, 5 years later.

It was 12 noon, the UPCAT takers were moving out of the building. I observed the people waiting: one parent, both parents, parent with a sibling, sibling (just like myself) and what takes the cake, the whole angkan! I heard comments from some of the mommies waiting, "Ba't nakasimangot kayo?" and the examiners, "Hirap ng science/math!" It seemed like 5 years ago, but this time I was the one waiting. Finally, I saw my brother... "O kamusta?" He had difficulty with science and got bored with reading comprehension. Now, he'll prepare for and take other exams and just like me 5 years ago, wait for the results in the coming months.

Now, on to the other test! As I mentioned, I took up Civil Engineering in the UP Diliman. I graduated just this summer and I'm planning to take the November 2007 board exams. To prepare for this, I'm attending review classes at Review Innovations: 813 R. Papa St., Sampaloc, Manila. Lecture classes from Monday to Thursday, 8 am to 12 noon and evaluation exams, same time every Sunday. But what makes today special? I just took the midterm pre-board exam! It was like the evaluation exam but instead of what we took up for the week, the coverage was from the very first meeting! So much to memorize.... My brain couldn't take it... 8 am to 6 pm! Math was ok! Surveying and Transportation Engineering, so so... Hydraulics, eh... Geotechnical Engineering, eh eh... Structural Design and Construction, ehhhhhhhhh.... I have a few months left with lots more to recall! But with the help of Review Innovations, I know I'm guided, I know I'll be able to pass and become an Engineer!

I'll leave this entry with a little poem that was placed at the end of one of the exam parts earlier. I hope it could serve as an inspiration and a motivation:

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh

When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns

And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out
Don't give up though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with another blow

Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never can tell just how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit