Aljin Who? (School is cool Part 2)

For college, me and my friends agreed to take UPCAT, the admissions test for the University of the Philippines. I remembered of writing down Physical Therapy as my 1st choice and Occupational Therapy as my spare. Both were at UP-Manila. Almost all of my friends did take review sessions at school every Sunday. I did not. So we've passed all the requirements and wait for the judgment day to come. What I read was just the first 20 pages of my old chemistry book, middle randomly picked pages of my red physics bible and some anatomy for biology. And that was it. I thought I was prepared already. I was scheduled on a Sunday morning (the rain aint falling), 6AM at Imus. My dad was with me. I was late but I get to sit in the front most: beside the proctor! I took the exam. Math was hard. As always. Science was pretty harsh but manageable. Languages went good. Then the results came.

I failed.

Majority of my friends passed. I actually never felt down or shocked because I knew what possibly the outcome maybe. I was right. I lacked 0.5 to get to PT school.

I also took AMCAT. The entrance exam at De La Salle Health Sciences Institute. Physiotherapy was still my aim. This time, I know i would ace the evals. After a week, Mom got the results and then I realized that I will be facing a storm for the next 5 years. Interviews were done and finally got in.

Why I chose PT? Because I was fascinated by Anatomy and Physiology. I love diagnosing and studying conditions too. Maybe that's why.

Pre-college season was actually the time where anxiety sets in. I was the only one from IJA to take PT in De La Salle. Semi-adulting skills prevailed and a lot of first times happened. I get to ride jeepneys and buses alone. I get to buy my own lunch and one time, ate alone. Pretty lonely but atleast I get to experience what reality was. After few weeks, I got close to my blockmates and had a fun-filled freshman year. I fell in love with course even if we only had 1 major subject back then.

Sophomore year. More fun happened. We felt, somehow, on how our future years would go. Health Care moved us from being a typical teenage college student to a tough stethoscope-bearing warrior. We get to change sheets of the bed, wear proper fits of surgical gloves, wash our hands step by step, and do CPR on a real-man-like mannequins. Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology was also a major. Return demonstrations were our breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sometimes merienda counts. I felt so drained having it every week but I keep on telling and convincing myself that the very reason why I chose this course is because of Ana and Physio. Lo and behold, it was done.

Kinesiology Suit Fitting: done

IAP Grade of greater than 80: done

Passing TOEIC: done

PT Proper interview: done

Aljin's brain and body: !?!

Then came PT proper. Junior Year. New world again. New subjects, new professors, new books, new building, same faces. We had majors on the 5th floor of Wang Building. There we met batengteng eternally and graciously. It is an old empty small oxygen tank paired with a metal rod. Once the proctor hits the tin, it will really give you chills in your spine and forget all what you have studied. It was our worst nightmare. Imagine having it hit more than 20 times per day; it'll just make you sick and throw up. Subjects back then were the toughest, I think. It really makes the twisted gyrus more twisted. Life continues...

After months, we were the ates and kuyas of the bent 5th floor of Wang. We reached the senior year. We felt the superior in the college. Batengtengs were normal to us already and no longer make our knees shake. It was the shortest amongst our 4-year stay in the College. It was just literally countdown to Internship. But still, life will try its very best to throw you lemons.

Thesis happened.

We were all tired accomplishing all our academic requirements and thesis, right in the couch is waving and literally saying "I got my eye on you." Yes, it was added work but we got no choice but to accomplish and do it. Our research is a quasi-experimental study on the effectiveness of video presentation in promoting recall of caregivers handling Cerebral Palsy. We defended it and won the battle. It was even presented in a Research Forum competition and won the 1st place (yay!). And was awarded the Best Thesis on our Graduation (more yay!)

... to be continued ...