What I Want UP to Be

By: Marc Anthony Barade, BS ChE III

          Back when I was in high school I wanted to study in the University of the Philippines (UP) because the cost in studying in UP is relatively cheap. I believed that the quality of education in UP was the highest in the country. I believed that studying in UP meant that I would go under much pressure and difficulties which I thought was challenging. I accepted the challenge and now I’m here as a third year chemical engineering student. For almost three years I have seen what UP offers its students.

Like any other student I want UP to be well equipped, this means that the university should have facilities and equipment that are functional and as much as possible up to date with technologies, that it can offer to most if not all students. I want UP to be a university where one can do many types of researches because the facilities are there and ready for use. I also want UP to have a good gymnasium, enough dormitories, comfortable classrooms, proper laboratories and a good number of books in the library. High speed internet connection is also an aspect the university should look at.

The university should also have enough effective and passionate teachers. Some teachers are teaching more than the ideal number of students in one class. Other subjects especially GE subjects are offered with lesser classes due to the lack of teachers that can manage them while others have an overload.

The University of the Philippines Visayas needs much time and money to improve; this is why students should take it upon themselves to do what is expected of them as iskolar ng bayan. As a student in UP, I try to excel in things that I need to do and in order to do these there are values that the we students should learn for themselves.

Hard work is a given value when you are an isko or iska. When numerous activities be it group or individual, academic or extra-curricular and exams are pressing at you, there will be no other choice. At times all I could do was self-study a whole lesson, chapter by chapter and book by book. You need to prepare what needs preparation, do what you have to do and pass what you need to pass, all these are pure hard work. Perseverance, every student in UP needs this. The accumulated stress from all your hard will be heavy, dealing with these will sometimes make you feel like you want to quit. As long as you continue rewards will be there at the end. It is also important to note that an extra effort will not be wasted if you know where to place it. What the teachers or the facilities lack, we students should be ready to fill in with more effort. UP students should try their best to achieve excellence in their fields.

            All these would be nothing if we had no honor though, the backbone of every student. This will be the value we hold whenever we go to class, answer an exam, make a paper or thesis and the value we will be most proud of when we receive that diploma. The day we students dream to say “I survived UP”.