Down Time after a Great Term

The last term of this school year will always be so memorable to me for many reasons. Thinking about them gives me a smile on my face with gratitude in my heart and a great sense of achievement.

First, I am filled with joy that my students succeeded to meet my expectations that most of them who did not give up in our class performed excedingly well. I refer to my students in COMSK2X who completed their final requirement of presenting their project proposals and my students in ORALCOM who delivered their final major speech.

I have learned alot from them, and I have enjoyed every moment that they would share their laughter, chat casually with me, tell me their personal stories, share their ideas whether brilliant or bleak, and specially when I hear how they learn from what we are doing.

The most important of all lesson that I learned, is that "all practices and simulations we are doing are but bullshit!" Maybe it is at that moment when things are already easy because they have been prepared well for it, and when in fact the challenge is no longer there at that moment, but out there when they advance to their next subjects and when they leave the school.

That student who asked me why we were doing all those bullshit was really smart to think at the moment, because the real applications of a course's culminating activity does not end in the four courners of the classroom. The bullshit being done in the class is a golden shit later on. Apparently, that student did very well in that bullshit activity, and it makes me proud that he succeeded there.

The other things I am so happy about are those of my personal and professional development. This term ended my probationary period to give me a permanent tenure in the college. Along with this is the recognition of my five years of loyal service. Next is, I am being promoted two steps from my current rank because of my research outputs. Also, I am looking forward to an adminstrative position sometime soon.

I consider those both blessings and rewards for my labor. They did not come so easy. I did not really plan for them, but sometime before I have set my mind to greater things, and here they are unfolding before my eyes. Because of my hardwork and passion to be able to inspire others through whatever I can contribute, I have found my voice and it was heard and recognized.

Finally, what gives my heart joy is that I am done with my coursework for my PhD. One student in our last meeting sincerely told me his hope to call me a doctor sometime this year. That to me is a prophecy that I have to work with destiny driven by faith and passion. Through the training I had in my PhD program in UP, I was able to do several research, some of them are published in journals, archieved in the indeces online, and presented in national and international conferences.

Now I feel I am bound to succeed in whatever I will do. Not because I am more conscious of my capacity, but because I know God is with me along the way. He gave me people who provided me favors, like enrolling me for residency this summer so I can take the comprehensive exam, presenting my project while I attend to my class, talking with me when I space out, finding time to dine out to give me social life, smoking with me when I rot of lazyness to booze me up, and yes lending me money when I am broke.

All those things were incredible almost surreal to happen. It surprises me that they happened. Surely, with my own strength I will not be able to them. The excellent G.P.A. I got to merit me a University Scholar status throughout my PhD program, the paperworks that I could do so efficiently, the lessons that I present to the class, the blogs I write while I am busy with academic research works, while attending a full time teaching job. All are impossible to accomplish, but God put me through.

Now the school year ends, it is down time for me after a great term. Before I plunge into reviewing for my comprehensive examination and preparing for my dissertation, and before I compute my students' final grades, I intend to treat my self into a series of lazy days -- an awesome vacation. Oh, this is happiness! Any great ideas as to how I should spend a month and half of downtime?