[META] A Day of Good News

A Day of Good News

(Or, alternatively, "A Day in the Life of a Graduating UP Visayas Student")

[Note: I had censored a few details, I have still not informed some of my loved ones!]

A couple of days ago, I received a bit of news that could very well change my life. It spelled the beginning of a lot of things, and also marked the end of other things. In spite of that, everything else seemed like the typical Friday of a rather lax student with the fortune of studying a rigorous program at the University of the Philippines Visayas.

For the most part, it was nice. I did not expect things to turn out the way they did that day, but I consider this event very providential.

I woke up at around 8:00 to warm air enveloping my skin. I thought that was strange, but I realized my mom turned off the air conditioning before she left for work. She is a doctor at the local district hospital, and has to leave for work in the early mornings, coming back the next day after 24 hours of duty as a medical officer. We turn off the air conditioning to save on electricity bills. Usually, this would not be too much of an issue.

With the current heat wave, this poised itself to be a bigger problem than expected. At 8:0, it was already scalding hot.

With that, I sighed and checked out Reddit on my phone. That is the very first thing I do when I wake up every morning, I have to get my daily fill of depressing current affairs, after all. Scrolling down, I found out right then and there that we finally got ourselves a new pope.

Let me take you through a day in my life as an Iskolar ng Bayan at UP Visayas. Spoiler alert: it’s a mix of academic chaos, unexpected peace, and at least one existential crisis. 

Something about the atmosphere of the morning felt symbolic, as if the world was quietly turning a page while I was still half-draped in yesterday’s thoughts.

Alas, I had to get up. I peeled myself from the sheets like an old sticker that’s lost its glue. My room was stuffy with the kind of heat that makes you question the concept of 'fair game' and the state of privilege in the world. Sana all, ang iba talaga may aircon!

Eh, it was a choice not to head to school that day. I mean, I did not have any classes, sure, so I was not obligated. Still, I keep the habit of going to school even on non-class days, so I can spend time with my friends, or even get myself into the right mindset to study for my classes.

That day in particular was NOT that kind of day.

So I elected to stay at home. I splashed water on my face, lathered my favorite Senka cleanser on my skin then washed it off, and stared into the mirror. Sleep crust in one eye, dread in the other—a rather familiar combination for people like me who like to spend eons in bed, haha! 

For most of the day, I played one of my favorite video games: Hogwarts Legacy. It was not like I had anything better to do, and I knew that touching my play script or my school modules would send me into another frenzy, so I decided to stay as far as I could from anything 'responsible', lest my burnout would start to worsen even further.

My partner got home from work at around 15:30 in the afternoon and decided to sleep, so I let him, watching him snore as I continued to virtually explore the halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Okay, when I say the next part shook me to my core, I mean it. Here goes.

At 17:27, I received an email on my phone. Thinking it was another spam email, I ignored it, favoring my video game. Later, at 18:06, I was deep in my Defense Against The Dark Arts class in the game, eyes steeled towards the screen when my phone lit up a second time—another email. Not thinking much of it, I merely spared it a glance.

'Dear [] Applicant: Congratulations again on your acceptance to [REDACTED].'

What?

What did I just see?

I did a double take, but my phone screen went dark again, so I really had to pause my game and open my phone.

There, in my inbox, were two separate emails informing me of my acceptance to my dream school—the [] School of [].

At that, I screamed.

My partner got startled awake, and I ran all the way to my brother's room to tell him of the good news. I then called my aunt in Manila, then my mother. My partner, initially groggy from sleep, immediately called his parents also to tell them about what had just transpired. I swear, the way my loved ones' faces lit up when I told them was something I can never, ever forget in my entire life. Me, finally getting into my dream school, in my dream program! This was something I truthfully never expected, and I was beyond ecstatic.

Really, it was the kind of joy that hums under your skin—quiet at first, then building into a warmth that no summer heat could compete with. Like, man, this is it. This really is it. The part movies I like wherein the background music swells—the turning point written in golden ink. Now, everyone knows this: as a delayed UP student, I have my share of struggles, especially regarding my self-esteem and optimism for future prospects. After months, years, looooong periods of doubt, overthinking, long nights, whispered prayers, and sheer stubborn hope, I was in.

Somehow, at that very moment, everything around me became softer. The scorching heat didn't feel quite as punishing. It turns out, God had my best interests in mind all along; He just needed to let me cook and simmer. Everything that happened in my life so far, ultimately had a reason, and this was just one of the revelations.

Now, I see that the rest of my life is actually full of possibility, of relief, of beginnings.

I thought back to every moment that almost made me quit. The classes that drained me, the self-doubt that haunted me, the countless times I questioned if I was enough. I thought of that moment I tearfully submitted my application for my leave of absence. I remembered every single time I failed Math 50. All those times, I wondered whether or not the fight was still worth it.

That day, I got my answer.

You know what? There will still be chaos, there will always be chaos. That is just the way it works for me! Interesting things happen wherever I go. Others might think it is a stroke of bad luck, but I personally like to keep my eyes open for the silver lining. I accept that there will still be days when I feel like I’m running on fumes, but for now, I will hold this moment like a fragile little firefly in my hands, letting it glow against the dark.

Really, it started out like any other Friday, but it really was a day of good news. Like, OH MY GOD GUYS I GOT INTO MY DREAM SCHOOL!

Anyways, yeah. That is a day in the life of a graduating student from UP Visayas, and for me, a day that quietly, finally, changed everything.