up for freshies

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This is my final paper for one of my Journalism classes.

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First off, let me welcome you to the University of the Philippines. You are now an Iskolar ng Bayan, one of the few who make it into the premier university of the country.

You are now entering a new world where you will learn new things and face new challenges.

Life in UP is not like life in high school. You will be on your own in this new world; no one will be there to hold your hand or to tell you what to do.

During my first week as a UP student, I got lost a lot of times. I simply did not know where to go.

The UP campus is huge. There are many buildings and places to go to. As freshmen, there are five places you have to know by heart, besides your home college of course.

Number one: Palma Hall.

A lot of your time will be spent here, as most of the general education subjects are held in this building. It will be hard to miss, as all the jeepneys in UP pass either in front or behind it. Just look for the huge columns and the famous steps where students go to meet friends, to study, or to just pass the time.

Of course, it was not that simple for me during my first days in UP. All the jeepneys do pass Palma Hall (or AS, for Arts and Sciences), you just have to know what to look for. At that time I did not know anything about the campus, let alone which building was which, so I often went right past Palma Hall. Here's a tip: when you see a lot of people –as in A LOT of people- that would most likely be Palma Hall.

Another thing about AS is that it does not have 4000 rooms. My first class there was at PH 4124, and I had absolutely no idea where that was. Guess what I did.

I followed every room since I did believe then that there were 4000 rooms. So I went from the first floor to the fourth floor looking for PH 4124. I did find room 1001 at the ground floor, but by then I was already huffing and puffing, not to mention extremely late for my class.

I finally gave up, swallowed my pride, and asked the nearest security guard where my class was. It turned out that I was in the wrong building. Besides the huge main building, Palma Hall has four pavilions and one annex. The room numbers do not show the actual number of rooms, they are location codes. As such, PH 4124 is read as Palma Hall Pavillion 4, 1^st floor, Room 24.

One thing you must always remember is that there is nothing wrong with asking questions. Ask for help if and when you need it. It is more embarrassing to not ask and be wrong in the end.

Of course, you should be wary of one thing. When looking for TBA, do not ask upperclassmen. Most UP students, if not all, seem to find this as an excuse to play a prank on unsuspecting freshies like you. I know I did. But I'm turning over a new leaf. To save you the trouble of asking, TBA means "to be announced" and not "top of Business Administration" or "Teodoro Benigno Annex".

Number two: Gonzalez Hall.

Also known as the Main Library, this is the building seen behind the Sunken Garden. It is just a short walk from Palma Hall. Much of your time MUST be spent here, since many of your classes will require research. Books, people. Wikipedia is overrated. And there are a lot of books here. I'm a voracious reader, and in five years I've read barely 1% of all the books in the library. You will most likely be using three sections of the Main Library: General Reference, Social Sciences, and Filipiniana. The General Reference and Social Science sections are on the first floor; from the entrance, GenRef is to the left and SocSci is to the right. The Filipiniana section is at the ground floor; go down the stairs to the left of the entrance.

Of the three, the best place to be would be the General Reference section. It is airy and quiet, easily conducive to sleeping. Just kidding. This is where you will find the free Wi-Fi service courtesy of DILNET. However, Friendster cannot be accessed from here.

Most of the readings for your classes will be found at the Social Science and Filipiniana sections, unless your professors are kind enough to have photocopied the needed books beforehand (which is very rare) or if they are at the Shopping Center, which would be the next stop on our tour.

Before we move on though, remember that there are also other libraries scattered all over the campus. Every college has its own library. Some of your readings may only be found in one or two of the different college libraries, so be prepared to go library hopping.

Number three: the Shopping Center.

Just an Ikot ride away from Palma Hall or a short walk from the Main Library, everything you could possibly need can be found here. There is a grocery store with all the food and supplies you will need. There are a lot of computer shops here for your printing, typing, and research needs. Yes, you can access Friendster here. Most of the photocopying shops are here too, along with some of your required readings.

The food shops here –Rodics, especially- are some of the best –and the cheapest- in the entire campus.

You can also find UP memorabilia, clothes, eyeglasses, school supplies, even rare movies. I only found out about the latter a few days ago. Try to go to the second floor of the first shop (Mister Donut) in the left wing of the building. Along with pocket books are hard-to-find movies, series, and computer programs; all of which can be bought cheap.

With the high cost of tuition nowadays, you need all the breaks you can get.

Number four: the Sunken Garden.

Life in UP is not all about studying. Don't get me wrong, it's very important to study here. However, all work and no play is boring, not to mention dangerous. You have to strike a balance between the two; you run the risk of burning out if you do not take some time out to relax.

This is where the Sunken Garden comes in. Found behind the Main Library, you would be hard pressed to miss this vast expanse of green. This is undeniably one of the best places to relax and unwind after a day of exams, reports, and papers. The tall acacia trees provide shade from the sun, and the air is almost always cool.

People come here to hang out with friends, play games, or just to sit and think. Kite flying, football, Ultimate Frisbee, baseball, badminton… The list of what you could do there is endless.

When I find the time to go there I just sit on the grass and watch the clouds or the people playing in the field. Sometimes I bring a book along with me.

The Sunken Garden is not the only place in UP where you can relax though. There are many other parks throughout the campus, foremost of which is the Lagoon. Found between the UP Theater and the Vargas Museum, this is the place to go for total peace and quiet.

The Lagoon opens up to the Amphitheatre and our next and last stop: Quezon Hall.

Number five: Quezon Hall.

To everything there must be an end. Our stay in UP will eventually come to an end, and the only way we should meet that end is by going through Quezon Hall.

The Oblation statue (or a copy of it) can be found in front of the tall columns of the building facing University Avenue. Behind Quezon Hall is the Amphitheatre, an expanse of grass comparable to the Sunken Garden but used for a different purpose.

This is where graduation ceremonies are held. If you study hard, in four to five years you will be one of the many white-clad students standing in the Amphitheatre waiting to be awarded their diplomas.

The ultimate goal for all of us should be to finish our courses, get our degrees, and share our knowledge and experience with the outside world.

As an Iskolar ng Bayan, a UP graduate must use the education and training given to him by the Filipino people to serve the Filipino nation.

That's it for our short "tour" of the University of the Philippines Diliman Campus. Remember that these are not the only places to see in the campus. I leave the others to you. Explore the place; you might find something new and unusual.

Good luck and enjoy your stay in UP!