Bea Romero
EN 121 – 304
Essay #2
Four of the Best Years in Three of the Most Sentimental Spots
Some of the best and most challenging four years of my life took place in Ateneo de Manila University. It was where I spent most of my college life. I graduated and got my Bachelor’s Degree back in 2012. I was an Interdisciplinary Studies major. I loved the course I had because it was one of the most flexible courses that my university offered. We got to choose two disciplines that we would focus on. I chose communications and psychology. I decided to take this course because I knew from the beginning that there were still a lot of other things that I want to do eventually. I didn’t want to be contained in just one field of career. Just like most people, I wanted to have options and see which one I have the most passion for. Also, since I was in high school, I knew I wanted to eventually work in the industry of fashion. I just didn’t know which specific area yet. I took as many college entrance tests as I possibly could. When I found out I got accepted in Ateneo, it was an opportunity that I could not just let pass. Even though they did not offer any fashion course, I knew I wanted to get a degree from this school because not only did a lot of Filipino presidents graduated from this university, but a lot of my family were currently studying in that school.
I remember the time I first set foot in that institution, it was that one time when I dropped off my sister for her class. We got there a little early so she had extra time to show me around. There were several buildings in the campus. Some were quite a walk from the rest of the other buildings. She just took me to the one area where three of its buildings were connected. These three buildings were called Berchman, Kostka, and Gonzaga. They were one of the first ones built in that campus, which showed through the old design elements of the buildings. The floors weren’t even tiled. It was just cement. The only ones that stood out were the new lockers and the vending machines for those were the only things that seemed current and modern in the place. I also noticed how classrooms only had ceiling fans despite of the very hot Manila weather. I haven’t really seen much of the area during that time but I remember thinking that there must be something really special about this school for it to have so many young people dream of studying there for college. I had such thought for the reason that I have seen other schools that have newly-renovated and much more modernized buildings with air-conditioned classrooms.
The day I got the news that I was accepted in Ateneo, the happiness I felt was beyond words. I cried. I felt like it was an answered prayer and that it was the start of my dreams becoming reality. But beyond the joy and excitement, there was also anxiety and fear, which I think is completely normal for most kids who are first entering the college life. The first time I went there as an official Atenean was during the three-day orientation that all incoming freshmen were required to attend. It took place in the “cov courts”, which was basically a set of basketball courts under one huge roof. I was aware that that was where PE classes took place. All thanks to my sister who provided me this little information. During the orientation, we met our “blockmates”. These are basically the people we have the same major with and would eventually be in the same classes as us. Aside from this and learning about the Ateneo culture, we were also given a tour of the entire campus. It was definitely a necessity since the size of the campus and the number of buildings in it could be very overwhelming. Although I did see most of the campus during that time, it wasn’t until the official start of classes that I really got a feel of the entire place.
The series of buildings that I was able to explore during the mini tour my sister gave me several months before were three of the older and most iconic ones. I had classes in two of those buildings – Berchman and Kostka. These were three-floor buildings. There were no elevators so I remember how stressful it would be whenever I was late for a class that was on the third floor. They weren’t my favorite but I had some of the best classes there. Good thing I had a lot of fun classes in these buildings that even though these didn’t have the nicest of all classrooms, I still appreciated being there. Also, I think the oldness of the building was one thing that made it special. It would sometimes make me wonder who among the famous alumni once had classes in the same rooms. Plus, the chapel and cafeteria is in the Gonzaga building, which is connected to these two. I would sometimes visit the chapel before exams or big presentations or even during just a regular day when I need a sense of peace. The chapel was one of the most peaceful and calm places inside the campus. It was so quiet there that one could perfectly hear his breathing. It was also very convenient during lunch breaks because as the 12 o’clock bell rang, the cafeteria started getting crowded and it would be hard to get a table. It allowed me together with my friends to be some of the first ones to get there and save seats.
The cafeteria was one of my favorite places in the campus. I made a lot of memories in that place. Food stalls were arranged around the room by the walls and tables and chairs are in the middle. It kind of had the same arrangement as a regular food court in a mall. It actually wasn’t a very pleasant place because of the noise and the smoke from all the cooking. But I think that was one of the reasons why I loved hanging out there. The chaos and the crowd made the place feel so alive. My friends and I would always try to get one of the long tables on the second floor since we were quite a large group and there was better ventilation upstairs because of the big windows. Not only could it get very hot in there during peak hours, we also wanted to avoid having the smell of different foods that linger in the big room stick on our clothes. We would save that table for hours. Since we didn’t all have the same schedules, some would come while others would have to leave for class. In those times, we would do all sorts of things. Of course food would almost always be present regardless of what we were doing. Sometimes we would just eat and rant and complain about our classes and deadlines. There were times when we would update each other about the latest gossips about our crushes. There were also times when our table would be completely silent as we were all on our laptops, procrastinating for papers and other requirements.
Another favorite spot of mine was the walkway across the cafeteria. We called it the “SEC Walk”. That was where my friends and I would hang out if we weren’t at the cafeteria. It was one of the new areas in the university. If I am not mistaken, it was only around ten years old or less when I first got there – compared to others that have been there for decades. Although not all classrooms in these buildings were air-conditioned, the staircases with glass walls made it very modern. That part of the campus has five buildings that are positioned like how the five fingers of a hand are and SEC Walk is like the top of the palm, which connects all these buildings. These buildings were called SEC A, SEC B, SEC C, CTC and SOM. I don’t exactly remember what they stood for except for SOM, which was the School of Management building. It was also one of the few places that had a dress code in the campus so whenever I was wearing flip-flops, I would take a route that wouldn’t pass that specific building because otherwise, I’d be penalized. The SEC Walk is a long walkway that has series of benches on either side of it. I remember it was the perfect spot to meet with blockmates and friends because it was in the middle of everything. Also, during my breaks I’d be sitting there and would people watch. It gets really packed and busy in between bells when people would transfer from one class to another. Aside from having a big chance to see your campus crush while seated in one of the benches, it was also the perfect spot to have a glimpse of what the people were wearing. I considered it as the main fashion runway of the entire campus.
Although Ateneo is a really big school, those were the three most sentimental spots for me. I made some of the best memories in the four years that I spent there. It was a place that allowed me to grow as an individual and meet some of my best friends. Although I really wanted to get into fashion school straight from high school, I don’t think I would ever regret my decision of pursuing studies in that university.