Point of View: Practicality of a Student
Instead of buying bottled water, we now prefer bringing flasks, metal straws over disposables and investing more on long lasting and effective things, this is one of the faces of practicality but as a student, practicality is a different one.
Being a student born in a family with only one breadwinner that have unstable income, decisions shall be made to meet circumstances. Priorities must come before anything else, being selfish to oneself most of the time makes sense and being wise must be practiced.
You have to deal with a lot of adjustments for the situation to favor you. I hve dreamt of going to big universities and pursue medicine or other course of choice yet, I must also consider that I am not the only child that should be sent to school. As the eldest, the test of practicality is one of the biggest decisions I had made.
I have saw my parents go late in bed and wake up as early as 2 in the morning to prepare for our school and their kakanin business, it’s tiring and heartbreaking. I can sense how hard they are trying to push themselves for us.
During my senior high school years, I was under the student employment of our municipality, there we are to receive a certain amount. I was enrolled back then on a private school, under voucher program. Still I have to pay the remaining balance, that’s where my salary goes to.
I know you will ask, why did I not enroll in public school, here is my reason. It is easier for me to have access on my documents of I go to private and it is closer to our home.
My allowance breakdown must go to priorities over wants. I must fund my own optical and dental fees, my fare going to and from school along with my food, weekend meet ups for projects and practices. I rarely buy clothes and other unnecessary supplies to save.
Entering SHS, my dream was to be engineer, chemical to be exact, later on I wanted to be in the medical field and now that I am in college, I am enrolled in Communication.
Before being enrolled, I tried applying for DOST Scholarship but I failed, so as UPCAT. I also applied as EBest Scholar, so far, it was such a rush transition.
CoVid hit, my family do not have the capacity to maintain a stable income and classes were held online, there I come to decide to enter communications. I let go of the desire to be a doctor — practicality. I choose to dedicate myself into the best I can do which is writing.
They say when you cannot meet the goal then adjust your efforts, this happens a lot and will continue to be.
Practicality have taught me to be independent. It pushed me to survive in different circumstances which were unfavorable in the first place. Aside for putting me to limits, it made me know what to prioritize and what to set aside at the early years.
For a student like me, practicality is far from switching from this to that but choosing things because you have no choice.
