Written between the lines

I told myself before that I won't write anything thesis-related once it's over. After all, I already passed and I'm already contented with that. Nonetheless, one email changed my mind and actually made me look back on my thesis life.

Not surprisingly, "Thesis-ing" is so much more than just Living the Brand: An Exploratory Study on Brand-Supporting Behaviors Among Selected Employees of Organization X. It is so much more than just learning how to decently write an academic paper, and certainly more than just getting your respondents done and over. In fact, I now quite understand why Dr. Sarile, the founder of Organizational Communication in the Philippines, insisted that a research subject like this be kept in the current and future curriculum of OrCom. Just like UP, "thesis-ing" is a very holistic way of learning, inside and outside the classroom. It is a holistic way of learning how and when to adhere and not to adhere with certain protocols of society. But that, you'll have to learn on your own.

Villanueva, AC | Living the Brand: An Exploratory Study on Brand Supporting Behaviors among...

Writing my thesis was mentally, physically, emotionally, socially, and even spiritually taxing that I got really stressed out. There was even a time when literally my whole family was suffering from dengue but I wasn't. Maybe it was my mind telling me that I cannot afford to get sick at that moment. Another time, out of desperation, I wanted to pay people or have them kidnapped just to get an immediate interview, but instead, I went to company X and bluffed my way in. I pretended to know some random person from LinkedIn and had an appointment with her. While waiting for the random person, I interviewed employees who were passing time at the lobby. Good thing, she never really came, and I finished my quota. 

Later that night, respondents also emailed me. You could just imagine how grateful I was (and still am). As most people know, I am a devoted-Catholic-turn-agnostic-turn-i-have-my-own-notion-of-god-and-you-have-your-own-it's-cool kind of person, thus I'm not as "religous" as most people are. I don't "pray" but I say praise where it is due, and that time I honestly felt divine intervention so I was and am really thankful. Whether that was just a random, inevitable circumstance or not, I'm thankful, to the respondents, and to some powerful being that I cannot objectively explain right now.

Oh, yeah, the email! Here it is (kinikilig ako shet) HAHAHA

So yeah, my paper got accepted for presentation at the Lupcon Center for Business Research (LCBR) European Marketing Conference 2012 in Munich, Germany. I want to go but I can't. Why? GYAHAHA, because I'm poor and I don't have the money to fly to Germany just to do some kind of presentation that I haven't even done here in my country yet. Having said that, I haven't replied to the email yet, I don't know how to. 

Oh well. Maybe next time, when I have my own money, and am totally independent already. 

Still, this form of recognition is nice :)  

YOOPIE diary

Experiencing University of the Philippines



Tomorrow (at 7:30am) will be our college graduation, and 2 days after (same time) is our University graduation. And the usual dilemma of graduating students haunts me - I can't sleep. That said, here are the random bits of my UP life (excluding my thesis experience)

1. When I'm late, professors tell otherwise

A. 1st yr, 1st day

P: What time does your class start?
Me: ughm-
P: -I believe it was 5 minutes ago (locks the door, leaving me with a-wtf-happened-face)

Edited: I eventually chose this person as my thesis adviser during my senior year

B. 3rd year, 1st day

Me: Sir, I was late
P: Ah yes, you're absent.

Edited: I never really came to like this professor, but I respect him.

2. How professors and/or students talk

A. 1st year, Math class

Prof: What comes to your mind when you see "x"
Student: Inferiority complex

B. 4th yr, 1st day

Professor: The important thing is that you will all graduate
Student: -no matter how long it takes
Professor: exactly, quality education may take time

Edited: the same thesis adviser I mentioned a while ago

3. How we roll

Because there was a sudden brownout in UP Manila during the finals of the students, some stayed inside the class and sweat their brains out (see what I did there? HAHAHA), while some went out instead.

'Iskolar ng Bayan' will adapt. 

Lahat mahirap, walang madali sa UP, walang madali sa buhay.  

UPCAT sana makapasa ako...forever 

4. Complain to jeepney drivers: "Hindi porket walang uniporme, hindi na estudyante"
5. Rally and demonstrations are very common

6. Humor and wit everywhere (can be witnessed especially during random chats, events, vandals, and even application for the University's official publication)

see overheard at UP facebook for other "relevant" posts

7. Classic UP "banats"

A. The batman joke

courtesy of overheard at UP facebook fan page 

B. The annoying question

courtesy of tumblr.com 

Quotes from UP professors and students

A. Be rich, then speak for those who can't
B. We are so deprived that we are pushed to become creative
C. What will you defy for the future to enjoy?
D. Sell your soul to the devil, but know how to buy it back
(Sir Chong, audio visual comm class)

E. If you truly are a great University, produce knowledge and leave the transmission of that knowledge to less great Universities (Sir Paeng)

F. Developed countries exploited our nation and nature, let us fight back through piracy, take their 'knowledge' for free (I don't want to name)

G. If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything (Mary Anne)
H. Don't aim to graduate in time, graduate on time (me to myself)
I. When you're a professor, you can't just be chapters ahead, you have to be at least several volumes ahead (Burn)

J. It's a tragedy to think that there's no more hope for the Philippines; what will happen to the 90 million Filipinos living here then? (Ma'am Castillo)

K. You are not trained to win a contest but to do the ultimate goal (Sir Barry)
L. Don't confuse practice with process (Ma'am Aya)
M. A thank you would have sufficed (Sir Vinzons)

UP does not just change people, it hones us. I have to return the favor somehow, because to whom much is given, much is expected.

Honor and excellence, padayon!

See you around!
Arlet