Tag Archives: ALE

The Tales of a Reviewee

tumblr_mzwpccPuwh1qggj9io1_500

Whenever anyone goes through a hill, we all have this mindset.

Passing the Licensure Exam and getting the license to be an architect seems like mountains and hills we must climb and trek. It seems like impossible. The very thought of studying hiatus again for almost 2 years break from all the scholarly activities is tiring and stressful already. I don’t know with most of the students, but for us, architecture graduates, books are an enemy, and most of our scholarly/academic books are covered with thick dust and us preferring articles on website over academic books that are more pleasing to the eyes, full of color and has pictures. In some sense, studying is already draining.

tumblr_lf4664KXHL1qa7twe

                   This picture pretty sums up with what I’m trying to imply.                            (c) real owner of the picture.

*   *   *   *    *

Tales of a Reviewee?

First, we look the definition of review, whether or not we’ve understood really what “Review” means.

Free Dictionary definition of Review

Free Dictionary definition of Review

Reviewing is just “To examine with an eye to criticism or correction”. In our case, it was never been like that, our review became an intensive weekend class, the 5 years of education was reviewed in a rush, from 8 am to 5 pm. You can never tell if your 5 years were gone into waste or you were not paying attention in college because some subjects discussed was already foreign in your mind palace. And you’ve realized, you do have tons of reading to do.  And every week tons of reading materials are piling up. EVERY WEEK.

tumblr_l5lvkzCanV1qc1z3mo1_400

Reading Materials to be read versus done

 

But I’m not here to rant about our system of “reviewing”, I’m just saying it was never easy, and will never be. A lesson I’ve learned when we were already in Manila and I can see a roommate of mine who was very relaxed and seems like not stressed of all the readings she has to do. “Reviewing” or whenever in the “battlefield” you can not  foretell your fate. All you just have to do is do your part, study with all of  might, and leave the rest to God. 

Whenever one think of reviewing or goes to an arduous studying, some would imagine of a reviewee with books piled and dusty, reading inside a very dark lit library. In my imagination, it was never that case, I imagine me being like John Nash in the film Beautiful Mind, trying and pressuring himself to publish a truly original study and please skip the timeline when he turned himself into a beautiful mind and fast forward to getting his “honor” from his fellow professors.

a_beautiful_mind_1_13

I wish I can be as brilliant as John Nash.

I wish life will be as easy as ABC’s, reality bites, life has never been like that. But life promises you that “whatever you sow, you will reap whatever you sow”. 

What really happened to our 3-month long review? And how did I survive?

Again, I could not have made it without a Village who, first, prayed for all of us. Second, batchmates who became one team, one family and a village. We never left anyone alone, if one needs help in his subject, we all willingly help. If one needs ears to listen in her emotional outbursts, we automatically lend our time and ears. We MAY never have passed with a great mark without each other. We may never have learned the lessons we’ve learned without every single batchmates’ help and there presence. Each one of us were woven into a single tapestry, to make a story, to made an impact and to be part of a history. In the end, we were thankful for the Almighty who have orchestrated everything.

1

Team Carluyan. Team USC. #LoveOfAFriendship

and for a new-found friend, Anj!! It’s just a setback, I’ve been in that exact feeling of disappointment. Always remember that God gives trials to those whom He knows can make that impossibility to a  possibility. 🙂 So go on, never be discouraged and fly!

 

Tagged , , , , , ,

The “May I Always Build” Journey

“May the Architect be high-minded; not arrogant, but faithful; Just, and easy to deal with, without avarice; Not let his mind be occupied in receiving gifts, But let him preserve his good name with dignity… Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

We are full of ideals before the review started, we aspire to be the “starchitects”, well at least people are looking forward to. But being an architect is so much more. During the almost 3-month review journey before the licensure exam, we’ve (my fellow aspirants) hurdled countless of reading materials, 16gb worth of review materials from our friends both architects and fellow reviewee’s, and all the stressful nights burning the candles and trying to finish one reading material to another. It was a SERIOUS business. Some of us deactivated their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram accounts. And some stopped their night lives, stopped shopping and started saving.

study

Our Mantra everyday when the review started. (c) to the real owner.

“Going the battlefield is not just giving up our comforts,

but giving up everything wholeheartedly and keeping

your focus on the battle ahead of you.”

*     *    *     *     *

So what really is my take home lessons about the journey?

First, Trusting the Almighty everything and surrendering all the burdens to Him.

I’m the type of person who is almost the control freak, trusting is difficult. I always want to do it MY OWN WAY, but this journey it not really what I WANT, not I CAN control of, and not I AM FINE ALONE. Elementary trusting and surrendering to His plans is what I’ve learned. I can’t fully say that I’ve really learned to trust Him, but I started to unlearn, relearn and learn.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu
Chinese philosopher (604 BC – 531 BC)

Second, I CAN’T DO IT ALONE. It really is true that “It takes a village to raise up a child” but it’s truer that “It takes up the whole village and batch to be a TOP PERFORMING SCHOOL”. I can attest to that. Before I left Cebu for the One-month-long intensive review in Manila, I’ve been in doubt. Why? because I have to adjust to my roommates. Second, I have to learn to share and help my roommates in whatever and whichever help I can give. and Thirdly, I have to adjust in the place. I’ve been to Manila to and fro but never I’ve stayed longer. I’ve got to experience the “real” Manila and it was never that inspiring and fun without my classmates, friends and new found friends.

Our school got the “TOP PERFORMING SCHOOL” from the recent licensing exam result. I was in dismay when I didn’t get to rank but a good ole teacher told us when we visit our dear school after the result came out, “Ranking is just the individual performance, but ranking as the Top Performing School is a cumulitative performance and you have done great! You have given the school honor and we, your teachers are very proud of you”. I don’t know if it’s just a consuelo de bobo but yeah, that teacher was right! We were victorious because we’ve become a village, we have become a team. And, we do have hundreds if not thousands who were praying for all of us. We could  not have made it without the prayers of our fellow villagers.

10485284_10152513025085349_6286279845250450983_n

Some of the “TEAM” when we went to our School after the result came out. #LoveOfAFriendship

Thirdly, I have realized that Architecture and being an architect is not just fulfilling my dreams, our dreams but it’s a responsibility we have to fulfill. Our journey does not end when we passed the exam, but our real journey begins now, that we are finally architects. We have a lot to fix regarding the norms of the practice here in the Philippines, and we still have a country to fix and lift-up. I can still remember one of my teachers in the review telling us that “we should all start giving back to our country”. It’s not “What my country can give me?” but it’s “What can I give to my country?”

To my fellow passers, MAY WE ALWAYS BUILD!

Tagged , , , , , ,