Written by Marri Cagande

Welcome to UP Manila, OrCom Fresh Bloods! Prepare yourself for years of frustration, papers, learning, and existentialism. Before you take on the beginning of grueling educational years at the university, here are a few tips to help you through the OrCom life. For sophies, juniors, and seniors, read on—you might find something interesting (you can also contribute in the comment section!).

Tip # 1: Make use of the free and discounted health services

As a student from UP Manila, you are entitled to certain free services at PGH. If you need anything from dental to the mental ailments, PGH will provide you with free to discounted services. No other university provides these kinds of health services. And once you’re in the real world, it’ll be even harder to find these benefits. So if you’re feeling particularly under the weather, go to PGH and get those free services! (Fair warning: you may have to wait a loooooooong time before getting serviced.)

Tip # 2: Try your best NOT to skip your Math classes

Ah, Math. The one true weakness of most OrCom majors—so says our stereotype (begrudgingly true most of the time). Take this tip from someone who’s a master class skipper: you do NOT want to skip Math classes.

The problem with skipping Math classes is that each lesson is a foundational one that will prepare you for the lessons ahead. So if you skip even one class, you’ll lose essential foundational knowledge for the next lessons; which will lead to a never-ending cycle of mathematical confusion.

So if you’re thinking of cutting that Math class, don’t—you’ll just be making things harder for yourself.

Tip # 3: Talk to your upperclassmen

During the course of your OrCom life, you’ll probably encounter something particularly vexing about the whole humdrum—you’ll feel stuck and confused at best; very lost and frustrated, at worst. Oh, if only there was someone who knows what you’re going through and has enough experience to advise you on what to do!

Enter: Upperclassmen.

From discounted books to free reading materials to general tips about certain classes and how to cope with them, your upperclassmen have gone through almost the exact same thing as you are. Make use of these walking, breathing references. While you gain assistance and knowledge, you may end up making new friends as well.

Tip # 4: Don’t be reluctant to take the good seat in class

On the first day of any class, you must choose the best seats—usually somewhere around the middle and near the front. It will force you to listen to your professors because you sit closer to them. Your attention will have a harder time wandering, too—especially because the professors are in your face.

Side note: don’t be that rude person who, after days of consistent seating arrangement, suddenly decides to take a different seat—your seat. That’s one of the golden unspoken rules, my friend.

Tip # 5: Take deadlines seriously

As OrCom majors, you’re going to have infinite papers—which means infinite deadlines. Don’t ignore these deadlines, especially for your research papers. These deadlines were made to pace you; so if you miss one deadline, the tasks and submissions pile up and you may get overwhelmed. Once a task is given to you, start writing and researching. It’ll help you in the long run.

Now that you know these tips, hopefully, you’ll have an easier time of adjusting to the collegiate pace of doing things. Good luck and may you have an awesome school year ahead of you!