Written by Pauline Vizcarra and Eryl Soriano

We have led different journeys as OrCom students that we continue to this day. What brings us together is our shared experiences — from being a new student in a place completely foreign to us, to the annual OrCom Week, facing academic challenges, and even something as fleeting as dealing with campus crushes. We have met many friends, joined several student organizations, took difficult subjects, experienced getting different grades, you name it! This is only the tip of the iceberg. Underneath all that is the unspoken admiration and value we give to ourselves and our program.

As you walk through the OrCom path, you are bound to discover more roads before reaching your destination. Flowery words aside, how do you really get by in OrCom? We know that’s what you’re thinking! Spoiler alert: it’s really up to you. Here we will list down some important values and skills you need not just as an OrCom student but also as an awesome person. Keep in mind that your OrCom journey is still up for you to make and that this is only what we could share from our experiences. At the end of the day, it is also important to remember what you value.

Without further ado *drumroll please*, we came up with S.C.H.O.L.A.R., your guide to OrCom.

Sense of community

In the spirit of unity, camaraderie, and leadership, which are OrComSoc’s core values, having a strong sense of community is the key in navigating this bumpy college road. From your blockmates, course mates, orgmates to your own circle of friends, a strong support system proves to be valuable. Having this helps strengthen your confidence since there are people who will brave the bumpy road with you. As we advocate for inclusiveness, it is important for each of us to feel that we belong and that there are people who will help us get through the obstacles.

Consult and ask your professors

One way or another, we have all felt lost and confused in terms of our academic workload, resulting in demotivation and stress. Well, my friend, sometimes all you have to do is ask for help. Many might feel scared or even ashamed to reach out to their professors but they are the ones best equipped to help you academically. Now you might be thinking, “That’s easy for you to say!” We understand. At times it can be difficult to ask for help because waiting for a response is also worrying or that you are scared to approach them for various reasons. But remember, friend, that you will not find answers unless you ask. Who knows, they might even appreciate your effort and willingness to clarify. Of course, not everyone is the same, so your judgment is also important. Regardless, the cardinal rule is to be respectful. If at times you are unable to consult, another option is to ask the other batches!

Help from other batches

They say that experience is the best teacher, which is why sometimes the best people to ask are those who have gone through it. “What is this subject about?” “How do I do this project?” “What are the expectations?” These are just some of the questions you might find yourself asking. When in doubt, your ates and kuyas are always around. The beauty of this is that they can also give you advice in the perspective of a student. They will show you the ropes and how to untangle it the way they know how. Meanwhile, higher batches also ask help from their juniors from time to time (e.g. survey respondents). This is how camaraderie works — you are able to build a network while creating new friendships. In fact, we (the writers) became friends that way which led us to collaborate for this article to instruct you how to survive (we’re trying!). It is normal to feel shy when asking for help, but just know that your seniors have also probably asked their seniors for help at some point. So, word of advice, don’t let uncertainty stop you.

Organizations

Being a BS Org is part of the DNA of an OrCom student. After all, “organization” is literally in the name of our degree program. Lucky for you, there is a wide array of school organizations to take your pick from. From interest, service, advocacy, and student-oriented organizations, the world is your playground! Be sure to watch out for the recruitment announcements of your target organization/s especially during the annual All Orgs’ Fair. Here goes the obligatory OrComSoc promo: OrComSoc offers fun-filled opportunities for all OrCom students to develop their leadership skills in terms of both personal and professional aspects. In OrComSoc, you get to meet and work with your coursemates. So, if you still haven’t joined yet, we encourage you to sign-up during the next wave of recruitment!

Organizations help you build networks and enhance your professional growth. More than that, it is a place for nurture and interaction. Maximize every opportunity for growth!

Learn more skills

From the very beginning of our journey as OrCom students, we’re equipped with the tools that we would need for us to move mountains. While it might not be evident early on in the journey, believe us when we say that most of what we learn in class really is applicable to the situations we would be finding ourselves in. It’s a truth universally acknowledged among OrCom majors, but there is also another of equal significance: while we might be given the tools, it’s our responsibility to know how to use them and to hone them to the extent that we can. From paraphrasing and precis-writing in COMM 1 (Communication Skills) to improve your writing skills for formal correspondences in ORCOM 110 (Technical Writing), these can be applied to our everyday communication activities and honed through constant use.

Think about this: we may be doing precis-writing for our notes now (if you do, then… well, great job so far!!), but what if maybe – just maybe – we might be using our OrCom skill sets for our own career-defining work someday?

Application

Being an OrCom student in an open-minded environment such as UP Manila can be daunting, but you will find that it’s an amazing setting where you can grow as a person in different ways. You’ll be finding yourself in situations that will be completely new to you, but fear not!! To some extent, you’ll find that you already have what it takes to survive the OrCom life in UPM. In fact, these situations will bring out your best without you even realizing it.

While it might be intimidating to encounter people who seem like they’ve got it all figured out, and while it’s just as tempting to follow their footsteps hoping that it might be the formula for success, you have to remember that it’s okay that you’re an altogether unique person who can learn to deal with things in your own way. From dealing with academic work to seeing your campus crush along the hallways (ayiie!!), you can always learn from your fellow Iskolars within this environment, but you don’t have to compare yourself to their progress. Be patient in understanding yourself and what works for you when you want to bring out your personal best, and don’t worry about holding yourself to standards beyond the ones that you set for yourself.

Resourcefulness and adaptability

It is no secret that we have to learn how to do our best by maximizing what we have, but it doesn’t mean that our best is any less than it could have been under different circumstances. The OrCom program actually teaches us how to maximize our resources to make organizations as efficient as possible. As it follows, you’ll find from your perspective as an OrCom student that the setting of your college life is the perfect training ground for it. Here, you’ll be able to further develop your abilities to maximize your resources and become as dynamic as the situations that you deal with. While you’re in training, you will encounter multiple ways to deal with different situations; all you’ll have to do is to find what works for you. Other people may find other ways, and that’s okay. In fact, working with different people also helps you understand your own work nature.

As long as you’re working efficiently and not pushing your abilities beyond an uncontrollable extent, you’ll not only be ready to survive the OrCom program but you’ll be equipped with the knowledge that you can always learn to have what it takes to survive the real world.

There you have it!! It’s these opportunities and lessons we’ve learned that have kept us afloat throughout our OrCom journey, and we can say with a considerable amount of conviction that it has definitely been the journey of a lifetime so far. We still have a lot to look forward to as we attempt to navigate through the latter end of our own time here, but with open minds and a little help from our community, we know that we can learn much more about how we can reach the end to the best of our abilities.

Just as how we’ve learned how to get by in OrCom so far, we’re just as excited to learn more about everything there is to know throughout the rest of our OrCom years. In the same way, we want to encourage YOU to learn about how to thrive in OrCom through your own experiences. While these tips and tricks may be useful, you’ll find that it’s always the lessons that you’d learn on your own that are the best for you. We wish you the best throughout your own journey, fellow OrCom scholars!! We are always just a sender-message-channel-receiver process away. <3