Ateneo or UP? One Last Take

Posted on March 27, 2008
Filed Under School, ACET, UPCAT, etc | Viewed 1010 times

I am posting this article, with the intention of sharing this with other students (and parents out there) who are in the same dilemma as Vince is in choosing his college: Ateneo or UP? Another article, with the same topic was posted early this year here.

Vince passed the ACET (BS Management Engineering, an honors course) and the UPCAT (BS Business Administration, a quota course). It was a double celebration, a double joy for the family, which later on has become a dilemma (same as that undergone by elder brother B.A.). For their eldest brother, Angelo, it has not been a dilemma—he passed both ACET and UPCAT, didn’t pay the reservation fees at the ADMU, and just waited for the UPCAT results, risking not going to ADMU in case he did not pass UPCAT. Yes, as he expected, he passed the UPCAT, and completed his BS Economics course in 3-1/2 semesters.

By the way, Angelo, BA and Vince were all B-Boys, meaning, they were in Section B in Ateneo High School, an honors section in Math.

The days are closing in on Vince (and I am sure with others who are in the same dilemma), with the UP’s deadline for Online Confirmation of Decision to Enroll on 31 March 2008. Ateneo’s deadline for confirmation (including submission of all documentation) is on 11 April 2008.

Still, Vince is undecided, BUT I have advised him to do the necessary, in terms of online confirmation and preparation of documentation as soon as possible, so as not to risk losing his slot.

In the meantime, he has posted this in his blog. I have extracted the content and the comments in full because not all of us do not have Multiply accounts.

I just pray that Vince will be able to make a decision that will further mold his personality, and open him up to the world out there, while maintaining the goodness of heart that has been instilled in him in the past 18 years, improving on other areas in his life: a true son of God foremost and a good upright citizen.

.
I guess, I better start choosing
by: Vince Racoma

Okay, after evading the question ever since I passed both universities, I think the time to choose is nearing. Not that I’ll die or anything, I might just not be able to confirm and lose both opportunities :)) I’ll give the pros and cons for myself.

Ateneo
Pros:
• It has been my home for the past 12 years, I’m pretty used to it and I love the Ateneo.
• I love the way they take care of their students. (No, not “spoonfeeding,” mind you)
• Oh yeah, great course. BS Management Engineering. Say it’s overrated if you must, it’s still a good course.
• A good place to grow and develop.
• Jesuit education works for me.
• It’s near my house.
• I won’t have to adjust that much.
• Center for excellence.
• Ateneo has religion.
Cons:
• Tuition fee.
• Misc. fees.
• I’ll have to buy more clothes since I can’t wear pambahay there.
• My wallet will die

UP
Pros:
• UP is UP, as they say.
• Best university in the Philippines.
• Great course. BS BA is quota course.
• Tuition fee. Man, I could even pay for it on my own, haha.
• Walking distance from my house.
• I could wear pambahay!
• I’ll probably learn to be more simple.
Cons:
• On the contrary, I might not. I’d have to adjust.
• Facilities and buildings.
• I don’t eat street food. (kill me now) [wait, i eat dirty ice cream and fishballs sometimes]
• Yes, I do have a certain level of kaartehan and kayabangan. Guilty. [Don’t kill me]
• I might not “fit in” :-S
• People might hate me for being an Atenean (Pronounced in the maarte slangish way) in Peyups. I wouldn’t want that

So there. Just a little background: I’ve always wanted to be in the Ateneo. I never thought of leaving my Alma Mater, but there is a part of me that wants to go to UP to “try it out” or just feeling how it is oustide my school, but it’s just not me. Honestly, I actually haven’t found who I am, that’s why I don’t know where I really want to go (but I do want to go to Ateneo). There’s that sense of security in Ateneo for me. I don’t want to end up disappointed if i go to UP

Both my brothers who also graduated from AHS section B with graduation honors went to UP. I’ll be just like them if I went there, and that would be really prestigious for the family. But isn’t it prestigious as well if I go to Ateneo? That would be a first. Well, my sister studies in the Ateneo Professional Schools in Rockwell, but I guess that doesn’t count. That’s another problem, there would be one year of “overlap” so that would be heavy for my parents. Well, I already made a deal with Mom anyway, that if I go to Ateneo, I’d help her with the burden of financial stuff. Like, I won’t ask for allowance and money for gimmicks anymore (that’s a lot already!) If you still don’t know, I already earn my own money, but let’s not go to that.

“Sayang yung UP” they say. Sayang din naman Ateneo ah.

As of now, this True-Blue kid is staying with his Alma Mater. If the time of decision comes (that would be reservation) and I don’t think of going to UP, then I guess I’ll fly back to my second home after this summer

Theeeen, I’d take up post-graduate studies in UP. (In Ateneo, in case I go to UP instead. To compromise myself)

Opinions and comments are very welcome Wag naman sana violent reactions No violence in my blog

Here are the comments sent in by friends, siblings, readers:

1) at least decided ka na. OO ME IS GREAT WUHOO

2) BA: Been there, done that. Go for UP. There’s still fitting in for Ateneans there. Not much adjusting of lifestyle needed, because really, you don’t have to change for UP if ever you’d go there.

With regards to “sense of security:” Just take the leap of faith and things will just come naturally. It’s an evil world out there, and you better make sure that you’re prepared.

A friend of mine, who’s an Ateneo graduate told me that his Ateneo graduate friends aren’t earning as much as they wanted to earn (lest they had CEO parents, but I digress). He told me that Ateneans he know give themselves this “minimum monthly wage” thing, that they won’t accept a job if it’s wages are below their standards. Ask a fresh Ateneo graduate how P10,000 a month sounds, and most probably you’ll hear an “ewww, I’d rather not” (unless that Atenean had gone 5 years of fruitless jobhunting). He told me that Ateneans expect more since they graduated from Ateneo, and thus, the Atenean tends to jump from one job to another, wanting to start big, never small, never working towards the top. Because really, spending P60k a sem, one would think that he’s worth much much more than P10k a month. And it’s a harsh bitter reality that jobs start at around that rate (P10k-P15k), so nothing could be really done but to work your way to the top slowly.

But then again it all depends on the person. If you think whichever school you choose can train you for the real world, then it’s up to you.

3) haha UP na! para same alma mater tayo! =p hahahahhaha… PERO for you, judging by how you weighed the pros and cons here, you seem to love ateneo wayyyy more than up. so choose what you love. choose what track you want to pursue. that’s the most important thing. don’t mind the mababaw ones like the food or fitting in. haha!

4) Steph: pi ba ito!? hahaha. you know my objective opinion on this, so ikaw talaga bahala. basta be sure to confirm.

anyway, sayang UP at sayang Ateneo… but that’s just it, in the end, may isa talagang masasayang.

My advice? Pray for it. Yun lang

5) Cons:
•adjusting is really easy actually. kahit naman rin sa admu college you’d need some adjusting.
• not all building are that dilapidated! haha may mga magaganda ring classrooms, and you’ll be surprised. esp college of BA, maganda building yun, may elevator pa nga eh
•there’s always the option of eating in chocolate kiss :)) their daily specials are really good. haha
•you wouldnt be alone. hahaha maraming maarte at mayayabang rin sa UP. actually, come to think of it, during the freshman orientation, parang mas mayabang ang UP kaysa sa Ateneo, since they’d flaunt about being the premiere state U. talking about BS BA, i think it has a reputation of having the most conyo students. haha
• there’s not such thing as not fitting in sa UP! haha nobody would care how u dress, how u talk, where you came from, so why would this be an issue?
•people would even look up to you! lalo na kung maging prof mo asawa ni Ms. Buen (prof ko ngaun), haha he’s really friendly with us ateneans. actually, when people in UP find out that you’re an atenean, theyd be shock and ask why you opted to go to UP. pero, they wont hate you for being an Atenean. Actually, being atenean has its advantage esp when you have subjects such as English haha

haha just my two cents I dont regeret going to UP. its fun actually. the people here are great! haha

6) Vince: Thanks for the constructive comments Minsan kasi yung sinasabi nung ibang tao nakakatakot at nakakapressure rather than being helpful. Salamat

7) develops a person to be ready for the world outside.

UP is a slice of the Philippines. However, if you’re not the adventurous type then Ateneo would do well for you. UP is a different setting altogether and it takes a while of getting used to.

agree. UP is not for the weak :)) hahahah!

9) tama sabay tayo mag UP pagkatapos haha

10) natutuwa ako nagrereply kapatid mo dito when he can just express his opinions at home…wala lang :))

AKIN NA LANG SLOT MO PLEASE :))

11) actually naka-pambahay lang ako lagi sa ateneo and i just avoid the dress-coded areas. hindi rin naman ako nagpupunta sa lib that much so basta, i have shoes in the car if i need to have access to the lib or something. okay lang naman mag-pambahay ah!!

one thing you mentioned was how ateneo takes care of the students, which i kind of agree with. we have kasi this core curriculum which hurts at some point (especially dahil hindi ko kailangan yung math pero pinagpipilitan pa rin) but then i realized na okay pala yung core subjects na iba like english and lit, filipino, since those make our communication and critical thinking skills better. yung philo and theo classes, i think they’re going to help a lot din in making us discover who we are and para we know ourselves fully. sa up kasi specialization agad so you don’t really have that much direction, and well, some of my friends who are in up na hindi nag-take ng english subjects, mejo nag-depreciate yung english. some naman who didn’t take math, naghahanap ng math. kaya i think okay sa ateneo kasi apart from the fields of specialization, yung holistic education is still their primary concern.

11) UP, vince. you already know my reasons. haha.

12) up, “bro” haha

13) BA: You can choose your general electives in UP, so yung estudyante na yung bahala kung gusto pa niyang magmath or english or chever. And in that aspect, UP teaches a person to be wise in his or her decisions.

14) reasonable cons, but the journey is for the destination man. you go to college to learn, not to meet friends or fit it. either way that’ll happen and someone like you wouldnt have problems fitting in. but you go to college to get the best education you can get, so i say go UP you probably wont change your mind though so good luck, and we’ll see each other in the reunion hahaha

15) yun naman eh si diogo. diogo says sa abroad ka na! haha. wise words from D! haha. naks reunion haha. kelan despedida mo poging D?haha

16) Duuuude. You telling me you might not be there to look out for me in ME?? haha

One can really see that UP is a bigger opportunity for you than for most people. Since you’ve been more than active in school and know how to handle yourself given whatever situation, you’re way more suited to go to UP compared to a lot of the kids who’re dead set on going there.

On the other hand, one of the reasons we chose Management Engineering is security. Some people might scoff at you for believing that, but I know I’ve made a sound decision. Two of my uncles and one of my aunts graduated from ME, and I can say that they’re pretty darn well-off.

What it really comes down to is what feels right to you. If you make a decision and just feel that you’re on the right track, then you have nothing to regret or compensate for.

17) UST WAHAHAHAHAHA =))

18) ayon o samahan mo si cla sa UST! haha. ME kasi naroon si bibs! haha.

19) Kakaalis lang ni Vince nung sinulat ko yung kanina eh. Hahahaha.

20) upal kasi UP. taena hindi ako pinatheory test amp

21) rue, kawawa ang atenista sa UP. at mga lasalista na rin. sa mga prof pa lang.. haha. but anyways.. which ever school you decide to enter.. both are good schools.. i think. it’s really based on the student if he wants to excel or not. marami ring boplax at superbums sa amin.parang mas masaya pa nga ata sa ateneo. hahaha

22) dude, may freeloader groupmates din sa ateneo.. :)) nasa tao talaga eh! kahit anong course pa yan.

23) I’ve said this before to other people: Kung saan ka man liligaya. It’s really good to do pro’s and con’s coz it helps you go back to the primary reasons u study and stuff. I remember in Pulp Fiction when a character said that it’s amazing how what is pleasing to the eyes are not always what is needed. Something like that.

Good luck in Ateneo (right? for now?) . The school you choose to grow in is only a partial factor. More important still is your own choice to grow in any atmosphere and really try to improve yourself. Godspeed.

24) nasa tao naman ang paglago eh, regardless kung san ka man mapadpad. so it’ll all boil down to what jayvee said before me: kung san ka liligaya ;]

Comments

11 Responses to “Ateneo or UP? One Last Take”

Kittymama on March 27th, 2008 11:16 am

I went to UP, the first (and only) one in our family of die-hard Ateneans. I love the freedom and independence UP gave me, probably as much as my parents loved the financial advantages it gave them (even before the days of the STFAP), thus, it was a seamless transition from high school in Pisay to UP. Now that I have a son, however, I find this same freedom to be a little frightening. Vince’s dilemma has become a starting point for discussions in my household on colleges for my son. I like the way Vince approached this, with his list of pros and cons. One that they haven’t mentioned, however, is the presence of fraternities in UP. Most of my classmates who went to UP ended up in one, and while I don’t submit to the notion that fraternities are all bad, I wouldn’t want my son to be at the receiving end of “brotherly love” either. I do not underestimate my son’s ability to discern right from wrong, but as many, many, sad stories have shown us, even good boys are susceptible to peer pressure.
I hope my son passes ACET when the time comes. My husband went to Ateneo (also from Pisay), and I am proud of how he has truly become a man for others.
myepinoy on March 27th, 2008 8:36 pm

My son had this similar situation 3 years ago.

Secretly, i was rooting for U.P. but then my son decided to go to Ateneo although I know there was something in him that says take U.P.

Last year, he told me that he is taking a side course (cross- enrolled or whatever the right term is) in U.P. By next year, he will be graduating in both Ateneo and U.P.

I have no idea how he did this but then he got two birds in one shot.
Kyels on March 27th, 2008 9:38 pm

I’m not too sure how ADMU or UP works but I would often choose a place where I know I’d fit in albeit adaptation is a must in our lives. When you know that you’re comfortable in a place the learning process will go faster and smoothly—- in a way. In all universities there are their pros and cons; and somehow one will outweigh another in a certain category. I fit in really well in my university b/c of the people that I’ve met and I consider it my second home. I’ll be leaving this summer; going to officially be a graduate and I know I will miss the place very much b/c life in university was the best; so bittersweet.

(:

I hope you will choose what you think is best for yourself and also family Vince. You have a great family whom will support you the entire journey!
angelo on March 27th, 2008 10:14 pm

I have a haiku for you.

Go ask your mommy
If she has many money
If not go U P.

or …

The leaves are falling
Gently on the path I walk
Summer, you have come.
lazarus on March 28th, 2008 5:18 pm

i guess vince had already decided on Ateneo. it is not easy for him to leave his alma mater.
Betty T. Lopez on April 1st, 2008 12:14 pm

Forgive me for saying this but I have noticed with great dismay that the level of ENglish even in Ateneo has deteriorated since the 70s(compared to those schooled in the 70s). My nephew is an Atenean from grade school till high school and his friends whenever they meet in my house never speak ENglish the way HS kids in the 70s would do.

I dont know whether this is an indication of something.

I still feel UP is the best hijo for you. At least you are free to bum around and excell at the same time.I am a UP grad and although I didnt excell in academics I was a section editor in Collegian and also College Councilor. You can excel even without having good grades so go to UP!
Beena on April 9th, 2008 12:37 am

I also had this dilemma. But the main reason why I chose Ateneo over UP is because “Ateneo has religion.” I wouldn’t want to risk that by going to UP. Yes, it teaches you to be independent and to form your own beliefs. But I do not want to be the one dictating myself on what to believe knowing that temptation is in every corner. I need others in authority to help me in this – the Jesuits.

It’s still in the person anyways. I chose to go to Ateneo because I know it would help my type of character.
ba on April 10th, 2008 8:01 pm

It’s not that UP doesn’t have religion. It actually teaches you to be critical, and it all depends on you if you stay strong to your faith and learn more. That’s what happened to me. I’m still God’s knight, just like Saint Ignatius was.

Wala lang. Naalaala ko lang kasi yung banat minsan ng taga-UST sa isang entry sa Multiply nung may nag-aaway tungkol sa cheerleading. Sabi niya, “I’m not surprised UP students are like that. Wala kasing religion sa UP eh.” What the?? Blame the person, not the school.

Padagdag lang… (And no, this is not about school. This is about faith. )

When does a person look for God? For me, it’s when a person feels that God is not present. Sometimes we are just too confident that we know things because we have people to tell us things. We go to Sunday Mass and have a priest read the Gospel to us. And we listen.

But for me, faith is not something that’s just “readily available,” something that’s “just there.” Something that has to come from the words and formation of other people. Though the Catholic Church teaches us that it’s the priests of the Church who have absolute authority in interpreting the Bible, sometimes we just have to probe in, read, and understand our faiths ourselves. Why did the Protestants push for reprinting Bibles in vernacular? Why did Vatican II happen?

Read, understand, believe. Take the leap of faith.

I’m Catholic, mind you. Formed by the Jesuits. But most especially, formed by Jesus, my Kuya.
Rommel on May 10th, 2008 12:13 am

I also passed Ateneo and UP. Passed Applied Math with Computational Science in Ateneo and Mechanical Engineering in UP. I chose UP.

Ano pong chinoose nya? Its really hard to choose.
Rommel on May 10th, 2008 2:30 am

Haha. Okay.
Michelle Ty on May 23rd, 2008 10:51 pm

I’m the same age as your son Vincent, so I’m quite familiar with what he went through. Despite not being a true blue since I’m a girl, Ateneo has been “the” university in my family. My dad and my brothers went to Ateneo—MBA and Law, even. In fact, my friends end up giving up when they talk to me about Ateneo and another university. grins It’s always been Ateneo for me. I was glad I got accepted to my first choice, BS Psych, my interest.

I have a close friend who, decided, to study in UP instead, believing it to be a better preparatory for med school. Still, Ateneo Med school is for me, if ever I pursue Medicine.

All I can say now is that whatever univeristy a person chooses… the results, the success all depends on the person.

Animo Ateneo!

P.S. I’m glad I found your blog. The contents are pretty good. laughs I found this for an ateneo related search I was doing. Will read your other articles.

Writing is love.