All posts filed under: Academia

That Uno: How I got it, and how you can get it, too.

Published by Layla

  Let’s get this clear–I am posting this with absolutely no intention of bragging, but I’ve promised myself that if I get better grades than those I received in my first year of graduate school, I would share how I did it. So, here I am. To be honest, I am still in a state of disbelief. That I was able to do it. That I was able to perform well in graduate school and in the university nearly every Filipino wants to study in, no less. However, I have to believe it, because a lot of hard work went into it. And for the first time, the grades were commensurate with the effort I put into my studies.  So, how did I do it? It wasn’t an easy process. It took dedication, determination, and discipline to get it done. I’ll be sharing my process, which you can try and tweak.  Make sure that your health is in good shape. This covers both mental and physical health. Eat healthily–make sure that you eat fruits and …

Me, academia, my wallet, and spending habits

Published by Layla

I am no stranger to shelling out my money in the pursuit of learning, apart from paying my tuition fees. After all, when I was still studying law, I spent thousands of pesos buying law textbooks. I spend almost a thousand pesos a week–no exaggeration–in photocopying cases to read for grueling, soul-crushing recitations. In graduate school, there are no cases or textbooks to read–at least, for now. If there are any, it’s a rare instance, but there are pages and pages of journal articles to read instead. That didn’t pose a problem for me. After all, I’m a veteran where readings are concerned.

2020 can kiss my a**. Or maybe not.

Published by Layla

Well, that’s quite a title. Sorry for that mouthful. It hasn’t been the best of years for everyone. A lot of people lost their jobs, their loved ones due to the goddamned pandemic, poor governance*, not to mention the way George Floyd was killed–I CAN GO ON ALL NIGHT. I won’t mince words. I really hated 2020. It felt like going back to 2016 when my mental health was in The Worst Shape Ever, and I was really wasn’t a wonderful person to hang out with back then. I’ll admit that. I have to admit that I am still an odd duck in a lot of ways. And odd is an understatement. #sorryIwasabitchbackthen

Yes, you can teach this girl new tricks.

Published by Layla

NB: This pic was taken a year ago. I haven’t been to the UP Diliman campus since the Enhanced Community Quarantine was announced in March. So yeah, I miss my university. While I’m enrolled right now, attending classes on Zoom is a different ballgame. I know this feature picture is totally irrelevant to the current blog topic, but this university has given me a new lease on life, and it has given my confidence back. I do acknowledge that that newly regained confidence is only a small piece of the puzzle, having managed to survive graduate school–and to do well in the first semester–and it is all due to hard work. But I would like to say it’s because I  was also willing to try something new. And this is what this blog post is about. I have friends who asked me how was I able to survive my first semester of graduate school, it was all down to five things: a goal to work towards, discipline, determination, working smart, and yes, a willingness to …

Preparing for a new semester.

Published by Layla

Well, hello there! And hello, August! We’re having a pretty late start where the first semester is concerned, but with the world being pretty much upside down at the moment, it’s understandable. I’ve gotten word that enrollment will start mid-August. And that’s just mighty fine with me. I’m pretty excited yet apprehensive. I don’t know how online learning is going to pan out. I guess we shall wait and see.

The Revision Diaries 1: The original and its comments

Published by Layla

Hola amigos and amigas! Over a month ago, I submitted my research proposal. The proposal was about the introduction of more flexible working arrangements in the Philippine government sector. As someone working in the government sector, I have realised that the flexi-time being offered in most government offices doesn’t cut it anymore. Traffic, most especially in Manila has become increasingly horrendous, making millions of workers arrive late to their respective workplaces. I have received my professor’s comments, and to my relief, they were mostly asking for clarifications. For a month, I’ve had nightmares about receiving scathing comments in each part of the proposal. My fears have proved unfounded, but I still have a lot of work cut out for me! While looking for added research material, I realised that I could write about my adventures and misadventures about writing my research proposal. I’ve had a lot of bloopers while drafting the original, and I am pretty sure that the hilarity won’t be ending anytime soon. 🙂 Hence, this new category: The Revision Diaries. I really can’t …