From Big Sister to Little Brother
- a testimonial I wrote for Kit a few minutes ago. he's having a tough time right now. two days in college and he has a lot of complaints. since we'll feel awkward with a really serious conversation, i thought of this. what better way to impart advices to a teenager than creating a Friendster testimonial right?
kit and his high school friends (he's the kid standing in the right)
swimming party after graduating from high school (kit's the one swimming in the right)
Stuff you have to remember in order to survive college (and life in general):
1. Don't think that you can't do something. You can do it but you have to work really hard.
2. Studying is not fun. It was NEVER fun but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't do your best. Good grades can get you a better job. A better job means more money. More money means you can do anything you want.
3. You will have to endure not being with friends all the time. That doesn't mean life sucks and things can be boring. You will always have time to hang out with each other. You have different goals in life so you have to go your separate ways sometimes. Hello?! Magkita kayo after classes. Baka magkapalit na kayo ng mukha kung pati sa classroom magkasama pa kayo.
4. There will always be an asshole in your classroom, but you don't have to let him get into your nerves. Baka hampas lupa siya sa bahay nila kaya bully siya sa school. Baka wala siyang magandang ate like you. Baka outcast siya nung high school kaya ganyan siya sa college. Isipin mo na lang, someday siya magtitimpla ng kape mo or maglilinis ng sapatos mo. Bumabawi lang siya ngayon habang may panahon. Joke! Retards will always be retards and it pays to not let them get you down. Don't fight with an asshole. It doesn't mean that you're weak. It just means you don't waste time on worthless people. Simple. Pabugbog mo pag labas ng campus. Haha. Joke! Seriously, people like that have insecurities or fears. They just make fun of other people to divert the attention and stop others from noticing.
5.Things will be hard at the start, but once you get to the end, you'll realize that you had fun and you were able to achieve a lot. Being negative won't help. Never feel sorry for yourself or your situation.
6. Always be the best in everything. Don't settle for anything less than what you deserve. Just think that sufferings won't last forever. You won't be in this country your whole life. You'll get to travel. You'll get to do what you want whenever you want. You'll get to enjoy the fruits of your labor. You won't see our crazy, pathetic next-door neighbors (dun pa lang naeexcite na ako).
7. You'll outgrow DOTA and those online games you play. Naglalaro ka pa ba ng Ragnarok ngayon? Di ba hindi na?! Can you imagine yourself playing that at age 40? Enjoy but don't let it hinder you from doing well in other things. You can always play to reward yourself for getting good grades and stuff. By the time you graduate from college, you'll be interested in other things like cars. Won't it be good if you can afford a car for yourself (and for me)? You can afford more than a car IF you work hard.
8. Don't waste your time. In a few years, you'll look back and realize your mistakes, the things you should have done but didn't do and the opportunities that you let go. You'll regret not listening to our parents and the grownups around you. Who should know better than those who work their asses off just to pay for your tuition? Do you kids think it's easy to commute to work everyday, to lose sleep over work, bills and stuff? Akala niyo ba fun ang magtiis sa traffic sa Aguinaldo Highway and Coastal Road everyday or magwork sa ibang bansa just to give you the luxuries you enjoy? I know cause I work everyday of my life from the time I graduated from college. When you're tired from working and you feel like your salary is not enough, you'll regret not working hard enough in school and not landing a better job. Madadagdagan pa lahat ng reklamo niyo ngayon.
9. Respect the people around you. Respect yourself. You don't earn respect by making others feel inferior. You earn respect by treating others fairly and doing good. People won't forget how you made them feel. Someday, the classmate you've been nice to at one time may be the answer to your woes after you've even forgotten about your good deed. Good karma.
10. Hold on to your values, faith, good memories, the lessons learned, and the relationships formed throughout the years. Never abandon old friends because they know you best. They were there when you didn't have money and you didn't look that good. You can't trade your family for a different one. You can go from broke to a millionaire someday and you will still have the same mom, same dad, same sister, same brother. Cherish your loved ones because you'll never know when they'll be gone. We all grow feeble and old. Don't forget to pray. You'll learn that in tight spots, you'll always call on to God.
11. Enjoy your life. Live life like it's your last day on earth. Make the most of it. You can only go through it once. You can't get a remote control and push rewind, pause, fast forward when you feel like it. You can't delete mistakes, bad decisions, and painful or embarrassing experiences like a Friendster comment. You have to think a hundred times before making decisions. You have to watch what you say and do to avoid hurting others and getting yourself into trouble. Don't be lazy. Don't create any situations or get into problems that you might regret someday. There is always a time for everything. A time to play and a time to study. There will be a time to work and you have to prepare for it. Learn from other people's mistakes. That includes your parents' mistakes. Learn to appreciate the efforts that other people exert in order to make you happy or to make things in this world easy for you.
12. Know that you are blessed and you are loved beyond your imagination. There could only be one you. No matter how many sermons you get or how many times you get shouted at, know that you are loved. We believe in what you can achieve and we always think of what's good for you. I still think that among the three of us, you have the guts to succeed. Si Gem ang smartest, ikaw ang pinakamaabilidad...at ako...ako ang pinakagoodlooking. =)
