Breaking boring breaks

By Erica Jean Palmera

“Have a break,” says a chocolate commercial, and we’re all “yes, please!” to this—but how about we all get a break – for four months.

Adapting the ASEAN Universities Network (AUN) academic calendar, the University of the Philippines (UP) is eyeing to start the succeeding academic years on August. This is to cater to a highly globalized education system by avoiding conflicts brought by difference in schedules of our neighboring countries’ universities.

The Philippines is the only remaining country that has not adapted to the preferred academic calendar, but has recently planned to do so since many of the country’s incoming and outgoing foreign exchange students find the acceptance of credits confusing and inconvenient due to inconsistencies in schedule.

Being the nation’s premier university, UP decided to take a step ahead and implement the change starting on academic year 2014-2015. Although the proposal still has to be approved by the Board of Regents (BOR), the university’s highest decision-making body, there is a big chance for it to be implemented as the BOR itself had suggested the change.

Once implemented, the entire UP system will undergo a transition phase, or simply, students having a four-month break. This may bring joy and reason to party for an ordinary student. But as an iskolar ng bayan, I started getting paranoid on the idea of not facing hell weeks and stress from April to July. God forbid, I might get used to it.

So I devised a mini list of things iskolars ng bayan can do to have a productive and memorable once-in-a-lifetime four-month vacation.

First on the list is to read books. Books have always been inalienable for a UP student. Grab this opportunity to enjoy the must-reads that your literature professor had shared.

Second, live up your virtues as iskolars ng bayan. Be a person for the country. Get involved in activities that can help in the value formation of society. There are a lot of NGO’s who need volunteers. If you’re the type who would go to different places during summer, make good use of your adventures by blogging and posting about them so as to entice friends and foreigners to visit Philippine tourist spots. There are so many ways to be an industrious member of the community. Serving the people does not pause during summer vacations.

With the increase of tuition and the budget of education being cut down, let us not forget that we are also scholars of our parents. It’s the time of the year when we can actually help them even in small things like washing the dishes or cleaning the house. We don’t have homework or projects to be used as alibis from doing household chores, so please do your parents some good.

Lastly, show the world that we don’t only have a fit and well-developed brain but a fit body and well-developed muscles, too. It would not just be the UP Pep Squad who would be taking advantage of the four-month vacation, but you as well. Shoot hoops, bike around, hike, or teach kids outdoor Pinoy games and make our generation proud.

Mainly, my list contains those ideas since they don’t cost much. They are inexpensive ways but would most certainly get you involved. So, raise that bum from that chair in front of the computer monitor and hug the four-month vacation like an old friend. You wanted a break, right?