My First Chapter in the University of Santo Tomas

My First Chapter in the University of Santo Tomas

Catherine Ericel A. Flores

Grade 7 – St. Albert

I knew this was just the start. The struggles, the challenges, the people, and the teachers? They were just a part of my trip, the beginning. It was still warming up. I still have to continue travelling in the labyrinth (or maybe I should just call it a maze) of my high school life. And based on the various twists and turns, I knew this labyrinth was HUGE. Now, before I continue my journey, I guess I should tell you the summary of my journey in the first chapter of my story.

Let’s start with the First Quarter, I never thought that it would be this hard. Seriously, all I thought about was grammar, vocabulary, and then the books. That’s all. No recitation points or literature. I felt like I was biking, thinking it would only be a straight road, but ended up biking over a very steep mountain. But despite how hard it was to keep on pedalling, I knew I had to keep on moving. I knew there was something behind that steep mountain. I just have to be curious enough, determined enough to move. And First Quarter, that was still the foot of the mountain.

Then, here comes the Second Quarter, a lot more obstacles appear in my way. I struggled, kicking over and over again, getting higher. I even remember that dramatic monologue Performance Task we had. In all honesty, I wanted to back out as I wore my costume as Juana from “The Pearl”. I was seriously nervous! I saw everyone staring at me and I really hated staring. I closed my eyes, imagined that I was alone and then opened them. When I started speaking, I felt like I was just in front of a large mirror, talking to myself. And this was one of the most effective strategies I do to prevent myself from stuttering and folding up in shame. In this quarter, I’m nearly half way up the mountain.

Third Quarter, I CAN’T BREATHE! The time I saw all the topics, a chill went down my spine. It was seriously getting a lot worse. Really, I never thought that there were so much kinds of poetry, although I really liked making poems, with all the rhyming and the syllables. For some reason, I would also like to compose a song but it’s always difficult for me to make it. Back to the topic, we then have the Performance Task, the Literary Folio. I actually tried to make as many as I could, along with the others. All our efforts paid off with high scores. I reached the peak of my mountain.

Fourth, I know it’s easier to slide down a mountain… But would you say the same if you see a very steep mountain? I guess you wouldn’t want a broken bone or two… Or a broken neck… I really thought this quarter was a lot easier…until I heard the word “clearance”. I nearly fell of my chair. A portfolio full of papers from July to April? Goodbye to my back and shoulders then. But then I found myself studying and keeping up with the others. I went down the mountain as carefully as I can. I have yet to know what will be the finale of my trip across the mountain of Grade 7.