Third year college was probably the toughest for me because subjects were all demanding and aside from doing all sorts of projects, we also had to do research for our share of class reports. As a student, I didn't really like it when professors delegate topics written in the curriculum for students to report about, but we couldn't do anything about it, right?

Lhyne and I were very much closer this year, although I became close to Shirley, too, because we both liked the musical band Hanson (I still love the band up to this day). In the class they called us "Moe Sisters," because that's how the band called their official magazine. Being so crazy about a band became a source of ridicule from classmates, but we certainly didn't care. :)

Our clique was still close to each other, but the division was very clear already. Despite us eating lunch together, there were little secret notes passed to each other about complaints about each others' attitudes.

Some memories from 1st semester:

• Argumentation and Debate class - I delivered my speech with runny nose, and it was really difficult to keep poised. :)
• Drama and Theater Arts - we were asked to present a play for our final exam, and we did "Sirkulo." It was a bit controversial because the story revolves about the stories of different people working in the bar/club. Our professor, Rustica Carpio didn't like the main jist of the story (some characters had to wear super sexy clothes and there was a rape scene, too), but being a thespian herself, she gave us a good grade for it. (Last I saw professor Rustica Carpio was through a local telenovela shown in ABS-CBN, but I cannot recall if it was "May Bukas Pa.")
• Statistics - basically the only subject in my whole college history where I didn't really get to learn what statistics is all about, our professor loved sharing trivia rather than teaching us numbers.
  

Memories from 2nd semester:

• Works of Rizal - when we first met our professor, she was a bit mean and very strict. We would get scared just the thought of her, but as time passed we all became one big family. For our final exam, we presented a skit, which she appreciated so much - she said she didn't realize we would give as much effort as what we did.
• Contemporary Social Problems - each group were given the chance to think of a social problem to work on. I was absent the time they created the groups, so I wasn't with any of my barkada, but I was with Shirley's barkada, so all was still okay - afterall, one of her barkada was my constant travel mate (we live quite close to each other), and another one of her barkada had relatives living in the same neighborhood as I do. Our topic was child prostitution (ages 17 below), and one time we decided to go to Malate to get some information. While walking in an alley, we spotted a man talking to someone who was inside the car, and when we passed by, we learned the man from the outside was a pimp and he was pimping one of us. We ran as fast as we could, and decided not to go back there again.
  

It was around the second semester that something happened that really changed my life. When it happened I got disoriented that I suddenly stopped attending classes, and in the end I failed two subjects, and the rest of my subjects got not so good grades - 2.0 being the highest (oh well, I had 1.5 in Humanities, but the rest were either 2.0 or 2.5 0r 2.75). By the end of the school year, I gave my friends letters saying I won't be enrolling for the next school year, something that really got them worried. My parents were furious about it, but they did understand me, they knew at one point, a person has to fail my failing point happened this year.

*** Jenn ***

ps - While I was in college, our family was able to buy a film camera, which I bring to school every now and then. Towards the end of their college life, the collection of pictures were mostly about our barkada - we certainly had a lot of pictures back then. Actually, I already lost the negatives and the other pictures, but I was really thankful that I was able to keep some pictures. Despite the bad memories from this part of my life, I am happy I was able to share it.