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Top 10 Fears of A Paulinian

By Alexa Viray and Sheena May Policarpio | November 20, 2021

Fear is a survival instinct. It is the reason why we are all still alive. We feel fear every time we sense danger or possible threats that may harm us.

But our fears are nothing to be ashamed of. They help us grow and push us to be more courageous.

Paulinians are not spared from experiencing fear. Here, we list down the top 10 fears most Paulinian face. Can you relate to any? Find out which one of these you fear the most!

1. Unlucky number 7

Seven is often associated with luck. But are students still considered lucky if they have 7 as a starting number in their report card? “Anong sasabihin ko kay mama?” Worries for sure start gushing all over any student’s mind. Students with a 7 may only have limited chances to redeem themselves. Our friendly tip: bawi ka na lang.

2. DEADlines

With so many discussions to take note of, having activities on top of lessons to absorb with a deadline is a trip to St. Peter. “Please submit your worksheets within the day.” Do or Die situation here. One pack of coffee, please! It is time to grind.

3. Trick or Tardy? The Evolution

Face-to-Face Era: Forgetting to turn on the alarm or pulling an all-nighter is one of the reasons a student ends up late. The thought of quickly sprinting to not get caught late by Sister during the flag ceremony will really make you channel your inner-Naruto and run like your life depended on it! Either way, the scariest part is when you get caught, and you have to explain the reason for your tardiness. It is least scary when you partner nervousness with Iced Coffee, is it not?

Online Class Era: Setting your alarm for 6:00 AM when you go to bed at 4:00 AM is truly a frightful experience. You might miss discussions, but at least in an online class, a friend can give you a call and wake you up from your two-hour slumber. The downside is, when you miss an activity, you have to deal with the extra workload.

4. Sack-O-Groupmates (context: jack-o-lantern)

“Akala ko crush ko lang nang-ghost sa ‘kin, groupmate ko rin pala.” There is no denying that some students are fond of being freeloaders, some do not know what to do, some are occupied with chores, or while others simply get tired easily. Sometimes these experiences can be compared to a sack, ang bigat! What do the leaders do about it? All they can do is wait for their groupmates’ output even though it is one day before the deadline. Some, sadly, take the heaviest share. Do you know what makes this a fear? Some can easily ignore a message and escape with an excuse. Friendly tip: Consider removing them from the group or put a hard zero on peer evaluation.

5. A Not So Quiet Place: The forbidden scream

“Bumaba ka rito!” “Hoy maghugas ka muna!” “Pabili po ng yelo!” The screams that every student fears, especially during a meeting. Noises that literally make your heart race as you grovel in panic and frustration. The embarrassing noises when you are in a class reciting or in a meeting talking, these background noises make your recitation truly remarkable. There is only one meaning behind that shout. An interruption that a student needs to respond to, or else…a series of scoldings will be afoot. However, there are still several ways to escape this horrifying fate: Choice A, pretend to sleep; choice B, frustratedly explain that there is still a class; choice C, just leave the meeting and do the chore.

6. …

Three simple dots that can ruin one’s life. The very famous tagline that you can hear every student scream his or her lungs out when they just lost their connection during or before their online classes — bakit wala na namang ‘net? It is like a battle that every student faces. Every so often, it can be extra frustrating when your connection becomes unstable at the moment you really need it, for instance when you are reciting or during your defense. Every student fears this, but sometimes, it is a blessing! You getting disconnected before you get grilled by your teacher is a silver lining, isn’t it? Kidding aside, we are in an internet-challenged country — which often results in delays and discomfort in learning. This is truly a hindrance, yet it cannot be helped, so for the meantime, let us make the best of it and understand one another.

7. Online Class Fails 101

Virtual learning is a new set up for students. Imagine waking up in the morning, eating breakfast, taking a bath, and facing the teachers and classmates in front of a computer. This is way far from the normal routine we are used to. Adapting to being an online student can be tough, but then there are the “online class fails” stories that will make you laugh so hard, tears can run down your leg. One common scenario is leaving their microphone on, “Bakit hindi mo pa hinuhugasan yung plato?!” “Brownie halika dito, wag mong guluhin si ate/kuya mo!” unnecessary sounds or conversations that can either cause a distraction or stir the whole class (including the teacher) into a laughter for some apparent reason, and here you are still in lala land. After all, the world is in a tough time now, so it is good to get a laugh! Although, try to be more prepared before entering the meeting.

8. “Please turn on your cameras”

The moment the teacher says, “Please turn on your cameras,” students start to tremble like leaves in a hurricane, conscious of revealing their home environment or self-appearance. Internet connectivity is also another factor that can be discussed, but another thing to consider is the student’s unpreparedness. Hair being in a big mess, those ‘just-woke-up’ eyes, and the overall sabog look. There is not enough time to put some makeup on or remove those eye crusts or else you’re gonna be late! Then, each circle on the screen starts to show each of your classmates’ faces and yours is still blank, and you start panicking. Your internet is unstable! Remembering the reminder “ensure that your cameras are working or else no attendance” sends panic through your system. What a great way to start the day, isn’t it?

9. Cause of breakdown: Academic Pressure

Students are just normal people; the demands of time and energy may not always be in their favor. Today, academic pressure has been one of the main sources of emotional and mental challenges. Truth be told, academic pressure is not always about the heavy workload of assignments and activities, but also the pressure on one’s own mind. Productivity is often questioned, thinking whether the accomplished task is fair enough to achieve the certain goal; plus, the pressure of people around students makes it extra hard. Nevertheless, we should not forget to breathe and take a break. Moving at our own pace does not affect our progress.

10. Application/System Glitch

Another thing that a student cannot see coming, aside from some homework, is the crashing of an online learning application. When one repeatedly spams the refresh button, thinking that his connection might be the problem, it turns out to be a system glitch. Which will truly make you channel your inner Bobbie Salazar: “Bakit parang kasalanan ko?!” This does not only bother students, but teachers as well. An entire day wasted, lesson plans not followed, and the delays on quizzes and tests. The never-ending “Sir/ma’am choppy po kayo.” “Sir/Ma’am wala po kami makita.” Truly frustrating, testing the true capabilities of your patience.

“Ignorance is bliss” as they say. It is such a big bummer to happily and freely spend one’s time without knowing the activities or online classes occurring just because the application failed to notify him. It might be a relief to be without those notifications, but it is a hit or a miss. Students who are not tech savvy might not know this, but systems go through a lot too, you know. We might want to double check our applications before watching our favorite k-dramas. After all, we would not want to miss another episode of online class.