Things I learned from taking the Graduate School

1. Pursue your dream. I am a frustrated teacher that became a frustrated accountant, I ended up shifting and graduating a Finance course. During the college graduation, I really said to myself that one day I want to earn a graduate degree. I look up to my professors and bosses who are lawyers, CPAs, MBAs, and Doctors. I love listening to their stories, and since day one I keep on telling myself that someday, somehow I will be one of them. 2. Resources will come. After graduating, my first job was a bank front liner, a minimum wage earner, that rents an apartment, pay monthly bills, gives money to my parents, hands monthly allowances and tuition fees to my siblings. I never really have money to start studying again. I never owned a computer, I stay late in the office after overtime to encode my reports, I run by friends to borrow laptop for late night researches, case studies and take home exams. I accepted a transfer of job because the company will let me borrow a laptop. I save for saturday classes. My tuition fees came from my bonuses and salary loans. 3. Listen to your "believers". These are the kind of people that sees you strong, fierce and don't know how to give up, despite most of the people telling you that that's the hard way and at any point in time you can fail and never reach the finish line. I remember that I made a crucial decision of accepting another job, during the time that I was writing my thesis. It was because I needed money and the opportunity was right before my hand. A lot of people is questioning me why I accepted the job for money despite the fact that my previous employer and bosses support on my academic side line. A lot of people warned me that it is never easy, worst not meeting the deadline of my graduation. I heard and listen to thoughts but I also listened to the few people that told me "it was never just about your environment, it will be about you and your will to finish it". 4. Giving up is a choice. Graduate school is place that you can meet all kinds of people, with also all kinds of stories, work, family backgrounds. I had classmates who were given all the resources in the world, I had also intelligent classmates, I had also classmates who were the presidents of corporations, professors, lawyers and professionals, but sadly they did not reached the finish line for various reasons. As one of our professor tells us, this is not just about mind and money, this is about enduring everything that will come along the way that will test you, this is about surviving the race and never giving up your dream. 5. Find a partner that will love you more. Partner that is willing to understand, accepts and support you will all your academic priorities. This means less time for dates and adventures because of reading journals, reviewing for comprehensive exams, and coffee after classes. Partner, spouse or boyfriend that will encourage you to pursue and push you when you become tired and reminds you that you can do it, that you are the best student and that he is willing to wait for you after you finish your saturday classes, willing to cheer you up in the middle of the night, and who is so patient with you in times that your so impatient. 6. Have a support peer group. It is also important to have a group of friends who are under going what you are experiencing, classmates that you can ask what they did the last session that you were not around, seatmates that will share you the current events and that will make you laugh during 2pm boring lectures, super friends that will meet after class to look for something to eat after classes inside the walls of intramuros and binondo. They are someone you who will share the laughter and challenges of grad school life, they will not be just a classmate, they will be one of your true friends. 7. Look for a supportive adviser. I am lucky to have a campus crush adviser. There are a great number of professors that you can choose from, consider their background. But more than the insights that they can give you is the encouragement. I never remember anything he contributed on my paper. What I can vividly remember is that, he is like a father that never get tried of cheering me up, telling me that I did my best, in the times that I know I did not, he is someone that hand me the first congratulations during my colloquium presentation, he never gets tired to remind me that "I can do it." 8. Work-Life-Study Balance.This is one of the major challenges, you should learn how to know what to prioritize, be mindful of the deadlines in the offices, keep in mind that you can study because you are working, never forget deadlines of manuscripts, researches and group meetings. Also remember to spend time with your loved ones, spending sundays with them are the best stress relievers. Have a time for yourself, you also deserve to rest and most especially never deprive yourself from sleep. 9. Be friend with time. I can never count the times that I said "how I wish I could extend the 24hrs a day", for being a super woman in all the aspects of life, work and school, if only I can duplicate or triplicate myself to attend to everything and everyone at the moment. Accept and most out of the 24hrs everyday, don't rush, never cram, plan ahead, take a deep breath, yes, ever second counts, so make the most out of it. 10. Read a lot. Thank God I love to read, weather you like it or not you should read a lot, from current events to latest journals published, case studies and references. 11. Share. (Talk to people) Graduate school is not spoon feeding type, its more of about sharing your insights, opinions and experiences about certain topic. Its about sharing and listening to other peoples lives. I remember during our leadership simulation that its in sitting down and listening to someone's strengths and weaknesses is the best way to know the person. You may see him as the most weak person in the classroom but he is the strongest person in the group that can cross the thinnest log of life to go to the other side of the river. Never judge someone and remember that there is something good in every person. 12. Don't be afraid to fail yourself and cry. You will never finish grad school 13. Believe that you are a writer. 14. Have fun. 15. Affirm yourself. 16. Express Gratitude. 17. Think about your reasons for dreaming. 18. Sleep. 19. Best lessons are never learned in classrooms. 20. Trust God.