On earning an MS degree

It is 3 AM. I am in San Ricardo waiting for a bus or any means to transport me to Sogod, then Baybay to catch the last day of the shoot for graduation photos.

At 10 PM yesterday, I made it just in time before the ferry coursed from Surigao to San Ricardo. Before that, I rode a bus after finally deciding to give this trip a shot even if Via, my sister, warned me about the inconsistent ferry schedule.

I have a deadline to beat. I should make it to Baybay before 7 PM. From my experience, it should only take me at least 4 hours from this point to Baybay. I only need the means, which are limited this dawn.

While stuck here at this sole open carenderia, I got a cup of hot coffee. And with this vacancy, I am trying to confront again the idea of graduating from MS DevCom next week.

Even up to this point, I could not imagine how I made it from point zero to here. The few close people I know who marveled and dared ask how I did it only received a smile from my incapable-to-elaborate mouth.

Almost two years ago, in October 2020, I enrolled in VSU graduate school. Initially, I thought of pursuing MS in agricultural development. But one of my former college instructors convinced me to pursue DevCom to further my understanding of the field, which will be an asset if I decide to teach. And that was how it started. Kath, a dear friend, is also in the same degree. She has been helpful in this quest beyond any measure.

After completing 37 units in four semesters, and some demanding requirements this year, including a comprehensive exam in March, a final exam in June (defense), and a thesis manuscript in July, I am cleared for graduation.

Schooling while also keeping a job has been challenging and draining. From the first semester in 2020 until June 2022, I faced and endured weekly essays, semestral exams, and a ton of book and journal readings, which required synthesizing.

Working late nights or at dawn was my surest option. Occasionally, when vacant at work, I also killed time catching up on my readings and revisiting the essays I drafted at midnight.

Throughout the struggle, I realized that time is both an enemy and a friend, depending on your need. Befriending it requires working ahead of deadlines. It is also sacrificial. When you feel like losing hold of it, you will have to decide what to keep and let go.

Also, relationships of all kinds are most prone to compromises. Often, the decision involves going home to finish a paper before the midnight deadline or going out with friends from work.

The best decision, as always, depends upon the weight and immediacy of what's at stake.

Sometimes you can work around it, which means you can meet your friends in an hour or two and then go home to hit your desk. It was draining with a ton of wanting, such as thinking of a beach break after the sem. But the reality is, since you are aging, sleeping for long hours is the sweetest reward.

As an appreciation for the value of schooling, the reward is in the doing. Scores and grades are just numbers. They do not represent the entirety of what you learned, which most occur or reinforce when practiced or applied in real life, in the field while interacting with your clientele. I treat my BS degree as my ticket to the employment world while this one is for myself, my advancement as a development worker.

Importantly, this is the first time I have taken charge of my schooling expenses out of the earnings I made from my job. I grew up seeking validation and commendation from my parents, who molded me to value education and its equated medals and awards. This feat is different. This is to challenge the limits of my knowledge and develop self-discipline amidst life's short rewards.

Unbelievably, I will earn my MS degree this month. And for the first time, I will be marching on my own.

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Drafted August 2, 2022.