Before I even stepped into college life, I already had one goal in mind: to get into a state university. It sounds straightforward, but the truth is, it wasn’t. Getting accepted takes more than just wishing for it. I had to give it my all — stay on track, stay patient, and keep pushing, even on the days when it felt like the weight of everything was on my shoulders. Deep down, I knew this wasn’t something that would just be handed to me. I had to fight for it. For me, that dream was tied to one place: Cebu Technological University.
So why CTU? Well, the truth is, I didn’t have a lot of choices. My family couldn’t afford private universities — not even close. But CTU, a state university, which offered free education, free tuition, it gave me hope. Thanks to the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, students like me, who come from families that don’t have much, could still dream high. That law gave me a fighting chance.
My parents did the best they could, but money was always tight. I realized early that if I wanted to get a college degree, I had to make it happen on my own, and with the help of them aswell. So I set a goal. I told myself, "you want to earn a degree? You want better life? Then go find ways, go earn it!" And that’s what I tried to do. Since state universities look at your grades from senior high, I knew I had to give it my all.
Junior High Moving Up Ceremony
During my Junior High School, Grade 10, suddenly unexpected happened, the COVID-19. The blistering spread of COVID 19 Pandemic, turn into lockdown in all provinces in the Philippines. I lose hope of experiencing to walk on stage, for Moving Up or Closing Ceremony. Cause During my graduation in elementary I had fever, so I didn't literally felt the happiness, enjoyment, excitement on this unforgettable moment. The only feeling I felt was pain: headache. And so for the upcoming moving up ceremony for junior high I felt the excitement, but yeah, unexpected happened. Due to pandemic and lockdown, instead of in-person ceremony, schools conducted online ceremony. But I do understood, its for the betterment of all.
Senior High School
Pandemic continued until I joined My first Senior High School: Grade 11. Since pandemic happened, education continued through Digital and modular learning. Since I know my goal, I studied hard, every single day. Though self learning is hard but with a goal, I know all obstacles must be and will be overcome. I'd make sure all activities, quizzes, assignments must be pass on time. There were days when I felt drained, like giving up would be easier. But whenever that happened, I’d think back to why I started in the first place. I'm doing this not only for myself but for my family aswell. I’d picture my self and mom’s proud smile when I gained my degree. Just like that, I’d find the strength to keep going.
Eventually, all that effort paid off. I graduated with honors — a 91 average in both Grade 11 and Grade 12. I still remember the moment my mom saw my final report card. Her eyes lit up. She didn’t say much, but I could tell how proud she was. Both my brothers had earned their degrees from CTU, and now it was my turn to follow that same path.
But finishing high school was just the beginning. I already gained the grade I wanted. Next came the application process in a state university: CTU. That was a whole journey in itself. I had to fill out the forms, upload all the required documents, and then I have to take the entrance exam and the interview. I had to take the entrance exam online, and face to face for the interview. I had to travel more than an hour for the interview. The distance between my home to CTU is 18km, and so I need to wake up early as it took more than an hour for the transportation. As it's traffic, sometimes. Yeah, Theres more process before getting into my dream university. I must’ve refreshed the CTU online portal many times every hour, every day. I couldn’t help it — I was nervous, excited, and honestly just hoping for a sign.
Then one day, something popped up on the screen. It asked if I wanted to confirm my slot. I couldn’t believe it at first. I stared at it for a few seconds, heart pounding. Then I clicked “confirm.” Just like that, I was in. CTU had accepted me. All I had to do was wait for the enrollment schedule.
A day later, my name appeared on their list of qualified applicants. That moment hit me hard. I smiled — not out of sadness, but out of relief. Out of pride. Out of joy. I thanked God, sat for a few minutes, just letting it all sink in. I had done it.
