Flashback On A Monday: UPCAT.

I believe I owe you guys something. Although I never said I'd post this (I think...), I think I should because I won't have any written memories of this event, other than my own memory, which will most likely fade in the next few months because of my very busy life. Also, I don't have photos, because I wasn't allowed any electronic device during the event. Anyways.

You probably know what I'm talking about. I took the UPCAT last August 16, and I'll just kinda share with you what my experiences were.

The day before. So the day before, I wasn't supposed to study, because the information wouldn't get into my brain anyways (the review center told me that, I didn't say that okay don't hold me accountable). But I really think the information would've stayed. Anyways. They said I should relax or something. So I did. Guess what I did?

I blogged. And I refreshed my mind with HTML and CSS. I had my reviewer beside me, but instead of last minute reviewing (which really wasn't advisable), I blogged, listened to music, wrote out a code for my school portfolio, and I wrote something for this blog. After all, they told me to relax. So I did what relaxed me.

I also arranged my stuff for the next day: my backpack, pencils, erasers, my reviewers, my pens, my wallet, my school ID, my UPCAT test permit, and a bunch or other stuff I didn't need (take note of this fact). After that, I slept at like 9PM, which was quite early for me.

The day itself. I woke up at 3:50 AM. We were supposed to leave by 4:00 or 4:30 AM. I took a shower to wake myself up, wore the clothes I had set the night before (the outfit thought about a week before), took one last look at the ID and the test permit to make sure it was there, and we, (as in me, my parents, and my sister) were off. Wait a bit. I actually posted something on my Instagram, which then sent it to various social networking sites I linked it to.

From my Instagram: "I will hold on to the hand of my Saviour. 🎶

UPCAT. Yo. You’re going down because of the One beside me. :)))))))

Hahaha what #upcat #bibleverses #AllHis"

Well actually, we waited for a bit in the clubhouse of the condominium village. Then here comes a taxi, then we were off to UP Diliman. We left at 4:30 AM. The ride was rather quick, since we went by way of C5/Kalayaan, and it was early in the morning. The only time the traffic flow got quite heavy was when we were turning from Kalayaan to C.P. Garcia, and inside the campus itself. [OKAY WAIT. Sorry about all these road names, I like remembering roads and places. If you know the place, well then good for you! If not, go find it in Google Maps. Or not. Anyways.]

We didn't enter the main entrance of UP, because there was a sign there that read, "UPCAT ENTRANCE ONLY." So we entered there, and followed the flow of the traffic going to the National Institute of Physics building. Just so you know (or if you already know, whatever) in the southern part of the campus, this building is the farthest from the main entrance. So it's the nearest to C.P. Garcia and Kalayaan Avenue. Yeh. I like far off places. So we alighted the taxi, and lined up.

There was this walkway-like thingy before going into the building. There were some steps going up, then a walkway with low walls on either side you could sit on, and grass beyond. Further on, there were a bit more steps going into the building. And all of this place was occupied by people. I say people, and not students, because for every student taking the UPCAT, there was an average of two people with him or her. So yeah. I tried looking at my notes at the last minute, but I couldn't because the queue was ALWAYS MOVING FORWARD. So I couldn't sit and read. Instead, I stood in line, phone tucked in my pocket, holding my pencilcase (because I had like ten pencils and two erasers inside it), and my food pouch (because I wasn't sure if bags were allowed inside the exam room). I left my backpack, with everything I didn't need and use, with my parents.

At around 5:50 AM, little by little, the students were let in. I thought we were being ushered to the test rooms already. But no. More queuing. I couldn't stand still, so I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, I walked in the space between the students on either side of me, and stretched my arms and fingers. I had to be active somehow, but, contrary to what I said I would do in my other post, I didn't jog. I think the other students thought I was nuts. Or maybe some thought I was nervous. I wasn't nuts, nor was I nervous. I just needed to move.

6:20 AM found me in the loo, after walking down some stairs to more queuing to the testing room, and being ordered by the UPCAT Examiner to show our test permits to the proctors, then being told to head to the loo before going inside. As usual, the line was long for the girls, and I was able to talk to this girl from some science high school in the metro. Remember, I still had everything with me and I had to pee and I really looked weird.

6:35 AM was when the examiner prattled off, the 'terms and conditions' (sorry I called it that, I don't know why), and asking every now and then, "Do you have any questions." Then the students would murmur a feeble, "None." Then again, "Do you have any questions?!" Then, from the students, a louder, "None." We also had to place our bags and electronics on a designated area because, hey, anything can be found in a bag and an electronic device. So yeah.

6:50 AM, I think, is when the UPCAT actually started. Language proficiency was very okay for me. Easy, I might even say. I finished all but three items, because for those items, I really didn't know the answer to. Science was okay-ish.  I wasn't able to answer a lot on Chemistry and the harder parts of Biology. I almost got sucked into the time limit. I started eating my fruits after Science. Math was alright. I did the geometry first, then the logical sequence, then the others. I wasn't able to finish everything, but I found the geometry quite easier than the rest. Reading comprehension was a bit harder than the others, as I was very tired and my eyes were rather strained. I was expecting 60% English and 40% Filipino, but I think it was more like 50/50. I wasn't able to answer everything, but I was able to finish all but two each of my fruit and and my chocolate.

When the students were let out, everyone's faces were like, "Unggggghhhhh... What did I just do... What just happened..."

And I found my sister looking for me among the crowd that had formed outside the building, and the moment I saw her, I tried to crack a smile and say hi. Which I succeeded in doing. And my mum was talking to one of her friends, whose son was going to take the UPCAT in the same building as I did. And they asked me how the UPCAT was, and I was like, "Tiring." My mum's friend's son came and asked me how it was, and I answered, "A lot of Filipino questions. It's quite easy, but it's rather tiring."

A few minutes later, we left the line on front of the building and headed to where my dad was. Upon seeing me, he asked how the exam was. As usual, I answered, "Tiring." We stayed there for a while and then I turned on the pocket wifi to snap a quick photo (I had like three takes before I picked which one to choose) for Instagram.

From my Instagram: "Out of the freezer then into the oven. It’s so hot bc tanghaling tapat. Hahaha what.

So yeah I just finished the UPCAT. Yeh."

Then my mum's friend went off somewhere, then we also went off somewhere. Then we bought ice cream and then found our way out of the campus. Then we went home. So yeah. :)

From my Tumblr: "Mobile blogging after UPCAT because I’m so badass. HAHAHA what"

There you have it. I may or may not have left some things out because... I dunno. Probably forgotten about them. But yeah. I'm sorry, I'm such a terrible blogger, I keep you guys hanging. Screw procrastination and distractions and hard subjects. Scratch the hard subjects part. I need those for school.

ANYWAYS. Thank you all for reading, even if it's so long and I suck at this (news flash: I don't suck at this, whatever I said). Thank you thank you thank you. See you next time!! <3 xxx