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Making the Most Out of My Last Semester in UP Diliman
- UP JMA Craft
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
Words by: Hanz Clemente and Kia Galvez
Art by: Hanz Clemente and Kia Galvez
For some of you, these next few months mark the beginning of ending an incredibly worthwhile journey as a UP student. Your time here has been a series of highs and lows, and there are times where you feel like they would last forever. However, little did you know that all these years would pass by you so fast. Despite the excitement of finally getting to wear your sablay, walking on stage with your loved ones to get your diploma, and finally seeing sunflowers along University Avenue celebrating you, you still can’t help but wonder: Am I truly ready to leave all of this behind?
This last semester can serve as a significant chapter of your life to process these bittersweet goodbyes—only if you know how to spend these precious months wisely. Feeling senti yet? Here are some things you can do to make the most out of your last semester in UP Diliman.
1) Document EVERYTHING
Film random snippets of your day! Whether it’s waiting in line for your pancit canton from the AS kiosks or watching the sunset from your college building—one day, these mundane moments will mean everything. Record the walks to class that feel too long now but will feel too short in hindsight, and the quiet study sessions that inevitably turn into yapping, chikahan, and unexpected deep conversations. Take videos of the places you frequent without thinking—the shortcut behind CAL, the long stairs of Palma Hall, the exact spot where you always sit at the Reading Hall. Record even the hard days: the frustration over thesis revisions, the anxiety during recitations, the exhaustion after finals week. Soon, when life moves on too fast, you’ll press replay on these clips and remember that before you became a graduate, you became a student first—wandering, learning, and making a home out of UP.
2) Check Off Your Bucket Lists
Go on that iconic UPD food trip that you and your friends always talk about planning, or try the college cafeterias that you haven’t been to yet. Ride the ikot to places you haven’t seen on campus, and have picnics at all the picturesque spots. Immerse yourself in the arts and culture that the UP community has to offer; there are so many museums, exhibits, libraries, and theaters to explore just around the corner. Attend UP Fair, Lantern Parade, organized fun runs, or UAAP games with someone you really like, and live out that main character storyline while you’re still here! Take that picture with Oble—you're graduating naman, might as well do it! Be brave! Make a post on the UPD Freedom Wall. Perform for your prerog classes. Now is the time to try all of the things that you never got around to doing before. Cross off these quintessential UPD experiences and live them fully and with intention— there’s no better time than the present!
3) Don't be Ashamed to Reminisce!
There’s nothing wrong with looking back at the past and remembering how much fun those times were. Visit your first classroom, chat up a conversation with a professor from your Freshie year, and think about how much you've changed since then. Relive fun memories by rewatching old videos or scrolling through old group chats. Recreate old pictures with friends and spend time at your old hangout spots. As cheesy as it sounds, embracing your past is the best way to be excited for your future!
4) Engage with your Community
It takes a community to build a UP student—from the security guards who greet you every morning to the Ate in ArkiVickie who already knows your go-to order. As an Iskolar ng Bayan, you don’t just pass through this university—you become part of a larger whole, and that means showing up for the people who have shaped your journey, whether through simple acts of kindness or by standing with them in their struggles. Listen to the conversations about pressing university issues; because the very people who make up UP are also the ones who need its protection the most. Beyond this, engagement means immersing yourself in the communities closest to you—especially through your org’s initiatives, giving you the opportunity to turn advocacy into action and be part of something bigger than yourself. Being in UP might be one of the rare times you’ll be surrounded by so much passion and purpose, so take part, give back, and let the community shape you!
5) Take it All In
Hold off on adulthood just a little longer. There’s no rush to have everything figured out the moment you step out of UP, so stay present and savor the time you have left. Try taking things slow—walk the Academic Oval without a destination, sit by the football field just to admire the peacefulness, or stay a little longer at your org tambayan, because these are the moments that will slip away the fastest. At the same time, embrace those sponty invitations, because some of the best memories aren’t planned—they happen in between deadlines, in the middle of nowhere, and with the most random people. Most importantly, look back at everything you’ve accomplished—the exams you thought you’d fail but didn’t, the org projects that kept you up all night, the friendships that shaped your college years—and remind yourself that you’ve done enough, and you should be proud. UP Diliman will always be here, but your version of UP life—the faces, the routines, the memories—won’t. So take it all in, savor the slow days, and let yourself enjoy the now before everything changes.
The ideal UP life was never about having the perfect journey—because there is no perfect journey. It was more about making the most out of every choice, every setback, and every memory along the way. And it’s through these experiences that your own journey takes shape, making it all the more meaningful!
As college draws to a close and the anxiety of post-grad life looms, there’s still so much left to make the most of before the next chapter begins. So, as you power through the final stretch of your last semester, ask yourself: How can I make these last few months in UP truly my own?
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