I'm not sure I can even count how many cups of tea I've consumed this week. I've been spending time at tea shops after work to review for my admissions exam. Here it goes. It's like high school over again. I've taken them all in 2010, and then I took the SAT and the ACT in 2014, and now another exam. When will college end? Hahaha.

The truth is, I love learning. If I could be in the academia forever, I would. It's wonderful when you learn about new things, and challenge yourself academically with so many different minds from different generations. I don't think I can ever express my love enough for this matter. But degrees, though.

And as long as you can memorize them, that's good enough for me. -said no one.

Degrees have somehow become a basis of competition. They have become achievements and milestones, and rightfully so. Sleepless nights and pushing yourself to do more than you think you can deserve some recognition. But when it becomes a label of who gets accepted to what, and an economic detriment to disqualify people for jobs, it becomes a dangerous thing (especially in a society where education is a privilege and not a right). Even more so when we study not to learn, but to pass just so we can get a piece of paper in the hopes of snagging a job that earns us heaps money. It makes us mediocre.

And you know what, sometimes it just is. But loving is a choice. #hugot

Now, I'm a naturally competitive person. Sometimes I have this imaginary competition with whoever is the best in the field, even when there's not supposed to be a competition. I choose a person and set him/her as my certain "standard", and all I have to do is surpass whatever he/she has achieved so I can feel accomplished. But the truth is, if I didn't do better than what I've done before, or if I didn't give it my best no matter what, then I've already failed. And if I study mindlessly (I say that's actually a thing), without the love for learning, and without the curiosity and fascination that makes my heart beat faster, then I've defeated the purpose of my degree.

Yes, the question is a bit condescending. Lol.

At this point, I have drunk too much than my love for tea can handle. I'm actually procrastinating because I've spent days reviewing Math, something I'm not very passionate about (lol), and I have a feeling we'll be spending more time together in the coming months. And as I end this post -- it's also raining outside and classes are suspended as the Philippines is being gang-banged by three typhoons -- I just want to say kudos to the few who would rather brave the storms to go to school than stay at home with their contempt for education (of course, we all know how dangerous that is). Stay safe and revel in the rain, everyone!

xoxo,

Krish