Five: there's more to life than becoming a doctor or a lawyer

Show of hands. Who among you spent their early teenage years trying to blend in with the crack on the floor, cursing high school into eternal damnation? I certainly did. High school was not the best years of my life and in fact everything I did in high school was a mockery of my existence.

Not to play the blame game but, high school made me hate myself. According to their narrow-minded standards, I wasn't good enough. Schools have this tendency to measure our worth through math and science. Like painting or dancing, math and science requires a little talent to "perfect"--a talent I did not possess. Needless to say, I blamed myself for not being able to excel in these subjects. I grew up thinking that I was stupid.

I found a picture on 9GAG that can best explain the reason for my hatred for high school:

My parents were no help either. I'm sure a lot of us have parents who disapprove of us taking--er, unconventional courses which include: photography, fashion design, interior design, production design, animation and so on. They always hoped that somewhere inside of us was a little doctor or lawyer waiting to come out. 

But not all of us can be doctors and lawyers and businessmen. I can't. So, I didn't. I couldn't watch myself live in denial, forcing myself to do something I know I was not meant to do. Instead I chose to be happy.

HOW TO BE HAPPY (at least as far as college goes)

This is based on my personal experience when I first entered college a year ago. They may not necessarily hold true for you. Though I hope it helps.

Go to college

College: ideas, life and freedom. There you can think about anything and let your mind work the way you want it to and not how society dictates it to. Some people think that it may be a waste of time. Why wait in another educational institution before you can start your life? What most people don't understand about college, me included, is that college isn't all about graduating and getting a job. It helps you find yourself. Surrounded by hundreds of other people of different races, religions, point of views, passions--you unconsciously find your own passions, your own goals. College gives you an opportunity to find what you really want. But when you do go to college please do

Choose wisely

Don't go to college for their name or for their prestige. Go to a college because they can offer you the most--because they can feed whatever passion you pursue in life. In the end you'll find yourself enjoying more than you thought you would. I myself am enrolled in a school known for being the school for the "drop-outs who are rich enough to pay for the tuition fee" Of course, none of that is true just like how every label given to you in high school was not true. I guess to understand something, you really must experience them. I have never met more down-to-earth people--real people who don't care about how they dress; who let their actions and talent speak their worth; who see life more than the numbers and the grades on your papers. In short, choose a college that see your worth through what you can do and not with what you can't do.

Participate!

Part of my suffering in high school happened because I allowed myself to overlooked. Join something. Do something in your spare time whether a sport or an organization. Be seen. Be heard. I know its hard to let go of time spent with friends for fun parties and beds for oversleeping but the feeling of accomplishment gives you a long term happiness: your accomplishments will be yours forever. This can never compare to the momentary relief found in alcohol and loud music.

Meet new people

Being in college is great because you get to meet greater people. And when you do: be open to meet them! The beauty of a human individual is that everyone can so be different that each person is like a new adventure. Keep an open mind when meeting new friends and you'll be rewarded with a life full of characters.

Be extraordinary

I am in love with our school motto--if that's what you call it and I think its a idea worth living by. Doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. People seem to forget that being extraordinary does not mean climbing Mt. Everest or building a rocket ship and flying to the moon. Being extraordinary can come from the most ordinary of places. It can be as simple as taking a photo or sketching a face--it doesn't matter what you do, but how you do it. 

Three: why do I have to "get well soon" when I'm just going to get sick again

I know I said I wouldn't talk about me and the pettiness of my life but it becomes extremely frustrating when you feel like every kind of virus out there is trying to attack you.

This has nothing to do with my colds. This was during my 7 day confinement  when I had measles (which were the worst  by the way). My measles happened only a week before my colds. Which explains my frustration.

I have colds, coughs and an imminent fever. My fever actually hit me last night reducing me to a shriveling prune. Needless to say I have to start taking better care of myself if I want to survive the rest of the year with this unpredictable and gloomy weather.

How not to get sick or at least lessen what you have to deal with according to me and possibly some people on Google: 

1.) Drink vitamin C.

This is something my mother would say--and she does. Almost every chance she gets. I don't really believe in vitamins so I never really take them (I don't believe them because I almost always forget to take them) which is fine if your days are filled with sleep and at least three square meals. But if not, take them. Drink four for all I care. The most they can do, other than keep you healthy, is turn your pee into a darkly shaded citrus drink. And speaking of drinks...

2.) Drink water

I don't care much for water because they don't taste like anything ("you don't say" moment) but it has been pretty reliable so far. They did once think that water was this magical substance that can cure the world--which it partly can. Water can:

Clear your skin.

Rehydrate you.

Give you a momentary feeling of fullness (If you're desperate, hungry and have very little money: invest in a bottle of water. It will buy you some time before the monster in your stomach takes over.)

Turn your urine really clear (Which is the ideal color of urine--or so I'm told)

3.) Eat.

When people get sick they turn into annoying, picky little eaters. It's as if nothing is good enough for them to eat even if it were made out of gold. One thing I learned about being sick all the time is to act like you're not sick. The sooner you get over your sickness the faster it will leave you. So eat even if you don't have the stomach for it. Eventually your sickness will get sick of you. I can't believe I just used that pun. Shame on me.

4.) Sleep.

Sleep has always been an important factor in not getting sick/getting better. I think one of the main reasons why my body can't seem to fight back these petty colds is because it doesn't have the strength due to my lack of sleep. Just last Tuesday I was up all night studying for my midterms. I finished reading (and memorizing) 36 pages worth of handouts. I slept at three and woke up at seven so I could go to school early and study some more only to find out that the test was only about the last five pages. Other than time well-wasted on not sleeping I also managed to stress myself out which brings me to...

5.) Get out. 

Take the time to take yourself out. This one I am trying to work on. I've done nothing but go to school and fulfill my duties as a features writer in my school's newspaper. Sometimes my work reaches till the Saturdays which doesn't leave me enough time to do anything for myself before Monday comes again. Before I thought stress was just an emotional or psychological thing but having too much of it eventually affects your body. In fact, when I went to the E.R. the day my measles erupted, the diagnosis for me was stress. I got measles because of stress? I just took her word for it. At least it gained me some pity points from my mom and she treated me like a princess for an entire week.

I'm not really expecting anyone to read this because this information is not exactly a state secret. It's called common sense--something that I apparently forgot how to use. Hopefully tomorrow (though I doubt it), I will be well enough by the time I get home. I can't let my parents see me sick again. I'm not in the mood for their rhetorical questions: "Do you have colds (cause I see you wiping you nose)?", "Do you have coughs (cause I can hear you)?", "Are you sick?"