As a student in a university, midterms week can be a stressful and hectic time. The atmosphere is filled with tension and anxiety as everyone prepares for their exams. Everywhere you look, students are frantically studying, reviewing their notes, and trying to cram as much information into their heads as possible.
In the library, tables are packed with students, their textbooks and laptops spread out in front of them. Some students are working in groups, bouncing ideas off each other and trying to make sense of difficult concepts. Others sit alone, intently focused on their own studies, headphones in their ears to block out the noise around them.
The campus is also filled with a sense of urgency as students rush from one class to the next, carrying their backpacks filled with textbooks and notes. You can see the worry written on their faces as they mentally prepare for the exams that lie ahead.
The stress is palpable, and everyone is feeling it. You can see students pacing back and forth in the hallway, muttering formulas and definitions to themselves. The coffee machines are working overtime as students try to keep themselves alert and focused.
Despite the high level of stress and anxiety, there is also a sense of determination and camaraderie among the students. You can see classmates encouraging each other and studying together, even in the midst of their own struggles.
"Bakit naman pinagsabay ang MMW at ang UTS? Sana mabilaukan gumawa ng schedule ng exam!" Paris ranted while we eat our snack in the canteen of the university.
"Professor Villegas posted the full instruction on MS Teams," I told France, pertaining the midterm plates we need to do in our Design 1. Kaagad namang binuksan ni France ang phone niya para silipin.
"Mabuti naman at hanggang next week ang deadline," maluwag ang hiningang saad niya.
Maya-maya ay biglang may tumabi sa akin. When I look who it is, it's Ivy with her pouting lips like a duck. "Ayoko na talaga sa math," reklamo nito.
Paris found a person who she can rant freely to when Ivy arrived. Hindi naman ako nagrereklamo sa examination na binigay nila, ang problema lang ay dapat hindi nila pinagsabay ang parehas mahirap na subject.
"Talaga, pre?"
"Oo, gago!"
"Ano 'yun?"
"May naghahalikan daw no'ng Acquaintance Party sa washroom ng mga babae."
My attention was arrested by the words from the other group, not far from our table. They seemed to be speaking in slow motion, each word piercing through the air like an arrow. My fork hung suspended in mid-air, forgotten. The flavors of the food in my mouth became bland, unnoticeable. Time seemed to stand still, as though the world was holding its breath, waiting to see what would happen next. And then, I stopped chewing.
"Hala?"
"Oo, pre! At parehas daw babae!"
My head spun in their direction, as though guided by an invisible hand. My brows knitted with each other, a physical manifestation of the intense concentration that I was bringing to bear. My mind was a whirl of thoughts, as I tried to make sense of the words that were being spoken.
"Kanino mo naman narinig 'yan?"
Tinuro nito ang paparating na bulto ng lalaki. It was Tim.
Naiiling kong naikot ang mata at muling ibinalik ang atensiyon sa pagkain.
"Pre, totoo ba 'yong tsismis?"
"Tototo 'yon, mukha ba akong nagsisinungaling?" Tim said, I can taste the disgust on his voice.
BINABASA MO ANG
Break Fresh Ground
RomanceScarlett and Artemis are two women from vastly different worlds. Scarlett, born into wealth and privilege, has always had everything she's ever wanted handed to her on a silver platter. She lives in the fast-paced city, surrounded by skyscrapers and...
