Once There Was An Expedition - Landfall

All the universe conspires to help a person achieve his personal dreams.

- Paolo Coehlo, The Alchemist

His fleet sailed its way to the high seas according to the boy's plan

- Pulsar, Once There Was An Expedition - Invasion Force

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Sembreak begins and in my thoughts, all I've believed in is that my masteral days are over. I wasn't sad of its conclusion for I know, I gave them a very good fight during the finals. Besides, after weeks of conditioning myself of the possible failure at school and the relative ease of focusing only at work offers, convinced me that perhaps three months is enough experience in the realm of academics. My future in Creative Writing and its possible applications remain uncertain so probably, if I wouldn't make it to the cut-off, someone must be telling me that my sole existence in that university is to just make me feel how it belongs there.

But it was a good fight really. I felt my spirit in everything that I've done - especially in the essays that I have written. After weeks of preparing for Dr. Aureus' notorious final exams, it turns out that the questions were far easier than we have expected. With luck, I might be able to pass his finals with a relatively higher grade.

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In the three months that I stayed in the university, I zealously followed my earlier philosophy that says, "exploit what you have paid for." To boost my chances of getting into the cut-off, I ensured that I would get a perfect attendance in both my subjects. There were times I would defy a professor's announcement of no-classes and still go to the classroom just to sign up in the attendance sheet prepared by my classmates who have already arrived before the announcement has been made.

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Since school life doesn't revolve in the classrooms alone, I tried to participate in every school activity the professor mentioned in class. I went to a Latin Choir presentation alone with the encouragement and blessings of my Literary Criticism professor. I also went to a series of poetry reading organized by the CAL students in hopes of becoming acquainted with the other writers in the department.

I even bought a professor's poetry collection in secret in order to familiarize myself with her writing style.

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No wonder, some of my classmates have this impression that I am a GC student. I know, back in college, my tropa and I would laugh at grade conscious classmates and their desperate attempt to remain on top of the class. But times have changed. I was forced to become a GC, not only to survive but to make the most out of the 3K I have paid for my tuition fee. You see, when you spend your own money for such an endeavor, you try to make sure nothing is wasted. Parents should do the same thing to their children so that those kids would learn the value of money.

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I remembered writing in one of my entries that what makes me sad about the end of the semester is that I am only beginning to realize that I had a great time in school at the very end of the term. As far as I know, I only started reaching out to most of my classmates in one class after they gave my Riles essay a good feedback. On the other subject, I only reached out to the rest of the class when my best buddy in that subject left for the States.

Things came so fast, and before I knew it, everything was over. To leave a lasting remark to my professors, I kept my personal declaration and gave them a thank-you card for a great semester being with them. I don't know how they felt about it, all I wanted is for them to know that I appreciated their efforts and I've learned from them.

Days will pass and the sembreak would be finally over. I would not mind living the rest of the year like I used to be, before I had been given this opportunity to take the masters. But it appears that fate has other plans for me.

With a combination of a kind and humble attitude, impressive academic performance and an industrious spirit that I showed while gathering information for my essays, not only did they allowed me to make it to the cut-off, the professors gave me a grade at par with what I used to recieve back at UST.

Who would have thought a Tiger can match up with a Marooner.

In the end, I recieved a 1.5 grade in my Creative Non-Fiction and a 2.0 grade in my Literary Criticism. The key for graduate school has been secured.

Next semester, I will be entering the master's proper.