I'm Trading Some Aliens, Interested?

As a college student, there would be loads of times that you spend the whole night typing away like there’s no tomorrow for a certain reports and projects. If you are like me, whose idea of a bedroom is limited to sleeping, then you may have spent most of your college nights in 24-hour cafes.

Particularly tonight, I’m in Dunkin Donuts (more of circumstance rather than choice) making a report for Physics Class titled, “Life in the Universe: Is There Life Beyond Our Solar System?” Then it hit me.

My friends and most of once-college students my age are now working their butts off to help pay their family’s or their own day-to-day spendings, not to mention the bisyo of choice. Then, here I am, still a college student and writing a report about what's-that-father? aliens. My day-to-day problems include (1) thrice a week nosebleed sessions in Economics (2) bridging my allowance from one week to the next (3) having classes that makes you feel like you’re in Grade 1 all over again not the mention the perky classmates whose hands shot up the moment the teacher says, “Ano sa Filipino ang ‘Above all things, smile. It pays.” To which I replied, "Higit sa lahat, ngumiti ka. Nagbabayad ito."

So I sent a rant text to all my working friends about how stupid I feel being in college and receiving allowance instead of salary.

One friend texted me back, “Don’t worry you’ll get there soon. By March, you’ll be embracing the world of unemployment and come June or July, I’ll be welcoming you to the corporate world.”

How I wish I could just sleep until March and wake up on graduation day—toga ready
and a diploma waiting. Better yet, why don’t I embrace unemployment now so by December I’ll have my first paycheck. Would I get 13-month pay by then?

P.S. Before posting this, I met my elementary classmate who now teaches in Silliman. Give me a break. Some of my lowerclass friends call him Sir! And they say, life rubs it in.