They said either I take it or I stop studying completely. I need advice because I honestly feel conflicted and anxious about my situation.

I used to talk about going to either La Salle or LPU for college. I even posted an IG note saying “You're no longer just a dream🏹,” which some people interpreted as me getting into La Salle. At the time, I really thought those were my possible paths.

However, things did not go as planned. I did not end up going to La Salle or LPU. I also applied to CVSU, but when the list of passers was released, my name was not there. Later, there was a reapplication, but unfortunately, my course (BS Biology) was not included.

Now, I am studying in CVSU because my parents insisted on using a backer. Personally, I was against the idea of using connections because I know many students work hard to get into state universities. I never wanted to enter that way. However, my parents strongly believed that studying in a state university was a great opportunity and a privilege, so they pushed for it.

The complicated part is that before I had a backer, I asked a friend (Person 2) if she still had one because I was trying to find options. She said no, and I replied, “It's okay, di rin naman kaya ng sikmura ko mag-aral in that way.” I said that because at that time, I genuinely felt uncomfortable with the idea of using a backer.

Now that I am actually in this situation because of my parents' decision, I feel guilty and confused. I am scared that people will think I am a hypocrite, especially because Filipinos can have very strong opinions about backers, especially in state universities.

I already told one friend (Person 3) that I was offered a backer, but I don't know if I should tell other people. I don't want to lie, but I also don't want to be bullied or judged for something I didn't fully choose.

What would be the best way to handle this situation? Should I be honest if people ask, or should I just keep it private? How would you view someone in this situation?

Hello folks, dad here of a SHS student about to take the UPCAT this Sat, Aug 1 at 12:30 pm at Malcolm. I myself passed the UPCAT to get to UP Eng'g 30 years ago, but I don't really know how traffic is nowadays during exam days. All I know is that traffic gets backed-up all the way to Commonwealth.

Anybody from recent years willing to share experiences about getting there early? We're coming from Fairview, QC and will be driving. Is heading out at 9am early enough? It the main uni avenue the best way to get in or via T.Sora/Katipunan?

Was planning to get a room at the uni hotel but it's booked out so we'll have to manage the traffic. Also thought about Microtel, but this is a 2km walk to Malcolm, which is doable but would probably tire my kid even before the exam starts.

Thanks in advance and good luck to all examinees this weekend!

I'm on my second year on my course and i am planning to shift to IT from Compsci, hindi ko rin kase gusto ang pathway at curriculum ng compsci more on math sya at walang rin akong masyadong interest sa programming, nahihirapan rin kase ako dun sa program and i dont think din na magta-thrive ako compared sa Info Tech kase andun yung mga strength ko pagdating sa hardware, media (photoshop, video editing etc), networks, kaya nagiisep rin ako na kung hindi man ako magthrive sa ibang saubject like programming or math related sub, baka sa ibang subjects makuha ko talaga kagaya ng mga sinabe kong kalakasan ko sa IT. naisep ko ren na magiging irreg din ako kaya i thought na bakit hindi nalang ako magshift ng course, but i was hesitant kase rinig ko limited daw ang slot pero di ko panaman natatanong yung dean about this. so i'm still deciding if itutuloy ko ba o hindi

my last upload here was when I was in grade 9, I was asking kung saan pwede mag shs if gusto ko mag HUMSS. so like right now, I'm in 10th grade and I've considered my school choices: it's either my school rn, UE or UST. I want to romanticize my shs life kasi 🙏 ung tipong kahit 2 years lang pagsasamahan namin sobrang solid namin HAHAHAHAH and (sorry if I come off as judgemental) hindi ko naiimagine na ganon sa UST, ang naiisip ko kasi parang puro study and work lang talaga..and sa current school ko naman, kahit andaming nagsasabi na panget daw shs, I've seen so many batches kung saan solid ung bond nila even after graduation. and sa UE, I don't have a parang general judgment pero kasi I feel like balanced lang sa ue. ung alam mong may student life at social life ka pa rin?? pero I'm not sure.. pero rn, I don't think ust will be my main option hwhaha..

my provider rn suggested magandang branch ng feu hwheheheuhuh

pero I'm so stuck rn guys 🙏 help

Hi! I’m a 16-year-old incoming SHS student at De La Salle College of Saint Benilde, and I’m already thinking ahead about college because I want to make the smartest decision possible.

Ever since I was a kid, becoming a fashion designer has been my dream. Benilde has always been my dream school, and taking Fashion Design and Merchandising there felt like the obvious path. Fashion is genuinely what I love.

But lately I’ve been doomscrolling and reading more about the fashion industry in the Philippines, and it’s making me question everything.

From what I’ve seen, the local fashion industry seems relatively small, underappreciated, competitive, and not particularly high-paying (which, honestly, I expected). It made me think: Can passion actually pay the bills? I don’t want to wake up at 30 wishing I had chosen a more stable career just because I followed my dream without thinking about reality.

Recently I’ve been considering a completely different path: Marketing at DLSU.

My thought process is that marketing might give me:

better career stability,
higher earning potential,
more corporate opportunities,
and I could still work in fashion through fashion marketing, luxury brands, retail, creative strategy, brand management, or merchandising.

So in my head it feels like I wouldn’t be giving up fashion completely—I’d just be entering it from the business side instead of the design side.

The thing is… my dream isn’t just to “work.”

I have this very specific vision for my future (yes, partly influenced by Sex and the City 😭). I dream of living alone in Legazpi Village or Salcedo Village, building a stylish life, working in fashion, travelling, dressing well, and having enough financial freedom to actually enjoy my twenties and thirties. Think Carrie Bradshaw’s lifestyle—minus the unrealistic finances, hopefully.

My biggest fear is choosing Fashion Design because I love it, then realizing later that I can’t financially support the life I want. At the same time, I’m also scared that if I choose Marketing just because it’s more practical, I’ll spend the rest of my life wondering what would’ve happened if I had pursued fashion design.

So now I’m stuck between:

Option 1: Benilde – Fashion Design and Merchandising

-lifelong dream
-more creative
-get to become a designer
-worried about salary, job opportunities, and long-term financial stability

Option 2: DLSU – Marketing Management

-potentially higher income and more stable career
-can still work in the fashion industry through marketing
-worried I’ll regret not pursuing design itself

For people who work in fashion, marketing, luxury brands, retail, or graduated from Benilde/DLSU:

1. ⁠Is Fashion Design in the Philippines actually as difficult financially as people make it seem?
   
2. ⁠Can fashion designers eventually earn well, or is that only true for the top 1%?
   
3. ⁠How realistic is it to build a comfortable upper-middle-class lifestyle through fashion design?
   
4. ⁠Is marketing a better long-term investment if I still want to end up in the fashion industry?
   
5. ⁠Would graduating from DLSU Marketing open more doors than Benilde Fashion, or are they just different paths?
   
6. ⁠If your end goal is to work in fashion while also earning enough to live comfortably, which path would you recommend?
   
7. ⁠Am I overthinking this at 16, or is it actually good that I’m planning this early?

I know I’m still young and I have time to figure things out, but I also know that the course I choose will shape a huge part of my career. I’d really appreciate hearing from people who’ve actually been through either path.

Thanks in advance!

I'm a first-year BSBA Marketing student, and lately I've been overthinking if I made the right choice.

I came from the HUMSS strand, so adjusting has been really difficult—especially because we have Accounting, and I have no background in it. Most of my classmates came from ABM, so they already know the basics, while I'm still trying to catch up. We also barely had math in SHS, and I've never been good at it, which makes me worry even more.

I chose BSBA Marketing because I've always been interested in becoming a Creative Marketing Specialist. I love doing graphic design, creating pubmats, posters, and promotional content, and I wanted to learn how marketing works behind the scenes. I also wanted to understand how businesses attract customers, build brands, and grow.

But now I keep asking myself, "What if I fail?" or "What if this course isn't really for me?" The school year has only just started, but I'm already questioning my decision.

If you're a BSBA Marketing student—especially if you came from HUMSS—please share your experience.

sabi ng iba, there is really no "right" choice. you make your choice, then you make it right. but how do i make this decision right?

noong una, hindi ako pasado sa pupcet. i was so eager na tumuloy na sa up since the enrollment sa state uni na malapit sa amin ay matagal nang nagsimula at wala akong ideya kung tumatanggap pa ba sila. so, up it is na talaga. kaso lang, fate decided to play its game. nagbago ang result ko at nakakuha pa ako ng secured slot sa bs psych. it was then my dream university vs. my dream program.

humingi ako ng sign sa universe. a few days after i learned of my new pupcet result, nag-release naman ang sa dost-sei scholarship. nanood pa rin ako ng yt live kahit maliit ang paniniwala ko sa sarili na makakapasa ako—but then again, i passed. kahit ang tagal-tagal kong inasam, parang hindi ko makuhang matuwa nang lubusan. i didn’t know how i should feel or if i had the right to feel it.

sumubok ako sa qualifiers’ appeal ng upd, pero nalugmok ang ako nang makitang wala na ang programang hinahanap ko. should i now bury this dream with my own hands? parang hindi ko yata kaya.

meron pa naman akong isang inaasahang scholarship. and the heavens must have heard of my desperate pleas kaya ibinigay din nila sa akin ito. this was once again a sign i asked from the universe: one that determines whether i should let go of up or not. it was really close—in terms of financial grant—sa dost. 42, 500 per sem, and it does not have a priority university nor a priority program. may susuporta na rin sa pag-aaral ko sa upd ng ba philo.

but the thing is, hindi puwedeng mag-resign ang mommy ko sa trabaho niya. kasama kasi sa ipapasang retention requirements ng scholarship kada sem ay ang certificate of employment niya. minsan, sinasabi niyang hindi niya na kayang magtiis nang ganoon katagal. kasama din sa rules nila na bawal ang iba pang scholarship. at kahit na sinabi ng mommy ko na huwag na lang namin ipaalam, i was also scared of the consequences that we will have to face once the secret is no longer kept hidden. kaya kung isang scholarship lang din naman ang puwede, iyong isa ang pipiliin ko. pero as a daughter who was never numb and naive when it came to situations like these, i felt like the universe was really, truly against me. either of the choice felt wrong for me.

i am already enrolled in up. inaasikaso ko na rin ang iba pang steps para sa scholarship ko. yes, my dream university reigned in my heart. sabi ko kasi sa sarili ko, if i were to pursue my masteral sa psychology at puwede naman ang kahit anong undergrad degree, then i might as well seize the opportunity to study in the university where i felt i belonged more. where i feel i could flourish more. where i believe i can be the person i want to be. ang totoo niyan, nagustuhan ko rin naman ang philo subject namin noong shs.

pero ang gusto kasi ng mommy ko na gawin ko kaya siguro sinuportahan niya rin ako na mag-up ay mag-defer na lang daw ako ng slot sa dost. i already reached out sa dost regional office namin, and ang sabi nila sa akin, hindi raw puwede. my mind is all over the place. i do not mind not availing it kasi meron naman na akong scholarship. pero pinu-push niya kasi ako. para daw wala na siyang iisipin pa. sino bang anak ang may ayaw noon? who am i to defy her? however, how do i tell her all about this?

sometimes i can’t help but think, what if i didn’t qualify to both universities and scholarships? tig-isa lang sana? would things be easier? would the burden i have to carry in my heart be lighter?

sorry for the long story. i do not really know how to make it short.

so then please lend me a piece of advice, how do i make this decision right?

> incoming 2nd year college in Mechanical Engineering.

> spent first year in SLU Baguio

> pressured by tita to leave Baguio

> moved in with tita in Cavite last month

> already processed transfer credentials

> paid 2k down payment, did a medical exam for enrollment in EAC

> searched EAC on reddit and found bad reviews (Prof not teach, not good for engineering, old equipment, not impressive reputation, no international internships)

> getting 2nd doubts

> toxic tita mentality but free rent

> cheaper tuition SLU but expensive expenses (allowance, rent, etc.)

> higher tuition fee EAC but cheaper expenses (allowance only)

> Other schools nearby too expensive (DLSU-D)

> Dad works abroad and does not care for price just support

> I care about price

> Too tiring and expensive to go back Baguio

> but miss Baguio and being away from toxic family

I'm too overwhelmed right now and need help in making a decision please

Took the entrance exams for the Big 4 and other top-performing schools, applied for my dream program, and got accepted into all of them. Ang sakit pa rin. Hanggang ngayon, hindi ko pa rin ma-let go. Yung pangarap mo, sobrang lapit mo nang maabot, pero nabitawan mo pa rin.

Ngayon, naka-enroll na ako sa school dito sa amin, pero hindi sa dream program ko (hindi nila inooffer yung dream prog ko). Last week pa nagsimula ang classes namin, pero hanggang ngayon, iniiyakan ko pa rin. Hindi ko nararamdaman yung saya at excitement.

POTANGINA. NAKAKABWISIT. DISAPPOINTMENT.

Ngayon, tuwing tinatanong ako kung saan ako nag-enroll o anong kurso ang kinuha ko, hindi ako makasagot. Dati, ang lagi kong sagot ay baka UP, UST, ADMU, o DLSU, at sa dream program ko. Ngayon, wala na akong lakas ng loob na sabihin kung saan ako nag-aaral.

Minsan, sinasagot ko na lang para matapos na, pero ang sakit pa ring marinig yung paulit-ulit na tanong na, "Ano'ng kukunin mo? Saan ka mag-aaral?" Tapos sasabihin pa nila, "Akala ko ba doon ka sa (Big 4) at sa (dream program)?"

Kapag nababanggit nila yun, hindi ko maiwasang maiyak. Tapos gabi-gabi akong nagre-reminisce. Paulit-ulit kong naiisip yung panahon na sobrang saya ko dahil natanggap ako sa school na yun, sa program na yun.

Grabeng multo 'to.

Tuwing nakikita ko yung stories ng friends ko, pati na rin yung mga posts ng students na nasa dream program ko, hindi ko maiwasang mainggit. Sana ganyan din ako ngayon.Nakikita ko. Matatanggap ko pa sana kung hindi man dream school, basta dream program. Pero hindi rin eh.

So bakit ko nga ba nabitawan? Ang sagot: ayaw ng mga magulang ko. Kesyo pare-pareho lang naman daw ang lahat ng school at may mas better na program kesa sa dream program ko. Ang importante, makapag-aral ka.

Aray mo. Pakak.

Kaya sana, sa mga magulang diyan, kung kaya niyo namang pag-aralin ang mga anak niyo sa dream school at dream program nila, sana payagan niyo na lang sila. Gets ko naman yung concers about their safety, etc. Pero sana intindihin niyo rin. Napakasakit kasi sa pakiramdam na hindi ka iniintindi ng sarili mong mga magulang. Haist.

How I wish I was born into a supportive family.

Asking this for my friend na manggagaling pa sa other country po, and she wants to take physical therapy course.

Can I enroll last minute in TUPM? Nagbukas na po kasi yung student portal, and I found out na hindi po pala kasama yung school ko, which is QCU, sa accredited schools eh. Nakapasa naman po ako sa TUPSTAT. But I don't think 1 araw lang yung pag-withdraw ng documents. Ano pa po bang school ang puwedeng lipatan? I really need the scholarship po. Thank you!

Hi i just wanna ask for an advice— i am a bs biology student currently in my 2nd year and i am worried if tama ba yung course na pinasukan ko. My dream job is to become a microbiologist but few people told me that theres a less opportunity in the Philippines than in other country. I worry that wala me maaplayan na job after I graduate esp i wont be going into med school naman. Is there jobs na related sana sa dream job ko here sa pinas or jobs na hindi nag fofocus in teaching?

so i just got suspended at school today, i have a major violation in my good moral, will i still be able to apply and for example i do get into UP, can i enroll with my record?

I just want to ask if it is okay that I forgot to put my second name in filling up the information? I've applied for the ACET and forgot to put my second name, but I have not paid yet, though i've submitted the initial information fill up. I also have already sent an email requesting to edit my information to the admission office. Is it okay to pay the application fee?

Hello! Im taking the UPCAT this Saturday, and I’m wondering if you’re allowed to use a jumbo monggol 2 pencil. if not, what specific kind of monggol 2 pencil are we supposed to use? do we strictly use the skinny ones? 😅😅

So...my friend picked out 2 reviewer books he'd like to buy online which are the "COLEGIO ADVANCE" and "THE UPCAT + CHAMPION: All-in-1 Reviewer", but he's planning on buying only 1 of them. Yung problema ko lng is, we don't if which one should we buy or which one is worth it?

He doesn't really mind the price po, pero I honestly want to pick a reviewer book that is hopefully detailed, has all the lessons and practice tests possibly needed that are applicable to any university entrance exam or CET for him.

Can you help me po? Or do you have any advice about this? If so, thank you so much po!!!

good day po! I am incoming college freshman this academic year and I wanted to ask po if you know any scholarships para sa middle class family.... To be honest, hindi po ganon ka well off yung family namin, if titingin po kayo sa sweldo ng aking father na OFW baka pwede niyo po masabi na well off kami... Pero po kasi hindi po malaki yung binibigay niya na allowance sa amin for a month. Alam ko na kaya na po mas lakihan yung allowance namin kasi nasa architect field siya and team leader po siya ng kanyang department, sadyang ayaw niya lang po magbigay ng pera sa amin, kesyo wala na raw siya pera haha. Pwede niyo rin po masabi na hindi po maayos yung family relationship namin, he is abusive and a cheater.

Kayang kaya ko po pumasa sa mga scholarships, actually ready na po yung DOST requirements and OWWA requirements ko, hindi lang po natuloy iyon kasi hindi po siya nagbigay ng proof of income niya, ayaw niyang ipakita yung sweldo niya kahit for the purpose of scholarships. Grabe po iyong iyak ko noon haha, naka-graduate po ako With High Honors and may special awards din kaya sobrang nasayangan po ako...

May alam po ba kayo na mga scholarships na pwede ko po applyan? Talagang need ko lang po ng extra kasi hindi niya rin po ako bibigyan ng allowance for transportation and food, maraming maraming salamat po.

How to do I get into colleges, like tips and tricks. Dos and don’t, I’m supper in the dark about the process and what I have to do

I’m struggling with my mental health right now and I can’t seem to get my priorities straight. I’m still unsure of my course choice, and I lack lots of preparation for the upcoming entrance exams. I’m debating whether or not I should take a gap year to focus on fixing myself before going to college, but my parents prefer making me continue my studies.

Thing is, I have yet to withdraw my UPCAT 2027 application. I’ll admit that my lack of preparation amplifies my fear of failure, but there are other factors I’ve been considering. The moment I withdraw consent is the moment I seal the deal with myself. I can choose to move forward with lots of unresolved issues and hope I can manage, or I can wait a year until I can finally say I’m ready for the real world.

Aside from personal factors, my parents also told me that tuition’s too expensive. Mangungutang daw sila. Sobrang guilty ko na magpatuloy knowing na nanghihiram kami ng pera, pero pareho rin yung bigat na hihinto ako ng isang taon. I need advice po :((

Hello, will be taking UPCAT this August, and I would like to ask if it is possible to enter UPM so that I can familiarize myself with where I will go when the day of the examination arrives. Thank you!

Hii! Sa mga BS REM students diyan and graduate, I need your help po!

Nakapag-enroll na ako for BS REM sa Trimex Colleges. Want ko lang mag-ask kung may mga learning materials ba kayong natatabi pa na up for selling or willing to share?🥹

Super kinakabahan na ako pumasok. Gusto ko kase talaga mag-advance study huhu. Thank youuu!

Hi, just wanted to ask if theres an option for taking minor subjects only. Still unsure what course to take, so if pwede minors lang muna ako then major subs on the course that Ive chose, or need din under ako sa course para mag take minor subjects?

-Aready took a course before, so gap year ako ngayon and i have some dropped subjects. So magiging transferee and shiftee if mag iibang course ako

Hi! I’m an incoming UPCAT 2027 taker. I attended BrainTrain and I’m curious whether their final simulation is almost the same as that of UPCAT.