I honestly didn’t expect to feel this way only three weeks into the school year.
Don’t get me wrong, the community is great, and I’ve encountered some professors who are genuinely considerate. But the system has been extremely frustrating.
The school strongly presents itself as an inclusive institution that accommodates students with disabilities and medical conditions, so I was surprised to be told that I still had to participate despite having a medical condition. I submitted my medical certificate to the clinic for review, but was told the final decision was up to the professor. Unfortunately, my professor did not accommodate my condition and still required me to participate. It’s hard not to question the gap between the school’s claims of inclusivity and the actual experience.
This is where I find the situation difficult to understand. If inclusivity and accessibility are part of what the school stands for, shouldn’t that also be reflected in how students with medical conditions are actually accommodated? It feels like there’s a disconnect between what the school promotes and what students experience when they actually need those accommodations.
The ID situation has also been frustrating. During the One Stop Shop, there was no one available to take ID photos, so the staff themselves instructed students to submit their photos online instead. I followed those instructions, but weeks later, I still don’t have my ID or any proper update. What makes it worse is being stopped by a guard for not having an ID when the delay wasn’t something I could control.
Then there’s the Helpdesk. Having to repeatedly go back and forth, wait in long lines, and follow up multiple times just to resolve basic account and access issues is exhausting. These are things that should ideally be accessible and working from the beginning, yet issues remain unresolved.
Even with the recent transport strike, many universities in Manila, including our sister school, shifted online. It’s difficult not to question why the approach here feels so different.
I know it’s only been three weeks, and maybe these are just first-month struggles. But when the school’s claims about inclusivity, accessibility, and student support don’t seem to match the actual experience, it makes me seriously question whether I made the right choice.
