A New Experience

Even before the first day of class, I had already collected a bunch of anxiety. I really didn’t know what to expect because it would be an entirely new experience from what I live through back in the Philippines. With only 2 hours of sleep, I wasn’t sure at all if I would be able to make it through the day without dozing off! When we arrived at the campus, we were greeted by an ensemble of students singing the DLSU’s Alma Mater hymn. I was surprised because they (the students and teachers) put up so much effort to welcome us and make us feel right at home. I noticed that the students wore different uniforms. One group of students wore this light teal industrial uniform (which I later knew to be Mechanical Engineering students), while the others wore casual clothing. Several students presented to us an introduction to the campus, and later assigned us to our respective fields. I was put into the Mechanical Engineering (ME) along with four other classmates. I couldn’t help but notice that all the students were orderly and disciplined, and even made the opening program flow smoothly, which made complications to a minimum.

The school was unexpectedly large! It had numerous buildings with each having its own purpose, several tennis courts, dormitories for students, and a baseball field. Along with my newfound friend, Daisuke (who was surprisingly only 16, and attending his 2nd year of college), I was guided to an industrial workshop with several machinery inside. This turned out to be the first class of the ME field. I observed that the class was split into groups where some were put into a lecture class, while some were doing hands-on activities. Even at a younger age than I am (I’m 18), students are already made to be knowledgeable of the machinery and activities that are beneficial to their field such as welding and casting. We were also observing this one group of students who were made to disassemble and reassemble a small ATV, which they would later on test drive. It was exciting to watch because they were all doing it so efficiently because of effective communication.

At the end of the class, we were given a chance to befriend some of the students. We exchanged laughter, knowledge about each other’s country, and common likes and dislikes! They were really welcoming and friendly. After this, all the anxiety had gone away because I knew that the upcoming days would be filled with camaraderie!

This new experience will always be dear to me and now I’m excited for tomorrow!