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College Life
December 18, 2024
As this is my first blog entry, I think it would be nice to share some of my background experiences before I started my journey at the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU). I am a transfer student from another university, wherein I took a Bachelor of Multimedia Arts program, quite similar to what I am taking now. Multimedia Arts, particularly Film and Animation, is my dream career and it has been my deeply desired goal and ambition since I found it, just recently during the pandemic. This dream of mine and taking a Multimedia Arts program is not easy in terms of skill—since I discovered it quite late in my life—and also in terms of financials, since the equipment and the fees in schools that offer it is quite expensive. It has not been easy for me. But my dream is so clear to me that I could not let go of it. That is why I am really fortunate to have found the Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies (BAMS) program being offered here at UPOU.
UPOU Journey
Challenges
Starting my journey at UPOU took some adjustments. Although distance learning is not a completely new experience for me, it is not really what I had imagined for my college life. I had to learn to manage my time effectively and allot quite plenty of time in reading. I would say that being a student of UPOU would really help and teach you to have a lot of discipline. The biggest challenge for me, though, is the discussion forums. I am a really reserved, introverted person in real life, much less virtually. I find it difficult to share my thoughts with others, so the forums are not that comfortable for me.
Collaborations
On the other hand, even with that issue for me with the discussion forums, I quite enjoyed the interactions I had with my schoolmates, especially when we had group activities and projects together on other courses. I like how dedicated everyone is to their work and studies, especially how they want to really deliver outputs that are of high quality. Everyone knows their roles and parts, and are responsible enough to have them done effectively with their own initiatives. Plus, they are also very collaborative and work well together with a group. Certainly, I find this and their hard work and skills to be impressive.
Experience
As for my personal experiences, I am enjoying my journey with UPOU so far, seeing that it aligns more with my routine, ambitions, and study preferences. I really like how the modules and activities are interactive and engaging while ensuring that they align with the topics and discussions, making it a whole lot easier for me to digest the lessons. I had so much fun with the Tonematrix Composition activity. Moreover, I particularly like and appreciate how the FICs are consistent in keeping in touch with the students and make sure to be responsive to their concerns. Certainly, they have provided us with such great guidance throughout the term.
I have had the time to browse through some of my coursemates’ ePortfolios, and they are remarkable. Everyone has their own style and character that I think has been reflected in each of their portfolios. The craftsmanship of their works is amazing. It is so wonderful to browse through their portfolios and find various skilled talents in different fields of work---photography, graphic design, and video editing, among others. I see how some of them have been really sharing their experiences on their blogs, some even more transparent, and I find that to be really admirable. They are really amazing, and I think that they are very skilled, creative, and talented with their own distinct strengths.
Anticipations
Besides the challenges I am facing with the discussion forums and interacting with others, I can say that my experience so far at UPOU has been great and memorable. It is working out well for me, and I like the curriculum and the style of teaching. As I continue my journey at UPOU, I cannot help but feel excited about what’s to come.
I am looking forward to further developing my skills and deepening my understanding of the multimedia arts and how I can improve my works and projects. I am hoping to find people who share the same dreams and vision as I do and be able to work together with them. Ultimately, I am most excited about how this program will shape my future, and help build the skills and connections that I may need to build my career. There’s a lot to look forward to, and I cannot wait to see where this journey will take me.
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