Things Change And They Constantly Will

First you want one thing then the next minute you want another! Just make up your damn mind!
-A commonly used quote in stories

BS Foreign Service Major in Diplomacy

No longer AB Journalism to my surprise and also to those who read my blog regularly. At the Genesis of my college life it was AB Mass Communication Major in Broadcasting. A little while later I’ve realized that Broadcasting was the wrong way and that Journalism was the perfect detour. I’ve concluded that I was finally solid in my decision but…I guess things really constantly change. How can I forget that the only thing in permanence here in the world is change?

Until now I still can’t believe this… During the late years of my Elementary time up to High School I’ve been having these dreams of grandeur of graduating with a degree in Journalism and even making it to the broad media. But now, those dreams of grandeur are all nothing but fallacious delusions. I was stupid and simple-minded to think that I can make it straight to the core of the media not thinking that it was such a common aspiration especially to thousands of even simpler-minded fools. I suddenly remember this professor who teaches Journalism who is so abysmally disgusted with Broadcasting students. Upon enrollment, a Broadcasting student dreams of becoming a broadcast journalist thinking that it involves nothing but TV. Since I am not a charlatan, I will have to concede that I’ve had the synonymous moronic notion. I’m just glad that I’ve looked at various maps along the way showing that Broadcasting is the end of where the flow goes.

Now to redirect the entry, I’ve read the curriculum for Broadcasting and was mildly surprised to see that there was only one subject that involved Broadcast Journalism. The rest were basically working behind the scenes collaborating with the Television. I thought, “What the hell!? I dreamt of becoming a scriptwriter for news reports and I didn’t expect to be introduced to TV-related techie stuff!” That’s when it has fully transpired in my knowledge that Broadcasting is simply…broadcasting. You edit shows, be a cameraman or a photographer, shoot and take scenes, et cetera, all of which are of little relevance to my passion. Journalism on the other hand is purely a reporter’s work. You do investigative reporting, write for newspapers, and just inform the people of the current events. That truly has been my dream. Maybe I bought the wrong map. I’m glad I can still make a refund and buy the right one.

But still, although I’ve finally found the right map which is Journalism, I still can’t help but notice that the map only disposed direct routes. Such simple routes with no detours and dead-ends. And that’s when I’ve been divulged to the semi-bitter truth. Journalism is one subject that one can easily learn even without formal or proper training and that one can easily become a journalist even without a degree in AB Journalism. It is none of my intentions to degrade the course or those taking it but essentially it is somewhat pointless to submit thousands of pesos and four years worth of schooling to learn (and maybe even specialize) something that I can on my own. I’ve also even heard the same truth from the seniors of AB Journalism. One of them was Arice, a fellow debater from the LDS (Lyceum Debate Society). She seemed almost begging that I drift away from Journalism saying that it’s just a waste. In return she, along with her boyfriend Kuya Nonoh who is a graduate of Foreign Service, recommended that I take up the said course instead.

Diplomacy: An advocate for international relations and negotiations. Not bad! After all, it has been a small (and even unlinked) fragment of my dream to work with foreign affairs and it sounds like a professional-sounding one too! I mean Engineering and Business Administration are misted with the idea of professionalism but dealing with foreigners, now that’s sweet! And I’ve also been interested in Social Sciences such as Sociology, Anthropology, History, Humanities and Foreign Laws and Politics. This could be my chance to broaden my horizons to three hundred sixty degrees! And to think that I’ve been inquisitive on Political Science. I’ve been doing well in my Philippine Constitution class lately!

Although Ambassador Sale did inform me that one can also become a diplomat even without a degree, the succulent content of the curriculum is just a temptation too hard to resist! Basic Spanish, Protocol and Etiquette, everything! They all contain a drop of interesting knowledge, each of them as succulent as the other!

So there! I’ve made up my mind! By the enrollment for the next sem, I’ll submit my papers along with a shifting form to Foreign Service! So long Broadcasting (happy part) but also so long CASE (sad part). It’s time I say hello to CFS. But no worries! I’ll manage and I always will! Back me up, Mom and Pops. This spiral’s gonna spin a different pattern now.