Hi! I’m an incoming college freshman and I’m having a hard time choosing the best school to pursue Architecture. I was supposed to submit my enrollment documents to Benilde already since the deadline is on the 15th na, until I got an email from UST stating that my application has been reconsidered and therefore I am eligible to enroll there. I will greatly appreciate any advice or experience you can share 🙏🏻 I’ve created a list of pros and cons too.

UST

Cons:
• Extremely taxing in all aspects (more plates, more units, etc) when compared to Benilde
• They have a strict cut-off policy (not sure if it’s implemented after 1st or 2nd yr) and a lot of students are removed coz of that.
• Basically to survive in UST Archi, you must have the grit, or else, tanggal ka.
• Pa-swertihan sa profs
• Shit admin 👎🏻
• Not sure yet if it’s a disadvantage but heavily traditional pa rin sila. Might this be a disadvantage when I graduate in five years? Especially with technology advancing, and afaik, most outputs are digitally produced in the real world post-undergrad.
• I’m scared I might experience mental & emotional fatigue like everyone else due to heavy workload and pressure 🥲

Pros:
• Top 1 performing Archi school (100% passing rate on the recent LEA)
• Near my house so easy commute (usually takes me 30 mins to get there via 1 jeep)
• Best campus life (as a former Thomasian)
• It genuinely feels different in UST. The campus itself, the environment, community, events, orgs, the endless food stops in every corner outside the campus, are what, for me, makes UST bearable.

BENILDE

Cons:
• Super layo sa house ko and my parents won’t allow me to have a dorm (1 hr & 30 mins commute time via train). I feel like this will take a toll on me especially if a class ends late. Also I’ll be wasting the time I could have used to rest or finish homework.
• Personally I’ve never been to TAFT but all those I’ve asked who reside there say na mabaho at maingay sa area
• Pa-swertihan sa profs, same with UST
• Campus life, pretty much nonexistent since it’s just different buildings scattered around
• They have events too but not the same as Paskuhan, Agape, etc.
• No uniform (a con for me since I don’t wanna stress about my fits too😭)

Pros:
• They have a progressive approach when it comes to teaching + I’ve heard that they use digital softwares as early as 1st year, unlike in UST where they’ll start only during 3rd year. As you can tell this is my deciding factor coz ayaw ko mapag-iwanan in the future 😭
• Workload wise, it’s far more bearable than UST
• Profs are very understanding daw and easy to communicate with
• Connections 👍🏼
• 98.55% passing rate on the most recent LEA so there’s a lot of improvement

Yeah so that’s everything I am currently considering… My parents really want me to study in UST. My tito who’s part of 50 notable architects says that I should choose UST over Benilde… Personally, I think Benilde has a lot of good opportunities, but I’m not sure if I’m ready to give up what UST can offer, being that it is the most prestigious Archi school here in the PH. My main worry din talaga, besides UST’s traditional approach, is that I might get mentally drained there

5’4 18F 54 kg

I was wondering if it would be alright for me to do an aggressive cut (omad under 500 cals) while walking 10k steps per day for a MONTH straight to lose 6 kgs.

I’ve done something similar last January, however my daily intake at the time was 1k and I lost 5 kgs in a month.

Now, my goal is to lose 6 kgs in a month. I am aware that I am gonna lose some muscle but my plan is to do body recomposition + proper cal def after I lose the 6 kgs. Would this plan work out alright? I’m mainly concerned about losing the muscle or will I be fine as long as I do body recomp after?

For context, I am an incoming college student from a middle class family. I’ve always wanted to study Architecture in Benilde since I find their curriculum aligned with my skills and the career path I’d like to take.

But 200-300k per year is no joke.

During CETS season, I talked to my dad and told him that I’m choosing between UST and Benilde for Archi. He was aware of the huge tuition fee gap between the two but still told me to go for whatever my heart wants and never mind the school. I really wanted to study in Benilde but I had to consider other factors—my siblings’ tuition fees, food, electricity bills, grocery, transportation, etc., which are all shouldered by my father alone. I knew I had to say goodbye to CSB because I do not want to be a financial burden to my dad, so I studied really hard for the USTET.

Months later, I was informed that I did not pass my first choice (Archi) in UST and was only qualified for my alternative program, which I no longer have any interest in. I talked to my dad and even cried cause I didn’t know what to do. Should I choose to be practical for him and say goodbye to my dream program, or should I go for what I really want? He told me to apply for reconsideration in UST Archi, but that would mean that my slot in my alternative would automatically get forfeited. I took the risk.

Then last last week, I received the news that my reconsideration for Archi was not accepted due to the limited number of slots left. So this was my goodbye to UST. I immediately talked to my dad and cried again cause 1) I felt like a failure and 2) this means I have no choice but to study in Benilde. Months ago I would have been happy to know that I’d be studying in my dream school, but right now, hearing and seeing the word “Benilde” only makes me hate it even more. Not because I have some kind of vendetta against it, but because of the financial burden it might bring to my family. Even though my dad earns a lot, I don’t want to him to worry about paying 90k+ every 3-4 months for four years straight while also paying for everything else our family of six needs. I don’t even have a laptop yet which I need for Architecture. That’s another addition to his list. I would have saved my father 600k+ if I had passed the USTET and went to UST instead.

A week ago I was supposed to proceed with my enrollment in Benilde already like how my father told me to. But up until now I can’t bring myself to even open the portal and enroll because I don’t want to go there anymore. I can’t study in Mapua because my family, including my dad, told me not to study there. I can’t enroll in PUP since applications have long been closed. Other top performing archi schools are located far from my home so immediately that’s no, which means I only have Benilde.

Oh what do I do. The guilt I have keeps getting worse every single time I see my dad come home from work because I am reminded of the sacrifices he makes and will probably continue to make for many more years despite him talking about wanting to retire in two years. I am ashamed of myself for wanting to study in Benilde. I feel like a walking burden. I’m sorry pa. I’m so so sorry.