Vultures

"..how do I stop myself from being just a number.
How will I hold my head to keep from going under.."

The more eager I am to graduate on time, the more problems arise. At least even on the most basic process of applying for graduation. I did apply last December.
But weeks after, when the "official list of graduating students for second semester, AY 2007-2008" was released, my name wasn't there. IT'S NOT ON THE freakin' LIST!
Worried mode. Hmm.. *think* Okay, check on it at the OCS.

Ian: Ate, yun na ba talaga yung final list of graduating students? 'Coz I don't see my name on it, eh, nag-apply naman po ako. Heto nga po yung isang copy nung approved form.
OCS: Ah, hindi pa, i-uupdate pa yun.
Ian: Okay. Thank you po.

After a few more weeks. Three weeks to be exact.

THE list wasn't updated.

Another two weeks. Something happened. Not THE list. But a NEW list was posted.
In front of the Dept. of Biology office. What it says:
"We would like to inform you that the following students have not submitted their Enlistment Survey Forms (ESF) for the first semester of AY 2008-2009."
And what a surprise: I SAW MY NAME ON IT.

Okay. Breathe Ian, breathe.
WTF?!? I am a graduating student! No need for a new ESF. WTF?!
Panic mode. Okay, okay.. uh.. Reality check.
I went through my curriculum vitae:
All Bio subjects - clear.
PE - clear.
NSTP - clear.
SSPs - clear.
AHs - just 1 left, Hum. II, currently enrolled this semester.
MST - I passed NS5 and NS8 in one sem.
Electives - just 1 left, Rad. Biology, currently enrolled this semester.
Thesis - currently working on.

Waaaaaa. Nothing's left out. I'm right on schedule. But why oh why?
Theories began circling inside my head. I know I submitted my App. for Graduation form beyond the deadline. So maybe, OCS hasn't really updated their list yet.
But hey, why am I included on the new batch of enrollees (for next year)? That's too much..

So there. OCS had to do the talking. And guess what I have found out:

CAS' Office of the College Secretary (OCS) lost their copy of my Application for Graduation form!
Wow. So all this time, not even once did the OCS think that a graduating student named **** Ian ****** ever existed within the walls of CAS.

Well hopefully, after clearing this out with OCS, I will now be an official graduating student.

CASE CLOSED.


"Down to the wire, I wanted water but I'll walk through the fire.
If this is what it takes to take me even higher,
then I'll come through, like I do,
when the world keeps testing me, testing me, testing me."

"Vultures"
Artist: John Mayer
Album: Continuum (2006)