萝莉社

Rewiring dreams and second chances

by Kassandra A. Buenafe, OfCom | Jun 26 2025

Is it a sad tragedy to start again in life?

Sometimes, when dreams are tucked quietly away in the attics of our minds for a very long time, and a life that is convenient and practical has already presented itself, reaching out for these dreams again means disrupting the current order of things in our lives. 

How much are we willing to risk what we have?

Jasim Alimoden of the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (BS EE) is one to know about taking risks and diving right into second chances, head-on, freely, with liberation and grit. Jas to his family and friends, he is also known as “Kuya Jas” to his batchmates. 

“Ah, kuya-kuya diay ka sa mga EE?” I ask in our interview when he told me about this. 

“Oo, maayo gani wala nahimog tito,” he laughs in response. 

Jas is turning 29 years old this July. Compared to his classmates, the apparent gap in age becomes noticeable and an interesting detail, especially when I saw his ID number starting in 2013, indicating that he entered the university 12 years ago. When quantified in years, the journey seems like a slow, long stretch before he finally gets to earn his four-year degree during the 55th Commencement Ceremonies Second Semester Graduation on June 27, 2025. But what parts of his past led him to take this much time?

He was 16 then, a teenage boy who had discovered his interest in electrical installations during his Technological Livelihood Education (TLE) subject in high school, wanting to enter the Dakilang Pamantasan with the hopes of enrolling in the BS EE or Computer Engineering programs. Unfortunately, his score did not meet the cutoff for either of his programs of choice. Instead, in 2013, he enrolled in the Bachelor of Engineering Technology Major in Electrical Engineering Technology (BET-EET).

Admitting that he was not the most studious student, he acknowledged that academics was not really his strong suit, and he used to cut classes back in high school.

“Sauna gamer man gud ko, naanad ko sa highschool na sige kog cutting [classes]. First year highschool ko kay wala ko sa school pirmi. Sa Marawi ko nag first year highschool tapos sa Iligan na dayun nag second year,” he confesses. 

“Unsa pud inyong dula?” I ask to paint a picture of his time. 

“Mga old-school games– Conquer Online, Dota 1,” he answers.

Perhaps, it is not an uncommon scenario in our local setting to see boys, still in their uniforms, enter computer shops and huddle in computer units–loud, crowded, and inevitably, with some hushed stubbornness from their parents. Jas admits to being guilty of this, basking in the carefree spirit of youth, and as he entered college, this frivolity towards life remained. 

“Sauna man gud kay [naa koy] “ge lang” mindset, makapasar lang. Wala koy motivation kung unsay padulngan, wala koy goal ba,” he says, describing himself as “bulakbol” during his three-year BET-EET program.  

While he still enjoyed his time as a BET-EET student, having to deal with the actual practice of Electrical Engineering principles, Jas knew he had to finish this program, a once ladderized course, to be able to enroll in the engineering proper. However, due to a change in curriculum with the introduction of the K-12 program, he was no longer eligible for admission to the engineering proper. To earn an actual degree, he enrolled in the BS Engineering Technology Management (ETM) for a year instead.

“Wala mi naka-proceed sa engineering proper, nag ETM nalang ko para maka-degree tong three years na diploma. Karon new curriculum naman so ang mga EngTech karon, four years naman so di na sila kailangan mu-proceed para lang maka-degree,” he explains. 

After graduating, Jas faced the real world and tried different kinds of jobs—a national inspectorate for TESDA scholarship programs, a PSA statistical researcher, and his current job, a virtual assistant. These different hats he wore did not seem to fit the life he envisioned for himself, living through the feeling of lack and an endless void of what could have been. 

Days of mundanity turned into months of cyclical routine, enough to make Jas survive. But are we meant to only survive and pay the bills?  What is life without a spark and the surge of wander? 

A year after he started working, the COVID-19 pandemic happened, halting many of the world’s daily activities, changing the normal ways of living, including the admission of students at 萝莉社-IIT. Students were not required to take the entrance exam due to the health protocols imposed at that time. Instead, they were admitted through an application process where they were assessed according to their grades.

To Jas, this was a soft glow of the filament, a chance, perhaps the last, to try again for his dream of pursuing electrical engineering at 萝莉社-IIT. It was not just any school he wanted; it had always been 萝莉社-IIT or nothing.

The admission exam by the department was done online through Zoom. Hopefuls were given by the proctor 3-5 solving questions to answer within 15 to 30 minutes. An interview was conducted afterwards for further assessment. 

“So mao to ako last na murag… opportunity and fortunately pod, gidawat ko nila after ko ni-take ug exam sa department pero gi ingnan gyud ko nila na back to zero gyud… from the start.”

Jas knew that he had to go back to square one, having to start again as a freshman with no subjects from his previous programs to be credited, and yet despite having to race against time, responsibilities, and new challenges in a different curriculum, all of these uncertainties were embraced with fervent resolve. 

Getting this rare opportunity led him to make a vow with himself–to finish his degree on time and not to be extended. “Mao pod nay gipromise nako sa ako self,” he reiterates. 

His three years in BET-EET gave him an introspection on how he navigated his second chance at college. Those years sort of became his toolbox as he learned and unlearned things and ways of studying. 

“First time nako [sa college] sa EngTech pero pagsulod na nako sa engineering proper, didto nako narealize tanan–mga advice sa parents ug kanang kailangan magtuon jud ka. Pagproceed nako, [naka-realize ko] kailangan jud magtuon ka easy, dili magtuon before sa exam.”  

The College of Engineering is known for its reputation as being one of the hardest colleges to graduate from, and even staying nine years in your program does not seem to appear shocking to others. During college intramurals or Palakasan, students’ trash talk culture often pokes fun at the struggles of Engineering students, with jokes centered around back subjects. While a playful banter, it is no denying that there lies a lived reality of COE students having to deal with left and right singkos, sleepless nights, and bouncing back after wallowing from failures. 

“Ang engineering lisod gyud siya kung di ka magtuon, kailangan nimo is time management. Kailangan i-balance gyud nimo. Kung gamer sa morning, [sa] evening study dayun ka. Kailangan jud nimo i-balance. Mao pod na ako nalisoran kay naay time na overload ko sa work then naay incoming exams,” Jas shares a few of his hardships, which were overcome with his relentless determination and discipline. 

His mantra was to study easy, bit by bit, and never to cram, especially since he was a working student and also had to deal with the transition from online classes to face-to-face classes. He goes to school in the morning and works the night shift. He shares that his employer was also kind enough to give him a flexible schedule as long as he could deliver his tasks for the day. 

He had developed strategies on how to go about his subjects–review lessons after classes, make keywords and acronyms for concepts, analyze the exam patterns of professors, very much different from who he was back when he was 16. His background in electrical engineering technology gave him an edge in his lessons because he had already undergone the actual practice of the theories he was learning. 

“Ang uban namo na subjects, katong mga [laboratory], dali na sa akoa kay na agian naman nako. Pag face to face namo, ako mga classmate muduol sa akoa kay mangutana,” Jas shares, telling me he also felt happy to have lent a hand to his batchmates. 

But, sometimes, despite having projections and well-prepared to-do lists, some things just weigh heavier than we have expected.

“EEE130,” he responds when I ask him about the biggest challenge he had encountered in his degree program. 

Electrical Circuit Theory 1 is known to be the nightmare of many BS EE students and those who take it as their minor subject. “Mao ni nga subject nga naka-funnel jud ang mga studyante, kung 50 mo kabuok, 15 ramo mabilin,” Jas jokes but he does mean it. 

“Ka-surrenderon nako atong second year tungod sa 130 kay ang exams nako ato wa gyud naabot ug pasar,” he recalls. 

His accumulated grade for the three major exams could not make it to the passing rate. But Jas was able to make it through the subject in one take after passing the comprehensive exam given; a lot of time and effort had to be invested in it. “Nakabawi rakos compre, didto nako gipagawas tanan. Didto jud ko nakabawi, bahalag tres lang gyud,” he says.

“Dili jud dapat i-underestimate ang exam, kailangan prepared jud ka kay before compre ang calculator na gamit nako kay karaan so I had to solve the questions manually and maka-[consume] jud siya ug time. So nag-invest ko and nagpalit ug latest na calculator to save more time and I think naka-help gyud siya sa akong pag-take ug exams.” 

He was a bit confident before the start of the course, thinking that it was just going to be about circuits. “Ah sayon rani, circuits rani, pero dili diay kay ang theories need jud i-memorize,” he adds. He further explains to me the importance of knowing theories, the very core of his engineering program, that cannot be simply gained elsewhere. 

“Kung kabalo naka sa theories, [makabalo naka nga] pwede nimo i-connect diri or didto, knowledgeable ka kumbaga. Ah kani mubuto ni. Di ka maglisod ug visualize. So kung i-deploy namo as engineers sa future, di namo ma basta basta kay kabalo naman mo sa theories ug ang actual application ato,” he expounds. 

The 2025 graduating class is dubbed the first batch to enter their first year in college in online classes. Most of them share the narrative of having their high school graduations done in online spaces, making this Commencement Ceremonies a heartfelt culmination and a symbolic cap off of their years of hard work. While Jas’s story may not exactly mirror that of the rest of the batch, his journey is filled with distinctive moments worth telling. 

“Funny lang kay naa koy igsuon na graduating pod ron, murag batch nalang pod mi kay dungan mi ug graduate. Then naa siyay classmate from high school na naa sa 萝莉社-Main before, nag-enroll sya diri sa electrical, tapos classmate mi,” he shares with a laugh.

He will be graduating alongside their youngest sibling from 萝莉社-Marawi, emphasizing quite a juxtaposition of how success and fulfillment are not bound by the structures of time, especially when given the right opportunities and afforded the privileges and support. 

“Supportive ako family. Di sila, uy mid 20s naman ka, ngano muskwela paman ka, pag asawa na. Pagsulti nako sa ako mama ana siya, ikaw kung ganahan ka, kung ma-sustain nimo imo self, skwela lang,” Jas narrates. 

“Dako gyud ug dream ako mama para nako ba, wala nako nahatag sa ila sa first time,” he shares. Yet, the final spark of this journey is that Jas will be graduating as Cum Laude, proof that in our persistence and commitment, we can always redeem and redefine the directions of our lives. 

“Unexpected,” he responds when I ask him how he felt after hearing the news of his Latin honor award. “Kung ingan nimo ang past self nako, uy Cum Laude ka, di gyud sya mutuo,” he fondly parallels his 16-year old self to who he is now. 

“Ayaw lang mo ka pressure sa kani na course. Take your time. Pangutana mo, ayaw mo kaulaw. Always duol sa seniors kay nakaagi namana sila. Parehas namo sauna naa mi mga senior makuhaan ug past exams, makatabang kay makapractice ka,” his words of wisdom for the others who are still navigating the adversities of engineering.

“Every person has their time,” Jas meaningfully shares. His future plans after graduating include reviewing for the board exams and, once he passes, becoming the engineer he has always aspired to be.

The circuits of life are not always linear. It is not always straight and most certainly not predictable in millions of ways. Even the most delayed connections can still light up with the right grounding. That is what we ought to carry from this story– that no matter how far back we have to crawl from where we are, we owe it to ourselves to try again.

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