A serious major problem

Now that title sounds redundant, doesn’t it? The FAST 2005 Batch Assembly’s current project, lovingly called Majors Problem, aims to guide the sophomores on the ways where they can apply for their respective majors this term. This time of the school year is pretty much application period for CLA sophomores, and this has been seen as a novel and welcome project.

For us Communication Arts majors - that includes the LIA and LIA-COM students - that’s something. As of last count, thanks to notices posted on the doors at the Miguel building regarding online applications (also a requirement), there are around four hundred applicants and counting. That number hasn’t considered those who are on the hanging edge of things, those who (quite realistically) don’t have a chance at getting in. The bigger problem, currently, at least for some applicants, is a hovering decision - it isn’t final yet - that they wouldn’t allow students that are currently taking some of their prerequisite subjects this term into the majors program.

I could go on and add “hopefully, this doesn’t happen” to the last paragraph. I know a large number of them. Of course - I’m one of them.

Circumstances meant that the four hundred applicants mentioned earlier have to apply for limited slots to both English 3 and Literature 1 classes, not to mention those OCM prospectives who are currently taking their majors. This simply means not everybody got what they’re supposed to get. In my case, I’m just taking English 3 this term, thanks to limited, in-demand slots as well as the lack of capability to cross-enroll (although how Clarence did it is still a surprise). Some, though, are still taking both needed prerequisites this term.

Technically, though, getting in with undergoing prerequisites is possible - many of my blockmates were asking whether it is possible, and initially it was. All they needed were to submit photocopies of their course cards in their respective prerequisites as soon as they get them. Yesterday, however, i received a text message from the department, asking me to get there as soon as possible - and, true enough, when I did the bad news was broken. The chairman of the department, Clodualdo del Mundo - at least according to Ate Agnes - is considering not letting those with floating prerequisites in this year. This simply means those affected will be delayed for an entire year.

There are around forty students in our block, and majority of those I know aren’t safe yet. If I counted correctly, only seven can be included in the list if the plan pushes through. A lack of slots, coupled with a quiz we really had to take, killed immediate chances of getting the best slots.

The news has been greeted with much surprise, aside from the obvious (and probably intended) dismay. After telling that to Les, one of the possible affected (who actually relayed the information to me first) I told Sars, who is one of the, if we could say, lucky ones. And even they aren’t happy about things.

The five names I initially mentioned - hers, Jason’s, Jackie’s, John’s and Ariane’s - according to Sars were the “theoretical” ones, and those with the technical expertise - Toni and Jino, for example - couldn’t get in because of the same limitation. Grouping were also cited as a problem.

My other affected blockmates were also dismayed - and confused. In the application form the grades for all English subjects, but not Literature 1, was asked. Those who’ve already taken English 3, but not Literature 1 - Ale and Caresse, for example - are confused whether they would be affected by the consideration.

As for the others who are taking both subjects this term, I couldn’t imagine what they’re thinking. A bit more hopeless, perhaps?

The news has definitely been a sad one, even for those who are already assured of a slot thanks to the prerequisites. From them, also, a glimmer of hope. After I told batch representative Sars Santos, a LIA-COM major who’s also going for the CAM slots, she thought that the decision wouldn’t push through because a majority of the applicants are facing such a problem. There could still be a time for swaying minds, though, since applications are accepted until Tuesday, 13 June, and the list of those accepted - and whether the considerations would be overturned - would be out within that week.

Jason greeting me with apparent smugness - he’s the guy with theoretical and probably the technical know-how - he just said, “okay lang yan” before he walked to his classroom.

All we could possibly do - with something personal contained - is hope, that we won’t have to be delayed a year, and be kept floating by a term.