CREATE TABLE freshies;

A new school year has started, and we have a set of new faces! CompSAt welcomes all its members, especially the new and younger ones, the freshmen. As we look at these innocent faces, ready to tackle college life in the Ateneo, we wonder: what thoughts are going through these fresh minds?

After RecWeek, we interviewed random freshmen of the CompSAt family and asked about their college experiences so far:

SELECT * FROM freshies LIMIT 9;

1. What is your favorite spot in Ateneo so far and why?

Being in the Ateneo campus for almost three months, these freshies have surely explored their new environment. What places do they favor?

“I like the new Rizal Library. It’s bigger than the libraries I’ve been to. I like reading and it has a lot of books,” says Piel Arcella, 1 BS CS. Alyssa Cuan, 1 BSMS CS, echoes the sentiment and answers, “Information commons in the library. There’s free aircon, I can watch [a television] series without any disruption”. JM Andawi, 1 BSMS CS also says, “3rd floor library. There’s less people and it’s quiet. There’s aircon too.”

It seems our library is already attracting these younglings! We can’t blame them. Books, aircon, computers, and internet connection — what more could a college student want?

Meanwhile, EJ Tiongco, Jenny Kim, and Alf Dolina, all 1 BS CS-DGDD, prefer Faura Hall for very different reasons. “We have access to computers and it’s also a Pokestop,” explains EJ, while Jenny says, “It’s very cold and they have swivel chairs.” Alf also favors Faura Hall because “everyone else I know is there.”

It’s not surprising that Faura Hall is a favored spot for the Computer Science majors. It is, after all, where most of their CS-related classes will be held. You’ll be seeing a lot of Faura Hall in the coming years, freshmen!

Gabe Escalaw, 1 BS CS-DGDD, and Matt Aguilar, 1 BS CS, like to hang out in the cafeterias. “Gonzaga because it’s where my block gathers,” says Gabe. “[Manang’s, the] canteen in cov[ered] courts. That’s where I stay during my biggest break,” answers Matt. “It’s where I set up my dojo for judo.”

Food tends to gather a lot of people, so cafeterias are a good place for bonding! Lian Santos, 1 BS CS-DGDD, however, prefers the peacefulness of the Zen Garden. “It’s open and there are benches to lie on,” he reasons.

2. Gonzaga or JSEC? Why?

There are several cafeterias in the university campus. College students frequent two:  the one in Gonzaga Hall, and  the John Gokongwei School of Management Student Enterprise Center (JSEC). Which one do the freshies prefer and why?

Three of them patronize the JSEC. “It’s more presko there,” reasons Piel. “I like the food there better,” answers Alyssa, and Lian agrees, saying, “Because of takoyaki.”

The rest of the freshies we interviewed get their food from Gonzaga Hall. Some agreed that it is cheaper. EJ says that the food is “more worth your money”, and JM responds with a slightly sad, “Moolah (Money)”. The others claim that it is easier to get seats there than in JSEC. Matt’s answer was quite unique. He loves Gonzaga for the beautiful view from the 2nd floor. On the other hand, Jenny replies with another question, “Where and what is JSEC?”

3. What do you think CompSAt can offer you?

Why did they join the organization? Let’s find out!

It seems CompSAt is building up a good reputation among these IT-loving individuals. They hope that the organization will help them in their CS subjects and overall growth. “CompSAt can help me grow,” explains Piel. “It’s an extension of the learning in my class.” Many also look forward to the tutorial services that CompSAt provides. Matt expresses his excitement for these, saying, “CompSAt will help get the necessary resources and tutor me to help me improve in my majors.” Never fear! CompSAt will not disappoint.

The organization also prides itself in being an avenue of fun and friendship. For JM, he believes that CompSAt can not only help him develop his skills as a person, but can also make him “enjoy college life”. Since CompSAt is a community of people with IT-related interests, Gabe is not mistaken when he expects CompSAt to help him “establish relationships/connections and make friends with people with similar interests.”

Many former and current members of CompSAt have created close bonds with others. These relationships have lasted years even after graduation. EJ hopes to achieve those types of bonds. He expects “new experiences and new friends” when he joined the organization, anticipating that the relationships he would form will last beyond his four years in the Ateneo. Alf words the notion quite sweetly as he said, “CompSAt will be my second family. I will be welcomed. It will help me learn skills and share my interests.”

The freshmen are starting a new and exciting chapter in their lives here in the Ateneo de Manila University. They’re adapting to the new environment, and developing favorite spots and food. Thank you, freshies, for choosing to start your college life with us! We welcome you to CompSAt!

Source:

Select * From Freshies: A RecWeek Coverage: (http://wildcard.compsat.org/2013/07/06/select-from-freshies-a-recweek-coverage/) [26 Aug 2016]