Psychology 101

Flashback: Second Year College.
At least half of the classes I was attending were minor subjects I had very little interest with.

But I fell in love with Psychology.

My instructor was brilliant, not to mention pretty. I enjoyed listening to her lectures. During our first day, she gave us a piece of paper and instructed us to write one question, any question about life and anything about it, that has remained unanswered.

I wrote: Why do I have a lot of unanswered questions about life?

I submitted the paper with a silly smile.

Learning about what’s occurring during our sleep, dreams, wet dreams, how the human brain works, etc, etc were my favorite topics, but memorizing the parts of my brain? That’s when my brain stops working. I just hated the memorizing part.

And so, I flunked all my quizzes and probably got the lowest during my prelim exam. I got a grade no student would want to reveal anyone, but well…

It was a 68 (our school ain’t using the ABC and D’s).

In my exam paper, my instructor wrote in bold red: “What happened?”


Midterms, I never really cared about passing anymore. I wouldn’t mind taking the subject twice, more so if it’s gonna be the same instructor. But for some reason, I passed all my exams, in the end I got a 79. That’s magic.

In front of the class, she said: "If others can add as high as 11 points to their grade, so could you... right, Ely?" She glanced at me and smiled.

I got kinda inspired, but finals turned to worse. This is the time when you realize you actually want to pass everything. I needed at least a 78 to get the much coveted 75! (Note: If you are from the Engineering and Architecture Department, 70 is normal, 73 is passing, 75 is good and getting an 80 is just awesome!). With all the failing marks I’ve been getting, I knew what to expect.


Final exams, I was waiting for my Psychology questionnaires to be distributed while still bewildered from all the (wrong) computations I did on my math exam papers I just submitted an hour ago. I was already thinking about which department I should enroll Psychology the next semester. The exam was plain multiple choice, but for someone unprepared like me, choosing between A,B,C is the hardest thing.

Then I noticed a piece of paper attached on the questionnaire. I was surprised to see the question I submitted during our first day in class, and the instruction: Based from what you’ve learned from the class, give an answer – to your own question!

How clever!

It was like my make or break. I had a strong belief that this will give me a passing grade and so I started writing,

with conviction.

I wrote about the things I’ve learned from her, how I got so interested with the course, how it made me appreciate the things around me, that I should stop asking too many questions about life because everything is just so wonderful, all I need is to love and appreciate them, take no time questioning because answers often come when we stop asking, and, the flowers and the bees.

I submitted my paper smiling.

Second semester, enrolment day. I anxiously checked my grade.


Lord, all I want is a 75!

Psyched, I will never forget that 86!