Starting Again

“It’s good to start over. It will be scary but you will see what you’re really made of; it’s the best opportunity to achieve what you never thought you could.”
― Jennifer Coletta

Hello HIVEans! It’s been almost a year since I stopped posting blogs, and had an unannounced hiatus, but now I've decided to end it. I had a lot of second thoughts before I started writing this. Too many what-ifs are running through my head. What if I’m not good enough? What if I fail to be consistent? What if I’m doing things the wrong way? You know, typical doubtful thoughts that hold a person back from achieving greatness, but to be honest, I still have these thoughts while I’m writing this, but I’m glad that I’m working on them right now. That means I have leaped into faith, and there’s nothing holding me back from starting again.

The past year was very exhausting. I have faced a lot of changes that have shifted the trajectory of where my life is going. My boyfriend broke up with me. Now, don’t get me wrong; I know that we’ve only been together for three months, but that was already precious time for me. Enough time for me to plan a future that was not met, and it affected a lot of things. After the breakup, I was not able to produce any quality write-ups since my motivation to do things was depleted, and all I wanted to do was lie in my room and rot in my bed. However, I was thankful because a friend of mine kept pulling me out to help her run errands, and that distracted me from negative thoughts. Also, because of the breakup, I made some impulsive decisions, like quitting my job, going back to the province to wait for another year to study, and then changing my mind to enroll at the last minute before the classes started. So yeah, after the breakup, all I did was jump into the water without testing it first, just so that I could forget.

But now, I think I’m in a better situation. I believe that this is the correct timeline for me. I mentioned that I enrolled myself at the last minute before the classes officially started. I am now a Psychology student, and I can say that I have grown well.

Starting again in college was a great challenge. Even though it was an impulsive decision, I still had a lot of doubts and fears. My first month was a purely adjustment phase because our classes were in a Hybrid setting, meaning that we have online classes and we also have face-to-face classes, but things got better. I’ve met a lot of supportive people who have helped me with the changes and adjustments in my new life. Most of them are my classmates and seniors.

On my first semester, I got to be elected as the 1st Year representative in our Department officers, and though it was a bit heavy for a responsibility, I felt honored and happy. And based on my classmates’ satisfaction ratings, I did well. Also, I got to be a representative of the Psychology Program for the Sport’s Dance Competition that was held in our school last December 2022, and I was able to reach the semi-finals. It was not bad considering that I was a first-timer. We also had a mental health campaign as a culmination activity for one of our major subjects, where we made souvenirs and gave them to random people in our city. I made bookmarks with personalized motivational quotes, while some of my classmates made keychains.

During my second semester, a new organization in my program was created, and it was called the Psych Buddies. I am one of the pioneering members of this organization, and after the first community extension, I got to be a head facilitator. The Psych Buddies are partners with the Municipal Anti-Drug Abuse Council of the Municipality of San Remigio. What we do is go to different barangays or villages where there are cases of drug abuse and gang violence. Then and there, we do some counseling activities and listen to the youth.

Being a part of this organization helped me understand people better. This organization has taught me to be more empathetic and a good listener because sometimes in life, just giving someone the chance to be listened to and understood is enough.

The school year has already ended, and I am now stepping into my sophomore year once the classes start. 2022 was a bit unkind to me, but I am thankful for it. If it weren't for the things that happened to me, I wouldn't have been able to meet new people who helped me expand my horizons, gain wisdom, and become a better version of myself.

I am excited about what this new school year will bring to me and what I can do to be of service to myself and other people.

This is Mark Andrew Salveron, a second-year psychology student.

P.S. Here are some of the Pictures I have accumulated over the past year.

With my classmates after we presented our dance number for our Physical Education subject culmination

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One of our mental health campaigns where we visited kids in our elementary department
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My classmates and I during a collaboration party between the College of Teachers Education and Psychology Program for our Fiesta Celebration

Another PE Class Culmination

This Barbie is Happier Than Ever

Thank you for reading!