Mylene Ruby Llander's Profile

BEYOND PAUCITY LIES QUALITY

by Monaliza Barrientos

Polytechnic University of the Philippines based on surveys is one of the top 20 schools in the Philippines that offer a bunch of in-demand courses. Let us look beyond the buildings of PUP.
How are you going to enter the University? The very first step is to pass the PUPCET. Out of almost 50,000 students will take the PUPCET every February, but the reality is, only 10,000 will have the chance to enter the University. The University with six campuses, two branches and ten extension campuses serving more than 52,000 students, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines is the largest university when it comes to student population. PUP is known for its low tuition fee. Perhaps, this is the only University who offers 12Php per unit in the Philippines. Abundant people want to enter the University primarily because of its very low tuition fee without bearing in mind if low tuition fee produces a quality education. Let us enter the reality that lies within low tuition fee and the quality education that it bestows.

Mylene Ruby B. Llander, a 19 year old 3rd year student taking up Broadcast Communication in PUP has passed the PUPCET exam and had the chance to continue her studies in PUP. She started to study in the University since high school. She has already a background of the University for she has experienced her 4 years there. Moreover, some of her relatives graduated in the same University that had a good career after graduated, and for that reason, she believes that PUP is a good University. As days get ahead of during her college years, some of her notions changed. Earlier, she believes that PUP is far greater than other state Universities because they produce quality education despite of its low tuition fee.

A University that produces a quality student accompanies with a quality education. In addition to that, a quality education goes with the knowledge from the professors. Mylene thought that like what she had in high school, most of her mentors are capable of giving quality education, but in college, some of her professors are incompetent of giving enough wisdom. We cannot rebuff the fact that this University has a bunch of brilliant professors, but for some reasons like being absent not only once, being late more than half the proposed time of the class, and merely giving the students an awful impression about their way of teaching that give reasons for students not come in their class anymore may contradict its excellence. Is it because they don’t have enough salary, or it’s their effective way of teaching? A professor plays a big role in a student’s growth, but if they are ineffectual ones, how can they give students a quality education? If most number of professors in PUP is feeble, how can they produce quality students?

Another factor that affects the students in a University is its environment. PUP is one of the biggest Universities in the Philippines. As of this moment, you can see a clean pleasing front view of the University, but what about the looks inside? It has a standard classroom for a maximum number of 40 students, but because of the enormous population of the University, 50 students or more are packed into a not so large room. Furthermore, an air-conditioned classroom and even an air-conditioned library have never that near in the PUP, not even close. It’s because it is purely public that has enough tuition fee for the needed facilities only. But why is that even electric fans are not enough? What about the heat of the weather? A one is to one ratio in a computer subject has never been that good for PUPians. Worse even, no computers at all. If the class has a computer subject, most of the time, they will have a lecture and a very little time for the hands-on. Some classes have one computer per student, but you have to pay for it. Another problem is the horrible smell of the comfort rooms that impinge on the classes. How can the students concentrate if their attention is being paved away by the nasty smell of the comfort rooms? It may tend the students not to absorb the lectures and not to listen anymore.

PUP is as well known for a huge number of activists who bravely faces rallies in any way. Mylene believed that somehow, all the rallies that create booming noise distract the classes and somehow deter PUP to have at least progress. Almost all of the proposed rules and projects of the administration are being impure by the activists. But she also said that having a quality education can’t be defined by the roars made by these people. It is still depends upon the choice of the students if they will allow these noise to divert their studies.

Mylene once said that a quality education may be defined by the Universities’ deficiencies, but a being a quality student of a University is still a matter of choice. If it’s your will to be affected by the noise and dearth that surrounds you, what are you going to expect then? Your future still lies upon your hands.

“A University that produces quality students is proved in having quality education despite of all its deficiencies, and therefore should be called a total university.”