What coming back to your Alma Mater feels like

If not only for some important documents that I need to personally request, then I wouldn't really have the chance to go to my undergraduate university this year.

This is where I earned my Communication degree and where I spent my four great years as a regular, average student, who never really studied geek-hard, but passed the degree because of passion. Naks!  

I IG'd (Instagramed) this photo the day before to my friends. Almost 9 years ago, we were given our Alumni Cards right after graduation just in case we want to come back. After almost 9 years, I had to come back.

I remember how strict the guards are with our shoes and uniforms. I was once sent home for wearing the wrong kind of black shoes. I remember how difficult to get a "sorry pass" but when I whipped out my Alumni card upon entrance, the guards (all gates) said " Oh Alumni, this way please."

It feels like a VIP treatment of some sort. At least they are familiar with the card, 9 years later.

I also noticed that they have this scanning of the ID system. Good thing I already graduated because I think I had forgotten my IDs a number of times.

This is the area where we had our graduation "turn-over ceremonies" with the lower batch.

This used to be a huge student lounge/canteen/study area. Now it has the mini- stage as well and the floors are tiled, seats and tables were changed. Nice!

This is where we used to line to pay for our tuition. This looks like a blockbuster movie festival during enrollment but school have already started when I went here.

The good thing about CEU is the enrollment process only takes one day. Half a day if you're early and a regular student. They already have pre-programmed schedules for regular students so you don't have to worry about not getting a subject.

The accounting office where used to have our form of matriculations assessed.

I walked around to see the other places I've been: 

Nice to see a familiar name (actually a close family friend, my parents' wedding sponsor) was one of the board of directors.

Next is the place where we used to line up to get our required books. Yes, CEU produce/print its own books so you won't see it in any other commercial bookstore. But the advantage of being within 5 minutes from the vicinity of recto, is you can get second hand books for a cheaper price.

The Freedom wall ---obviously with restrictions. Sad news about studying Mass Communication in CEU is, honestly, you do not really have freedom of speech.

This used to be just an old board with stuff on it, not it's a permanent fixture of an exhibit.

This used to be an area for students as well, to eat, study, chat but now it's just a clear space. Maybe this area is for student-conducted events.

Aaaah... the LA Auditorium. Not only I have fond memories of performing in this auditorium, I was awarded Best Scriptwriter for TV Documentary for writing "Dalawang Mukha ng Paghanga" which I co-hosted with my friend Reynah Puertollano.

Again, this used to be an area for just hanging out. I wonder why they have more open spaces than before. I used to wait for classmates here for a group project and so on.

This caught my eye: The Cybrary. The cyber library of library for internet? Hmmm....

I went up to my old classrooms and found this: The Mass Comm lab.

I remember during our time, it costs 10k per sem, per student to use this lab. It's like a studio in a TV network, but of course not as sophisticated.

The hallway:

The college office and Office of the dean:

The stairs that's been repaired:

Good ol' classrooms. Improved chairs!

I dropped by the Church to breathe a prayer of thanks:

Whoa! Look at the Holy Water Jug!

I remember walking along these halls outside the campus. This is the gate that's nearest to San Beda Subdivision, where I lived.

The Alva Computer shop where we used to print our rush thesis and term papers! I think we still use diskettes back then!

This the computer shop where I first started blogging in 2003. It was still in a friendster platform.

This is the view from the South Gate entrance. Opposite us is the San Beda Church.

Nice to see this road with no traffic. I got lucky!

Our University from an angle:

The San Beda area. There used to be a strip of street vendors selling street foods and cigarettes to students. I didn't see any when I went there.

Coming back to your Alma Mater feels like an internal reunion with the environment and yourself. Honestly, my life in the campus is just purely business (read: projects, studying, some social pleasantries with classmates) because the crazy, crazy life that I really, really lived is off campus with my roommates who are also away from home.