Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems

You know that song by the Notorious BIG? I think the opposite is worse. You’ve got more problems when you’ve got less money.

Sana di nalang naimbento ang pera kahit kelan.

Why? Come to think of it.
No hunger. You don’t need to pay in order to eat.
No crimes. Most crimes are about what? Need for money. To survive.
No corruption.
No social classes. We’d all be equal.

Imagine if everything were for free. Imagine yourself getting what you want. Imagine yourself fulfilling your dream without having to worry about money. Like becoming a doctor without having to worry about tuition fee averaging about 70,000 per semester, allowance, apartment, and other miscellaneous fees. All you need to succeed is motivation and perseverance, and all the other components of success. Everything, except the financial aspect.

Wouldn’t life be so much easier if there were no currency at all?

One of the things I hate most about being in med school, is telling my father the amount I have to pay for my enrollment. “68,000 po...” Madali ba sabihin yun? No. Because instead of being already employed somewhere and earning money and helping my father with expenses, here I am, studying at one of the most (if not the most) costly medical schools in the Philippines.

I enrolled at St. Luke’s because I was after the 1-year scholarship. My only concern then was to be able to just enter med school. Makapasok lang, ok na. Before I graduated from college, there was really no chance of me pursuing medicine anymore. We couldn’t afford it. But I found out about the scholarship offered by St. Luke’s to students who graduated with honors. It was my only hope.

So I worked hard for my grades. I made it. To many people, it signified recognition, excelling in class. To me it wasn’t that. It meant more. It meant that I could pursue my dream after all. Now I’m on my 2nd year, without a scholarship anymore. Thankfully, I’m still here because of many people helping me and my father. But it hurts a lot now, that while my classmates are focused on studying and passing exams, I’m thinking of whether I’ll still be able to enroll next semester. Grades are problems too, but I’d really appreciate it if I were only worrying about grades, instead of money + grades.

Yes, it hurts. Anything that would hinder you from fulfilling your dreams would hurt, right? Dreams, not just some materialistic craving.

I’m sorry about this post. Just letting all my frustrations out.