Uno

                Grades don’t define who you are.  I have constantly told this to myself whenever I get a low grade in one of my classes.  After all, when I start working, I doubt my future bosses would look at my grades as a basis of my work.  Yes, grades do have a factor when it comes to getting hired.  But it is not the only factor, and your grades can only get you so far.  If you don’t do well in your job, then getting high grades during college is utterly useless.  But even if grades aren’t a reflection of who you are as a person, it does have a factor on your emotions.  Getting a singko, or a failing grade, will surely make a student feel sad.  Who wouldn’t feel sad when you have to repeat a subject again?!

                The opposite can be said for getting an uno.  An uno is the highest grade you can get in the university.  It is a trophy of sorts for students.  The university is home to the crème de la crème, or so we UP students believe.  That is why getting an uno, especially in a difficult class, is no laughing matter.  An uno is not only the highest grade a student can get, it is also one of the best bragging rights to a student and his or her parents.

                Parents love bragging about their kids.  Whether it be about them painting a portrait of the family to when they were kids, to them getting accepted to the University of the Philippines.  Of course our parents are aware of how difficult it is to get in, and how difficult the classes are in the university.  That is why telling them that you got a perfect grade in a class would lead to them telling this story to a few of their friends, and you receiving a slight increase in your allowance.

                An uno is thing of miracles.  It can make anyone’s day wonderful.  It is even better than getting a new phone.  The first time I got an uno I remember jumping up and down in happiness.  Nothing beats the feeling of acing a class you know you worked hard in.

Nicola Fionna F. Delos Santos