06/08/2026
PRELIMS?? PRELIMS
By: Zyra Garrote
"Phonology, Morphology, Syntax... Demeter, Artemis, Zeus." I never thought I'd be this expert in memorizing! I was really excited to take my prelim exams today, especially in my major subjects.
I continued to scan my notes as I memorized terms that were not very familiar to me. Being in my third year meant carrying major subjects that were definitely not easy, but I was determined to ace every single paper handed to me. Page after page, the linguistic structures and Greek mythology concepts blurred together under the dim warm light of my desk lamp. My eyes grew heavy, the words began to swim, and before I knew it, my forehead gently rested against the open notebook.
BRRRRRING! BRRRRRING!
I jolted upright, my heart hammering violently against my ribs. A harsh beam of daylight was streaming directly through the window, blinding me for a split second. I scrambled across the bed, frantically searching for my phone under the tangled sheets.
When the screen lit up, my stomach dropped straight to the floor.
9:30 AM.
"No, no, no! Oh my goodness!" I gasped out loud, cold sweat breaking across my forehead. My exam was scheduled for exactly 8:00 AM! I was already an hour and a half late. The professor was going to fail me, and all those hours of memorizing Phonology and mythology were about to go straight down the drain.
Absolute panic seized me. I threw my blanket aside, practically tripped over my own feet, and darted into the bathroom. I took the fastest bath of my life, scrubbing in a blur of soap and sheer desperation, mentally rehearsing apologies to give to my instructor on the way.
Dripping wet and breathing heavily, I sprinted back into my room and threw open the wardrobe doors, ready to grab my white college student uniform.
I threw hangers to the left and right. Nothing.
"Where is it?! Where is my uniform?!" I muttered, tears of frustration stinging the corners of my eyes as I searched every single corner of the closet.
Then, my hand caught a smooth, familiar fabric hanging neatly right in the center. I pulled it out, and the sight of it stopped me completely dead in my tracks.
Neatly pressed, with the crisp emblem resting proudly on the breast pocket, hung my yellow and blue Practice Teacher uniform.
I froze, standing in the middle of my room with wet hair dripping onto the floorboards. The frantic pounding in my chest slowly quieted down as reality gently washed over me.
There were no Prelim exams today. There was no third-year linguistics test waiting for me at 8:00 AM.
I wasn't a third-year student anymore. I was already a graduate, step-by-step stepping into the real world as a full-fledged Practice Teacher. The late-night reviews, the anxiety of major exams, and the frantic scramble of college life were all just echoes of a memory playing tricks on my mind.
I let out a long, breathless laugh, leaning against the closet door as I smoothed down the yellow and blue fabric. I wasn't late for an exam after allโI was just dreaming.
*NOTE
--Ms. Zyra Claire B. Garrote is an alumna of Apayao State College and a graduate of the BSEd program, majoring in English where she also served as the ELITES Auditor for 2 consecutive terms. She is currently preparing for her LET but still finds time to participate in the club's activities proving that once an ELITE, always an ELITE.
Padayon, future LPT!
