Mula pagkabata ay malaki na ang interes ni Yuan Samson Masuda, 23, sa chemistry.
Hindi nakapagtatakang Bachelor of Science in Chemistry ang kinuha niyang kurso sa Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.
Nagtapos siya noong September 2024, at nag-top 5 sa October 2024 Chemists Licensure Examination, kung saan nakakuha siya ng rating na 90.55 percent.
Nakapanayam si Yuan ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) last October 22, 2024 via Facebook Messenger.
Pagbabahagi niya, “The backstory of me choosing chemistry was not anything special. It is a usual response: I wanted to do this since childhood.
“I can—and tend to—nerd out about any and all chemistry topics in a snap.”
Aniya, ang chemistry ay isang sangay ng agham na itinuturing na “central science."
Dugtong niya, “And is one that can explain anything and everything.
“For any question of ‘why’ or ‘how does this work,' chemistry can answer it in the bat of an eyelid.”
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COLLEGE STRUGGLES
Kumpara sa ibang nagkolehiyo, iba ang mga challenges na nakaharap ni Yuan, na taga-Las Piñas City.
“The college hardship I had endured was more social and familial than it is academic.
“I struggled with friendships and felt alone through a good bulk of my four-year stay.”
Hindi na siya nagdetalye kung anu-ano ang kanyang mga naging predikamento sa aspetong iyon.
Sa kabila nito, nalampasan niyang lahat ang kanyang struggles.
“I stayed true to my goal to finish this course for my inner child who is waiting and cheering me on at the finish line.”
May natuklasan naman si Yuan nang makatapos ng kolehiyo.
“Family-wise, it dawned to me just recently how disconnected I have been for four years.
“College passed by my eyes so fast that when it was over, I felt like I have distanced myself so far.”
Pagsusuma niya, “There's a lot to catch up to even if it's for people you live and share a roof with.”
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COLLEGE LIFE DURING PANDEMIC
Pinaghambing ni Yuan ang mga panahon niya sa kolehiyo noong pandemic at post-pandemic.
“College was bearable for the first two years due to the national lockdown and the onsite setup.
“I was fortunate enough that I was privileged to have access to online learning, and that my learning capacity was flexible and not onsite-class-dependent.”
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Naging mas magaan naman sa kanya ang mga huling taon niya sa kolehiyo sa tulong ng mga taong nanatili sa tabi niya.
“Nothing felt more comforting than charging your way through hardships in the course you love, with the people you care about, all with the same dream in mind.
“College life felt less lonely and more communal. Gone were the days when everything was a competition.”
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LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Nang makatapos ng kolehiyo, ayon kay Yuan, ang pinakamalaking challenge na kinaharap niya ay ang kanyang desire “to not stay still.”
Tanong niya sa kanyang sarili: “’After finishing college, what now?’
“I could not live with the idea of silence, and I wanted to ensure that I will still do something after the boards.”
Easy choice sana para sa kanya ang magtrabaho na, pero naisip niya, “Given that the entry-level salary is not that high—and that the sciences are underfunded in general—I couldn't risk it.”
Ang ginawa niya, “While reviewing for the boards, I also reviewed, prepared, took, and passed the De La Salle University Graduate Admissions Test since I wanted to continue my chemistry journey to the Master’s level in hopes of higher learning and better pay.”
Naisip din niya, “The lack of job experience will surely be a hole in my resume after my Master's.”
Ang naging desisyon ni Yuan, “I applied to be a part-time faculty in College of Saint Benilde.
“I was teaching students and scramming for my future, all while reviewing.”
Hindi naman siya nahirapan kahit sabay-sabay ang kanyang activities.
“The multitasking was not foreign to my body. It felt challenging but also invigorating.
“It boosted my morale knowing the gratification is threefold if I can succeed in all the tasks I loaded onto my plate.”
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YUAN'S REVIEW METHOD
Nang tanungin si Yuan kung nahirapan siya sa board exam, ang sagot niya: “I said the same thing again and again: the exam felt like a breeze.”
Kung bakit ganito ang kanyang naging experience kumpara sa ibang board takers and topnotchers, paliwanag ni Yuan, “In part, it was most likely because I was answered a minimum of two to three mock exams every day since May.
“Whatever the reason is, the exam felt like second nature.
“I comforted myself every sub-exam, breathing the words, ‘You know this by heart, soul, body, and mind.’”
Kasama na rin ang pagtuturo niya bilang freelance tutor simula college at ngayon ay part-time faculty.
Aniya, “The intricacies of exam-making and outsmarting multiple choice tests were really engrained in me since then.”
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YUAN'S REACTION TO BOARD-EXAM RESULT
Aminado naman si Yuan na hindi siya umasang magiging topnotcher.
“But I did use it as a goal.
“It was an ‘aim for the moon, miss, but still land on the stars’ type of agenda.”
Paliwanag niya sa kanyang agenda, “I knew that if I reviewed like a topnotcher-in-the-making, I can secure passing even if I do not see myself in the top 10.”
Kaya nang lumabas ang resulta at Top 5 siya, “Fortunately, the hard work paved off. We still landed on the moon, after all.”
Nakikipag-inuman si Yuan sa kanyang mga best friends nang lumabas ang resulta ng board exam.
“My other best friend called me to inform me that the results are out.
“We looked at the results together and the generic response was to scream in shock— except I didn't!
“I was frozen in place, wondering if everything was a dream.”
Inialay ni Yuan ang kanyang tagumpay sa kanyang younger self and inner child.
“I often talk to this abstract idea of my past self as a way to console myself.
“I view it as a way to heal my past wounds indirectly. He dreamed of nothing but becoming immersed and happy in his field, and now, we made it happen.”
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WHAT'S NEXT FOR YUAN?
Ang board examination para kay Yuan ay culmination ng kanyang college years.
“Now that it is officially over, my mind craves nothing more but higher learning.
“I wish to build upon the laboratory and technical skills that I lost during the lockdown period in the first two years of college.
“My future career plan involves another round in school, engaging in deeper mastery of my field.”
Para sa mga kabataaang gusto ring tahakin ang field of chemistry, may payo sa kanila si Yuan.
“It may seem like an oversimplification, but you only really need three things: a calculator, a periodic table, and the undying curiosity to ask ‘why?’”
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Nagtataka naman umano siya kung bakit para sa iba ay mahirap na field ang chemistry.
Ani Yuan, “I cannot imagine any other reason why.
“It aims to study the machinations of anything and everything.
“It can bridge you to medicine, engineering, law, education, or any other path if you will it to.”
Pagbibigay-diin niya, “This field, or any other field for that matter, is never easy.”
Paalala niya sa mga kabataan, “To brave your way through the field of your choice is a remarkable feat in itself.
“Do not let the factor of fear trouble you in pursuing anything. Do it, albeit scared.”
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