Back at it

On the off-chance that you've been wondering where I've gone to, I've been trying--for a whole month now--to get my review schedule in order. It's been slow going so far, partly due to work, but also partly due to my flagging motivation after I fully comprehended the expanse of material I have to study. That, and a nagging existential question of whether or not it will be worth it in the end. Do I really want this? 

I rediscovered my motivation in a rather unexpected place: the Rio Olympics. After legit shedding half a bucket of tears over Samsung's TVCs "The Anthem" and "The Chant", it hit me: That right there is the world I want to help create. That's the world I want to live in.

Yes, I do want to be a Foreign Service Officer for the DFA if it means I get to help break the barriers holding my countrymen back from the rest of the world. No, I can never be sure I'll pass even just the qualifying exam, but why should that stop me from taking a chance? If I don't try, I've failed already.

So...I'm back to working on my review schedule. Day 1 of my FSOE review starts Monday, August 8. Let's go break barriers.

Heal

Photo credits to Tumblr

This is--probably--it

I was attending my sister's graduation last June 25 when I decided--on a whim, really--to take the DFA's Foreign Service Officer Exam. On a whim.

Because I needed a new adventure, a new goal to strive towards, a reason to stress my brain out on a daily basis.

So here I am. 

I'm taking the exam(s, hopefully) on August 2017. And since I don't know anyone else who will be taking the exam, and I might go crazy if I don't talk about it to anybody, I created this. Here is where I will ramble about penguins in South Africa, recommend (or not!) cafes where I study*, rage against the injustices of the world, and make cutesy art stuff about my Spanish word of the day.

Just for context, I'm a 24-year-old corporate slave with a Business Administration degree major in Marketing. Politics was/is an interest of mine (it's a fam thing) but apart from some courses on edX and Coursera, I stand on ground zero for this exam.

At the moment, I am agonizing over my study schedule for the year. Literally analysis paralysis over the sheer number of topics to tackle. No joke, I felt like quitting after reading through Ateneo de Manila's module list for their FSOE structured review.

But while I'm not sure what I'd do with an FSO eligibility, I really, really don't like failing. And quitting. 

So I guess you're in for a ride? Hop onboard.

And hi!

*in case you're an FSOE applicant currently located in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Mindanao, Philippines