Staring blankly outside through the window of our lecture room, I let out a sigh as the same familiar cool wind brushed against my skin. I can't help but smile. This, this is the kind of wind I used to anticipate so much when I was a kid. The kind that carries the scent of Christmas. Though, I had nothing much to look forward to when I was a kid, but it still made me feel excited, because I somehow get to feel the warmth of being a family with my parents.
"Before your Christmas break, you will be given tasks to do..."
My smile instantly dropped. I sighed again, but this time, it's because I wasn't pleased by what I heard from our professor.
I heard groans and wailing from my blockmates, which made me smirk. I turned my gaze back inside, watching the professor walk on the platform in front, unbothered by the noises and complaints my blockmates were making, like he didn't just crush the tiny bit of joy the wind brought us.
This is what I don't like about being a student—the time you are supposed to enjoy at home and on holidays is being taken away from you by professors and teachers, who think that everything and their students' time and life revolves around them or the university. Or sometimes it's not the teachers, but the university itself.
This is why academic stress is one of the most significant, but ignored, issues here in the Philippines. From academic demand, peer pressure, to financial constraints, they all come down to one thing—and that is academic stress, that often leads to anxiety, and sometimes leads to serious mental issues.
I hope the government finds a way to lessen the burden of students, especially those who are struggling financially, mentally, and physically. And I am not saying this because I don't like homework or schoolwork, I am saying this because I know, for a fact, that many students out there who are carrying far more than the weight of their studies.
May mga estudyanteng hindi na natutulog dahil kailangan pang magtrabaho bago o pagkatapos ng klase nila dahil sa hirap ng buhay. Some have to take care of their family, their sick parents. Some have to step up and to be parents figure to their siblings.
And it hurts me knowing that while I am lying comfortably on my soft bed every night, they are out there working hard for themselves and their family.
It's why we need a system that doesn't break the young ones while trying to build their present and future. Because I feel like humans live, not to really live, but to reach the expectations the world has set for them.
"Pwede naman kasing ipagawa na lang iyon once we are back from vacation." Aiden said when we left the lecture room.
We are now heading outside the campus since we decided to eat out instead. Wala ang iba sa amin dahil may mga klase pa. Si Atlas naman...
I pursed my lips thinking about my boyfriend who has been so busy the past few days. Hindi rin kami parehas ng oras ng lunch break kaya hindi ko siya makakasama ngayon.
"Eat well, okay? I'll eat my lunch after a while, so don't worry too much." he said gently when I called him.
I pinched my lower lip and watched my friends look at the menu.
"Do you want something? I can buy it for you and bring it to your building once we are done here."
I roamed my gaze around the restaurant Nathan picked while waiting for Atlas' response. Maraming tao at karamihan ay mga estudyante rin. Some are from our university, while some aren't.
"Hmm..." I heard him hummed and it took him a few seconds to speak again. "I don't want you to walk to my building, but I want to see you, baby, so buy me anything, as long as you have something for me." he said softly.
