LESSON LEARNED ABOUT CHAPTER 5: AT THE

UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS (1877-1882)

PART 1
Lesson that I have learned about this report of Mr. Abdillah Chapter 5 was
after his graduation and first tragedy in love, Rizal wanted to pursue higher
learning. He knew he had to enter the University of Santo Tomas, a
university administered by the Dominicans, which was one of the best higher
learning institutions at that time. Rizal enrolled in the course because his
father liked it and he was still unsure what career he should pursue. He wrote
to his Alma matter’s Rector, Father Pablo Ramon, on his advice on what
course he should take up on. Father Ramon suggested he should pursue
medicine, and so Rizal enrolled simultaneously in the preparatory medical
course and the regular first year medical course. Part of the reason why Rizal
chose to take up medicine was he wanted to cure his mother’s failing
eyesight. While studying in UST he also studied in Ateneo simultaneously;
this time taking up the vocational course leading to the title expert surveyor.
As usual he got excellent ratings in all subjects of the course, acquired gold
medals in agriculture and topography, and passed the final exam in the
surveying course; all when he was 17 years old. Rizal would frequently visit
Ateneo while studying in UST not just because he is taking up his surveying
course there, but also because of his loyalty with them and it provided him
peace outside the suffocating atmosphere inside UST. There was a time
where Rizal was a victim of Spanish brutality. Rizal also had a fair share of
romances during his student days in UST. After Segunda Katigbak, he met
Miss L. He wooed her in several occasions, but had to stop because he was
not yet healed after his first love and his father did not like Miss L’s family.
After several months he met Leonor Valenzuela also known as Orang, a tall
girl with regal bearing. He would court her in many ways, one of which he
would write a letter to her using invisible ink, and only readable by heating
the letter over a candle to make the words appear. But as with Miss L, it
stopped short. Leonor Rivera (also known by her pen name Taimis), a frail,
pretty student at La Concordia College from Camiling, Tarlac, was Rizal’s
next lover. Between them sprang a beautiful and successful romance, which
led them to become engaged. While being a student, Rizal wrote award-
winning works such as “To the Filipino Youth,” a classic in Philippine
literature for two reasons: it is the first great poem in Spanish written by a
Filipino recognized by Spanish literary authorities, and it expressed for the
first time the nationalistic concept that the Filipinos are the hope of the
Philippines; and the allegory “The Council of the Gods,” were it was the first
time in history were a Filipino bested Spaniards in a national literary contest.
Throughout his days in UST, he had frequent brawls with Spanish students
and experienced dissatisfaction with the professors at the university. He was
the chief of his own secret society called “Comradeship” and led Filipinos in
student skirmishes with the Spanish students in the campus. He also
expressed unhappiness with the Dominican institution for the professors that
were hostile to him, Filipinos were discriminated, and the method of
instruction was not the best; one such example were laboratory lectures that
were taught without laboratory equipment. Rizal then failed to obtain high
scholastic honors due to the professors’ attitude, and because he could no
longer endure the unsatisfactory atmosphere in UST, Rizal decided to study
abroad; specifically, in Spain. It was a fact that the professors there were
more liberal than the ones at UST, and so Rizal decided to study there as it
was better than the suffocating atmosphere in the campus. And so for the first
time in his life, Rizal did not ask for his parents’ permission and blessings,
because he knew that they would not allow their son to go study in Spain; and
that only a selected few knew of his plans.

PART 2
My observation about Mr. Salahudin Abdillah, it is unique on how deliver his
topic and good - speaking reporter. Cleaned and nice.