Rizal at the

University of Santo
Tomas
Team Presentation

Vergara, Julius Dagohoy, Jody Heaven Peralta, Josh Hacker

LEADER MEMBER MEMBER
 MOTHER’S
OPPOSITION 
After graduating with the highest honor
TO HIGHER at the Ateneo Municipal, Rizal had to go
EDUCATION
to the University of Santo Tomas in order
to prepare himself for a career.

The Bachelor of Arts degree during
Spanish times was equivalent to a High
school diploma today. It merely qualified
its holder to enter a university.
 MOTHER’S
OPPOSITION

Both Don Francisco and Paciano wanted
TO HIGHER that Jose should pursue higher learning.
EDUCATION But Doña Teodora did not want him to
study more.

Evidently, she had a premonition that too
much knowledge would imperil her son’s
life. Additional is the incident of being
involve in the execution of friars Gomez,
Burgos and Zamora
 RIZAL
ENTERS THE • In April, 1877, Rizal was still not certain
UNIVERSITY regarding the course of study he wanted to
pursue.
• The Jesuit priests who had been his former
mentors had advised him to take up farming, or
to join the order and be a man of the cloth.
• However, his tastes went towards law,
literature, or medicine which made him end up
choosing Philosophy and Letters as his course
as a Freshmen
 RIZAL
ENTERS THE
UNIVERSITY • He enrolled in this course for two
reasons :
(1) It was what his father
would have wanted
for him.
(2) He was “still uncertain
as to what career to
follow.”
 RIZAL
ENTERS THE • He had written to Father Pablo Ramon,
UNIVERSITY Rector of Ateneo, who had been good to
him during his student days in that
college, asking for advice on the choice
of career.
• Unfortunately, The father Rector was in
Mindanao and during those days it took
several months for a letter to travel
between Manila and Mindanao.
 RIZAL
ENTERS THE
Consequently, during his
UNIVERSITY first year term (1877-78)
in the University of Santo
Tomas, he studied:
• Cosmology
• Metaphysics
• Theodicy
• History of Philosophy.
 1

1878-1879
 “
After completing his first year, Rizal decided to
take up medicine as his university course.
This change of heart was due to two factors:
 Father
Pablo Whom he
Ramon consulted for a
Rector of Ateneo choice of career,
finally answered
his letter,
recommending
medicine.
Rizal’s He wanted to be
Mother a physician so
that he might
cure his
mother’s failing
eyesight
Why the
poor Unfortunately,
Rizal was not
perform-
happy at UST
ance? and this
reflected on his
grades.
There were three main factors that
contributed to his unhappiness at the
university, namely:
 The
1.) Dominican
professors
were hostile
to him
 Filipino students suffered
2.) discrimination
3.) The method
of instruction
at UST was
obsolete and
repressive.
1.) Rizal was not
satisfied with
the system of
education at the
university.
 There were
2.) plenty of
things to
distract a
young man
in the peak
of his youth.
3.) Medicine
was not
Rizal's true
vocation.
 ROMANCES
WITH OTHER Not withstanding academic studies
in the University of Santo Tomas
GIRLS and extra curricular activities in
Ateneo, It was Rizal had ample time
for love.
He was a romantic dreamer who
liked to sip the “ nectar of love.”
His sad experience with his first
love had made him wiser in the
ways of romance.
Leonor Rivera - The beautiful
daughter of his landlord Antonio
Rivera. Rizal’s fell in love with
Leonor. A tender romances lasted 11
years (1879-1890).
Leonor Valenzuela - Rizal’s met
her when he was a sophomore
student at the University of Santo
Tomas. She was a charming
Manila girl who was living next
door to Rizal’s boarding house.
Leonor “Orang” Valenzuela - a
medical student from Calamba,
Laguna the charming daughter of
Capitan Juan and Capitana Sanday
Valenzuela. A tall girl with a regal
bearing. Rizal sent Leonor a love
notes written in invisible ink. She
is a sweetheart of Rizal.
 FINISHES
SURVEYING • During his first school term in the University of Santo Tomas
COURSE IN (1877-78), Rizal also studied in the Ateneo.
ATENEO
• He took the vocational course leading to the title of perito
agrimensor (expert surveyor).
• In those days, it should be remembered, the colleges for boys in
Manila offered vocational courses in agriculture, commerce,
mechanics, and surveying.
• Rizal, as usual, excelled in all subjects in the surveying course
in the Ateneo, with gold medals in agriculture and topography.
At the age of 17, he passed the final examination in the
surveying course, but he could not be granted title as surveyor
because he was below age. The title was issued to him on
November 25, 1881.
 es
• Rizal at the University of Santo Tomas 1877–1882. (n.d.-b).
nc The Life and Works of Rizal. Retrieved May 12, 2022, from
re
https://thelifeandworksofrizal.blogspot.com/2016/06/rizal-at-un
fe
iversity-of-santo-tomas-1877.html
Re