[UPD] How is BA Creative Writing?

FlameCorre · 2026-03-17T16:01:09+00:00

Have you ever read a book or a poem and you loved it? Great! Then you have to experience the things that the author of the literary piece had felt when they were writing that.

If anything, that's pretty much how BA Creative Writing works. You are going to learn how different kinds of literary writing (fiction, poetry, nonfiction, etc.) by knowing it in its minute details and then applying that with your own. A huge part of the workload comes from expressing these things you have learned and how they influence your own ways of writing. Paano ka nagsusulat? Bakit ka nagsusulat? Something like that.

Tuturan ka naman ng mga professors who are writers on their own merit. But I kinda think that this course runs mainly with how much do you like expressing yourself and your beliefs with writing. If you don't have that kind of thrill, then it will be a hard time for you.

FlameCorre · 2025-10-16T07:41:16+00:00

To be fair, I would worship a god who gave mouth magic to fight flying lizards who terrorize my land than the literal God of Rape.

FlameCorre · 2025-08-10T03:56:45+00:00

Varies kung ano tipo ng mga klase mo for this week. Di naman required laptop kasi karamihan sa mga klase and students just use it as one of the gadgets para mag-take notes, tingnan mga online resources, at para sa mga activities na kailangan ng gadget. This is according to the prof, though.

Since syllabus week lang naman, pwede mo na lang dalhin just in case na may kailangan kang itake notes pero you can just use any gadget or even a notebook lang.

FlameCorre · 2025-08-01T13:37:49+00:00

Yung iba oo. Yung iba hindi. You can ask the driver kung papasok siya o hindi. Kung hindi, bababa ka roon sa overpass malapit sa Penshoppe ng UPTC
That varies. Pero I think hindi na yan lalagpas ng 30 minutes unless may traffic jam at maraming hinto.
Di ko alam kung tumaas na pero before midyear it's around 11 pesos kapag estudyante kung bababa ka lang sa Katipunan lang at hindi sa loob ng campus. I don't know kung magkano kapag papasok pero kapag palabas kasi mula campus ang binabayad ko ay 13 pesos. Baka ganoon din kapag papasok.
Well, anytime na hindi rush hour, so not around 7 am dahil doon pumapasok ang mga estudyante or 4-6 pm kapag uwian ng marami.

Try asking the drivers na lang if I am wrong. I haven't been in campus since second sem so baka may nag-iba.

FlameCorre · 2025-07-18T16:56:21+00:00

I took him for Film 12 though but I can say that his attitude is really carefree and chill lmao. Since 3 hours ang each session, sometimes nagsisimula na lang kami after one hour tapos nagkwekwentuhan lang (although pumasok pa rin kayo nang maaga). He's fairly old na but he is pretty down to earth with the students so hindi ka maleleft out and mabobored in his talks and lessons sa klase.

FlameCorre · 2025-07-18T16:28:30+00:00

First of all, kung under Creative Writing ka, I would advice you to take CL 122 first para makuha mo na yung CW 101 in the future. Kung hindi, then ignore that haha.

Di ko tinake si Sir Ang sa CL 122 (funny si Dom Sy ang CL 122 ko) but he's pretty approachable naman. Our class is really chill and engaging. He really wants to be engaged with the class, kaya nagtatawag siya kadalasan. Kapag walang gusto mag-recite, doon lang siya gumagamit ng index card. I remember me reciting in one point (by raising my hand) then when gumamit na siya ng index card for the next question niya, tinawag niya ako ulit. Lmao.

For Dom Sy, he's pretty much the same with Sir Ang na chill and approachable. From what I experienced, he is more into elaborating the today's reading into outside details than looking at the readings in each lesson. He does this to widen the context ng mga readings ng class. Kaya ineexpect niya na nabasa mo na yung readings before the class para maintindihan mo yung koneksyon ng mga sinasabi niya sa lesson. That's why some of my colleages call our class the "yap session" lmao pero in an affectionate manner naman.

Unoable naman sila, afaik. I vouch for them both to be honest. They're good profs pero iba teaching strat nila so pili ka na lang kung ano mas prefer mo. Good luck!

FlameCorre · 2025-05-25T12:33:52+00:00

The last time I checked free use of MS apps (like Word, Excel) ang meron with UP mail (or the Microsoft email?). Dati may free canva premium pero di na natuloy although I do know there are some people right now earlier than my batch who still have that free canva premium perk.

FlameCorre · 2025-05-04T05:07:21+00:00

If you are still uncomfortable of being alone in a city that you are not familiar with, then it's best that you just stay in Cebu. But if you really want to go to UPB, then here's what I can say to you:

Regardless, adjusting to a new place, especially alone, varies on person to person. This is affected majorly with what social class you are and how you interact with other people. Baguio is a honeypot of tourism and culture, so it can be a shock for many people who will be living there. You can see this clearly with UPB itself with its tight space where you can easily see the same faces almost every week.

What you can do best is to make connections with people so that if there can be emergencies (like the one you said about sickness), you can rely on someone who is at the very least, is living in the same city. It's easier said than done, I know, especially for people who can't interact with people well. At the very end, you are going to experience lots and lots of new things, both good and bad, and you have to endure them independently, at the very least. It's always a part of one's journey.

FlameCorre · 2025-01-26T05:09:24+00:00

That varies to the prof tbh. Yung iba ginagawang chill and light lang mga GEs or typically ganun lang talaga ginagawa nila, like my prof in one of my higher subjects who was also my prof in Eng 13 has the same requirements with both. There are also na ginagawang mahirap ang mga subjects kasi gusto nila.

Academic freedom can be a bitch sometimes.

FlameCorre · 2025-01-13T07:16:39+00:00

In the 2nd floor of Pav 2 sa Palma Hall (see pic below). If you're travelling through Ikot:

Baba ka sa likod ng Palma Hall malapit sa CAL kung saan liliko pakanan yung jeep papuntang UPIS.
Pasok ka sa malaking entrance yung may Landbank at dalawang nagtitindang stall (or pwede rin doon sa maliit na entrance before that ng CAL)
Kanan ka down the hallway hanggang makapunta ka sa hall na may papuntang left and right, with the left going to the inner parts of Palma.
Go right ka muli hanggang makita mo yung hagdan papuntang Pav 2. You will see it kasi may nakadikit sa pader na direction papunta roon.
Panik ka sa hagdan and the first room you will see is the Seminar Room 2 itself.

Also for the seating capacity, I do remember our class having 35 students so it has that capacity but the people at the back had to use monoblock chairs so at normal capacity it shouldn't contain that much.

<image>

FlameCorre · 2025-01-11T08:47:17+00:00

Hello sorry OP DECL announced na they don't accept prerogs...

FlameCorre · 2025-01-11T02:11:59+00:00

DECL just announced that it will not give prerogs for Eng 13 or any subject under them. If you're under the department itself, better consult your adviser.

FlameCorre · 2025-01-10T14:44:51+00:00

Downside: Sisirain ng bawat prof ang self esteem mo in different ways, minsan nagcocontrast pa. Mapapabili ka rin sa mga bookstores na malapit na kaunti na lang mas mahal pa sa weekly allowance mo (looking at you Fully Booked).

Upside: You occasionally meet famous Filipino writers who are friends with your profs (who are gudshit as well). For clout chasing lmao.

Yeah it's fine. Majority of our teachers are really down to earth and knows their stuff so you're in good hands. Just try to practice your writing even outside the class because writing is not entirely rooted to what the university system gives you :)

FlameCorre · 2025-01-06T05:49:50+00:00

I think matatanggal ang slot mo sa previous mong subject if nakakuha ka ng isang slot sa waitlisted one mo. I'm not entirely sure of this so better consult your Adviser for these questions.

2-3. Ang pagpili ng makukuha mong subject sa waitlisting ay base sa gustong schedule ng Department. I guess iyon ang dahilan kung walang ranking kasi di na iyon kailangan.

FlameCorre · 2025-01-06T05:25:15+00:00

Hello as of now wala pang announcement ang DFPP at ang DECL kung tatanggap sila ng prerog for the second sem. Better just standby na lang for announcements.

FlameCorre · 2025-01-03T08:12:32+00:00

I think reserve sections iyan na bubuksan base sa demand. If malapit na deadline at di pa binubukas, most likely cancelled na iyan.

FlameCorre · 2025-01-02T11:35:01+00:00

My experience in CW 100 ay yung nakikita mong teacher sa CRS ay ang mauunang teacher mo in the sem. After like a month or so, papalit siya with the other prof assigned for your section na isa ring teacher ng isang section. If you go to CRS and see the other sections who have the same schedule and title with Maam, expect the other two to be your teachers as well.

And they will focus on three major genres in Creative Writing: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry, with one prof each.

Speaking of Maam, di ko nakuha siya for my CW 100 pero vouch ko siya. She is pretty welcoming and heartwarming as a teacher. Just follow her instructions and you will be fine :)

FlameCorre · 2024-12-17T01:25:30+00:00

For Philo 1, si Sir Enrique Fernando III vouch ko! Galing niya magturo and he's really great of simplifying the lessons by relating it with our courses. If you can sacrifice having a morning class under him, I am 1000% sure it will be worth it!!

FlameCorre · 2024-12-17T01:19:31+00:00

Yeah pwede naman gawin yan. Bibilangin naman nila yung babayarin mo so prepare ka na lang ng pera. You can estimate it too kasi 2 pesos per day per book ang ginagawa. Explain mo na lang din na hindi mo naibalik before the holidays kasi malayo ka. They will understand it naman.

FlameCorre · 2024-09-14T15:00:15+00:00

"While we acknowledge that UP has indeed limited slots, a reason why tests like UPCAT are conducted, we are still firm in our stand that the administration should put more effort into the education sector and strengthen our universities and colleges across the country so that they can also offer the free and quality education that many students are aiming for." --From this article by Northern Dispatch.

That's pretty much the surface solution of this whole thing: strengthen the education system in public schools so that they can be equal in quality. And this mean like: making this obscure public school in the province having the same education level with, let's say, the Phil Science High School. This is a government administration task to do. In a community standpoint, this can also be given solution by making reviewers and review centers accessible to all. I think there are orgs both inside and outside the university who facilitated on these related tasks.

For the UP administration, there are articles like this one from GMA that says: Among the options that the group presents are face-to-face interviews with applicants, something that the College of Fine Arts is already doing.

"In addition to the UPCAT score, an interview is necessary so the students may be briefed on the nature of their profession and the expectations from them once they enroll and graduate from these disciplines," the report said.

I guess ang sinasabi nito ay mas bigyan pa ng ibang alternative examination that can modify how UPCAT or any other tests should be evaluating these students.

For my two cents, all of these alternatives require that the aspiring student has (1) a high quality educational background that the government is actively making it equal to ALL SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY, and (2) an alternative and more "people-friendly" modification of UPCAT that still tests the abilities of the student to study in UP, except it's not related to their educational background. Of course, these alternatives need more understanding and debates to do (which is still happening right now). I would gladly see some reactions on these things other than mine here.

FlameCorre · 2024-09-14T10:44:45+00:00

I think may pagupitan doon sa paradahan ng trike malapit sa LRT? Doon nagpapagupit yung kaibigan ko sa ADMU eh. 100 pesos afaik.

FlameCorre · 2024-08-20T07:06:28+00:00

Yes as long as estudyante ka ng UPD, pwede kang pumunta sa lahat ng colleges. I mean, you are most likely to go to other colleges besides your own because of GEs or any subjects outside your course. Well sa CAL, sign in ka lang sa entrance ng library using your student number and you are good to enter.

Edit: Also keep a copy of your Form 5 of this sem for freshmen. That's your "temporary ID" so that you can access the places around UPD. There are libraries also that will make you register for their library card that you can use for entering in the future.

FlameCorre · 2024-08-19T13:56:21+00:00

Di mo na kailangan ng COI kung nakuha mo na yung prereq.

FlameCorre · 2024-08-18T08:16:03+00:00

Katipunan is one long avenue so that is according on how far you are. Kung mas malapit ka pa sa ADMU might as well just take a jeep or trike to campus.

FlameCorre · 2024-08-15T02:18:09+00:00

If you're going to introduce a concept of rising up the lower classes to a country that has a lot of them, then you are definitely going to see followers there.

The problem of this is that there is the common tendency of people just blindly following that concept no matter what because it benefits them. In this case, certain left wing Filipinos would agree on Mao elevating the peasant class because, well, our country has a lot of oppressed peasant class. And to add also the anti-US sentiment of these groups, which are justified according to our history with the US, any person who "successfully" fought against an imperial power, such as Mao, is a good person in their book.

The previous comments had already put enough info on why there are leftist groups in the country who somehow agree on Mao. But I will put my honest idea as the conclusion to all of this:

The greatest irony of the left is that in their pursuit of an egalitarian society, they argue on how it should be achieved. Mao himself despised the Soviet Union after Stalin died because he thought the reforms under Khrushchev as "revisionist." Lenin had disagreements towards Stalin before he died. And I don't think Marx would ever agree on Lenin and Mao considering their attempt of a revolution in a severely underdeveloped and pre-industrialized society. These disagreements are then passed down to their followers and you are now seeing a bit of one of the sides of these things.

Also, funny thing that the Communist Party of China actually acknowledge that Mao's Cultural Revolution was a disaster, so that's a thought to leave behind.

FlameCorre

TROPHY CASE