In My Immersion Era
I have always thought that the concept of putting students through on-the-job training (OJT) was only for those who are already in college. I continued to think so until the implementation of the K-12 program. Now that I am experiencing first-hand what I only used to ponder over when I was still a junior, I can confidently say that it is a force to be reckoned with.
Having been assigned to the City Legal Office of my city’s municipality, pulled me out of my comfort zone like gravity. The atmosphere in the workplace emanates the vibe of true formality and intense seriousness. You could really tell that what they do requires strict competence and above-average skills. Being in a room full of actual attorneys and soon-to-be ones exacts pressure on mere students such as myself who just wish to complete 80 hours (about 3 and a half days) of work that our subject in Work Immersion requires of us. Of course, this is what we signed up for the moment we listed down “Political Science” as our preferred course in college. And this journey is made specifically for us to overcome hurdles in pursuit of our dreams and ambitions.
The first day bore us to death when all we had to do was sit down at one corner and observe how things functioned inside the City Legal Office. But for us, it was literally just watching the walls, the hands of the clock point at 5, watch as the room darkened as it gets late. Everyone was busy doing their own thing, clumped up in each of their own cubicles. We were bench players in the NBA Finals. Only getting seconds when the starting 5 gets either injured or ejected from the game. But then again, I thought to myself, “we’re only grade 12 students.” The best work we students could do was the grunt.
But that all changed when Sir Ferdie (one of the department employees) approached us and offered to teach us the ways of the xerox machine. He must have noticed our heavy faces and droopy eyes before coming to us. From that point on, we were able to learn so many new things that weren’t really legal work, but the basic stuff that any legal worker should know. From operating a photocopy machine up to how we should address the different problems that come to the office. We were also able to handle civil and criminal cases (we didn’t handle them just inventory work). Our life as immersionists made a huge 180 degrees all thanks to our millennial-wannabe supervisor.
We only have two workdays left in our Work Immersion. My eyes were lit to the reality of working as an employee of the government. I met people that I thought I would least get along with but turned out to be a best friend. Just as much good there is within work environments, there also lies behind it the harsh and cruel situations they must face daily for the sake of survival and provision for their families. Truly, for us students, it is difficult for us to expose ourselves in such environments. But I believe that we are among the fortunate ones to have an early understanding of what kind of life we’re working hard for in our academics. A spark of ambition moves in us, shining brighter now more than ever compared to our pre-immersion selves.
