Erika Monique Talan

This week’s featured student is Erika Monique Talan! She is 19 years old and is in her second year of physical therapy. From working out (#gymmer) to trying to stay motivated during this pandemic, let’s get to know a little bit more about Erika!

We can all agree that this pandemic has given us a lot of free time to explore new hobbies and activities. For Erika, she has gotten into working out. Not only does working out keep her physically healthy, but it has given Erika an outlet to enhance her concentration and motivation. “I really started working out more when this pandemic started and it makes me happy to see the results in my health and body.” If you’re looking for an easy way to get started into working out, Erika recommends jumping rope! It’s one of her favorite exercises and is a fun way to stay moving. Apart from staying active during this pandemic, Erika has also recently gotten into watching documentary series. “I find them really interesting and I realized that some people can do what they want because of money, their illness, and for popularity.” With all this free time, it really is about finding balance, and Erika has accomplished just that.

We can also all agree that these times have been stressful. When it comes to living in this new norm, especially as college students, it has been hard. From journaling, to taking walks, to watching TikToks, we all have different ways of relaxing and decompressing. For Erika, she loves to listen to music. If you’re looking for some calming music, she recommends listening to Lany and Ben&Ben. For Lany, you can catch Erika playing these songs on repeat: Pink Skies, ILYSB, Thick and Thin, Malibu Nights, and Hericane. As for Ben&Ben, she specifically loves to listen to Pasalubong, Upuan, Di Ka Sayang, Araw-Araw, Leaves, and Pagtingin. Hopefully you give these song recommendations a listen, and maybe you too can find yourself more relaxed.

Now let’s get to the big question that all college students are being constantly asked, “Why have you chosen that course?” For Erika, she realized that physical therapy gave her the opportunity to combine her passions, which are working out and helping people. “I love being a PT because it allows me to praise God by making a positive difference in people’s lives, which provides me great joy and fulfillment.” Finding a course that allows you to pursue your passions is what any college student hopes for. I bet we can all agree that the College of Rehabilitation Sciences has offered us just that. We might be small in numbers compared to other courses, but being able to do something your passionate about is an amazing experience. And when we are given the chance to do something we love, with other people who also love what they are doing, all these hard and long times filled with studying and learning is going to go by before we know it. Let’s just hope face to face comes soon!

Like most of us, Erika is anxiously waiting for face to face, and ready to learn in person and be off these virtual meets. “I am excited because it has been a long time since we experienced classroom learning but at the same time I’m scared because of this pandemic. There are always pros and cons to all our actions because we don’t really know what is going to happen.” Experiencing school online makes it hard for a lot of us to stay motivated. For Erika, staying motivated doesn’t always come easy. It’s definitely much easier said than done. “It is really hard for me to motivate myself because I always doubt myself, but I always do these things so I can relax and think straight about everything that I am going to do. First, I break the task down into manageable chunks, Second, I keep my end goal in mind, Third, I always plan a study routine and lastly, I don’t let my studying take over my life.” This is how Erika manages to be a successful learner and student, and I definitely agree that it’s about finding a balance. It’s possible to keep our academic goals in mind while having fun! Give yourself time to relax, practice good study habits, and remember that your whole life does not revolve around being a student!

“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough” - Og Mandino. This is one of Erika’s favorite quotes and is a really good reminder for us all. “As a student participating in this new normal, online school is confusing to adjust to as we had been prepared through simulation or practice beforehand. I admit that online learning is really hard but we need to continue what we are doing right now because education is everything.” Here’s to learning and (hopefully) making memories in person at Liceo as we all struggle together and strive for success.

Article by: Andrea Tolentino, CRS Newsletter Writer