What to Do During Karoling Season

Sa maybahay ang aming bati, “merry Krismas na malwalhati.”
Ang pag-ibig ang siyang naghari, sana araw-araw ay magiging Pasko lagi.
Ang sanhi po ng pagparito, hihingi po ng aginaldo.
Kung sakaling kami’y perwisyo, pasensya na kayo kami'y namamasko.

I bet that many of you (if you are in the Philippines) already heard that popular Christmas song this time of the year. Well, it is Christmas Season, which is the perfect time for enterprising kids to brandish their tambourines made of tansan (bottle caps). It is also the perfect time for them to visit your house to croak their angelic voices for some coins.
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Improvised tambourine. (Source: Think!)

Karoling is Christmas tradition in the Philippines. Karoling is the Filipinized rendition of the word caroling. Karoling is not just being done by the children as there are adult carolers who use real musical instruments like guitar, tambourines, etc. Children carolers are much simpler because their musical instruments are tambourines made from bottle caps and tin cans that serve as drums.
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(Source: Life's Memoirs Online)

People have many reactions when it comes to karoling. Majority of these reactions, I believe, is that of annoyance. This kind of reaction is understandable because these kids has the habit of returning to your house night after night until Christmas Eve if they discovered that you are generous in handing out coins.

So, how should you deal with these children? Here are the things that you can do when they are karoling at your house:

1. Hide and Ignore – This is highly recommended for ninongs and ninangs who have the habit of hiding from their inaanaks (godchildren) every Christmas. You should always keep in mind that carolers are attracted to Christmas lights like the way moths are attracted to the flame. Don’t decorate your house with Christmas lights to avoid being noticed by these kids.  If you’re uncharitable enough to not want carolers to visit your house, I suggest that you turn off all the lights inside and outside of your house and pretend that you are asleep.

2. Give them Coins or Scold them – Another way to deal with carolers is to follow a sort of “merit system.” You give the carolers a reward (a.k.a. coins) if they sang their Christmas carol well. Avoid giving them any coin if they continue croaking like frogs instead of singing. This is a good way motivating carolers to improve their karoling. Bad-singing carolers will avoid your house because they think that you demand so much just for a few coins.

3. Give them treats – Give the carolers candies or food if you don't want to give them money. This alternative is similar to the Halloween “trick or treat.” If you don't like their karoling then you trick 'em but I guess that is not in accord with the Christmas spirit.

4. Let the dogs out – Do this if you idolize old Scrooge but be prepared to be hacked with jungle bolo of the children's angry fathers.

There was a time when karoling is taken seriously. That was the time when kids put an effort to sing well. Nowadays, the children carolers don't care if their singing is out of tune or no one understands what they are saying. This is the reason why many people think that karoling is annoying.
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(Photo by Rowell Ang)

I also noticed that these children took karoling to the streets. They climb jeepneys and buses to ask for coins after they sang their Christmas carol. What they are doing is very dangerous. I will not be surprised if there will be a road accident that involves them.

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Tips on Taking UPCAT, ACET, DLSUCET and Other College Entrance Exams

It is just the start of the school year and I observed my youngest brother busy preparing some documents. When I asked him what’s he is so busy about, he said that he is preparing his application for the UPCAT or the University of the Philippines College Admissions Test.

Though, still early, now is the time for senior year high school students to prepare for college. Like what some people say, “it is never early to prepare.” Here are some of my tips for those who are planning to take the UPCAT and other college entrance exams.

1. Study in Group.

About seven years ago, in my senior year in high school, all of my classmates decided to take the UPCAT. Because of that, we decided to prepare for the exam as a whole class. After our shift in school, we had a session to study for the exams. We did this to help each other, especially those who are being left behind. We also asked our teachers to help us in our study. Studying in a group is quite helpful because you will get ideas from your classmates. You also get the chance to share what you know. Sharing your knowledge is a great way of refreshing your mind on the topics that you already learned. I find teaching my fellow classmates, even during my college years, as a good way to review for the exams.

2. Review Daily.

There is saying that says “practice makes things perfect.” This saying is also applicable to reviewing for the exams. Studying everyday and solving math problems is the best way to hone your self so that answering them is easy during the exams. I study everyday after finishing all my assignments to prepare me for the UPCAT. It is helpful because the interference from my classmates is gone. I can concentrate on answering questions for the exam.

Practicing answering the sample questions daily is also a great way to develop a habit of studying daily. This habit is very important once you entered college.

3. Use Review Materials

Review books and pamphlets that are available in the bookstore were helpful for me in reviewing for the UPCAT. The authors of these books already have an insight on what types of exams and questions are being asked for college entrance exams like UPCAT. These insights are valuable so that you will not be surprised during the exams. Answering questions using the review books are the best way to gauge yourself how prepared you are for the exam.

4. Develop a Good Studying Habit.

All of the previous tips I mentioned are really helpful for you to pass college entrance exams. However, those tips rest on the attitude of the student. If you prefer to watch TV or play game rather than studying, then you have a big problem there. You should balance your time for study and your time for recreation. I, for one, devoted more time for review for UPCAT when I discovered that I have more grounds to cover. Having a good studying habit while reviewing for college entrance exams is a good way of developing good studying habit that you will need during your college years.

The tips I gave here are quite helpful for me when I am studying for UPCAT seven years ago. I hope that my tips help you too. If you have more idea or studying tips, then please it with us by leaving a comment.

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