Part 2 Looking for Scholarships Abroad? UCC (Study + Travel)

Hi, everyone. Usually I write my entries directly without greeting any possible readers but my 'editor' (ehem, ehem) told me that I should do this like I am doing a vlog. He said that I should think about those cringy YouTube videos. Anyway, enough with the tangential.

This is Part 2 of my blog about looking for scholarships abroad. As I said, I have no experience with this so if anyone's reading who've done it before, kindly comment down below and berate me on how pretentious and uninformative this entry is. Lol.

It's not that we don't have a school here in the Philippines who offers an MSc degree in Geology (UP) but I would just really want to do it outside of the country because I'm choosy like that. Also, a taught degree in Europe will suit me because I want the classroom-vibe in a romantic setting and have a lot of interactions with shining blond colleagues and professors.

So, this entry is about University College Cork, Ireland. I am basing my choice of university from the GOI-IES scholarship that I've mentioned in my previous post (click here). Since the scholarship will only cover one year of studies, the program they offered there in MSc Geology - Exploration Field Geology is a perfect choice for me.

The university was one of the three Queen's Colleges, the two others were in Belfast and Galway, founded in 1845. I won't bore you with these kind of details so just click this link if you want to read more about it.

So, before, I am thinking about taking a specialization in petroleum geology. I mean, I am really interested with it, it's also fun, challenging and not gonna lie, I've heard that it pays well to be working in the petroleum industry. I was all set for that program, even looking for admissions at Malaysian unis (because Petronas is there) or Brunei unis, but everything changed when I heard about the Paris Agreement of 2015.

It's already 2020 and I only encountered about this agreement when I took an online course regarding international energy. Talk about the Philippines being progressive environmentally, am I right? With Climate Change being more evident as the years progress, the world is now taking steps to mitigate and enforce measures against the impacts of our Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions. So, from dependence on fossil fuels, we're now shifting to invest more and more to renewable energy sources (I included here all advanced biofuels) and carbon capture studies and technology.

So, this does not bode well to the study of Petroleum Geology. In a few years time, we will reach Peak Oil Demand and the world will never be the same again (just in oil consumption, lol). Because of this, it'll be more wise to invest in an education degree that can at least give you strong footholds in the future.

Having a specialization in Field Geology will be profitable in the long run. Even though we are turning our backs more and more from fossil fuels, exploration for metallic and nonmetallic deposits will be extended as long as technology is evolving and world population is ballooning. We're gonna need more and more nonmets for constructions and metallics for just about anything.

UCC offers this program which is a 1-year full time course. Aside from having in-depth learning about field geology, what's exciting about this is the opportunity for experiencing ship time aboard the Irish State Research Vessel, the Celtic Voyager, travelling across the Republic like Co. Donegal, Co. Clare, Co. Kerry and South Wales (in UK, eeey). Don't worry about people telling you that you're not taking a thesis degree, part II of this taught-degree is a 5-month long research project which you can also do outside of Ireland. You wanna travel to Switzerland to see the Alps and do some geology there? Go ahead.

In order to finish the said program, you'll need to finish Part 1 which is comprised of 60 units covering the following courses:

If you're a Vincentian Geologist, we got this, bruh!

Part 2 is 30 credits. This is the 5-month long research project I've mentioned above. This will be consists of a dissertation and a project seminar and yep, can be taken abroad.

This program has written exams and continuous assessment elements. You'll get to do essays (c'mon!), attend seminars, assessed seminars (I hope minus the usual humiliation incidents), submit practical and technical field reports and the most exciting part, do offshore and field surveys.

Submission of application will cost you around ~2,800 Philippine Peso or the equivalent of 50 Euro as of this writing. What you need to prepare are the following:
1. Official Academic Transcript (according to their website, this course requires a Second Class Honours, Grade II (2H2 Equivalent) degree or equivalent in a Geological/Earth Sciences area or a related relevant degree. I looked for the equivalent here and the website just say that "there is no standard grading system used in Higher Education" and that I should contact the International Office for this)
2. Graduation Certificate
3. Photocopy of Passport
4. English Language Test Result
5. CV
6. Official documentation relating to any other academic/professional non-degree qualification
7. Reference Letters/grading certs

For Non-EU students, the tuition amounts to 18,000 Euros which is around a million Philippine Peso (2020). So if you can afford that and the living expenses in Ireland and not to mention attend a school that looks like a palace and gives you prince/princess vibe, I think you should attend UCC.

This school is currently number one on my list. There are a lot that offers scholarships for Geologist around the world and you just have to look for a school that fits you and your interest. You should of course take into consideration whatever is important for you. Choose a city or even a country that you are interested with culturally or even geologically because it will keep you sane when the going get tough.

I know two people personally who are now taking their MSc in Japan (if you're into JPop, cherry blossoms and the kohai/senpai culture), also another one who's taking his PhD, and two other colleagues who are currently studying in ETH Zurich.

A German geologist friend from Aachen told me that ETH Zurich really gives a lot of opportunities to deserving international students. Maybe if you're really into seeing the Alps or you want to know more about the deep geological nuclear repositories they're building in the Opalinus Clay formation, you should consider the school.

Make sure to tune in for Part 3! It'll be very interesting.

Hasta la proxima.

Physical and Mental Well-Being (Quarantine Edition)

Hi, everyone! I know most of us here in the Philippines are getting more and more upset as the days progress in a snail-pace and there's no clear move (or plans even) from the national government to suppress the spread of the virus and to address the situation of the greater portion of the Philippine populace (the marginalize sector).

Not gonna lie, I hate talking about this, even thinking about this, because I do get angry. I don't want to think about all the police brutality incidents, the continuous loaning of this Government to the World Bank when no one can really feel, hear or see where the money's going, the constant threats about declaring Martial Law and the coddling of Winnie the Pooh's subjects here in the country. I mean, c'mon, Filipinos with common sense and those who have eyes can see all the bullshit shenanigans that are happening in the country right now.

This is from Reddit. Credits to the owner

While at home, after listening or reading about the news, I try to calm myself down. It's not easy to be slapped in the face everyday or to be a laughingstock of the world. Hell, Filipinos don't deserve this! There's more to us that most part of the world recognize.

To try to ease my mind from all of this, I usually exercise. It helps me both physically and mentally since I am trying to lose some weight as well. [By the way, I am doing a LCIF (Low Carb and Intermittent Fasting) diet since last January and I've already lose 9kgs. I am also not eating rice anymore and I am feeling a whole lot better. I am getting ready for all the recon I would be doing in the foreseeable future.]

I live in a boarding house and we have a little space where I can work out so I tried looking for vids in YouTube for small spaces. I really like this 20-Minute Butt Lift Workout for Beginners which is uploaded by PsycheTruth. I improvised it a little bit by just doing it in 2 cycles and in 20 reps each. I don't know what these exercise movements are called but you can check it out here:

20 Minute Butt Lift Workout for Beginners: Tone & Shape Glutes Exercise Routine at Home

I am also trying to lose all my arm flab. Have you seen all the videos about having a toned arms in one week? That's a scam. It's not true. Although I do enjoy this 5-minute arm workout by Annie Taylor Efremsky. You can do it anywhere and at least 4-6 cycles a day. Just freaking make sure you have a 2lb weights and not the 4lb ones. I almost died doing that the first day.

5 minute arm workout- get long, lean, toned arms

A colleague told me to do upper body exercise because it'll help me to lose those arm flab faster than focused arm exercise or 'spot reduction'. I've searched some articles about them and yeah, apparently, doing these types of exercise really helps. Here's one article about it: The 9 Best Ways to Lose Arm Fat

So now, in addition to my booty exercise, I add tricep dips, planks and of course, push-ups. I also push to a daily 20-40 minutes exercise because that helps. I also added yoga because it helps me relax. Bought also a few fiber-rich snacks and dark chocolates. Choco Mucho 100-Calories bar are very good and it has only 7g of carb in it.

For mental health, I read and study a lot. I also have this blog to work on so I am not that bored. But mind you, I am still excited to go outside, eat out and see my family and friends.

That's it for now. Hasta la proxima.

Taking Online Courses (Part 2): Philippine Energy Situation: Is it aligned with the Paris Agreement of 2015?

Hi, guys! This is Part 2 of my Taking Online Courses blog.

As I've mentioned before, I am taking Politics and Economics of International Energy. It's a cool course which is being taught by a world renowned economist (I said this because he has a Wikipedia page), Prof. Giacomo Luciani.

This course is designed to be taken within 8 weeks and it focuses on discussions regarding all types of energy sources, the energy trends and scenarios based on the Paris Agreement of 2015, policies for decarbonisation, energy security, energy equity and of course, environmental sustainability.

All throughout the course, I was becoming more and more scared of all the possible outcomes in the future. I understand now that Climate Change is not something we can just shrug about or retort with a snide comment. It's goddamn serious and we're feeling the realness of it as the years go by. 

Because energy is something that we humans can't really live without these days, it's important to address the pressing issues of aligning our demand for energy with our environmental goals.

The Philippines, as a country which still relies heavily on coal (~45% in 2015 of our energy consumption is being supplemented by coal as per this site), is not helping to promote the call for change to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. As a matter of fact, I think the current DOE Secretary is blind to the facts of where we, as a country, are going in relation to the Energy Trilemma Index. According to an article published by Philstar Global on September 1, 2019, the Secretary said that we are not going to close our doors to coal power projects and that:

“The Philippines, in the (Energy) Trilemma Index (of the World Energy Council), is number one in environment sustainability,  energy security and accessibility. These are the areas we need to improve,” he said.

I mean c'mon, I don't know what he's smoking but I might want to try that. The statement is confusing. We are number one? That's not what I saw in the full report of the World Energy Trilemma Index 2019. We're not number 1 in the world, not even in Asia, even in the most improved country.

I mean, I am all for energy security but saying that the Philippines 'will not implement a moratorium on coal power plant developments until we attained energy security' is just plain stupid. I know, in an economic point of view, using coal is by far cheaper than any other source of power and electricity because it can be locally produced or imported cheaply in SEA but are we willing to take the risk and brace ourselves on the consequences of coal's environmental impact?

I kinda agree to the sentiments of Murang Kuryente, a consumer group in the energy sector, who said that the Philippines is one of the few countries in the world that insists in constructing new coal-fired power plants despite the global consensus of turning against the use of coal. Hell, even Germany already promised that by 2038, coal will not be utilized anymore. These coal-fired power plant will be operated for 20-40 years. Imagine being one of the few countries in the world by 2060 who still utilizes coal and emits considerable amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. For shame, Philippines.

I also don't quite get the obsession with setting up a Nuclear Power-plant. I know that it's an opportunity to corrupt big amounts of public funds but I think that it's not the right direction for the Philippines especially if we're talking about "Pressurized Boiling Water Reactor". I mean, even I, a lowly, opinionated and not-so-smart geoscientist know that we're in for disaster if do try to build this kind of power-plants. I believe in our scientist but not so much to our fault system, lol.

BUT, if we're talking about smaller power-plant models, nuclear batteries that can last 30-40 years or even an investment on a Floating Nuclear Power Plant strategically situated in our territories in the West Philippines Sea, go for it. Just don't build the large nuclear power plants. That's a recipe for disaster considering the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan last 2011, even major European countries such as Sweden and Germany turned their back to this type of energy.

I mean, I am all up for diversification but please, focus more on renewable energy, natural gas (it has cleaner burn but very hard to transport and expensive to store) and advanced biofuels and even oil before we reach the Peak Oil demand.

We are now suffering considerable 'market failure' because pollution cost is not being imposed on emitters/polluters which we're supposed to do as early as the turn of the century. If we keep on sticking to our usual habits and don't find ways to limit or even eradicate our carbon footprints, a really bleak future is looming for the human kind.

As I've said to people I talk to in the internet, the earth will never end. Whatever happens, it will stand to harsh geologic events and climate change. The people in it will die, though, and that's what we need to prepare for if we don't change our ways.

Hasta la proxima.

Part 1 Looking for Scholarships Abroad? (Study + Travel)

Do you hate the Philippines like I do? Nah, I'm sure you do, too! I don't know why I even mentioned that, lol.

Kidding aside, I love this country but not its government. Anyway, ever since I graduated last 2016, I  am already researching ways on how to obtain an MSc outside of this country. Besides the fact that I've heard from various sources that it's easier to acquire a postgraduate degree outside of the Philippines, I, of course, want to move to a different place, meet new people and experience a whole  new other culture.

I want to take up my postgraduate degree FREE just like my bachelor's degree. I had a scholarship back then and I want to get another one for this new chapter of my life (charaught). Tbh, if I have the money, I won't really pursue a scholarship application. Just by reading ways on how to actually get one gives me cluster headache. The process seems to be so tedious and overwhelming.

To be honest, I haven't tried to apply yet to any scholarship because I need an English Language result and those damn tests cost a lot of money and they expire after only two years. I don't want to comment further about this because I might get into trouble.

So, yeah. According to one article I've read about looking for scholarships, you should at least start one year prior to your intended date of study year. So if you're planning to attend a European college or university, they start school around September or October, and start their registration as early as November the previous year and scholarship applications usually has a deadline of February (at least from what I've read).

I am actually planning to attend an MSc Exploration Field Geology degree on University-College Cork (UCC) in Ireland (more of the course description on Part 2). I think the program suits me well because it's only good for one year and it fits perfectly on one scholarship I am eyeing: the Irish GOI-IES.

So, according to my research, each year, they usually give scholarships to around 60 students attending different universities across the Republic of Ireland. If you plan on attending a uni in Dublin, you'll have a greater chance of being accepted if you graduated as Summa Cum Laude because of the influx of students who would want to study in the capital. Applying on one of the other counties, preferably if they're far from the capital would be a better choice as they really want to distribute students. Don't worry also because it is an equal-opportunity scholarship. They promised that there will be no discrimination and that they will even supplement programs with opposite sex if they think that that industry is heavily-dominated by the other gender.

International students from the Asia Pacific are very much welcome because it's one of their goals to build long-term strategic relationships with the countries in Asia (for more information, just click here). As they said in their international education strategy, Irish Educated, Globally Connected.

The GOI-IES is a scholarship for Irish and international students who:
1. Possess excellence (academically, personally, professionally and creatively);
2. Have excellent communication skills (yep, they required IELTS/TOEFL/a weird DUOLINGO exam result?);
3. Have outstanding and remarkable extra-curricular activities (humanitarian work, political activism, arts and sports); and,
4. Possess strong rationale for pursuing their study in Ireland that indicates how a GOI-IES fits in their longer term goals.
Of course, when you apply for such scholarships, you need to have either a conditional and/or final offer.

This scholarship has a 100-pt criteria. Pretty much like applying for a Canadian visa, lol. You will be rated in accordance to your academic achievements (40pts), your personal statement (very important as this covers the remaining 60pts) and two references. If you planned to take a 2-3 year program, I would just like to tell you that this scholarship will only cover your one-year tuition and stipend. You're gonna provide for the remaining years of your schooling.

Do you plan to go study abroad? Please share your experience and tips below. Also, I will talk more about the MSc Geology program being offered by UCC in my next blog.

Thanks.

Hasta la proxima.

Taking Online Courses (Part 1)

When I was an undergrad taking my program in Geology, I was really fascinated with Petroleum Geology. It's very interesting, science-y and really picked my brain. I really did enjoy taking that course subject.

I remembered that Agusan-Davao Basin was the basin I chose back then. I remembered reading a lot of articles about it coming from the World Bank and DOE because of its oil and gas potential. We also did some modelling back then of basins and it was really fun. Ah, the good old days when I was still a passionate and ideal student (lol).

Anyway, out of boredom and my sheer interest in learning new things and gaining knowledge, I decided to take online courses. I looked for courses regarding energy because that's my current interest and my line of work.

I found one suitable for me at Coursera. The course is Politics and Economics of International Energy being offered by SciencesPo or the Paris Institute of Political Studies. The course is being thought by Prof. Giacomo Luciani. Anyway, the course is not cheap in my case being the current situation and the massive forced leave being enforced in the whole country because of the pandemic.

So I think really hard because it ain't cheap for your mate. It's a good thing though that Coursera is offering financial aid (sort a scholarship) for its students who really need it. You just have to fill-up forms and be truthful about your current situation.

I got the aid and took the course. I only have one more exam before I complete it and have a certificate for it.

I've learned a lot from this course and I am very excited to share with you my learning/s in the blogs to follow.

Fresh New Blog! and Tips for Reviewing (Geology)

I admit that I am not the best when it comes to blogging but I promise you, everything will turn around this time (lol).

I have a lot more free time due to the current situation in the world and even though we still don't know if the board exam for geologists this November 17-19, 2020 is still gonna go through, preparing for it is still important.

We're gonna first cover the Geology of the Philippines (I only have the 2010 version) in the following blogs here (and maybe a few interstitial rants and additional stories).

Online processing for the board exam will start on August 19, 2020 with a final submission date on October 16, 2020.

It's not important to memorize a lot of stuff about geology, what matters is the amount of data you're able to read. It's only April, you can start by reading a chapter a day. That's what I did back in 2017. If you're aiming to snatch a place in the Top 10, maybe do something intensive. But I will advise not to study 8-5 a day because it will not really give you the optimum result and, hello, we have short attention span.

In my experience, I studied intensively three weeks before the board exam. I studied 8-5, Monday to Friday for two weeks and lull and prayed for the remaining week before the exam.

Well, anyway, good luck. I will update you more for our schedule with GOP and our new board examiners. (We lost one of our pillars last year, Sir Pena.)

5 Tips for Handling Toxic People in the Workplace (REPOST)

I just copied this on a website because, DAMN, that website has LOTS of ads. It's very annoying.

It's from this link, an article from Larry King.

But what can you do about it? Plenty. Try some of these tactics:

1. Personal Power Check

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.-Eleanor Roosevelt

Start by firmly and swiftly booting the person out of your head. We can't control how people act, but we have 100 percent control over how we react to them.

Stop giving toxic people your head space. This is incredibly difficult, but you end up sabotaging your efforts if you're obsessing over what someone else is doing, or what he or she might do next. You overthink your decisions and consider their feedback before it's even been offered (or thrust upon you).

Take the emotion out of your reaction to toxic people. They're going to do what they're going to do, but you don't have to get upset about it. Get right with that reality, and start taking your personal power back.

2. Distance Yourself

If you share workspace, putting physical distance between your toxic influence and yourself may not be possible, but try. Watch for space opening up that you could lay claim to. Find a reason you need to work somewhere else in the building.

If that doesn't work, distance yourself mentally and emotionally. Are you allowed to wear headphones at your desk? Music might help you tune him or her out, but you don't even have to play anything-wearing headphones is a buffer that tells people they'll have to interrupt if they need something. It helps cut off the instant access that might have someone in your ear every five minutes.

If breaks are an issue, start taking your lunch outside. Find a park, go for a walk-just get away from the office and the toxic person for a brief respite when you can.

3. Put Your Foot Down

Know your boundaries, and make sure they're clear to those around you. If the toxic person flies right past the annoying line and becomes abusive or otherwise inappropriate for a professional setting, make a complaint. Taking it sitting down tells the person your boundaries are farther than he or she thought, and there is a lot more he or she can get away with.

Don't allow it to become personal. A complaint about inappropriate behavior in the workplace should not become a laundry list of every nasty thing the person has ever done to you. Keep it succinct and professional; be clear about which workplace rules he or she is breaking and how it affects the workplace as a whole.

Yes, there will be backlash. Be ready for it, and don't take it to heart. You might just find that others start putting their foot down as well.

4. Let Them Act Out

Don't completely block out a toxic person. Yes, you need distance, and you need to put your foot down, but this is also a person you need to cooperate with on some level, given your mutual employment. It's not like a toxic friend-you can't just stop answering the phone.

Let him or her speak, share his or her ideas (even if they suck), give his or her input (even if it's off base and mean), and don't interrupt.

Give these people the opportunity to have their say. If that means others in the workplace see how toxic the person is, bonus. It can also help defuse situations that could become explosive; no one likes to be shut out entirely.

You don't want to be accused of being the one who won't listen or is difficult. Give him or her the respect he or she deserves in his or her professional position so you're poised to ask for the same.

5. Counterstrike: Mission Positivity

The absolute best way to counter negative, toxic, soul-sucking people is to surround yourself with people who lift you up and give you energy instead.

Make a conscious decision to spend more time with the fun, happy, constructive people in your workplace. Uplifting people are a great counterbalance to toxicity.

Look inside, too. Check your self-speak-those million little things we tell ourselves on a regular basis. Take note when you're thinking and telling yourself negative things, which just might echo the things a toxic person has told you before. Reframe these things into positives.

Moving Past Toxic People in the Workplace

Life isn't always fair; it's sad but true. You might have to work alongside toxic people throughout your entire career. You can't change them, so it's up to you to decide how you're going to deal with them and move past it.

Even when you can't physically move on to a new position or a new company, you can mentally move past toxic people. Leave them behind. If they're not helping you, they don't deserve your attention and certainly aren't something to stay awake over at night.

PUBLISHED ON: JUN 12, 2014