CCS Colloquium

Last October 24, 2014, we attended the CCS Colloquium which was organized by the Catch2T16 Batch Government. It was a talk with speakers telling us about real life experience in the real field of work and their history in their academic life.

The first speaker was Mr. Ikee Tolentino, he talked about his career in HP. A graduate of DLSU with the course BS ICTM. According to him, he was the last batch of BS ICTM until it was renamed to BS Information Systems. He shared his experience in DLSU, then his experience working with HP. He told us that growing by studying is a key to having and maintaining a job in a company.

The second speaker was Ms. Sheng dela Cruz. Also a graduate of DLSU but with the course BS CS Major in Software Technology. She emphasized to us that balance is the key. For example, balancing social life with academics, balancing family life with social life, etc. I myself cannot balance these things, but I must learn to do so. Balancing money is also a problem for me as I save too much and I don't eat outside, I bring my own food, thus removing the satisfaction of trying out new food.

The third speaker was Mr. Gabe Mercado. He was a really fun and blooming person. Just like in the Yakult (Okay Ka Ba Tiyan?) commercial, he expresses himself through smiling and happiness. On the serious side, he is working with Improv, a theatrical group. He told us to be spontaneous, connect with the team and constantly communicate and collaborate. He asked us to stand up and play a game called "Snap", which was really interesting and helpful since I got to know my partner more and we collaborated for the sake of having fun. Another game he asked us to play was the "Yes, and..." game. Wherein the group would have to build up on each other, like contemplating each other in what they were doing, and combining ideas to form an innovative and helpful idea. Mr. Mercado is a very inspirational and inspiring man. I feel that he is approachable and easy to work with in the working environment.

The last speaker was Ms. Nicole Luzuriaga, another DLSU graduate with the course of BS ICTM. She explained that she joined different organizations to meet new people, interact and socialize with them, as they are going to be the networks that can help in the journey after graduating. She said that she learned to be a business analyst rather than become a programmer. I myself dislike programming and want to take on an analyst role.

In conclusion, these speakers helped me in knowing more about what is in store after graduation, and the tips they gave will surely guide me more.