Idle Hours: Student Activities at BulSu Community

𝐈𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬: 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐥𝐒𝐮 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲

By: Alexandra De Leon

Long vacant hours after class is one of the common things college students experience at Bulacan State University (BSU). As they say, you have not experienced the college life if you have not experienced waiting for hours until your next subject. If you make good use of your free time, idle hours might be more fascinating. Your character, happiness, success, and future are all shaped by how you spend it. This has been a common understanding for students to spend this time having fun, releasing all the academic stress, and killing time. Based on some BulSuans, the longest vacant time have been usually 6 hours, 4 hours, 2 hours, and such. Students refuse to go home as Michelle Alcantara from the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy said “Sayang pa pamasahe kapag umuwi.” She then added, “Usually tumatambay kami sa CoEd bldg.” For someone who is not familiar with BulSU, the College of Education Building is in the Roxas Hall. Michelle and her friends call it the “BulSu Tambayan” because this provides a sweet escape for students to take their time to rest plus the canteen right there is accessible for students who love food trips.

Jeweleen Enriquez from College of Arts and Letters stated most of the time she spends her time with places around BSU, “Kwentuhan lang with friends, kain sa labas, mag ikot-ikot sa Xentro, or naglalaro nalang ng card games pampaubos ng oras”. Outdoor activities is the alternative solution for students to consume their time waiting.

You could use the long vacant hours as a means to spend more time with others. Speaking with students outside of your normal group of friends or acquaintances will boost your confidence and introduce you to new hobbies or perspectives. Even if you don't know them yet, it will be simpler for you to approach or become friends with them because BulSU has a tradition of calling other students "Klasmeyt." Simple inquiries like "How are you?" are okay.

As per Lyca Dela Cruz from College of Engineering said, “Most of my friends na nakasundo ko, Nakita ko lang sa loob ng campus, kumakain.” A living proof that long vacant hours can be a source of a new profound friendships built in the BulSu Community.

There is more than just physical space involved in the venues where students get together in between classes and use this as an opportunity to spend quality time with friends. They serve as the setting for the friendships made, the ideas shared, and the memories made during the college experience. Each area has a special function in the idea of living your student life, whether you like the silence of the library, the commotion of the student union which serves as a study break, or the comfort of a coffee shop. These places offer the connection that transforms a campus into a community, enhancing and enriching everyone's college experience.