As a college student of Bicol University, On-the-Job-Training (OJT) is a part of our curriculum, it serves as the training ground for the career we have chosen and prepares us for future employment. Learning is not limited within the four corners of the room, but through actual application of the things learned students become more effective, and authentic learning will be achieved.
New Experiences :)April 18-21, 2017 (1st Week)
On the 1st day of my OJT which was last April 18, 2017, Tuesday. Mam Cor(Assistant Statistician) assigned us at the SOCD(Statistical Operations and Coordination Division) Department under the supervision of Sir Ray F. Merjilla, the Supervising Statistical Specialist at PSA together with his co-statistician. Sir Ray gave us the task to geo tag photos of the given PSU’s of Bicol Region using Google Earth. Kuya Norms which was the assistant of sir Ray taught us how to set up Google Earth for Geotagging. That day I was also assigned for the PSU’s of Camarines Norte, which has a total of 17 PSUs. It was all new experience for me and I was truly astonished.
Manual Copy for Geotagging
So my first week in OJT was a bit nerve-wracking but then again exciting because of all the professional people that surrounds us in the office but still find it a bit challenging. By then, I woke up 6:30 in the morning just to catch up my schedule at 8 and will be going home at 5pm in the afternoon. It is really tiring and a bit boring because all I have to do is sit in front of the computer and geo tag the PSU’s of Camarines Norte.
My Daily Time Record - April 2017
PSU - Primary Sample Unit
Geotagging - also written as GeoTagging is the process of adding geographical identification metadata to various media such as a geotagged photograph or video, websites, SMS messages, QR Codes or RSS feeds and is a form of geospatial metadata. This data usually consists of latitude and longitude coordinates, though they can also include altitude, bearing, distance, accuracy data, and place names, and perhaps a time stamp.
My Struggle Begins!April 24-28, 2017 (2nd Week)
Tuesday, April 25, 2017. So this is my 5th day here at the PSA Office because yesterday I just enrolled in my summer physics 2 subject and fixed our Travel Order that is being held at the OSS office that time because of some issue, so I didn't make it at the office last April 24, 2017, Monday. And also starting that day, I will only work at the office every morning (half day) because I’m taking up my Physics 2 subject for the summer class at Bicol University every afternoon starting at 1:00pm to 5:00pm. So then, my struggle begun because starting that day I have to manage my time, energy and money for me to work every morning at PSA and at the same time to study and go to BU every afternoon. At first, it was hard for me to adjust with my schedule and time but later on that week, little by little I was able to manage my time and handle my schedule.
Tuesday morning, April 25, 2017. We had an orientation with Madam Anna G. Bajamundi, Statistical Specialist II at the SOCD Department. She oriented us about the dress code, professional ethics that we need to implement every working hours, and even asked about our skills in handling computers. She also told us that she prefers to be call ate Anna instead of madam ‘A’. The next other days we started wearing our school uniform at the office and go back to our work (Geotagging).
Later that day, afternoon. We have an early dismissal in our physics 2 so I manage to get to the office even if I was late, then tell my situation to Mam Cor and Sir Ray (my supervisor) which will be fine to them as long as I punch my DTR (Daily Time Record) Card whenever I go out or go in.
PSUs of the Camarines Norte and its Grid
Day 9! Back to work! Tuesday, May 2, 2017 (3rd Week)
After the long weekend, here I am again, working...
Day 12! TGIF :) Friday, May 5, 2017 (3rd Week)
Yesss! It’s the last day again of work for this week. And although I work only in the morning I still manage to do my job smoothly on this week. I captured all 12,655 photos of different PSU of Camarines Norte, 16 PSUs to be exact only 1 more to go.
Around 4:00 o’clock in the afternoon, same day. I started to geotag the last PSU for Camarines Norte, and suddenly the internet goes down. So sadly we have no internet connection in the office (PSA) that time. Sir Ray restarts the router multiple times but it didn’t fix the problem. So we just waited for it until 5pm but it didn’t came back.
PSU List
Day 13! Flag Ceremony :) Monday, May 8, 2017 (4th Week)
Here at PSA they’re conducting a flag ceremony every 1st day of the week, Monday. And today, it's my 1st time attending the Flag Ceremony here in PSA. I believe that it was four years (4) ago since the last time I attended a flag ceremony and it's reminiscing singing the national anthem again.
After the flag ceremony we checked our work station and find out that the internet connection is still down. And since we’re doing nothing at that time, Ma’am Bernie A. Camata – Statistical Analyst, assigned us at the PSA Library, to assist our co-trainees to sort the books and validate it the whole morning and I can say that the work there is a bit exhausting and messy than our work at the SOCD because of the dust from the books, but it’s ok for me because it is one of my new experiences here in my OJT.
Before the Flag Ceremony
Day 14! Work work work ... Tuesday, May 9, 2017 (4th Week)
The connection is back. Our work is back, so I finished my last PSU for the Camarines Norte this day. Then Sir Ray copied all the PSUs of Camarines Norte and geo-reference it using the application QGIS (Quantum Geographic Information System).
After geotagging Camarines Norte, Sir Ray gave me more PSUs. But this time it’s the PSUs of the Sorsogon Province.
PSUs of the Sorsogon Province and its Grid
Day 18! Monday ... May 15, 2016 (5th Week)
This day is the last day for my summer class in BU. And the last day of being half day at the office :)
Day 19! Tuesday ... May 16, 2016 (5th Week)
Back to whole day of work. Back to Geotagging again …
Geotagging Sorsogon Province
Day 22! Friday ... May 19, 2016 (5th Week)
10 PSUs done, 5 PSU to go for the Province of Sorsogon :)
Later that day Madam Roselita H. Llagas – Statistical Specialist II/OS, asked Sir Ray if she can borrow 2 trainees from our team to help them at the PSA-CRS (Civil Registry System) Department because two (2) trainees from their department was absent that day. So Sir Ray asked us if who’s willing to help Mam Rose in their department, and since Rj Mendoza already been assigned there, Emmanuel John Co and I voluntarily take the opportunity of a new experience of work at the CRS Department. I can surely say that my experience there is so exhausting because all I did is stand all day sorting all the printed NSO papers and bring it to the releaser for releasing. It was hard and confusing because that was my first time so I’m really not familiar with the job. But I do enjoy to have an experience like that, I felt the feeling of a true worker in the real world and met some new friends also.
Sixth (6th) Week ...May 22-26, 2017
This week I continue working the last 5 PSUs of Sorsogon that is given to me by Sir Ray last week. And finish it all this week.
My 6th week here in my OJT is still a haggard one for me. The things happen again and again but I am not frustrated about it. I still love to go to my OJT because it is an everyday experience of mine to be in the real world. Every single day is a new expectation, adaptation and exploration. I enjoyed what I am doing and I will never get mad doing these things.
My workstation and given PSU
Seventh (7th) Week ...May 29 - June 2, 2017
Monday, May 29, 2017!
We ask our supervisor’s permission for us to be absent this day at work because we’re going to enroll ourselves for the next semester.
Tuesday, May 30, 2017!
Officially Enrolled :)
And for the rest of the days for this week, I started making this blog.
Eighth (8th) Week ...June 5 - 9, 2017
This week I'm just the only one left here at the office from our team. Because my co-trainee's/classmates, Rj Mendoza and Emmanuel John Co already finished their 240 OJT hours this monday and because of my summer physics 2 class so I did not able to finish my training on time. Even though it's a bit boring here at the office without any company I will still finish my time here on my own.
My Last Days. Saying Goodbye ...June 13-14, 2017
In our 240 hours of being trainee’s I learn a lot of things and a lot of new experiences. At first it’s hard for us to wake up too early but as time goes by our body is now used to our daily routine and sometimes we went home physically and mentally exhausted but that’s okay because it was all worth it.
I felt all the hard work of an experienced professional, although not that much but I think that’s good enough for me to be ready for the future, the “real life”. In terms of the “real life” experience, I can say that the “happy-go-lucky-life” is so much easier and definitely a whole lot more fun. I really didn’t believe the principle that going to school is better than working. But now, I totally believe it. I’m not saying that I won’t be working in the future, but I guess I must be prepared enough to face the challenges of the “real life”.
The good thing about work is the achievement even without payment, and of course, the better thing about this is that I got to meet some new friends. I know that this OJT experience have always been one of the most enjoyable and exciting moments of college days. So OJT is over, but the learning experiences will continue.