And here's the corresponding poem to my story below, "The Memory of Silver and Sapphire". Enjoy! R & R!☺

HIS AND HER CIRCUMSTANCES

Suchi~~ :D

 

He was there, standing yet aloof;

She was fast approaching, her footsteps resounding through the floor.

A memory came upon them, a sudden gush of remorse,

Would they be able to overcome everything, if that everything is now gone?

 

“I can see it clearly,” she said to him, “and I knew that it wouldn’t succeed...”

Anguish suddenly gushed through, breaking his exemplary heed,

She ran beneath the night sky, tears chasing her placidly;

He followed her, and known her troubles won’t leave her that easily.

 

Meddling parents made their worlds revolve for entirety,

They met through their antics, yet somehow they felt estranged;

Nonetheless, circumstances made a pivotal turn for the deranged,

Both crossed each other’s paths, proving one’s compromising loyalty.

 

If love is really meant as a paradox, then it is indeed irreplaceable;

Ill-manners were not regarded, and were left to loiter on the pebbles.

He calls her names, she hits him twice, and they continued being ridiculous;

Despite it all, feelings were still left incomprehensible.

 

 

 

She was alone in her sorrows, reminiscing on tender memories;

He continued walking, and sees a shooting star cross the settling breeze.

She wished upon the star, and he correspondingly followed the trails,

Eyes met, gazes were locked – and they finally saw each other.

 

Yes, the failed wedding – both gasped at the notion,

Both were acting so peculiar, or so they thought.

Both are still children at heart, even though marriage is for adults;

A sudden marriage without their consent -- - how could that be great?

 

Odds or fate as it may seem, hordes of despicable personas appeared;

With the support of numerous fiancées, they were conspicuously annihilated.

Putting that aside, they finally spoke with each other;

Words let themselves speak, an instrument of relentless communication.

 

He stood up recklessly, and slowly took her hand;

He helped her stand, amidst the heavy winds across the skies.

She smiled in turn - - Yes! It would finally be alright.

For unbeknownst to them, fate weaves yet again: a story of their circumstances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, this one-shot is for our school paper, the Jr. Trinitas. (I'm the EIC! ☺) Oh well. Please, R & R.

The Memory of Silver and Sapphire

mischievous vignettes

 

Cold wind gushed through the night sky, its salient features reminiscent in the scenery. The cool breeze damps upon her, with teardrops slowly cascading through her cheeks. With her long, black hair flowing against the wind, she slowly walked down the lane – not wanting to be seen.

On top of the hill – amidst the grasslands and the night skies – is where she lay; where she stood. Upon reaching the topmost part, a place she frequently visits, she sat down and gazed through the stars once more – only to be left reminiscing.

I can see it clearly, she thought, I knew it wouldn’t work. These things were starting to get too much on him, she knew it’s probable. Whether or not it would succeed, chances are they won’t probably be happy anyway - - after all, she wasn’t worth the wait.

But why should I worry about that? These things are getting on my nerves. I haven’t got a single chance to be free, nor even be happy...

* * *

“Where have you gone off to now? You’re such...” he mumbled; he was running straight against the alley, with nowhere to go. He was exhausted, his mind a sudden wreck, his heart shattered to pieces. He felt a vague pang when he remembered that incident - a confrontation between her and her family.

“...a selfish dork...and a person,” he finished, “who seeks refuge amidst the sudden turmoil.”

He remembered it clearly – her hoarse voice, his terrible insults, their fathers’ medley, her mother’s... angst. Despite being engaged at a young age of sixteen, their parents seemed to be happy with the idea of them being married – even though in reality, both of them do not want to do so.

But earlier, it seemed that she was fed up with the entire plight surrounding her: she treated him badly, and loathed their fathers; she even renounced her mother.

“Follow her, son; she must have not been far away – you can still follow her,” said her mother. Her eyes puffy, her voice hoarse, and her expression pained; she inadvertently tucked his back, yet somehow, his feet had a mind of its own and he suddenly dashed away.

 Seriously, how much damage have you done now, you ungrateful fool?

He swallowed the thought. He may hate to admit it, but it is undeniably true:

Are these the results of arranged marriages?

* * *

She grasped the grass that was now intertwined with her fingers. The breeze was starting to get into her, and she unknowingly clutched it to her sides. Geez, why does it have to be so cold?

“Keh. He’d probably even be happy now that I am gone – after all, who am I to complain? I was stupid; probably the biggest fool of all. What entered into me, and why did I do those things?”

Yep, the wind had really gotten into her. She involved herself into a deep monologue, and somehow even the loudest of the sounds cannot disturb her.

“They’re all ganging up on me - - it’s so irritating! Why can’t I have my say on this thing?  Father, Mother, and even Uncle haven’t given me a nice amount of privacy; they just continued on goofing up around in my life, making it turn 360º to sudden drastic changes,” she brushed her hair away from her drenched cheeks, and continued, “but - - -“

She paused for a while. She wanted continue - no, she needed to continue. Yet, not even a single sound came. She was utterly speechless, as tears trickled down her rosy cheeks. A sudden pang of guilt struck her.

“- - Despite it all, is it really the right thing to do? I know, I’d hurt them so much that I could die, yet I just can’t control myself,” she said limply.

However, I knew I shouldn’t put the blame on them. I was just damned selfish.

She simply sat still, and continued gazing at the stars above. As she gaped at the spectacle, a heavenly body moving at the speed of light suddenly appeared before her.

A shooting star!

Her mind started to wander.

I... I wish he was here.

* * *

He ran so fast – so fast that his feet were starting to betray him – and went where his feet may lead him to.  He had no idea where he was, or where he was heading to – for the only thing on his mind right now was to reach her.

Rivaling the speed of a galloping tiger, he dashed upwards. He sped up, until he saw a shooting star – the same one that she had seen – and unconsciously, he rushed up towards it. ‘She must have been there, I know it,’ he thought.

True; he knew that all the occurrences that happened were caused by him – he just didn’t know how. He may not be that great, but he can easily know if he is the cause – they had been next-door neighbors for years now, after all. And besides, he is the only one who often makes her so violent: she hits him, and kicks him; they fight all the time. He just made teasing a habit; but if things may get even worse, it’s because of the numerous suitors chasing them. Well, he had to admit, she can make him fluster so often.

She was so violent; a stupid, macho and untalented girl who oftentimes jumps to conclusions!

That’s what he may say, but that may be otherwise. But now, it seemed so different. What’s with her?  As such, he tightened his grip onto something – an object that glistened in the moonlight.

Garnering all the strength he can muster, he screamed her name. It echoed towards the settling mountains, waiting to be heard.

* * *

Was she hearing things? It’s impossible; there’s no way he could’ve found out her whereabouts. It’s coincidental, really!

But what if it is true? A part of her was happy, and the latter was found to be upset. After all, she didn’t want to see the root of all her problems; she doesn’t want him to see her so vulnerable; and he’ll probably make her angry anyway - so, it’s now or never.

“What should I do now?”

Seconds passed. The resilient silence was then broken.

“You should probably try and talk to him – stingy!” a voice nonchalantly replied. She, in turn, was aghast – she turned around, only to find the unexpected.

“Oh. Hi there...” Great, now he’s here. If life wasn’t unfair enough, then I wouldn’t know what it’ll be.

He can sense sadness in her voice. She may had been angry at him, but he knew she was depressed enough not to be hostile. “Come on, you’re still mad at me? Let’s go home!” he suggested.

“But I don’t wanna - -” her sentence was cut short when he suddenly tossed something into her hands. He then sat down beside her groggily.

“There. It’s yours, keep it.”  She, in turn, raised an eyebrow.

“What is this?”

“It’s nothing special. It just came from my late mother,” he replied.

Huh? But why give me something so special? I can’t accept this!

She then remembered his situation.

His mother died 3 years ago; ever since then, they became next-door neighbors, with their goofy families having close relationships, even to the extent of joining the two in order to hasten the union of their families. However, he had never seen his mother even once in 10 years, until the time of her burial. The only thing she had left him with was that present of his that shined, even when darkness crept its way.

“But... but why? You can’t just give it like that,” she told him. She can now see the change in his expression, for he now appeared to be somewhat... melancholic.

“No buts – I’ll give it to you wholeheartedly. In fact, I’ve been meaning to give that to you for a long time now, but I - - “he suddenly paused. He was very nervous. He can feel the pressure slowly accumulating up inside him. Can he say it?

He opened his mouth, trying to utter a word; yet, no sound even came. Was it really this hard to do?

She looked at him inquisitively. Maybe he’ll say it to me now – he just wants to break up our engagement. After all, nobody wants to marry someone as bad as me...right?

She wanted to hit herself for being so selfish, so violent, so uptight, and so ignorant. Before she went berserk, she just wanted to make things easier for him first – after all, she was the cause of all his troubles.

“You see - -“

I’m sorry!

“I.. I wanted to say… well, I’ve been meaning to tell you this, but all I wanna say is that..t - - “

I knew it would happen… It may hurt us both but - -

“T- - thanks. Thank you for everything… I really mean it,” he said.

I’m so… huh?

With his face flushed, and his mind a sudden wreck, he looked at her intently. Bluish orbs met brown ones, and gazes were now locked. As soon as she saw those eyes – she knew he was sincere.

She then examined the item that was now clutched on her tight grip – it was composed of silver and sapphire; with the circular stone holder being the silver, and the gem inside being the sapphire – she then placed it above her heart, and asked him, “So, what’s with the gift?”

“Eh- - ? You still want an explanation?” he retorted. He flinched. Well, it seemed that he really was avoiding that question. However, she wasn’t the type to just leave it behind. What would happen if it’s some kind of a parting gift? 

“Of course,” she replied, “there’s got to be something if you’d given such a precious item.”

He was about to retort back at her when he realized that he may destroy another chance again; thus, he decided to go on with it.

He then gazed at the stars above.

“You see,” he started, “I thought it was kind of nice to give it to you, despite the fact that it is from my mother – my only possession of hers. I always treasured that necklace - seeing it made me calm, even as how ruthless I can possibly be. It can give me peace of mind; I can easily feel her presence when I hold it, even though in reality, she’s not even there.”

She sat there silently as she waited for him to finish.

“Whenever I take a hold of that thing, I can always feel that indeed, I am home. Heck, I kept that for a lifetime! But you see, upon seeing you being as lost as I did back then, I knew that you needed her more than me. Well, I just want you to know that there are still people who care about you – whether it may be your friends or your family – and that no matter what, they would still accept you for who you are. Personally, I think you should make amends with our parents; there’s no good on treating everything with violence…”

Those upwelling tears started to appear in her eyes.

 “..And whenever you see that necklace, I hope that in time, you would realize the important things you had in life, and come to treasure it, no matter how small it may be. Whenever you feel lost, or afraid, I want that necklace to serve as a reminder that there would always be a home waiting for you - - back to those people who love you...”

“To the people… who love me?”

He flinched for awhile. He then replied agitatedly,

“Yeah.”

Teardrops fell upon his gift – it glistened against the moonlight, beaming with so much radiance and splendor. A smile crept upon her face as she realized what had just happened.

“Thank you so much. You see, no one has ever done as sweet as that for me,” she told him.

His face flushed, he nodded weakly. “Y - - you’re welcome.”

They continued on star-gazing, until he cut it short when he stood up and recklessly held her hand, helping her to stand.

“Let’s go home now,” he insisted. She nodded hastily and followed him.

Back there… back at my home. But, I already found it.

As the moonlight glistened against the settling breeze, the two walked the lengths of the road to go back. May it be fate or just purely coincidental, it is clear that his and her circumstances made it possible to fix things, and even make it better.

 

Ask God. :))
There's nothing to be afraid of anyway.
Moreover, confidence and faith does the thing.
Ask for help from your parents, friends and acquaintances. I'm sure they'll be more happy to help you. :)

waaahh...  think. go suchi!

Here's the edited version!
However, no one even proofread it. I am now in a constant state of dilemma, and unending confusion. Please, help me!

ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY ADMISSION REQUIREMENT:

PERSONAL ESSAY

Are there any significant experiences you have had, or accomplishments you have realized, that have helped to define you as a person?

 

THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD OF LIFE

 

            For fifteen years I have walked through this long and winding road; I was relentless, or even ruthless, for not even once I have tried to deter myself from crossing it. I have walked this road through thick and thin – it served as my guide in all my endeavors, especially during those times of despair and desperation. As I pave my way to success, I have unconsciously molded “the real me”, a persona which I have certainly created.

            Countless sets of experiences molded me as to what I am today – through hard work and effort I have attained my stand as one of the top achievers in school, and through constant learning I became a student leader. I have competed on numerous quiz bees, research and development activities, essay writing and poster-making contests, and literary-musical contests alike. I have commuted through the tricycles of Puerto Princesa alone, walked the lengths of the streets in search of my needs, faced the raging flames and built houses, and walked through the sticky mud to plant trees – all inspired by my aspiration to succeed. However, these cannot suffice the things I have learned throughout my time with several children – or rather, a sickly boy of six.

            A month ago, my classmates and I visited a certain Gawad Kalinga site in a rural area, wherein we have been given the task of assisting the malnourished and impoverished children of the community. This is something we are familiar with, for we have been doing this every year; however, this particular event had something that is incomparable to others – especially in terms of the children’s physical, and social abilities. At first, I was reluctant to go, for one is that I had little interest in social activities, especially to those kinds of exhausting events such as catechism and feeding. Still, I have never imagined that this particular event would have such an impact on me.

            On the big day, we were assigned to feed and teach a number of graders; and for that matter, I visualized that these kids would be the same as before: naughty, reluctant, hostile, and egotistic. However, my eyes said otherwise – as I entered the room, puppy-eyed kids greeted me with innocent looks on their faces. Being the group leader, I was the one in charge of the activities: I led the class discussion, and I facilitated them in their social proceedings. I helped them prepare for their meals; I walked to and fro from the site just to bring to them their food, and let them replenish themselves. Everything was going as usual until one kid asked me a question that I have never thought will be asked of: “Ate, why are you doing this?”

            I was astounded. Something was tugging at my mind, to tell him that I was there just to comply with my requirements. However, somewhere deep in my heart, I knew it wasn’t true. I looked at the kid. He was just a mere 6-year old boy. To be able to stop me into my tracks was something I never thought he would be capable of, or even try. Before I got the chance to give him my reply, he continued: “Aren’t you getting tired of this? Many of you go here everyday,” with his face showing melancholy, he added, “...but only a few of you are sincere in your deeds.”

            I swallowed the things that were left unsaid. I was completely overwhelmed. I do not know how to reply, or even act. My mind started to wander. I was left completely blank.

            At a young age he had lost his home, turned together into ashes as a fire broke 6 years ago in a certain barangay beneath our school. Now, he was blessed with a pleasant home and a privilege to be educated, but somehow, he was still left unsatisfied.

            From there I realized that having life’s pleasures isn’t something to be reckoned with, but rather be appreciated. I felt an overwhelming sense of need: a need to be able to make others happy, just like what I had been when I’m with them. “No,” I answered, “it’s not like that. I just simply want to make you kids happy.”

            His face lit up. He completely changed his expression, for he was now overjoyed. He then went back straight to the camp, ready to mingle with the other kids. As he went down, I heard a faint “thank you”. A playful smile traced my lips as I realized that it was meant for me.

            I never thought that one event can change the way I view things. Perhaps, if he were given a chance to be in my place, would he even be happy? For years I have thought that catechism is boring; however, it has drastically changed. From that day on, I was looking forward to our next meeting – not only with him, but between me and the kids. I know I’ll be able to change someone, just as how that little boy changed me.

            And for the fifteen years I have spent through that road, I have felt that something relevant is missing in my life. Yes, for once, I had been reluctant.  But now, I had been welcoming the idea of outreach programs with outstretched arms, and a sincere heart – to the extent of even pestering Ms. Operiano about the next outreach program. Because of a mere catechism event and an innocent child, the gap I have once felt present has been filled. Now, I walk side by side with my brethren – passing through that long and winding road up ahead.

Well, I got an Ateneo form for free, so I was completely overjoyed!
But please, to whoever who reads this - KINDLY PROOFREAD!
I beg of you! :/

Well, without further ado, here it is:

ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY ADMISSION REQUIREMENT:

PERSONAL ESSAY

Are there any significant experiences you have had, or accomplishments you have realized, that have helped to define you as a person?

 

THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD OF LIFE

 

            For fifteen years I have walked through this long and winding road; I was relentless, or even ruthless, for not even once I have tried to deter myself from crossing it. I have walked this road through thick and thin – it served as my guide in all my endeavors, especially during those times of despair and desperation. As I pave my way to success, I have unconsciously molded “the real me”, a persona that I have certainly created.

            Countless sets of experiences molded me as to what I am today – through hard work and effort I have attained my stand as one of the top achievers in school, and through constant learning I became a student leader. I have competed on numerous quiz bees, research and development activities, essay writing and poster-making contests, and literary-musical contests alike. I have commuted through the tricycles of Puerto Princesa alone, walked the lengths of the streets in search of my needs, faced the raging flames and built houses, and walked through the sticky mud to plant trees – all inspired by my aspiration to succeed. However, these cannot suffice the things I have learned throughout my time with several children – or rather, a whole class of strangers in particular.

            A month ago, my classmates and I visited a certain Gawad Kalinga site in a rural area, wherein we had been given the task of assisting the malnourished and impoverished children of the community. This is something we are familiar with, for we have been doing this every year; however, this particular event had something that is incomparable to others – especially in terms of the children’s physical, and social abilities. At first, I was reluctant to go, for one is that I had little interest in social activities, especially to those kinds of exhausting events such as catechism and feeding. Still, I have never imagined that this particular event would have such an impact on me.

            On the big day, we were assigned to feed and teach a number of graders; and for that matter, I visualized that these kids would be the same as before: naughty, reluctant, hostile, and egotistic. However, my eyes said otherwise – as I entered the room, puppy-eyed kids greeted me with innocent looks on their faces. Being the group leader, I was the one in charge of the activities: I led the class discussion, and I facilitated them in their social proceedings. I helped them prepare for their meals; I walked to and fro from the site just to bring to them their food, and let them replenish themselves. Everything was going as usual until one kid asked me a question that I have never once thought will be asked of: “Ate, why are you doing this?”

            I was astounded. Something was tugging at my mind, to tell him that I was there just to comply with my requirements. However, somewhere deep in my heart, I knew it wasn’t true. I looked at the kid. He was just a mere 6-year old boy. To be able to stop me into my tracks was something I never thought he would be capable of, or even try. Before I got to give him my reply, he continued: “Aren’t you getting tired of this? Many of you go here everyday,” his face showing melancholy, he added, “...but only a few of you are sincere in your deeds.”

            I swallowed the things that were left unsaid. I was completely overwhelmed. I do not know how to reply, or even act. My mind started to wander. I do not know how to begin.

            At a young age he had lost his home, turned together into ashes as a fire broke 6 years ago in a certain barangay beneath our school. Now, he was blessed with a pleasant home and a privilege to be educated, but somehow, he was still left unsatisfied.

            From there I realized that having life’s pleasures isn’t something to be reckoned with, but rather be appreciated. I felt an overwhelming sense of need: a need to be able to make others happy, just like what I had been. “No,” I answered, “it’s not like that. I just simply want to make you kids happy.”

            His face lit up. He completely changed his expression, for he was now overjoyed. He then went back straight to the camp, ready to mingle with the other kids. As he went down, I heard a faint “thank you”.

            I never thought that one question can change the way I view things. Perhaps, if he were given a chance to be in my place, would he even be happy? For years I have thought that catechism is boring; however, it has drastically changed. From that day on, I was looking forward to the day that I will be able to extend my hands, and be able to reach others, just like how that little boy changed me.

            For fifteen years I went through that road, I felt that there is something missing in my life. Now, because of a mere catechism situation and an innocent child, I now feel that that gap has been filled.

 

 

 

Cuadra, Cristy Marie O.

Holy Trinity College

IV – St. Dominic

 

Well, to say at least, I'm pretty old now compared from the age I started blogging. (I was 13 at that time, and now I am 15, so that's it.:)) I'd been reading random sites of a variety of genres from fan fiction, fiction, debates, blogs, forums, manga (well, seldom now, I had no more pc of my own.☺) to college tips and other varieties of resources.:P Now, my head's gonna break from all the responsibilities I'm gonna face on my last year of high school:)

I'm about to go berserk. I wanna pass all of my entrance exams. I wanted to get high grades so that I wouldn't be edgy on getting the valedictorian/salutatorian/honorable mention (just name one, I'm not bragging,really) award. :)I needed extra-curricular activities in order to beat my certain adversaries (what the heck of a competition is that?@!) Well, first things first. I am a certain poverty-stricken girl with lots of responsibilities in her own Alma mater.:P And because I am not a genius, nor a millionaire, or even extraordinarily talented, can you suggest some tips for me in getting into universities? Nah, whatever.:)


HEY. IS LINGUISTICS A GOOD COURSE? I selected it as my first choice in UP Diliman. Can I even find a good job with hefty sums of money if graduated in that course? Thanks.:)

1.) What is software engineering?
Software engineering is the application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software, and the study of these approaches; that is, the application of engineering to software.
The term software engineering first appeared in the 1968 NATO Software Engineering Conference and was meant to provoke thought regarding the current "software crisis" at the time. Since then, it has continued as a profession and field of study dedicated to creating software that is of higher quality, more affordable, maintainable, and quicker to build. Since the field is still relatively young compared to its sister fields of engineering, there is still much debate around what software engineering actually is, and if it conforms to the classical definition of engineering. It has grown organically out of the limitations of viewing software as just programming. Software development is a term sometimes preferred by practitioners in the industry who view software engineering as too heavy-handed and constrictive to the malleable process of creating software.
a.) What is a software?

Computer software, or just software is a general term used to describe the role that computer programs, procedures and documentation play in a computer system. Computer software is often regarded as anything but hardware, meaning that the "hard" are the parts that are tangible while the "soft" part is the intangible objects inside the computer. Software encompasses an extremely wide array of products and technologies developed using different techniques like programming languages, scripting languages or even microcode or a FPGA state. The types of software include web pages developed by technologies like HTML, PHP, Perl, JSP, ASP.NET, XML, and desktop applications like OpenOffice, Microsoft Word developed by technologies like C, C++, Java, C#, etc. Software usually runs on an underlying software operating systems such as the Linux or Microsoft Windows. Software also includes video games and the logic systems of modern consumer devices such as automobiles, televisions, toasters, etc.

Computer software is so called to distinguish it from computer hardware, which encompasses the physical interconnections and devices required to store and execute (or run) the software. At the lowest level, software consists of a machine language specific to an individual processor. A machine language consists of groups of binary values signifying processor instructions that change the state of the computer from its preceding state. Software is an ordered sequence of instructions for changing the state of the computer hardware in a particular sequence. It is usually written in high-level programming languages that are easier and more efficient for humans to use (closer to natural language) than machine language. High-level languages are compiled or interpreted into machine language object code. Software may also be written in an assembly language, essentially, a mnemonic representation of a machine language using a natural language alphabet. Assembly language must be assembled into object code via an assembler.

b.) How do you engineer a software?

One can engineer a software by having sufficient knowledge about programming, a careful and systematic analysis, design, programming, testing, debugging and development. One must also perform analysis, design, coding, testing and deployment in order to complete basic software development.


c.) Who could be considered a software engineer?

A software engineer is a person who applies the principles of software engineering to the design, development, testing, and evaluation of the software and systems that make computers or anything containing software, such as chips work.
Most employers prefer applicants who have at least a bachelor’s degree and experience with a variety of computer systems and technologies. In order to remain competitive, computer software engineers must continually strive to acquire the latest technical skills. Advancement opportunities are good for those with relevant experience.
Education and training. Most employers prefer applicants who have at least a bachelor’s degree and broad knowledge of, and experience with, a variety of computer systems and technologies. The usual college major for applications software engineers is computer science or software engineering. Systems software engineers often study computer science or computer information systems. Graduate degrees are preferred for some of the more complex jobs. In 2006, about 80 percent of workers had a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Academic programs in software engineering may offer the program as a degree option or in conjunction with computer science degrees. Because of increasing emphasis on computer security, software engineers with advanced degrees in areas such as mathematics and systems design will be sought after by software developers, government agencies, and consulting firms.
Students seeking software engineering jobs enhance their employment opportunities by participating in internships or co-ops. These experiences provide students with broad knowledge and experience, making them more attractive to employers. Inexperienced college graduates may be hired by large computer and consulting firms that train new employees in intensive, company-based programs.
Certification and other qualifications. Systems software vendors offer certification and training programs, but most training authorities say that program certification alone is not sufficient for the majority of software engineering jobs.
People interested in jobs as computer software engineers must have strong problem-solving and analytical skills. They also must be able to communicate effectively with team members, other staff, and the customers they meet. Because they often deal with a number of tasks simultaneously, they must be able to concentrate and pay close attention to detail.
As technology advances, employers will need workers with the latest skills. Computer software engineers must continually strive to acquire new skills if they wish to remain in this dynamic field. To help keep up with changing technology, workers may take continuing education and professional development seminars offered by employers, software vendors, colleges and universities, private training institutions, and professional computing societies. Computer software engineers also need skills related to the industry in which they work. Engineers working for a bank, for example, should have some expertise in finance so that they understand banks’ computer needs.
Advancement. As with most occupations, advancement opportunities for computer software engineers increase with experience. Entry-level computer software engineers are likely to test designs. As they become more experienced, engineers may begin helping to design and develop software. Eventually, they may advance to become a project manager, manager of information systems, or chief information officer, especially if they have business skills and training. Some computer software engineers with several years of experience or expertise find lucrative opportunities working as systems designers or independent consultants.

d.) What are the stages of Computer Engineering?

There are various software development approaches defined and designed which are used/employed during development process of software, these approaches are also referred as "Software Development Process Models". Each process model follows a particular life cycle in order to ensure success in process of software development.
One such approach/process used in Software Development is "The Waterfall Model". Waterfall approach was first Process Model to be introduced and followed widely in Software Engineering to ensure success of the project. In "The Waterfall" approach, the whole process of software development is divided into separate process phases. The phases in Waterfall model are: Requirement Specifications phase, Software Design, Implementation and Testing & Maintenance. All these phases are cascaded to each other so that second phase is started as and when defined set of goals are achieved for first phase and it is signed off, so the name "Waterfall Model". All the methods and processes undertaken in Waterfall Model are more visible.
The stages of "The Waterfall Model" are:
Requirement Analysis & Definition: All possible requirements of the system to be developed are captured in this phase. Requirements are set of functionalities and constraints that the end-user (who will be using the system) expects from the system. The requirements are gathered from the end-user by consultation, these requirements are analyzed for their validity and the possibility of incorporating the requirements in the system to be development is also studied. Finally, a Requirement Specification document is created which serves the purpose of guideline for the next phase of the model.

System & Software Design: Before a starting for actual coding, it is highly important to understand what we are going to create and what it should look like? The requirement specifications from first phase are studied in this phase and system design is prepared. System Design helps in specifying hardware and system requirements and also helps in defining overall system architecture. The system design specifications serve as input for the next phase of the model.

Implementation & Unit Testing: On receiving system design documents, the work is divided in modules/units and actual coding is started. The system is first developed in small programs called units, which are integrated in the next phase. Each unit is developed and tested for its functionality; this is referred to as Unit Testing. Unit testing mainly verifies if the modules/units meet their specifications.

Integration & System Testing: As specified above, the system is first divided in units which are developed and tested for their functionalities. These units are integrated into a complete system during Integration phase and tested to check if all modules/units coordinate between each other and the system as a whole behaves as per the specifications. After successfully testing the software, it is delivered to the customer.
Operations & Maintenance: This phase of "The Waterfall Model" is virtually never ending phase (Very long). Generally, problems with the system developed (which are not found during the development life cycle) come up after its practical use starts, so the issues related to the system are solved after deployment of the system. Not all the problems come in picture directly but they arise time to time and needs to be solved; hence this process is referred as Maintenance.

2.) What are the social impacts of Software Engineering?
Software engineers affect society by creating applications. These applications produce value for users, and sometimes produce disasters.
• Community-centered: Software is produced and consumed by and/or for a community rather than focusing on individuals
• Collaboration/collectiveness: Exploiting the collaborative and collective capacity of human beings
• Companionship/relationship: Making explicit the various associations among people
• Human/social activities: Software is designed consciously to support human activities and to address social problems
• Social inclusion: Software should enable social inclusion enforcing links and trust in communities
One of the main observations in the field is that the concepts, principles, and technologies made for social software applications are applicable to software development itself as software engineering is inherently a social activity. It is not limited to specific activities of software development. Accordingly, tools have been proposed supporting its different parts, for instance, social system design or social requirements engineering

a.) How does software engineering affects the software industry?

Software Engineering affects the software industry in various ways by creating applications.

3.) What are the current trends in software engineering?
Introducing Middleware. In many ways, humans have been integral to the operation of computer networks, since the dawn of the computer age. In the early 1980’s computers had moved beyond governmental, military and research institutions, and were becoming more common among corporations.
At this stage of their evolution, computer applications were stand-alone. The finance applications of the world lived inside mainframes, and interacted with humans via green screen terminals. The order management systems of the world interacted likewise. Humans were the network, as information could only flow between systems through human intermediaries. For example, a clerk would run a report on one system and re-key the results into the other.
Humans being intelligent, could enforce policies on the flow of information. They could decide what information was appropriate to flow between systems, how quickly it should flow, and how the flow should be achieved.
On the other hand, humans, being error prone, caused this flow of information to be slow, laborious and costly. One day while typing yet another report, a clerk dreamed of letting the computers talk to each other directly. Suddenly, the network revolution had begun.
While the idea was sound, the reality of facilitating this was difficult. Henning (2006) notes, that “persuading programs on different machines to talk to each other was a nightmare, especially if different hardware, operating systems, and programming languages were involved: programmers either used sockets and wrote an entire protocol stack themselves or their programs didn’t talk at all”. What was needed was some sort of automated intermediary between systems.

More than just a translator was required, this intermediary would have to assume responsibility for enforcing the information flow policies which humans had heretofore administered. Hence middleware was born.
The core requirements for middleware have changed little. It is still responsible for marshalling communications between disparate and often incompatible computer systems, while ensuring that information flows between systems, where necessary, in a reliable, secure, and dependable way.
Introducing Service Oriented Architecture. Issarny, Caporuscio and Georgantas (2007) give a good introduction to the evolution of middleware systems since the network revolution. In many respects, Service Oriented Architecture can be seen as the latest generation within this evolutionary process.
The demands placed on computer systems have also grown since the early 1980s. While middleware began as a way to facilitate communications within a corporation’s network of computer systems, end users and corporations are increasingly expecting systems across corporations to communicate. Sarna-Starosta, Stirewalt, & Dillon (2007) use a travel booking application as an example of service oriented interaction. Perhaps expedia.com is one of the best examples of this type of application. Using expedia, you are aggregating information from several individual airline, hotel and car hire corporations into one location so as to book flights, hotel and car hire for your next vacation or business trip. Without middleware and specifically service oriented architecture, building an application like this would be prohibitively expensive if even possible.

4.) Research for the different career paths of a software engineer and its demand in the Philippine Software Industry.
Senior Technical Positions
Developers will often find that they may have to work side-by-side with the users to iron out difficult bugs. It can be difficult, if not impossible, to fix these problems when both parties can't communicate effectively. There was always a time in most of my work situations when the developer had to talk with the users or other developers directly to fix difficult issues. This is the programmer's chance to show management that he or she is someone who can communicate and utilize analysis methodologies—otherwise known as a "programmer analyst." A programmer analyst is also usually someone who has some years of technical experience, and a certain depth of technical knowledge.
Business and Systems Analysts
My job searches have suggested that business and systems analysts with a good programming background and a high-level of "business savvy" are becoming the next hot ticket. More and more organizations are finally hiring business analysts to explore, record, and recommend systems that fit the business—as opposed to the other way around.
Project Management
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Handbook, employers prefer project managers who possess advanced technical skills that have been acquired through work experience. The project manager is often responsible for hiring the staff, setting the schedule, and keeping track of the progress through every phase of development. This person is also responsible for assigning the work, dealing with everyday problems affecting that work, and making sure each analyst or programmer is carrying his own weight. The project manager can best carry out this function if he truly understands the work he is managing.
Management
The ultimate assignment for many IT professionals looking to move up the IT food chain is to become the manager. The Occupational Handbook explains that "employment of computer and information systems managers is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2014." These job opportunities are best suited for applicants with computer-related work experience and often require an advanced degree, such as an MBA. And of course, strong communication skills are a requirement for any management job in IT.
Industry in the Philippines
• Technical Consulting/ Business Analysis
• Application Development & Deployment
• Package Implementation
• Application Conversion & Integration
• Application Maintenance & Support
Software Development Filipino software companies have been providing offshore and outsourced software development services for more than two decades. Most of the outsourcing opportunities come from the US, Japan and Europe. As of 2007, there are nearly 400 companies and 21,000 software developers with skills ranging from the most current and widely-used technologies such as Java, C#, VB, .NET, Ruby, C/C++, SQL DBA, Embedded, Mobile and Wireless systems to legacy and mid-ware languages such as COBOL and RPG/ 400.
• Service Desk
• Maintenance
• Asset Management
• Remote Network

Kudos! Hohoho. A few days before my birthday. And that is, November 29. I'll going to be fifteen at time then. Aah, the memories. I was only 13 when I first started here in LJ. And yeah, I rarely update my blogs. =P I have a lot, yet I still haven't customized them. I hope I can do so in the near future.=D

Anyways, here's the list:
( Under the cut. )
P.S. (You may wish to Skip, 'coz this was personal anyway.. =P)
Yay! I got an advance entrance exams to Ateneo de Manila! Though I can't afford it, I'll be very happy to be scholar! Just pray to God so I can pass and attend the seminar this April-May 2009. But I'm having doubts though. Darn, stop depriving myself already! =P I was already lucky that our school here in Palawan gave us the lucky ticket! Thank God for letting me become one of the top 5! =D