Allocating time for leisure and social activities may seem like a luxury for some fresh graduates preparing to take their respective licensure examinations.
But, Engineer Vijay Manuel de Guma believes it is his key to placing 9th in the recently released results of the April 2024 Registered Electrical Engineering Licensure Examination (REELE).
Engineer Vijay Manuel de Guma
In an interview with CDN Digital, the newly licensed electrical engineer said that finding the right balance between studying and enjoying time with your loved ones would also bee as valuable as devoting your time in front of a book.
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“Studying too much up to the point that it would be no longer effective would only cause you stress and anxiety. If ever possible, spend some time with your loved ones during your free time. Then, pick up where you left off,” Engineer De Guma said.
He is just one of the five graduates from Cebu universities who entered the top ten highest scorers of the recently concluded April 2024 REELE. In the end, it was Raymond Omboy Geoman from Cebu Institute of Technology – University who took the top spot with a 95 percent rating.
Meet Vijay, a simple outgoing person
In his schools, Vijay is mostly known for his numerous academic achievements from topping local and national quiz competitions to excelling swiftly at the top of his classes.
Nonetheless, beyond his achievements, he describes himself as a simple outgoing person who loves nothing more than to travel, take on new challenges, and go on road trips. He is also the youngest son of an overseas Filipino worker — his mother, and a retired electrical engineer.
As much as he excels in studying, he is also fond of playing sports including basketball, volleyball, and tennis. In fact, he used to be a member of the varsity back when he was in high school—a detour cut short due to an unfortunate injury.
Despite the circumstances, he still finds time to play the sports he enjoys even until he started taking up an electrical engineering course at a prestigious university in Cebu City.
Cebu topnotcher study-life balance priority
As an electrical engineering student, Vijay carries the principle that he should always seek a balance between study and his personal life. He brings it not just in the aspect of playing sports, but also in terms of socializing with his family and closest friends.
He carried this virtue with him even after graduating college with a Summa cum Laude standing, having the highest general weighed average across all engineering graduates of his batch—a coveted feat for many at his university.
Vijay prioritizes this sense of balance to the point that he uses it to his advantage just like when he grabbed the opportunity to become a part-time physics instructor in his high school alma mater.
“I knew that there were lessons that I needed to review in that subject, so I thought that maybe teaching those concepts to students would serve as a supplemental review for me,” he fondly explained.
He found the whole experience fun, gaining experience teaching while also learning the things he needed to catch up on which lasted for a whole semester, just before his actual review classes started.
Cebu topnotcher: Traversing hurdles
However, it is not always a smooth sailing road for Vijay in his board exams journey. No matter how well he managed his seek for balance, some things do not just go according to plan.
He always prioritized spending time with his loved ones for a long time but going through board exam preparations was a tough ride that would require the majority of one’s time, effort, and attention.
“As for me, I struggled to balance my time with myself, my family and loved ones and with my review. I had to constantly look over my father, who suffered a serious injury,” he lamented in the interview.
However, he did not use this as an excuse to lose his energy towards his journey. He instead used this hurdle to try and work harder in persevering to just go with the process and do the best he could to still stay true to his principles while dedicating enough time to study for the exam.
“Even though I had a lot on my plate, I persevered because I knew that God would guide me, and I knew that I could do this. Go with the flow lang ko while I enjoy the process,” he persistently said.
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Becoming Engineer De Guma
After taking the test, Vijay said that he did not feel confident as he continually thought about the several questions that he might have mistakenly answered incorrectly.
He did not even get to imagine even getting the chance to top the exams because he thought there were a lot of potential top-notchers in his batch of test-takers
Nonetheless, the doubts in his mind suddenly cleared one fortunate night when the Professional Regulation Commission released the results of the 2024 REELE.
At that time, Vijay was on a vacation in New Zealand with his mother, which he took right after the board exam. While the results were released past 9 PM in the Philippines, it was an hour past midnight for him when he was just bound to sleep.
As he was about to doze off, he noticed that his phone kept vibrating. Upon checking it out, he found that it was his friends and loved ones congratulating him. It was then that he found out that he placed 9th in the board exams.
He dedicates his achievement to his family, friends, mentors, teachers, and the people who supported him throughout his journey. Above all, he did not forget to thank God as the source of all wisdom and knowledge.
Now a licensed electrical engineer, Engineer Vijay Manuel de Guma looks forward to applying his interpersonal and technical skills in working for a local electric company to fulfill his obligation to serve the Cebuano people.