José Rizal’s University Years Essay

Fortunately, Rizal’s first romance, with its bitter disillusionment,did not adversely affect his studies in the University of Santo Tomas.His love for higher education proved to be greater than his love for apretty girl. After finishing the first year of the course in Philosophy andLetters (1877-780), he transferred to a medical course. During theyear of his studies in the university, which was under the Dominicans,rival education of the Jusuits, he remained loyal to Ateneo, where hecontinued to participate in extra curricular activities and where hecompleted the education course in surveying. As a Thomasian, he wonmore literary laurels, had more romances with girls, and foughtagainst Spanish students. Mother’s position to higher education. After graduation withthe highest position in Ateneo, Rizal had to go the University of Santo Tomas in order to prepare him self to a private career. The Bachelor of arts degree during Spanish times was equivalent to a high schooldiploma today. It merely qualified its holder to enter a university. BothDon Francisco and Paciano that Jose should pursue a higher learning.But Dona Teodora did not want him to study more. Evidently she had apremonition that to much knowledge would imperil his child life.In a family council in the Rizal’s home in Calamba, shevigorously objected to have her beloved Jose acquired a highereducation. She was thinking of the safety of her son. She know thefate of Filipino intellectuals-Father Burgos, Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor,Jose Ma. Basa, and others of 1872-who were either executed or exiledby the Spanish authorities, and blamed their sad fate to their learning.