Sazon, Rhodel I. August 17, 2009 2LM2 Q4.

The comparison of Rizals performance in Ateneo de Municipal and Santo Tomas isnot viable because both institutions differ in many respects. First, the superiority of Santo Tomasas a University is way unrivalled to that of a secondary school like Ateneo. It is impossible tocompare Santo Tomas because it exhilarated its university charter bestowed by Pope Innocent Xin 1645, 34 years after its establishment as compared to Ateneo that was only elevated to itsuniversity charter in 1959, 100 years after its establishment in 1859. Being stringent, SantoTomas being a university is 314 years older than Ateneo (University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo deManila University-Wikipedia, 2009, para. 1) (History-UST website, 2009, para. 2 and 4) (History-ADMU website, 2006, para. 1 and 14), so how could we compare an unmatchedexcellence of a university to a newly established institution? Second, the Dominicans implementin Santo Tomas a Europeanized Educational System wherein every student is expected to bematured and responsible in using their time compared to the Regulated-Regimented System theJesuits utilize where students time is hardly grasped by the administrators (Villaroel, 1984).Thirdly, they say that Rizal had a miserable life in Santo Tomas than in Ateneo because hereceived better grades there but even a single document that would prove and suffice theargument that Rizal had a despondent life in Santo Tomas is never presented. Lastly, college lifeis extremely different from the secondary and elementary. The University was a different worldaltogether. It was in the nature of a university to be different. There was more freedom and verylittle control on ones private and scholastic conduct (Villaroel, 1984). Therefore, the comparisonmade between the University of Santo Tomas and Ateneo de Municipal will never be feasibleand expedient even up to the present time. Q5. I believe that it was Rizals family that had the greatest impact on him because hiseducation and profession was also influenced by them. For example, Rizal genuinely wanted topursue with Law since he had a preparatory course for it and he performed well in theHumanities based on his grades but instead, he took up Medicine. Even though he has not left usa clear clue as to the reasons for this choice, it has always been written and said that the fallingsight of his mother Doa Teodora was a determining factor for choosing the medical profession(Villaroel, 1984). Rizal's family, particularly his mother, is his main influence in matters of faith and education (Rizals Early Childhood-Filipiniana, 2009, para. 1). Rizal had said before that hethought of treating his mothers eyes when he gets home from his study of Ophthalmology inMadrid (Capino, 1971). Again from here, even his decision to go abroad to complete his studiesis still associated to his family

particularly to his mother. From a letter that Rizal wrote to hisfamily in June 20, 1892, he said on the last paragraph of the letter that until the last moment ofhis life, he will think of his family and wish for all kinds of happiness (Ancheta, 1977). We cansee that even up to the last days of Rizals life, he would still think of his family and theirgoodness because his family meant so much for him. Therefore, of all the triumphs in hiseducation and in his profession, his family have always been part of this and even his patrioticactivity has been inveigled by his family also, making them the greatest impact on Rizalsprinciples and ideas for the nation.