THE ME COMMUNITY

A sneak peek into the community you could be a part of

Social

Support

Management Engineering (ME) is commonly known for its academically rigorous degree program, which may be intimidating to some students. However, despite the difficulty and challenges a student may face, a strong community is built within ME. This community, also known as the ME Learning Community, serves as a pillar of support that guides students throughout their journey!

While a lot of time is dedicated to studying, the ME Learning Community allows students to interact and connect with a diverse range of individuals, as well as explore opportunities beyond academics.

The Ateneo Management Engineering Association (MEA) is the home organization of BS ME and is one aspect of this large community. MEA consists of members who are current or previous students of the Management Engineering program. This is an organization where students come together to foster a community of support and passion through various initiatives and projects.

Learn more about MEA here!

Academic
Support

The Management Engineering program – including its curriculum and retention requirements – may seem daunting. However, as an ME student, you’re never alone.

Along with a well-established social community, the Management Engineering Learning Community is a pool of highly talented and driven people that develop ways to collaborate and work together. ME students work as a team, not just individuals, to cultivate skills and growth both individually and as a collective.

Members of the ME Learning Community are more than willing to help and guide each other. Students across each year level come together to support one another. They create study groups, conduct mini review sessions, and create reviewers to help fellow students get through each semester.

Ateneo Management Engineering Association

STUDENT LIFE

Every ME student's home organization

Ateneo has a vibrant student community, and Management Engineering students are an integral part of it! Ateneo MEA is here to support you in every aspect of your student life, whether it's academic, social, career, or leadership-oriented.

MEA offers a holistic experience that goes beyond the classroom. Through various projects and initiatives throughout the year, students have the opportunity to not only participate but also take the lead in organizing events. It's a chance to develop valuable skills, make lifelong friendships, and create unforgettable memories.

One of MEA's projects is STEPS, designed especially for freshmen to ease their transition into the program.

STEPS provides hands-on experience with major subjects and serves as a platform to connect with fellow ME students. It's your first step towards success in the program and a fantastic way to kickstart your journey at Ateneo.

Check out the organization's social media pages below!

Faculty

Notable

Joe Ilagan

BS Management Engineering, minor in Data Science, Ateneo de Manila University

Dr. Patrick Valentin

MBA, University of the Philippines Diliman

Rhyan Uy

MBA, Stanford University; MA Economics, ADMU

Paul Allado

MS Finance, The London School of Economics and Political Science

MS Analytics, Georgia Institute of Technology

Caje Batiño

BS Management Engineering, Ateneo de Manila University

Clayton Sugay

MBA, Asian Institute of Management

Ezekiel Denzon

MA Economics, Ateneo de Manila University

Matthew Uy

MS Data Science, Ateneo de Manila University

Joben Ilagan

MS Computer Science, Ateneo de Manila University

Kerish Villegas

MS Mathematics, University of the Philippines Diliman

Joselito Olpoc

MS Computer Science, major in Software Engineering, Ateneo de Manila University

Alyson L. Yap

MBA, Ateneo Graduate School of Business

Student Testimonials.

The academic support that is rooted in the ME Learning Community often becomes a driving force that enables students to persevere throughout each semester – a source of support that pushes students to unlock their fullest potential.

Learn more about what it’s like studying ME from ME students themselves!

ME is undoubtedly as challenging as people say, but it is much more manageable with a good support system. It helps to have blockmates and friends who understand how you feel and who experience similar struggles as you.

TANG

SOFIA

Before an exam, I like to study with my friends or participate in our routine of asking each other questions late at night. These simple acts foster a sense of togetherness and warmth that makes me feel less alone on my ME journey. MEA has also been such a great source of guidance and advice for freshmen like me, with so many study resources and even listening ears to help you through it all.

Most importantly, it is essential to develop a strong sense of self-worth.

Though all of your hardships and setbacks may demoralize you, it is critical to keep in mind that your value is not determined by your QPI or exam results. I used to struggle with this a lot, but I’ve been getting better at accepting that failure is an inevitable and necessary part of ME. Instead of obsessing over it, I use it as motivation to try even harder the next time. To be honest, when I first learned about the difficulties associated with being an ME student, I was similarly intimidated by the course. The thing that most helped me was realizing why ME is such a rigorous course in the first place. It is an extremely versatile course that prepares its students for success in any career path they want to pursue post-graduation. Even though it’s hard, it’s been done before—it’s not impossible.

I find it helpful to set a routine for all my activities, including non-academic related things. Allocating time for hobbies like playing sports and bonding with friends helped reduce stress and burnout.

RELUCIO

RALPH

Aside from this, another way I am able to cope with the difficulty of ME is by immersing myself into our home organization, MEA. Instead of purely focusing on getting good grades, I found it value-adding to be able to develop skills such as public speaking, project management, facilitation, and others more. Being part of this community has also helped me reduce my academic stress as the organization became my second home.

Through tears and laughter (although more tears because of the difficult LTs), my batchmates were really the anchor in overcoming the difficulties in the course. Firstly, I believe that it is important to understand that academics is not the entirety of being an ME student. Although it is valuable to have good grades for future careers, I believe that ME provides greater opportunities for you to discover your interest and career path. Personally, as someone whose grades are mediocre, being active in the organization has allowed me to hone my soft skills and provide greater clarity for my future career. These skills (such as project management) cannot be fully realized in a classroom, and having this experience early on my ME journey has given me an edge among others. Secondly, regardless of how rigorous ME is, it is comforting to know that you are not alone. No matter how tough the requirements are, the ME community is a home you can rely on. Lastly, remember to enjoy the ME journey. The past two years of my college life has been a rollercoaster, but through all the highs and lows, there was always something valuable to learn. There is so much in store for you in ME, you just have to be open to these experiences.

Coming into ME, I made sure to mentally prepare myself for the upcoming years, knowing that they were going to be tough and that I would have to put in the work in order to get through.

ANIDO

FRANCELLE

I'm glad I did because it truly is a rigorous program that demands a lot of time, effort, and willpower. Besides listening in class and going over the course materials, I review the study materials provided by the YDC office together with my blockmates in the week leading up to exams. By doing so, my friends and I are able to check each others' progress and ask about parts we find confusing. This ensures that we all understand the lessons and how to solve difficult problems.

At the end of each day, I make sure to allot time for myself, whether this be used for sleeping, watching a movie, or browsing social media. This is really important because burnout is REAL and you won't be able to function properly without ample rest. With all that said, ME is no joke and you will actually be challenged academically. However, if you put in the effort and surround yourself with people who support and inspire you, you will survive.

Before I even came into ME there was so much said about how hard it would be to graduate. There is so much math, save your Ds, 1 out of 3 of us freshmen would end up shifting out.

DELA VEGA

AIVANNE

Pressure and fear were unavoidable and this led to so much efforts to be as prepared as possible, joining review sessions, sharing notes & tips, and asking for help. Throughout all these there was always one constant, the people. The people in ME are probably some of the funniest, the most hardworking, some of the best achievers in academics and extracurriculars; but most importantly, the best people to go through the journey of college with.

Having gotten past the rigors of ME as a graduating senior, surrounding myself with MEAns of different batches was what got me to the end. No matter how much you struggle or get scared, there will always be at least 1 person going through the same thing. The emotional and academic support prepared me for all the highs and lows before and after each test or presentation. Being in ME didn’t just mean prestige or challenges, it gave me a family. A family that would be there until the end to wish you good luck on every requirement, offer help or a hug whenever you’d need it, and empower you to come out of university a better version of yourself.