Hip-Hop lover, who danced his way through college, is the Civil Engineering board exam 2022 topnotcher.
Who says you can’t enjoy your passion while studying engineering?
Just take it from 23-year-old Engr. Archigine Agleham Labrador, who took first place in the Civil Engineering board exam 2022, all while enjoying his college days as a hip-hop dancer.
Archigine, fondly known as Archi, was born to a civil engineer and an architect, hence his name (“ARCHI” from architect and “GINE” from an engineer).
When he was three, he lost his architect dad to a road accident.
So at an early age, it had always been him, his civil engineer mom, and his younger brother.
He and his brother grew up admiring their mom and having been exposed to the beauty of civil engineering (and the fact that he loved math), it was a no-brainer decision for Archi to take up civil engineering, too.
Right out of high school, he enrolled at the University of Saint Louis Tuguegarao, and luckily, things went pretty well for him during the early years of his college life.
Although he was primarily known as an average happy-go-lucky guy, he never did once fail any subject, and he actually had time to pursue his other passion: hip hop dancing.
Whenever there were dance competitions in and out of school, he would enthusiastically participate in each one.
He lived to dance his heart out, and he was nothing short of happy to be doing something he both loved.
Unfortunately, life caught up to him real quick. When he reached his fourth year, he was drowning in responsibilities and requirements.
His major subjects started asking them to submit design plates and problem sets, and on top of that, he also had plenty of duties as a student leader and a hip-hop dancer.
It came to a point where he was so busy fulfilling all of these duties that he attended a class and took a quiz, all while running on zero sleep!
Archi knew that he needed to do something about his schedule, so he approached one of the people he looked up to the most: his mom.
After hearing his dilemma, his mom told him the value of time management and setting priorities.
She mentioned how it was okay to take up extracurriculars so long as he knew how to manage his time well and what to prioritize first.
Archi took his mom’s lesson to heart so much that in his fifth year of college, he managed to make it to the dean’s list not only once but twice!
This was despite the hardships he endured during his last semester of school when the pandemic hit.
While he was heartbroken that he couldn’t walk up the stage like he used to dream about, he was happy that college was finally over and he could move on to his next goal: passing the Civil Engineering Board Exam 2022.
After finishing college, he enrolled in a review center and aggressively prepared for the upcoming exam.
However, life had other plans for this hip-hop lover. Due to the uncertainties brought about by the COVID-19 virus, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) had no choice but to cancel the Philippine civil engineering licensure exam twice since Archi graduated.
When the exam was canceled in Nov 2020, he decided to maintain his momentum and continue reviewing.
After all, he was already at the top of his game, and he wanted to retain as much information as he could.
Unfortunately, PRC canceled the Civil Engineering Board Exam 2022 for the second time around, which should have been scheduled for May 2021.
This frustrated Archi, and his determination to continue reviewing began to waver. He became torn between applying for work and carrying on with the review.
In the end, he decided to sacrifice everything he had prepared for and went on to find a job to start helping his mom.
He focused all his energy on his work for a few months until he learned that the November 2021 CELE had pushed through.
Seeing that things are slowly returning to normal and with the hope of the May 2022 CELE taking place, Archi immediately resigned to prepare for the Philippine civil engineering licensure exam once again.
It took him a whole lot of guts, but he was optimistic that his efforts wouldn’t go to waste this time.
And he was right. The May 2022 CELE did go ahead, and with his preparation, he surprisingly found the Civil Engineering Board Exam 2022 average.
He was pretty confident with his answers, and by the time the end of the exam rolled around, he knew that he would end up in the 7th or 10th spot in the topnotcher list.
However, life really has a funny way of surprising Archi.
Five working days after the exam, the results were out, and he couldn’t believe his eyes.
His name was right on the Number 1 spot on the list with an average of 93.95%.
He couldn’t help but run to his mom’s room and hug her tight while crying about how he had finally done it.
In an online interview, Engr. Archi shared some of his review tips for aspiring topnotchers.
Student Life
Why did you choose this course? Who or what was your inspiration?
As a kid, I have always been fascinated by the mathematics subject.
I love working with numbers and variables. But the person who inspired me the most is my mother.
Being a single parent of 2 must be challenging (my father passed away when I was only 3 yrs old, and my younger brother was one due to a vehicular accident).
My mother is also a licensed civil engineer, so I grew up watching only my mom and the beauty of civil engineering.
Therefore, my civil engineering dream was primarily influenced by my Civil Engineer mother.
What are your favorite subjects in your entire engineering study? How about least liked subjects?
My top 3 favorite subjects in engineering are:
- Strength of Materials,
- Mechanics of Rigid Bodies,
- and a tie between Trigonometry and Plane and Solid Geometry, respectively.
I love these four because I think these are the basics of most engineering subjects.
Mastering these subjects helped me a lot in understanding most of the subjects included in the Civil Engineering Board Exam 2022.
Also, I love solving math and engineering subjects that have shapes and figures in them.
My least favorites are:
- College Algebra
- and Probability.
I was still in my undergrad years; working with worded problems and converting those words into algebraic equations was challenging.
Still, when I started to review, I opened my mind and managed to learn more about those subjects and eventually liked those subjects.
But college algebra and probability are still on the bottom of my list.
Have you had any subject failures or disappointing academic performance, to the very least? If yes, what did you do about it? How did you cope?
When I was in my 4th year of college, I had three lines of 7 marks (or tres in most universities).
From my first year of college up until my senior years, I have been an active student talent, dancing my heart out (hip hop genre) and representing my school and department inside and outside of the campus.
I am also a student leader for three consecutive years (3rd year to 5th year).
So in my 4th year in college, I struggled to manage my time, and it was the most challenging year of my college life because the 4th yr of college was the year when we were tasked to submit design plates and problem sets, all at the same time.
I even experienced attending a class and taking a quiz without sleeping in the night before that day due to piled-up unfinished work.
What I did was I spoke to my mother; she comforted me and taught me a valuable lesson that I will carry forever, and that is Time Management and setting priorities.
So when I stepped on my 5th and last year as a civil engineering student, I became a dean’s lister for both the first and second semesters of my previous school year before graduating.
But still, I’m so proud of myself for not having a failed mark in my entire college life despite those numerous extra-curricular engagements.
What are your most difficult and most painful experiences during college life? Your greatest struggles?
When the pandemic started, I was already in the last months of my college life.
Like literally, there were only weeks to count, and we were about to take our final examinations.
I was already visualizing myself marching with a cap and gown, receiving my diploma, and taking a bow not as a dancer but as a graduate.
But those dreams were shattered, and we had no choice but to take our final exams online, a very unfamiliar terrain.
After the exam, it took months before we graduated; our graduation was also virtual.
The pandemic robbed me of what was supposed to be one of the most memorable events of my life.
Any topnotcher study tips or tricks that you think others should emulate from you?
Study Smart; study the concepts and underlying principles in every engineering subject that you would learn.
Resting is as important as studying, so sleep for at least 8 hours.
Study with discipline; what you do now will affect your performance in the Philippine civil engineering licensure exam. Write notes because notes are the extension of your memories. Invest in yourself by focusing on your growth and not comparing yourself to others.
What is the best engineering school advice that you can give to other students?
Keep Moving Forward. Your desire to learn must be consistent and is not dependent on any aspect; you do not lose when you learn.
Civil Engineering Board Exam 2022 Experience
What were the most significant struggles that you experienced while preparing for the Civil Engineering Board Exam 2022? What did you do to overcome them?
The cancellation of the civil engineering licensure exam twice due to the pandemic was so frustrating.
I struggled to choose between starting to work or continuing to review.
In the 1st cancellation, I decided to continue reviewing, but in the second cancellation, I tried to risk everything that I had prepared for, and I started to find work. And I did work for a few months, and while I was working, the Nov 2021 CELE took place, and part of me regretted that I started to work.
So I resigned, I resigned to prepare once more for the May 2022 CELE board exam.
I sacrificed a stable income for an exam that may or may not continue due to the dangers of this pandemic, but it was all worth it.
All the hard work paid off, and I think that believing that the pain of the present is always more significant than the reward of the future extended my patience to the extremes.
I passed through all of that hardship with a proper mindset and a whole lot of guts.
Did you enroll in a center for your review? Do you recommend doing so? Which one did you go to?
I did enroll in a review center, and I made the right choice.
I recommend enrolling in a review center because review centers will guide their students into what topics they should focus on and what topics are worth exploring.
My review center made me realize that I can achieve more than what I think that I can do because I was never top of the class, I am not a cum laude, I was not a valedictorian even when I was still in elementary and high school.
I enrolled in REVIEW INNOVATIONS and will always be grateful that I chose REVIEW INNOVATIONS.
How did you find the board exam? Easy, average, or difficult?
Surprisingly, most of the Civil Engineering Board Exam 2022 problems for me were easy, but I can not deny that there were a few that were difficult, and it came to a point where I just used the “method of elimination” and trusted my guts.
Overall, the Civil Engineering Board Exam 2022 was at an average level.
What were your expectations after you took the Civil Engineering Board Exam 2022? Did you have a feeling that you would be at the top?
I did the best that I could during the exam, and I was confident with my answers; I was careful in my shading, and I always double-checked if I shaded the correct letter of choice.
So after the exam, I was hopeful; I was looking forward to being in the top 10 but never expected to be in the number 1 spot.
After the exam, my gut was telling me that I might be in the top 7-10 spot but never the number 1 spot.
What did you do the first minute you discovered you topped the Civil Engineering Board Exam 2022?
I ran to my mother’s room, embraced her tight, and whispered to her while crying…
“Ma, top 1 ako”
Who do you owe your success to?
- My mother has always been supportive of me and trusts me with my own decisions.
- My friends and family who believed in me since day one. They pushed me to dream big and be in the top 10.
- My teachers and mentors who I look up to.
- To our Lord God, who taught me to believe in myself and in Him, I shall see His works’ greatness.
What incentives did you get from your university and review center after your success in Civil Engineering Board Exam 2022?
Cash and a plaque of recognition.
Share your most effective study habits.
I have different study habits during review and during refresher.
During the review, when I wake up and after I have prepared myself and my reviewers, I watch a 4-hour-lecture in R.I. (2 hours for each subject using only my phone).
Then after watching, I tried to solve every problem in the review module provided by our instructors.
I did not skip any practice problems in the modules; I reached out to my review buddies every time I could not solve a specific question.
Brainstorming worked well for me because the exchange of ideas led us to the solution of complex CELE board exam review problems.
After I have accomplished my review modules, I try to take a rest for a maximum of 1 hour.
During my rest, I watch the vlogs of CongTV and other members of the Team Payaman on youtube while I eat my snack.
After my break, I try to look for problems related to the discussed topic in the books that I have until I feel the urge to have a well-deserved sleep.
These books are the ones that I used to study before an exam in my undergrad days.
I repeat this cycle during the weekdays while the weekend is intended to memorize all the formulas I need for the Civil Engineering Board Exam 2022.
During the refresher, after waking up and preparing myself for the day, I immediately open my CE reference book of Gillesania.
In this book, I try to solve a portion of the exam at a certain year daily. Example:
- MSTE of May 2015 today
- HGE of May 2015 tomorrow
- SEC of May 2015, on the day after
- MSTE of Nov 2015 on the day after that.
After accomplishing my goal, I again take a 1 to 2-hour rest to avoid being burnt out.
After my rest, I watch my refresher set lectures for the day in R.I. that would last an average of 3 hours.
After the lecture, I will solve for the refresher sets that are intended for tomorrow.
This cycle is repeated from Monday to Saturday.
During my refresher course, I removed from my habit the weekly scanning of notes and formulas to test if I had mastered the topics and if the formulas were running through my veins.
Also, after finishing an entire exam in my CE reference book of Gillesania. Example:
- MSTE, HGE
- SEC of Nov 2016
I try to get my overall rating and compare it to the topnotchers in that specific year of exam and see if I would have made it to the top 10 or should I need to push harder.
Give 5 essential tips (in bullets) for future board exam takers who aim to become topnotchers.
1) Study Smart. Study the concepts and underlying principles in every engineering subject that you would study.
2) Write notes and listen to every detail that your instructor would present.
3) Aim to perfect all evaluation exams and pre-board exams in your review center and aim to perfect the board exam.
4) Have enough sleep, don’t stay up all night unless it is necessary.
5) Share your knowledge. When you teach a certain topic, it means that you have mastered it, and you can further simplify the idea so your colleagues can understand it better.
Family & Love Life
Describe your family, parents, siblings (and children if applicable)
I am raised in a fun and goofy family.
We take most things, including our problems, lightly.
We love to laugh and maintain a strong bond with each other.
My mother is a single parent. She is a Licenced Civil Engineer specializing in Property Management.
My father was an Architect. He passed away when I was 3 yrs old due to a motorcycle accident.
Hence the name ARCHIGINE, ARCHI from ARCHItect, and GINE from enGINEer.
My only brother is also studying civil engineering, and he is already in his 3rd year.
Did your parents encourage you to study engineering?
My mother always supported my decisions and encouraged me to pursue engineering because she knew I wanted to be an engineer.
She would always let us make our own decisions, and she would guide us if we ever struggled.
Are you in a relationship? Or is it complicated?
I am in a healthy relationship with my 4-year-girlfriend, and we are going 5 this year.
The Future
Describe engineering in one word.
MARVELOUS
Why is engineering necessary in our society?
Engineering, in general, promotes advancement.
Engineering answers the why’s and how’s.
Engineering builds our world and leads us to astonishing discoveries that are beneficial to mankind.
Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Ten years from now, I will have acquired my Master’s degree in civil engineering specializing in Structural Engineering.
I would be one with the well-seasoned and well-decorated Structural Engineers of our country. At the same time, I share my knowledge and journey through teaching either in a university or in a review center.
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