College Education in The Philippines

[BigDug]

Hello,

I just posted a long intro in the Introdution forum and mentioned the below items, but figured they're better presented in the "Questions and Advice" section.

I have a unique opportunity to retire and use the Post 9/11 GI Bill to attend college. The tuition will be completely paid, then there is a living allowance on top based on Zip Code. But for overseas college, it is a flat rate of $1333 per month.

My original plan was to go back to San Diego, make $2000 per month in living allowance, then dip into my retirement pension (another $1500 per month) to fund the rest of my living. That lasts for 3 years for as much college as you can finish. The expectation being that you also attend full time schedule in the Summer so that you can complete a 4 year degree in 3 years. The living allowance only happens for the months you attend school.

Looking into the Universities in The Philippines, I find that some of them are fairly high ranked, even higher than some of the State Universities in the US. The $1333 per month would be more than enough to live, and that would allow me to continue to invest the other $18,000 per year in pension while I attend.

But would the Colleges in The Philippines take credit transfers in the same way the US colleges do (I have a ton of stuff that counts as credit from Navy schools)? Would a degree from The Philippines hold as much weight as a degree from the US? Could I get certified to teach in the US if I get a Masters in Education from a University in The RP? If I decide instead to pursue an IT degree, would that hold weight as well?

I guess what I'm asking is, even though the colleges are ranked high on someone's "worldwide college ranking" list, will that matter in the eyes of an employer? I have read that degrees from colleges in Thailand are laughed at in other locations, so my fear is the same thing happening from a degree from The RP.

Also, are there any job opportunities if I decide to stay in The Philippines? I know there's teaching English online options, but is the internet connection good enough to sustain a video conference?

Thank you.

[ladislav]

I hope there is someone here who is studying in RP because very few Americans do. There are some who study specialized degrees like dentistry or medicine- but again, few.
Non technical/medical Philippine degrees are not that valued in the US.
If you do not get an answer, the Philippine embassy may supply you a list.

[BigDug]

Hmm. I was afraid of that. Strange that in worldwide rankings, the University of the Philippines is ranked higher than many Japanese and even many American major colleges (like Florida State University which is ranked lower), yet when it comes down to it, for a job offer the degree will look like toilet paper.

Truly sad, as it would have been an amazing experience to be able to pick up my degree in The Philippines.

[zboy1]

Did you know that R Lee Emery from the History Channel studied Criminology and Drama from University of Manila with his GI Bill? It's not unusual for American's to study abroad for degree. Some students go to the Caribbean or Eastern Europe to get their medical degrees since its so much cheaper than studying it in the States.

[Mr S]

Hello,

I just posted a long intro in the Introdution forum and mentioned the below items, but figured they're better presented in the "Questions and Advice" section.

I have a unique opportunity to retire and use the Post 9/11 GI Bill to attend college. The tuition will be completely paid, then there is a living allowance on top based on Zip Code. But for overseas college, it is a flat rate of $1333 per month.

My original plan was to go back to San Diego, make $2000 per month in living allowance, then dip into my retirement pension (another $1500 per month) to fund the rest of my living. That lasts for 3 years for as much college as you can finish. The expectation being that you also attend full time schedule in the Summer so that you can complete a 4 year degree in 3 years. The living allowance only happens for the months you attend school.

Looking into the Universities in The Philippines, I find that some of them are fairly high ranked, even higher than some of the State Universities in the US. The $1333 per month would be more than enough to live, and that would allow me to continue to invest the other $18,000 per year in pension while I attend.

But would the Colleges in The Philippines take credit transfers in the same way the US colleges do (I have a ton of stuff that counts as credit from Navy schools)? Would a degree from The Philippines hold as much weight as a degree from the US? Could I get certified to teach in the US if I get a Masters in Education from a University in The RP? If I decide instead to pursue an IT degree, would that hold weight as well?

I guess what I'm asking is, even though the colleges are ranked high on someone's "worldwide college ranking" list, will that matter in the eyes of an employer? I have read that degrees from colleges in Thailand are laughed at in other locations, so my fear is the same thing happening from a degree from The RP.

Also, are there any job opportunities if I decide to stay in The Philippines? I know there's teaching English online options, but is the internet connection good enough to sustain a video conference?

Thank you.

Actually I am probably the closest your going to get to a decent answer about this topic, as I work with professors from the top 3 universities in the Philippines and have had discussions about this topic in the past.

First off, you need to decide what you want to study. Do you already have an undergraduate degree? If you do then the next question is what kind of masters degree do you want? IF you want to study education I would suggest specializing in something unless you already have an undergrad in English, Mathematics, history or science. Just a masters in education without a proper undergraduate degree will limit your teaching options.

You should review which schools you would be interested in attending. The top 3 schools in the Philippines are: University Philippines in Dilliman (http://www.upd.edu.ph/) , Atenao de Manila University (http://www.admu.edu.ph/) and De La Salle University Manila (http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/) I would only attend one of these schools and stick to the Manila branches if you want to have your degree worth something overseas. Pretty much those three schools are looked upon as decent in foreign countries and you can get an undergraduate or Masters degree from them and you'll be okay. You don't want to be a Westerner trying to get a PhD from one of those universities, thats a different subject matter altogether, but Undergrad and graduate degrees okay. Each University will tend to specialize in certain fields better than others, so if for example education is your thing then I would see which one has the best education departement.

Regarding credits I have no idea if they would transfer as credit here in the Philippines. I have a feeling they wouldn't cause for one they were from whatever organization trained you which is USA based and their system may not transfer to the Philippines one. Also, the more classes you take the more money they make so they may want you to take the max amount of classes so they can make money off of you.

IF you want to be a teacher I would just get your degree here in Philippines then teach at an international school in the Philippines or some other country. You will have a better lifestyle, the kids and faculty will treat you better and your money will go much farther living overseas than in the states. IF you have the proper educational qualifications you can make Western pay at international schools so with your pension plus teaching you would be pulling in some decent money.

If you are single and you go to these schools you will most likely be able to date some of the cream of the crop in the Philippines! There is little age discrimination so if your looking for a decent women those three universities would be a good place to look. I have a former coworker who used to teach at UP and he has a PhD and is originally from NZ. He said he dated a FHM model for a while there. The hottest and smartest women in PI attend those universities so it's the place to go if you want a quality Filipina.

If your set to go back to the USA after your done going to school in PI, if you still haven't decided what you want to study, you may want to take up a veterinarian degree. The schools here in PI are cheap and you get a lot of hands on experience, enough to pass the qualifying exams in the USA. I know a guy who went to school here and did that. He wasn't the smartest guy but because there is so much hands on training he was able to learn much more here than in one of the American schools. Considering Vet schools are extremely limited and competitive, going to school for that here in PI then opening up your own clinic in the states would be a good way to make decent money and be your own boss.

Your GI Bill and pension would be more than enough to live a comfortable life while your over here. I was once in the Navy but was in and left during the Clinton years and got screwed on my education benefits. In the 90's they were behind the times when it came to education inflation and I only got around 16,000 all together, so I still have major student loans because of the dick head government screwing me over.

I actually live right down the road about 15 minutes from the UP campus Diliman. There are lots of housing options for a fraction of the price you would pay in the states to rent. I pay $400 a month for a 2 level 3 bedroom/bath townhouse. It's not luxury but it's well secure and gated and in decent neighborhood, within walking distance to many stores and to the main highway. If you want to pay more you can rent a house for maybe 500 or 600 a month thats in a gated community with roving security and clubhouse facilities. Or you can go cheaper and rent a studio condo or something. There are lots of options living in Manila if you have money.

Internet connection is okay here as long as you live in a decent part of the city. The weather can affect the connection at times but all considering its not too bad, not as good as in the states though. Degrees from the top three mentioned universities in PI will be worth a lot more then one from Thailand cause Thailand is notorious for cheating and grade manipulation. Plus the universities I mentioned teach in English. I know a missionary who works for the British Council that I have worked with occasionally and she and her husband raised her kids in the Philippines and they both went to Ateneo University and then they both moved back to the states. They didn't have any issues getting employment in the states even though they did their entire schooling in the Philippines, and they are not Filipinos but Euro descended Christian Americans.

Anyways, getting a degree in PI won't hinder your career options. If you have any other questions just PM me.

[BigDug]

Wow, thank you for the awesome insight Mr S! I like this forum community already! You obviously have plenty of knowledge on this particular subject.

I know what you mean on the education benefits. When I first joined, it was $12,000 after I hadto pay $1200. Now it is over $100k if I attend in California ($72 in housing, $3k in books, and full tuition paid.) I'm really glad I stuck it out even though I didn't advance as far as I wanted.

I could go to college in San Diego, surrounded by 18-22 y/o who see me as the "creepy old man going to college" or I can have all expenses paid with money to pocket by attending college in The Philippines, surrounded by cream-of-the-crop amazing women who won't see me as creepy.

I will most likely have more questions that I will PM you on later.

Thanks again.

Doug

[jdylan]

>>>I could go to college in San Diego, surrounded by 18-22 y/o who see me as the "creepy old man going to college" or I can attend college in The Philippines, surrounded by cream-of-the-crop amazing women who won't see me as creepy....

Uh, yeah. Sorry, pop...we all still see you as a creepy old man, but only if you're interested in those young girls. If you act like a respectable older gentleman, then that's how you'll be viewed.

Anyway, what did you end up doing?

[Jester]

Thanks for bumping this excellent post by Mr.S!!

I wonder which of the unis has the prettiest undergrads?

[newlifeinphilippines]

Thanks for bumping this excellent post by Mr.S!!

I wonder which of the unis has the prettiest undergrads?

how hard is it to apply if one has a degree? where do we apply? Perhaps this is the way to really blend in and get he woman of our dreams

[droid]

If you are single and you go to these schools you will most likely be able to date some of the cream of the crop in the Philippines! There is little age discrimination so if your looking for a decent women those three universities would be a good place to look. I have a former coworker who used to teach at UP and he has a PhD and is originally from NZ. He said he dated a FHM model for a while there. The hottest and smartest women in PI attend those universities so it's the place to go if you want a quality Filipina.

WILL DO! GOD WILLING.

[Mr S]

It's not hard to get into most of these universities except maybe UP as long as you have the money and meet the academic qualifications. UP is somewhat socialistic and has quota systems on some of their degree programs so that their lower socio-economic students can gain access to them, plus their entrance exams test knowledge of Tagalog. Probably not a big deal for graduate degrees but undergraduate their entrance exam is pretty tough from what I hear. This is why you'll find more of the wealthy attending De La Salle University or Atenao. There are many other lower tiered Universities her too but they won't be recognized as well back in Western countries. If you want to use your degree in a Western country best to go to the top three as mentioned in a previous post. Maybe you can include University of Santo Tomas (http://www.ust.edu.ph) as well but I personally would avoid others unless you don't care if they are worth shit or not outside the country. I've included websites in a previous post for the other universities.

There will be beautiful, average and ugly girls in any of the universities, one needs to pay attention to intelligence and character as well when looking for a Filipino GF. Looks don't last beyond 30 with most of them unless they are somehow health conscious and exercise and thats only a very small percentage. Most Filipinos have rocks for brains and are not independent thinkers, they tend to group think to the lowest denominator. So it's best to take your time and date numerous women and sort out the good from the bad and know the difference, cause they can be tricky and mask their negatives until you're well into a relationship with them and it's more difficult to pull away from. The women do have positives here as long as you find a decent one that has beauty, brains, and moral character. If you are missing one of those your life will become a living hell eventually, so choose wisely!

Pay attention to birth order and how many brothers and sisters they have and how old their parents are or if they are still alive. If the girl is the eldest in the family or older rather than younger in the family she will have more responsibilities to deal with in relation to her family and that means you will have to deal with more bullshit whether its family or financially related. Better not to get involved with women from large families or who are the oldest in the family. If they are the youngest thats better cause less BS to deal with. Just what I know through experience living and dealing with the everyday mindset of the people here.

[newlifeinphilippines]

It's not hard to get into most of these universities except maybe UP as long as you have the money and meet the academic qualifications. UP is somewhat socialistic and has quota systems on some of their degree programs so that their lower socio-economic students can gain access to them, plus their entrance exams test knowledge of Tagalog. Probably not a big deal for graduate degrees but undergraduate their entrance exam is pretty tough from what I hear. This is why you'll find more of the wealthy attending De La Salle University or Atenao. There are many other lower tiered Universities her too but they won't be recognized as well back in Western countries. If you want to use your degree in a Western country best to go to the top three as mentioned in a previous post. Maybe you can include University of Santo Tomas (http://www.ust.edu.ph) as well but I personally would avoid others unless you don't care if they are worth shit or not outside the country. I've included websites in a previous post for the other universities.

There will be beautiful, average and ugly girls in any of the universities, one needs to pay attention to intelligence and character as well when looking for a Filipino GF. Looks don't last beyond 30 with most of them unless they are somehow health conscious and exercise and thats only a very small percentage. Most Filipinos have rocks for brains and are not independent thinkers, they tend to group think to the lowest denominator. So it's best to take your time and date numerous women and sort out the good from the bad and know the difference, cause they can be tricky and mask their negatives until you're well into a relationship with them and it's more difficult to pull away from. The women do have positives here as long as you find a decent one that has beauty, brains, and moral character. If you are missing one of those your life will become a living hell eventually, so choose wisely!

Pay attention to birth order and how many brothers and sisters they have and how old their parents are or if they are still alive. If the girl is the eldest in the family or older rather than younger in the family she will have more responsibilities to deal with in relation to her family and that means you will have to deal with more bullshit whether its family or financially related. Better not to get involved with women from large families or who are the oldest in the family. If they are the youngest thats better cause less BS to deal with. Just what I know through experience living and dealing with the everyday mindset of the people here.

what if one wants a woman 20 years younger than them. They will have to settle on the education or personality issue i think? And before you say dont settle ill say the search is hard enough i have to settle on some issue LOL. and id rather fight a simple mind who is 20 years younger than a college educated or ambitious woman with attitude who is equa to may age. I agree on moral character too though i wouldn't settle on that.

[Jester]

WILL DO! GOD WILLING.

(1) Please do it

(2) Please post about it

PS we will all hate you

[Jester]

Pay attention to birth order and how many brothers and sisters they have and how old their parents are or if they are still alive. If the girl is the eldest in the family or older rather than younger in the family she will have more responsibilities to deal with in relation to her family and that means you will have to deal with more bullshit whether its family or financially related. Better not to get involved with women from large families or who are the oldest in the family. If they are the youngest thats better cause less BS to deal with. Just what I know through experience living and dealing with the everyday mindset of the people here.

Good point for those who have a fear of getting stuck supporting her family.