for context: i am studying in a healthcare industry - not going to specify what but it is tough to get into the degree and you have to work very hard to progress to each year.
I have always struggled with school work ever since primary school, especially maths and failed exams, quizzes almost every year growing up but eventually, when I got to high school, I realised I was never "dumb", just wasn't working hard enough. anyways, fast forward to college, i get decent grades (not always an A student), work hard for every assessment and majority of them are good grades too. I fumble in assignments once in a while if I struggled with time management. however, I keep comparing myself with those who are so smarts, they get awards, volunteer, do internship programs, on linkedin and has scholarships etc. I just don't ever try for them because it seems like i am not smart enough to get them. i know comparison is a thief of joy but I don't find myself interested in doing those extracurricular activities to get a mediocre job in a hospital or clinics etc. however, it seems like the world is telling me if you aren't smart enough, I won't be successful in this healthcare industry i'll work in soon. however, I know i have skills to be successful in this industry, most likely not the way most people are doing. i don't know how to shake this feeling to be honest even though I know i am not a bad person. how can i stop feeling this way?

Hey everyone, I was reading some posts about study material for the EPPP, and I feel as though some people were almost talking down about how they were getting low scores on the AATBS practice exams/material, but then passed the EPPP with scores of at least 500+. Isn't that a good thing then that the AATBS material prepared you with harder questions? That way you were overprepared, and the actual exam was a breeze? I got a scholarship which included all study material from AATBS. Right now I'm just reading the books and doing the section/domain quizzes. People mention the audio lectures a lot but my auditory comprehension is atrocious compared to my visual comprehension. I know symptom presentation differs from person to person, but I have ADHD (just putting it out there), and I'll just say for me, I personally thrive more effectively when I can work with visuals. Friends have told me that they will listen to the audio lectures while driving- never would I be able to do that! Anyway, thank you in advance!

I’ll get straight to the point,gave my 12th boards this year (PCM) got 91% and had scored 96.4% in 10th boards.
my_qualifications- Jee mains score - 97%ile,getting CSE at iiit Co-curriculars-Was the headboy,gold medal at iit Bombay techfest Olympiads and multiple olympiads,Smart India Hackathon junior (National event) Finalist(finished in top10), working with an NGO for about 3 years(I was the city manager and have 1 volunteer of the month award), MUN(Model United Nations )experience:Participated in Harvard MUN(online cause of covid), Won 2nd prize at KIIT MUN(possibly Asia’s largest),won best delegate(1st prize) IIMUN(India’s largest) and have won multiple prizes at MUNs,I also run an organisation which has so far conducted a MUN and an ODF(open debate forum).
I also have certificate in psychology from university of Toronto (via coursera),I can speak Spanish (Degree from UC Berkeley via Coursera)Have won science exhibitions,debates,spell bee and Quizzes at State/city level,have written articles for the school magazine,Have won a prize at an esport (FIFA)tournament on a city level, Did martial arts (but only for 6 months),can swim and I have a silver medal for choir singing (🫢,doesn’t matter ik).
Planning to- write a book(scholastic level,short story) and work with a professor as summer internship to research and hopefully publish a small piece . Have not given any of the exams(SAT,ACT and other proficiency exams)so far. So,should I join a college abroad for engineering/finance?(if yes then pliz do suggest which ones) or shall I study CSE in India only and consider abroad for Masters/MBA?
PS- I’m 19M,you’re insights would be very helpful for me and a lot of which is written may sound irrelevant to you all so please do forgive me😄 Also shed light on my scholarship chances🙏

yes, this is your typical burnout, lost kid na di na alam what's happening. i was that kid na kinaiinggitan ng mga kapitbahay, tito, tita, pinsan at kung sino pang nakakarinig ng achievements ko but now? haha.
i entered school at a very young age. saling pusa nga lang eh. i was the youngest in my class yet i managed to top the class— a shocked to everybody and much and the start of everything. years later, i ended up graduating elementary as the class valedictorian. outside acads, i was excelling too. doing acting workshops, can sing, can dance— basically, what people can call as a very functional, smart, and talented kid.
high school came, still doing fine. i was in a special science class, transferred the next year to a science high school and topped the class again on my 8th grade. i remained to be an exemplary student who could still juggle acads and extracurriculars simultaneously. graduated jhs as one of the top students who managed to bag one of the highest average grades ever recorded in my school. shs happened, and i was still doing great. i still belong to the top of the class… until pandemic happened. my last year in shs did not go well as much as before. still a top student, but no, things were no longer the same.
dagdag pa na this was the time college apps were happening. ofc, UP was everyone's top cert for bragging rights and while it wasn't my ultimate dream school, i did hope i'd pass just to say na i'm still smart enough to be there. but i didn't :)
but you know what's worse? i realized in the process that i neither had a dream school nor a dream course. but since everybody was expecting me to become a doctor, here i am, taking a pre-med i still don't know how i feel about in a school known for doing well in PLE.
ff, i'm now on my 3rd year. still a regular student, fortunately, but that might end soon. i've been struggling since entering. actually no, maybe the term “suffering” is more fitting. whenever i hear stories from fellow students who feel at ease with their course, i always ended up wondering, “why couldn't i feel the same?” but then again, i never figured out what i wanted naman talaga… or more like i did, but i bet none would think it's practical to pursue.
tonight, our prof released the last score of our quiz for a subject i thought i would love. but guess what? i did not pass nor did i get that sparks for this one. i am even one of the bottom 10 students who got got the lowest scores, and i'm pretty sure it has been the case for my past quizzes. di ko na alam ano gagawin. stayed up all night, drank at least 3 cups of coffee a day, distanced myself from my friends because “i have to focus” only to end up in a situation where even a tres seems impossible…and so as maintaining the only scholarship i'm living by and living for. to say that anxiety is eating me up alive rn is an understatement. i did everything yet here i am, an insomniac, anxious, unhappy, dumb student who can barely pass her quizzes lmao.
kung kaya nila, bakit di ko kaya?
kung nagagawa nila, bakit di ko kaya?
kung kaya ko noon, bakit di ko na kaya ngayon?
comparison is the thief of joy ik. but honestly, di ko na rin naman alam paano sasaya sa sitwasyon ko ngayon. but since i still bear the reputation of being an academic achiever kid, ig i just have to live with this and maybe someday i could get used to it.
anw, just had to release it coz i'm so tired of breaking down. this is probably the first time i worded my feelings so sorry if magulo and daming incorrectly worded phrases haha. sorry din if i decided to post it here. was hoping that someday i'd get to look back in this community with that MD everyone's expecting and maybe by then, nabawasan man lang ng isang question mark yung nasa title lmao.

Hi! Planning to apply next year since im still hesitant if med is really for me, so far considering dlsmhsi for med rin !
May I ask lang po abt these kasi some questions cant be answered from their site and wala po talagang doctor sa family ko na i can ask:

1. nagaaccept po ba yung DLSMHSI ng students with a failed course during premed? Or like may probation po, if meron po ano po grade requirement?
   
2. Sa scholarship po, yung GWA po kasi pasok naman as cum laude pero since nagkafailing grade po, hindi po considered na latin honor, bale hindi na po possible maka avail ng kahit anong scholarship po? I got a 74 on a subject po and passing is 75
   
3. May revalida po ba? If so written or oral po? How is it conducted po?
   
4. How many po fatalities per batch?
   
5. How likely po na ma-accept po ako, in case po na I got their required PR, from Big 4 school, member only for orgs, inconsistent deans list, 1 failing grade
   
6. Paano po environment in med? Heard po kasi na toxic sa iba and sa iba naman po its okay?
   
7. Ano po passing grade per subject?
   
8. 2 sems po ba or trisem ang med? Anong months po for each sem? Nalito po kasi ako dun sa posted scheduled sa registrar page nila
   
9. Yung exams and quizzes po ba conducted per shifting (like in 1 sem 3 shiftings)? If not, how po?
   
10. May in-house boards review rin po ba ang medicine? And integrated po ba to sa curriculum in a way na pag di ka umabot sa required % di ka po papayagan grumaduate?
    

Also po do you have any advice or any regrets po in studying here po
Sorry po dami tanong hehe sana po mapansin ayoko na po magaya sa premed ko na di ako nag background check dami ko po tuloy regrets hehe

This guide was created by two anonymous nursing students who attended Rutgers School of Nursing and want to review the curriculum and share our opinion of this program comprehensively.
We do not wish to bash or criticize this program, but rather to provide constructive feedback for the administration and highlight key points for students to watch out for. This is the best program in the state for Nursing, we want to help students navigate it successfully.
This guide mainly pertains to the Rutgers School of Nursing Traditional Program on the New Brunswick Campus, but most professors teach on the New Brunswick and Newark campuses. Second-degree students at the Newark campus can also reference this guide as many professors are shared with the Traditional program. This guide does not pertain to the Blackwood 2+2 Program or the Rutgers School of Nursing–Camden (Camden is a separate school from us).

Admissions

As students, we are not qualified to provide information on the Rutgers School of Nursing admissions. We hope our anecdotal observations can provide a helpful perspective for prospective students navigating this journey.
From what we've gathered, with the new option to submit applications to Rutgers through the Common App, it is increasingly difficult to be admitted directly into the school. We believe it is one of the hardest schools to be admitted to at Rutgers. The School of Nursing does not accept transfer students from external institutions, you must already be a Rutgers student (in another school, like SAS, SEBS) to apply for a school-to-school transfer. Even so, the School of Nursing accepts very few transfer students, so this is not a safe/viable option for those not accepted as freshmen. Additionally, if a transfer is successful, you may need to take certain prerequisite courses, extending your time in the program, which ends up similar to pursuing a second degree.
If your main goal is to graduate with a degree in Nursing, apply for both New Brunswick and Newark campuses, as they confer the same degree. Note that the Newark class is significantly smaller and offers less of the “traditional” college experience that many students desire. We recommend that, if you are not admitted directly into the traditional program at Rutgers, to attend another nursing school you were accepted to, or complete a degree as another life science major and apply to a Second-degree program, which is generally less competitive.
AP Credits will not apply to any Nursing Prerequisite courses with the exception of Statistics. Other AP credits may apply to elective courses or the general elective requirements. Nursing students are not required to complete the Rutgers SAS Core required in almost all other schools.
2023 Admissions Data, Source

Campus	Applicant Count	Incoming Class Size	Waitlist Admits
New Brunswick	4,080	155	55 of 872 (6.31%)
Newark	2,115	63	174 of 625 (27.84%)

Navigating the Nursing Curriculum

The program's structure is extremely backloaded, with the initial two years dedicated to liberal arts courses, general electives, and foundational nursing prerequisites. All clinical courses are placed in the program's second half, creating a tight squeeze to learn and absorb all the skills required as nurses. Once Junior year comes, you will be inundated with didactical nursing courses, labs, simulations, clinicals, and unreasonable amounts of homework assignments. As you navigate the program's first half, embrace the opportunity to live a college life—HAVE FUN, join clubs, go party, and make friends, but be ready to put it all away when Junior year comes. Your experiences in the first two years are crucial for building the support network you'll rely on as the program intensifies.
Starting in the Junior year, nursing courses consist of 3-hour lectures, all scheduled on a single or two days of the week. This scheduling is deliberate, allowing for clinicals to occupy the remaining weekdays and ensuring all students can attend lectures. However, this results in long, exhausting days filled with back-to-back classes that make it challenging to effectively absorb the material. The situation is exacerbated by the lack of teaching assistants and the inaccessibility of professors outside of class, as office hours are limited to "by appointment" sessions, which are hard to come by. The end of class is the only time for questions, but this is also not viable as professors usually have subsequent classes. The current setup severely restricts student ability to effectively understand course material.
We hope for a re-evaluation of this curriculum in the near future that would introduce nursing-specific courses as early as the Sophomore year. The current nursing prerequisites lack direct application to the variety of hands-on skills and knowledge for nursing practice. Introducing nursing courses earlier can bridge this gap and allow students more time to apply their knowledge.
Refer to the School of Nursing’s website for the most up-to-date curriculum. The Class of 2024 is the first cohort graduating with this new “updated curriculum,” so we believe it is relatively up-to-date and will be relevant for the near future.

Course Difficulty

Like many nursing programs across the country, Rutgers Nursing is a challenging program to complete. The school policy requires a minimum grade of C+ (74.5%) in any nursing-coded course (705) to be considered passing. C is required for all prerequisite courses (non-Nursing). Courses are often prerequisites for subsequent courses, particularly in the earlier semesters, and in the Junior year and beyond, they are corequisites, meaning that dropping a course requires withdrawing for the entire semester. This strict policy is daunting as nursing courses are only offered once a semester, so failing a course can mean being held back a full year.

• Trigger Warning: Not Passing a Course
  • In our experience, approximately 20-25% of students fail at least one course in this program. Many students who struggle before their sophomore year decide to change their major, while those in their Junior year or beyond often choose to retake the course.
  • Almost everyone in the program knows someone who has dropped Nursing within the four years. This can happen for many reasons, such as discovering a lack of passion for Nursing or experiencing significant challenges with exams. We empathize with everyone who has not passed a course. We know that the school does not provide support in these situations :(
• Note: The school administration has made some positive changes to address this issue. Depending on the course failed, students may be able to retake it with the Newark second-degree program, allowing them to stay on track for graduation or close to it.

The grade policy, while it seems reasonable, creates considerable stress for students aiming to do well. Achieving a 74.5% or higher means there is little room for error, as it's hard to recover from a poor exam grade. Most courses in the program are exam-heavy, with the HESI (NCLEX-style subject exam) accounting for 10% of the grade in many courses. (We find that there is no consistent way to study for the HESI without spending a lot of time reviewing the content). We suspect that this policy ensures only students with the highest likelihood of passing the NCLEX graduate from the program. The NCLEX pass rate is crucial for nursing schools, as it directly reflects the program's ability to produce competent nurses.
We do not intend to scare potential students but rather to highlight that any nursing program requires a significant amount of effort and should be approached with commitment and seriousness!

Rutgers Nursing Campus Dynamics

The experience of navigating Rutgers-New Brunswick campuses during the first two years of the nursing program differs from the second half, due to the back-loaded nature of the curriculum. Courses in the first two years of nursing school are mostly not nursing department courses and will be scattered on all four campuses. Make sure you choose your campus classes wisely, or you will have a miserable time on the buses during peak bus/traffic hours.
A significant shift occurs once you enter Junior year. The curriculum concentrates all nursing-specific courses into just two buildings in Downtown New Brunswick: 120 Albany Street and 110 Paterson Street. These buildings are incredibly small for their function, and the biggest lecture hall can hold around 120 students, which is often not enough to accommodate the whole cohort. This can lead to a sense of isolation as the nursing buildings are a 5-10 walk from livelier parts of campus. However, most students live on College Avenue to avoid the bus commute from other campuses, as the School of Nursing likes to schedule classes starting at 8:30AM :( Additionally, since nursing classes are typically three-hour lectures arranged on the same days to accommodate clinical schedules, the streets downtown can feel particularly dangerous to navigate in the winter months when it gets dark early.
*This is not an issue at the Newark campus, as most classes are in the same four buildings that are next to each other.

Nursing Prerequisites Courses (Freshman, Sophomore Year)

Before Junior year, students take a mix of prerequisite courses that pave the way for the nursing clinical courses starting in Junior year. Some of these courses are not specifically nursing major (705) courses and are controlled by other departments, resulting in different policies. Generally, a minimum grade of C is required for non-705 courses, while nursing courses require at least a C+. These prerequisite courses can be particularly challenging as students are still adjusting to college life. However, they also serve as an excellent gauge to determine if you can handle the rigor of the courses in Junior year and beyond. Additionally, many of these classes will not be held in the nursing building but will be spread across multiple campuses.
We will not comment on the elective courses (e.g., Humanities, Cultural Studies, History electives), as these are flexible and should be selected after discussion with an advisor.

119:127/128 Anatomy & Physiology I and II with Lab (Semester 1 and 2)
^ Difficulty: 4.5/5, RateMyProfessor, The professor for the New Brunswick course, Anthony Uzwiak, has not changed for the past few years. A&P series is a challenging course that is graded on a curve, which is uncommon for Nursing courses. Professor Uzwiak is very knowledgeable, but his exams are tough and will take significant time to prepare for. The difficulty of the course is further increased by the adjustment into college life and the sudden transition into taking an intensive course
119:131/132 Microbiology Hlth Sci with Lab (Semester 3 or 4)
^ Difficulty: 4/5, RateMyProfessor, The professor for the New Brunswick course, Susan Skelly, has not changed for the past few years. Microbiology is also a challenging course that requires significant reading and prep. Skelly's exams are tough and require a lot of memorization of textbook content, diagrams and pictures. Extra credit opportunities are available through pop quizzes, which can help boost exam grades.
160:128 Chemistry of Life (Semester 3 or 4)
^ Difficulty: 4/5, RateMyProfessor, The professor for the New Brunswick course, Robert Boikess, has not changed for the past few years. His class has mandatory attendance and heavily relies on pre-recorded lectures and use of the textbooks. Exams are difficult and often determine the final grade, so use available resources such as past exams and practice problems. The course is graded on a curve, showing improvement throughout the semester, especially on later exams, and active participation can help achieve a passing grade.
705:255 Nutrition (Semester 3)
^ Difficulty: 2.5/5, RateMyProfessor, The professor for the New Brunswick and Newark courses, Eileen Swingle, has not changed for the past few years. The course includes a few exams, easy weekly participation assignments, and a final project. She is caring and has a supportive teaching style and offers extra credit opportunities, which can significantly improve your grade. Overall, this is one of the easier courses in the program, made enjoyable by Professor Swingle's passion for nutrition.
705:229 Life Span: A Holistic Approach (Dev Psych, Semester 4)
^ Difficulty: 3/5, This course has professors that change frequently, no specific RateMyProfessor page is attached. It provides an overview of development and the complexity of human growth, including a review of both historical and modern-day developmental theories. The course is of medium difficulty and is the first where students encounter NCLEX-style questions on exams. These developmental theories will continue to appear in other courses throughout the program, so a solid understanding of them will be beneficial.
705:205 Sociocultural Dimensions of Health (Semester 4)
^ Difficulty: 2.5/5, This course has professors that change frequently, so no specific RateMyProfessor page is attached. It was added to the curriculum in 2022 and varies significantly depending on the professor. The course is highly theoretical with sociological components, but the concepts are generally straightforward and easy to grasp. It focuses on the effects of cultural and lifestyle differences on health from a human/society rather than biological viewpoint, through the perspective of a nurse.

Nursing Courses (Non-Clinical)

These are 705 Nursing JunioSenior level courses that do not have a clinical component. Note that Health Assessment includes a lab component.
705:306 Health Assessment Across the Life Span (Semester 5)

• Difficulty: 4.5/5
• Lecture: This course is the rigorous introduction to nursing assessment, focusing on the fundamentals of evaluating health. You learn to distinguish between normal and abnormal findings in physical and behavioral assessments, using techniques and equipment for systematic assessments and health history collection. This is a hard, hallmark nursing “weed out” course, as it requires a solid understanding of anatomy to apply to patient care. There are one or more body systems that are taught every week. The difficulty comes from the vast amount of information required and the detailed-oriented nature of the exams, which assess both knowledge and critical thinking abilities. It is important to keep up with the course content, the pace is fast and all content is revisited during the final exam.
• Lab: Accompanying the lecture component, there is a 2-hour clinical lab every week that focuses on a specific system (Ex. Cardiac, Musculoskeletal, Respiratory systems). You will learn how to conduct patient interviews, collect history, subjective and objective findings of each system. A significant component is the two skills exams (test-outs) in this lab, vital signs and comprehensive assessment test-out. These are pass/fail evaluations which do not affect your grade but you only have two attempts to pass each. The lab is generally pretty chill, the Center for Clinical Learning (CCL) staff hosts skills sessions where they will teach you and help you remediate if you fail a test-out. Students should be aware that it is possible to pass the lecture component but fail the course due to the lab test-outs.
• Our Review: Although this course is hard, it creates a fantastic foundation for future nursing courses. To be successful, set aside time weekly to study for this course, focus on reviewing the slides thoroughly and supplementing content with the Jarvis textbook. The EAQs are good study material for the exams.

705:350 Pathophysiology & Pharmacotherapeutics: An Integrated Approach I (Semester 5)

• Difficulty: 4/5
• Lecture: This is the first course of integrated Pathophysiology and Pharmacotherapeutics series (Patho/Pharm). The BSN program underwent a curriculum change in 2022, merging the previously separate Pathophysiology and Pharmacology courses. Despite the course title suggesting an equal focus on pharmacology, the primary emphasis is on pathophysiology. Each week covers 2-3 topics, focusing on the etiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment for pathologies related to major body systems. This course involves minimal pharmacology and relies heavily on memorization. The exams primarily test the ability to memorize and recall information rather than applying concepts.

705:351 Pathophysiology & Pharmacotherapeutics: An Integrated Approach II (Semester 6)

• Difficulty: 4.25/5
• Lecture: This course, the second in the Pathophysiology and Pharmacotherapeutics series, builds on the foundational knowledge from the first course. It covers pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and managing diseases such as infections, pain, respiratory, cardiovascular, central nervous system, endocrine, and gastrointestinal disorders. It is more challenging due to its in-depth and complex pharmacological content, requiring a solid understanding of physiology and strong memorization skills. Keeping up with the material is crucial; you cannot afford to fall behind. The course includes a comprehensive HESI exam.

^ Our Review of the Pathopharm Series

• From our perspective, this series suffers from some disorganization, due to the integration of pathophysiology and pharmacotherapeutics into 2-course series. This means that you’re essentially learning the cause, effect, AND treatment of diseases concurrently, and a lot of content overlaps with what is covered in the Adult 1 and 2 courses.
• The professor for this series has not changed in the past few years: Rate my Professor

705:325 Professional Nursing I (Semester 5)

• Difficulty: 2/5
• Lecture: This is the first of three Professional Nursing courses. Each week, the course delves into different aspects of the nursing profession, such as the history of nursing, nursing theory, and more. Typically, the course includes three exams and three major assignments or projects. The course content and structure can vary significantly depending on the professor, but it is generally considered one of the easier courses in this semester.
• Main Topics: History of the Nursing Profession, Clinical Judgment, Nursing Theory, Legal Aspects of Nursing, The Role of the Professional Nurse.

705:326 Professional Nursing II (Semester 6)

• Difficulty: 1/5
• Lecture: This course emphasizes issues in healthcare, nursing informatics, health literacy, and guidelines for research. The coursework includes weekly activities that account for a significant portion of the grade, making participation important. The majority of the grade is participation, making it one of the easier courses in the nursing program.
• Main Topics: Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods, Nursing Informatics and Health Information Technology, Ethical Considerations in Nursing Research, Integrating Evidence into Clinical Practice.

705:427 Professional Nursing III (Semester 7)

• Difficulty: 1/5 (Special Circumstance)
• Lecture: We unfortunately cannot provide too much information on this course. In Spring 2024, the original professor could no longer teach, and another professor had to fill in. This course ended up being a series of guest speakers, focusing on topics such as nurse leadership, professional development, joining professional organizations, union leaders, and nursing legislators. These sessions were generally helpful and made the course relatively easy. There is some homework and a Leadership HESI exam as part of this course.
• Main Topics: Role of the Nurse Leader, Health Policy Development, Quality and Safety in Nursing, Professional Development, Nurse Leadership Across the Lifespan

^ Our Review of Professional Nursing Series

• In our experience, the Professional Nursing course series is disorganized. The content for these courses is vague and theoretical; even the professors have a hard time defining what the class is for. Topics such as Evidence-Based Nursing Practice, communication, collaboration, and teamwork are constantly brought up, but there is no connection to clinical activities. We find these classes to have little value and relevance to Nursing, and we had a hard time recalling what was taught. These courses are likely requirements for a BSN program that includes research, leadership, and evidence-based practice,

705:418 Population Health (Semester 8)

• Difficulty: 3/5
• Lecture: This course is a new addition to the curriculum and is a requirement for a BSN program. The content is extremely vague and theoretical, covering topics such as levels of prevention, the epidemiological triangle, public health wheel, and more. The exams are also vague, but practice using problems EAQs and Quizlet significantly helps. There is a HESI exam for this course.

705:460 Nursing Elective:Special Topics (Semester 8)

• Difficulty: Varies, but generally easy/5
• Lecture: These electives are a new addition to the curriculum and are mostly asynchronous courses focusing on specialty topics that students can select based on their interests. They typically include a mix of online lectures, homework, and projects. Overall, they are considered relatively easy compared to core nursing courses. Professors sometimes forget about these courses since they have other, more important courses to teach. Due to the variety of electives available, we have less specific information about each one.
• Offerings Spring 2024:
  • Introduction to Wound Care
  • Foundations of Health Education
  • Introduction to Periop Nursing (Requires Periop DEU)
  • Introduction to Quality and Safety
  • Complementary & Alternative Therapies
  • Victimology & Forensic Nursing
  • Determinants of Health (Graduate Course)
  • Information Technology for Evidence-Based Practice.

Rutgers Nursing Clinical Experience — A Program Highlight

As one of the largest and most well-known nursing programs in New Jersey, Rutgers has established connections with some of the best clinical sites in the state. Students will graduate with 588 clinical hours. New Brunswick students typically have clinicals in Central Jersey, and Newark students have clinicals in the North Jersey area, with some exceptions. Each clinical is 84 hours a semester, in either 6 hour or 12 hour shifts. 12 hour clinicals are 7AM-7PM every other week. 6 hour clinicals can be 7AM-1PM, 1PM-7PM, or 3PM-9PM.
Quality of Clinical Instructors One of the highlights of the Rutgers Nursing program is the exceptional quality of its clinical instructors. All instructors hold at least a Master’s degree, with many possessing Doctoral degrees in advanced practice. Most instructors work at the hospital where they also serve as clinical instructors. The dual role means they are familiar with the hospital, have resources, and are aware of policies, all of which are extremely beneficial. During clinicals, students are paired with a nurse preceptor for the day, and the experience can vary greatly depending on the preceptor. While some nurses allow students to perform full assessments and medication passes, others may prefer that students observe. Regardless, each experience offers learning opportunities. Clinical instructors will break down the learning after each clinical in "post-conference" and students will share their experiences with each other from the day.
Community Clinical Settings Recently, there has been a push to incorporate Out-of-Hospital/“Community” clinicals into the program. These include shadowing school nurses, prison nurses (Rutgers Health manages state correctional facilities), and nurse practitioners involved in community screening programs. These experiences are unique to Rutgers and align with the broader state effort to expose nursing studnets to opportunities outside the traditional hospital setting.
Clinical Simulations Rutgers Nursing is also making advancements in clinical simulation. Simulations typically occur 2-3 times per semester for each course and replace hospital clinicals for those days. The Center for Clinical Learning (CCL) runs these simulations, using mannequins and other hospital equipment to simulate emergency situations that students might not encounter during regular clinicals. The instructors are supportive and understanding, even when students make mistakes.
Transition to Professional Practice (TPP) In the final senior year clinical in the course Transition to Professional Practice (TPP), students are placed in a Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) within a hospital and are expected to perform nearly independently under the guidance of a preceptor. DEU Placements include ER, ICU, Peds, Oncology, Med/Surg, Women's Health, in hospitals across the state. The DEU experience builds competence and confidence in nursing skills and can significantly help with employment after graduating.
Site Selection Regarding clinical selection, the school currently assigns clinical sites randomly, with little regard for personal convenience. However, administration has hinted at changes in the near future.
Our Perspective Overall, the clinical experience at Rutgers Nursing is a solid foundation for developing proficiency. All the clinical instructors we’ve encountered are passionate about teaching skills and competent in their work. The varied experiences in hospital and community settings, along with simulation training, ensure that students are well-prepared for their nursing careers. While the randomness of clinical site assignments can be annoying, the quality of education and hands-on training makes it a worthwhile journey. The clinical experience is a highlight of the program and a key contributor to the success of graduates.

Nursing Courses (With Clinicals/Simulation Labs)

705:335 Nursing Care of Healthy Populations (Semester 5)

• Difficulty: 3/5
• AKA: NCHP
• This course is a new addition to the nursing curriculum introduced in 2020, replacing the older Nursing Care Provider 1 and 2 series. It has an 84-hour clinical component that is predominantly conducted in the skills lab at the 120 Albany building, supplemented by two days at a skilled nursing facility towards the course's conclusion. We believe this is the easiest clinical course
• Clinical/Lab: You’ll be practicing basic nursing skills on mannequins, including therapeutic communication, hygiene care, managing elimination needs with bedpans and urinals, and handling feedings. Included in this clinical are two critical "test-outs," focusing on the administering oral medications and the execution of IM and SC injections. These are pass/fail demonstrations, and you will have two opportunities to pass them.
• Lecture: The lecture component is somewhat detached from the clinical practice, with the course content and clinical applications often not synchronized week by week. Lectures encompass a range of topics from basic nursing concepts to more critical issues. Content areas such as personal hygiene, nutrition, sleep, and the ADPIE nursing process are covered alongside more important topics such as medication administration, infection control, and patient activity management. A common point of frustration is that the test material often does not directly relate to the content discussed in lectures. Much of the content in this course is self-explanatory, however this is many students’ first exposure to NCLEX clinical questions, and may pose as a notable learning curve regarding the testing style. While it's rare for anyone to fail this course, achieving high marks can be difficult due to these discrepancies between the lecture content and the test material.

705:340 Nursing Care of Childbearing Families (Semester 6)

• Difficulty: 3.75/5
• AKA: Maternity
• Clinical: Placements in various hospital units, including MotheBaby, LaboDelivery, Newborn Nursery, Operating Room (C-Section), and High-Risk Maternity units.
• Lecture: This course is the first "specialty" nursing course, focusing on women's health and childbearing. It is very content and knowledge-heavy, with wide range of topics from prenatal care to postpartum complications. The exams range from medium to hard difficulty and demand strong critical thinking skills. Course can feel hard due to the complex nature of maternal and fetal health, the need to quickly identify and respond to complications, and the emotional aspects of caring for childbearing families.

705:336 Nursing Care of Adults & Older Adults with Common Health Conditions: (Semester 6)

• Difficulty: 4/5
• AKA: Adult 1
• Clinical: Placements are in various Medical/Surgical units across New Jersey. Both Adult Health 1 (AH1) and Adult Health 2 (AH2) have the same clinical placements, essentially doubling the clinical experience. Clinical practice focuses on essential nursing skills such as IV fluids, injections, vital signs, assessments, elimination, nutrition, wound care, oxygen therapy, and managing chronic conditions.
• Lecture: This is the first of two “Medical/Surgical” series courses focusing on adult health. The lectures cover a wide range of topics but emphasize common health conditions in adults and older adults. Fluids and electrolytes, acid-base balance, and perioperative care are particularly challenging. The Spring 2024 course includes regular exams and pop quizzes, which can be different from the lecture content, requiring strong critical thinking skills.

705:428 Nursing of Adults & Older Adults with Complex Health Conditions (Semester 7)

• Difficulty: 4.25/5
• AKA: Adult 2
• Clinical: Placements are the same as Adult 1, in various Medical/Surgical units across New Jersey.
• Lecture: This is the second course in the series, focusing on complex health conditions. It is particularly challenging because it emphasizes care for critically ill patients who need immediate treatment. The exams often have triage questions, which require strong critical thinking skills. The course is both content and thinking-intensive, covering a wide range of complex topics. Active participation and consistent study are crucial for success.

705:412 Nursing Care of Infants, Children & Adolescents (Semester 7)

• Difficulty: 3.75/5
• AKA: Peds
• Clinical: Various pediatric hospitals in the state, rotating between adolescent and pediatric units.
• Lecture: Pediatrics specialty course that can be challenging due to the differences in diseases between children and adults. The nature of pediatric illnesses requires understanding of both developmental and medical aspects unique to pediatric populations. Additionally, the treatment approaches differ significantly from adult care. This course emphasizes family-centered care, developmentally appropriate communication, and evidence-based nursing interventions for pediatric patients.

705:414 Nursing Care of Individuals/ Populations with Acute & Chronic Mental Health Conditions (Semester 8)

• Difficulty: 3.5/5
• AKA: Psych
• Clinical: Mix of simulation lab and psychiatric mental health hospitals. Unique in the sense that you get to attend support groups and rotate through the units in a mental health hospital. The patient stories are especially interesting, and you spend time talking and getting to know patients.
• Lecture: As the last specialty course in the curriculum, the faculty aims to support student success while keeping up rigorous standards (they try to make it easier to pass). The main challenge is balancing pharmacological treatments with non-pharmacological and behavioral interventions, so you need a good understanding of both. There's a heavy focus on pharmacology. The course also emphasizes family-centered care, developmentally appropriate communication, and evidence-based nursing interventions for psychiatric patients.

705:455 Transition to Professional Practice (Semester 8)

• Difficulty: 0.5/5
• AKA: TPP
• Clinical: See TPP section in clinical review above^
• Lecture: This course is designed to smoothly transition students into the professional nursing role, with a strong emphasis on career readiness and NCLEX preparation. Lectures cover practical topics such as resume building, interview skills, and professional development. Main assignments include creating a polished resume, practicing interview techniques, and completing HESI comprehensive exams, which serve as a final predictor of NCLEX success. The majority of the coursework consists of pass/fail assignments and weekly discussions on various nursing-related topics, contributing to the course's overall low-stakes nature.

Tips and Takeaways

Rutgers Nursing is an excellent program that offers great value and effectively prepares students for the nursing profession. We sincerely hope the curriculum can be revamped soon to realize its full potential. There is a significant transition between the first two years and the last two years, and the school could improve in preparing students for this shift. The job placement rate for this program is outstanding. Most graduates secure positions that pay at or near six figures straight out of college, which is almost unmatched for a Bachelor's degree.
However, this program is extremely challenging and requires constant effort. Each semester includes at least one difficult course that demands continuous studying. Remember, it's not a sprint—it's a marathon. Many classmates burn out early, so it's crucial to pace yourself and develop effective study habits. Prospective students should be prepared for a rigorous academic program that demands dedication and strong study skills. For anyone considering this program or who has questions, feel free to reach out. We are happy to provide old course content or syllabi for reference. Current nursing students, please share your thoughts below to help us improve this guide for everyone. Thank you for reading!
Future Updates (When we have time):

• EOF Program
• Honors Program
• Scholarships
• Nurse Externship Programs

More important than world peace and and all that bullshit would be if my chem teacher just gave us fucking lab reports instead of lab quizzes. WHAT THE FUCK IS W LAB QUIZ? Holy guacamole bro if my teacher did lab reports, I would get a full ride scholarship to both Oxford AND Cambridge, and the two would have to queef it out (to the death) to see which one had the honour of getting me. Instead my mark is in the fucking Passendale trenches, bc my teacher has to give us 30 mins to plow our way thru some jebreodi foogasi ass questions. Now I gotta either commit to brock birdshit studies, or become a Male gigolo that tours brazil and the middle east. FUCK

Greetings, Reddit pre-med community. I have the privilege of choosing between two exceptional programs emphasizing health equity and underserved medicine, but I need help deciding. I recently got accepted to CUSM from the waitlist. A bit about me: I am passionate about pediatrics but very open to exploring other specialties. I'd love to pursue my residency in northern CA so that I can stay close to my support system. I intend to head into medical school with as much of an open mindset as possible. The COA for each school is very similar, but I received a $10k discount from Creighton (Magis Scholarship). I tried my best to gather as much info as possible from current students from each school to create this pros, neutrals, and cons list roughly ranked by personal importance. If some of you are students at either of these schools, please share your thoughts, too! My main question is how much does name recognition matter? Thank you for your assistance, and have a wonderful day!
CUSM:
Pros:

1. More research emphasis with the opportunity for graduating with distinction (MD Scholars program)
2. NBME exams after each block and in-house tests for labs
3. Integrated holistic curriculum with case-based learning facilitated closely by faculty (student-driven)
4. Medical Spanish weekly seminars that follow the same case learned the week prior (I want to become fluent)
5. Student bodies and faculty are very supportive, mainly due to the open office policy and regular 1-1 meetings
6. Option for early clerkships in Year 2. It can be used as a flexible professional development period after year three if I want.
7. Grading system pre-clerkship: P/F

Neutrals:

• Reverse classroom
• M-Th schedule
• Over 80 student organizations to choose from
• Diverse student body in a diverse area
• Nice pediatrics match list into CA this past March (Stanford & UCSF) with nice representation in several competitive specialties

Cons:

1. Less known with a lower reputation nationally
2. Clinical grading is H/HP/P/F

Creighton Phoenix:
Pros:

1. More well-known
2. Integrated holistic curriculum with green and gold tracks and case-based learning
3. Proximity to Phoenix Children’s Hospital
4. Finding community outreach opportunities are no issue (100% of students participate)
5. Magis Scholarship Recipient (one-time $10k award)

Neutrals:

• Faculty teaches
• Quizzes are held in a specific time slot every week (Friday by 2 pm), which helps with work-life balance
• Established name with many student organizations
• Diverse student body in a diverse area
• Nice pediatrics match list into CA this past March (Stanford & UCSF) with nice representation in several competitive specialties

Cons:

1. Primarily in-house quizzes (NBME quizzes for a few units + exams)
2. Research is not much of an emphasis here
3. Scorching summers (I do very poorly with heat)
4. Far from my support system
5. Grading system pre-clerkship: H/P/F

I hate myself kasi there's a high chance na bumagsak ako this sem. Not literally na singko but from flat unos to 2.0-3.0s. Bigla nalang nawala yung drive ko to aim high for my grades. Buong sem nawalan ako ng gana, nag-cutting class nang maraming beses, skipped quizzes, and hindi na nagco-comply ng school tasks or late na. I just realized this during finals week when I checked my inbox besides sa mga unread/ignored messages from the past few weeks, nabasa ko yung chat ng instructor namin sa gc. Nag-final exam na pala sa course niya and na miss ko yon kasi wala na kong pakialam. I was too busy battling with my crisis na naoverlook ko na yung studies ko. 3 weeks na pala akong hindi pumapasok, hindi narin ako nagpe-prepare sa finals unlike dati. This week, may 2 final exams and multiple quizzes akong na-miss at tambak na pending tasks pero di ko alam bakit wala akong drive na i-accomplish yon like I used to.
I'm now scared because I'll definitely dissapoint other people, baka matanggal ako sa scholarship, pano pag nagkabelow 2.0 grade ako? hindi ako makakqualified sa president's list and won't get latin honors. I really need help...
I'm still doing things that I love pa naman pero pagdating sa iba wala nakong gana. I feel like there's a hole in my chest, and I don't know what to fill it with. I have a mental health problem, disrupted sleep pattern, and a sort of an addiction I formed. I really feel lost. Can't even seek for professional help, not in good terms with my fam, not even one knows the battle inside me. :(((

For background: I feel like I am risking too much here at UST because I set high expectations for myself. I didn't pass the UPCA back in 2023, yet passed the USTET with my priority program, AB in Political Science. Kaso, my family wasn't financially well-off but I still persevered, promising them that I would take any scholarship opportunity.
Luckily, I passed the San Lorenzo Ruiz (Working Scholar) scholarship. It was manageable at first during our 1st semester and survived. Yet, 2nd semester came and it was hard to cope with, especially bumigat yung readings and schoolwork. I was constantly getting low scores on quizzes kahit na wala ako tulog from studying. Tapos, it was hard to manage my time, being a working scholar, required to render 24 hours a week. I was super drained and lost my motivation, all together.
I feel like I over-estimated my capabilities, and risking too much nga sa UST. But, I am uncertain if makakapasa pa ba 'ko sa major subject ko, so I want to shift sa UPD para at least kahit bumagsak, libre.
I just have some questions, if anyone can answer, it would be a big help. 1. If I get a singko in my grade, but still pass the required GWA (which is 2.00), can I still shift? 2. If I manage to shift, would I be disqualified for Latin honors?

R-squared values: Linear Regression: 0.8401621913740709 Polynomial Regression: 0.9161966003792115 Exponential Regression: 0.922505755755209 Projected next outcome using damped Exponential Regression: 15916.26589649187 

Darshane Punyam, Sparshane Paapam 

I’m in my final semester of coursework in a PhD program and my professor has consistently given me Cs on every assignment. I should also mention that I am on scholarship and have a teaching assistantship. I come from a very, very humble background and have worked very hard, hence the scholarship. I have never received anything but As on assignments throughout my life. I saw academia as a way to get me out of poverty. This final course was online with specific days for specific assignments: Monday for lectures, Tuesday and Wednesday for course readings, Thursdays for the 2-3 quizzes, Friday for discussions, and Saturday and Sunday for major assignments. I work fulltime as well as school and my TA position, so I really rely on weekends to complete my work. I was drawn to this program because there are online courses, which are easier for working professionals because we can get everything done on the weekends. If something is submitted late there is no discussion with this professor, automatic 10 point deduction for each day it’s late. Submit after 3 days and it’s an automatic fail-for the course, not the assignment. In March I got the flu, moved to a new apartment, and attended two funerals from a close cousin and my grandmother all within the span of two weeks. Because of this spell of bad luck I fell behind in my classes. It was a nasty flu and I was very burnt out from it as well as from moving and grief. I emailed my professors explaining my situation. All but she agreed to give me Spring Break as a way to catch up. I managed to catch up quickly, submitted everything for the 3 classes but the professor in question deducted 40 points from my assignments. She said her syllabus was clear, that there were no exceptions. After that I noticed that everything I passed in couldn't seem to get more than 70%. I was so frustrated, I would spend days on these assignments. I know I’m better than this, my academic history proves this. She’s meticulous, almost nit-picky with her comments. She deducts points on my assignment for using “pedantic language” but her comments use more complex vocabulary that I frequently need to use a dictionary for. I don’t think my language is pedantic, it’s pretty average. I emailed her again in April expressing how I am struggling and worried and her reply was so cold, explaining that I will likely fail this class. I just got my final paper back. She ripped it to shreds again with her point deductions. She didn't post the grade but I have ended the class with a 70% average. I’m very tired so I don’t think I explained myself very well. But how do I know if I deserved this 70%? It has dropped my GPA significantly, I was so proud of it before.

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At its core, distance learning is a form of education that enables you to study outside a traditional classroom. Through an online virtual learning environment, you can engage with tutors and classmates, access resources like virtual libraries, podcasts, and videos, and complete assignments.
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Distance learning is a friend for those seeking educational flexibility. Whether you have work commitments, family responsibilities, or simply desire freedom in the flow of your life, distance learning is a pathway that stacks seamlessly in our multi-tasking world.
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Once again, I'm leaving some thoughts on how first year comp sci is on TMU, something I hope somebody out there may find useful cause I sure as hell was stressed out when I was about to start uni this year.
I barely showed up to any lectures this sem, partially cause I was binge watching AOT, but also because I had 2 days off in the middle of the week, and classes at 8am every day I did have school. Once again, if you do have the discipline to be able to wake up and get to class at 8am, you can get out early, or have 1or 2 days, and it's great, but I fucked up my sleep schedule early into the sem and my attendance tanked because of it.

CPS209 - Tim McInerney

Eh, Java is definitely a harder language to learn than python, but you should be alright, especially if you covered it in high school. I showed up a total of 2 lectures, didn't pay attention in either, and ended up with a 4.33. As long as you do the lab homework and assignments you should be fine, you however I will admit this review's biased as I wrote and scored a level 4 on the AP ICS exam, so I had a lot of experience beforehand, but a lot of my friends who didn't, were able to pick up Java without too much difficulty either. There's tons of resources out there if you want more practice outside of school, Codecademy is what I used to start learning how to code, and Codingbat is a good to practice the basics.
Don't pick an 8am Friday lab like me, they force you to show up for attendance even if the quiz takes 5 minutes to do. Even the TA's didn't wanna do it, but some guy was talking a little too much in the CS discord so they ended up having to.

CPS310 - Maryam Davoudpour

I'm sure there is some useful information to learn from this course but it sure as hell didn't feel like it. CPS213 was a lot more interesting working with logic gates and having an environment to build circuits in, but CPS310 is literally just a boring assembly class. You learn how computers can read bits and turn it into commands to be executed and yeah I thought that was interesting. But 3/4 labs was essentially just about hand writing code, which was easy, but so tedious I didn't wanna look at another 1 or 0.
Professor Davoudpour's a terrible lecturer as well, I stopped showing up after the first few weeks as she'd just read off of her slides in a monotone voice.I genuinely think she doesn't understand what she's teaching at times.
The content leading up to the midterm was pretty easy, lots of people scored around 80+% and walked out early. I didn't touch the class at all until a day before the midterm and did pretty decent, however the content after the midterm was a little more rough, and I indeed could not cram the entirety of the course into 1 day.

CPS412 - Preeti Raman

In the nicest way possible, a lot of majors will have boring and core courses they'll have to take, related to communications, codes, ethics, etc. but I genuinely think this class is the most brain dead course out there. You just talk about ethics and whatever garbage Prof Raman could think about to bundle together and make this class run, such as deepfakes, philosophy, privacy, etc. I get that it's essential to learn about codes and guidelines you have to follow when you are in your career, but I never fully paid attention to a single lecture, although I dragged myself against my will to showed up to many... You have to attend because there's in-class participation marks that account for 8% of your final grade! The group project was a bitch too, it was done in 3 phases for a total of 30% of your final grade, pretty easy stuff as long as you wrote a bunch of garbage and made it look nice, it was a bird course but you had to write a bunch of tedious discussions and essays.
Overall Professor Raman was nice, and I could tell she would try to get us engaged with the topics we covered through activities. There were a lot of guest speakers that came in from different companies and fields in the tech industry too, and even someone from TMU's co-op department to teach us how to make a resume.
Both the midterm and final exam were MCQ's from this question bank they give you. 70% of the questions are common sense, and the other 30 is just pure bullshit. Granted, it was my fault I didn't study for the midterm, but I was livid when I'd get a question such as "Who invented the pencil" or "What year was the rat trap invented", I just don't think trivial questions like those have any place in a university, where it can impact your chances of getting into co-op or keeping your scholarship. I was also cheesed when on the final, I wrote "morality" instead of "morals" and the Prof said I could't get any marks for it.

MTH207 - Dzung Ha

Be surprised if you ever see this man send an email with a body instead of just writing it in the subject. Pretty funny guy, he missed like 5 classes, one of which was because he didn't know we started this semester on a Friday. The class was pretty hard, but in a good challenging way. He'll teach you the concepts, but throws hard critical thinking questions on the final. Go to your labs, I forgot all of my algebra and stopped going to lectures pretty early on and got cooked in this course, genuinely didn't think I'd pass, but he was really generous giving everyone a 10% bonus as long as you did all of the assessments, and an additional bonus if you did better on the final compared to your midterm.
If you actually attend the lectures, go to the labs, and do the homework then you'll be fine, I have a terrible habit of not showing up to lectures and cramming every course the day before the final, and this is the one course you CANNOT cram. Ha's handwriting is pretty shit so good luck understanding it sometimes LMAO.

CPHL214 - Thomas Hart

So I decided to take my liberal online through Chang this sem to save a bit of money and time on commuting. It's not a bad move considering the shitty weather in winter, however the course selection may be smaller.
This course was async, and mostly common sense. Every week you'd write a discussion post, and do an assignment that'd take like 15-20 mins, with most of the content being google-able and easy to understand. There was an essay, 2 quizzes, then the final exam, all of which were online. To my surprise there was a lot of overlap in this course with comp sci first year, we covered truth tables and logic similar to discrete maths (p implies q, not q implies not p, etc).
The downside to this course, (maybe it's just a Philosophy thing) is that you don't really get any of your grades back at all, with no feedback. By the 50% refund drop date I got back 1 quiz and half of the assignment marks (you're guaranteed 100% if you submit them). I didn't get back any other grades until the very end of the course, with no feedback at all, so it can feel a bit discouraging when you don't know how you're doing in the course, or how to improve for the next assessment. You can also feel a bit lonely doing a course online, people don't really speak too much on the discussion boards, and you'll never make any friends in person.

Summary

Overall, if you stop showing up to school and trying in your classes I think it can get pretty depressing. You have to really go out of your way to make friends in TMU, especially comp sci cause I'm assuming most of us are introverted, so I'd recommend joining a club or a team if you can. Hell most of the friends I made this year are because of extra curriculars.
The curriculum isn't that hard first year, at least compared to second year so I'd recommend getting ahead and taking CMN300 or MTH380 in the Spring/Summer through Chang if possible, and WORK ON SIDE PROJECTS. It doesn't even have to be anything crazy, as long as you start somewhere, and learn on your own you'll beat everyone who doesn't have any projects outside of school when finding internships.

Hello! So I'm on my 4th year na sa green school haha. To give a background, I met my college friends noong 1st year pero online class. Syempre we all know na hindi naman lahat okay ang internet connection, tapos yung iba ay maraming ginagawa sa mga bahay nila, or basta busy sila ganoon. Ako naman mabilis lang matapos yung chores ko noon kaya if may assignments, quizzes, exams, or anything, ginagawa ko kaagad tapos sinesend ko sa gc namin. Ganoon yung situation namin until 3rd year, bumagsak ako ng 2nd sem kasi may prof na nanghuhula lang ng grades. I was so depressed to the point na I attempted, several times. Takot na takot pa ako noon sa mom ko as ako pa naman breadwinner sa amin. Pati yung scholarship ko nanganib dahil doon. Thankfully, nakahabol naman ako sa subject na iyon pero yung scholarship ko wala na haha. I was so sorry to my mom lalo na't single mom siya, pero sabi niya okay lang daw, isang taon nalang naman. Kaya nya iyon :( Tapos sabi niya na magpacheck-up raw ako as I was diagnosed with ptsd and mild depression even before, she's worried na baka kung ano pa mangyari sa akin. Ayun, naglevel up siya to ptsd, severe anxiety and depression, and bipolar disorder hahahaha T^T
Kaya ngayong 4th year, I am struggling so so so much. Lumala yung forgetfulness ko, grabe rin yung pagtulog ko, tas I can't do anything properly :( Kumbaga yung mga kinaaayawan ko na tao nung senior high school ako kasi mga tamad, irresponsible, and panget gumawa ng output, naging ako iyun and I hate it so much. I'm trying my best pero takte ayaw na talaga bumalik ng passion ko and everything.
And ayun nga, balik tayo sa friends ko. Para bang after ko mawalan ng kwenta, ayaw na rin nila sa akin :( It's my fault pero I can't help but to think, "Grabe, hindi ba ako worth it maging kaibigan?". May mga pinag-uusapan silang hindi ko alam, may mga plano sulang hindi ko alam, may pupuntahan sila nang hindi nila sinasabi sa akin or kahit yayain man lang. Nagpost ako ngayon kasi grabe talaga yung nararamdaman ko ngayon. Magkakahiwalay kami ng dorm pero nasa iisang lugar lang naman kami, iisa ring building, iisa ring floor. Paglabas ko kanina, nakita ko sama-sama sila pumasok doon sa dorm ni Friend A :( Tapos nakita nila akong lahat noon sa may hallway tas hindi man lang nila ako pinansin :( Nagchat ako sa gc namin kung anong ginagawa nila kila Friend A tapos sabi nila wala lang :(
Ngayon ko lang naransan ito actually, ngayong college lang. Grabe yung iyak ko ngayong araw, hindi ko na alam gagawin ko.

I don't think I have any other choice but to go to Mapua. I can't pursue DLSU because of the tuition fee, but I am still hoping for a scholarship. Actually, I have another option din naman but I don't think I shall consider it, that university is Palawan State University (PalSU). I think PalSU trained me well as pag handle ng pressure because every week, as SHS student, palaging may activities and quizzes, AS IN. So I'm thinking na if makakaranas din naman ako ng pressure, why not as prestigious univ nalang like Mapua. So I need your thoughts kung ano ba sistema sa Mapua like pros and cons, and how can I survive it?

Hello! I'm currently having second thoughts about enrolling at Mapua and I want to ask what your opinion of this is. I've searched about the university and the feedback from students there and so far, Mapua is very stressful. From what I've searched, some of the students coming from Mapua have a lot of complaints with the university regarding their system, tuition, quality of education, etc. Here are the reasons why though from what I know and searched:

1. The schedule. Some students say that the schedule is hectic, with the university having a Quarterm system. Quarterm means that the academic year is divided into four terms. The students typically take a maximum of 15 units per term and can complete their programs one year earlier than usual. From what I know, the schedule is Monday to Friday for regular classes. Saturdays are for those courses that have lab activities and Sundays are for the National Service Training Program, which is, of course, mandatory. I've also searched the school's calendar and the school breaks are only a few days like a week or two, then you're back to school. Some students complained about it and I'm a bit worried that this kind of schedule would take a toll on me both mentally and physically.
   
2. The tuition. Yes, Mapúa University uses a Quarter System, also known as the "Quarterm," where the academic year is divided into four 11-week terms. From what I've heard, the tuition in Mapua seems pretty expensive, since you would enroll and pay tuition on a per-term basis. The tuition per sem is 20k to 50k, and unless you can afford it, it would be a struggle for continuing students to study there. There are options to utilize the tuition installment plans or apply for scholarships to cover the costs and that students can apply for tuition installment plans through Bukas, where they can pay their tuition in 3, 6, 9, or 12 monthly installments. But then again, some students say that it's not worth it and end up transferring to other colleges.
   
3. Campus life. This one made me worry a lot. Some students dropped out of Mapua and there are several reasons why.
   

Firstly, some students say that the quality of education at Mapua seems kinda mediocre. I know that Mapua is a prestigious school and is one of the top-ranking schools and is said to have one of the best education there. Although the school does say so, I find it a bit questionable that a lot of students don't agree. Unless you know how to manage your time, the assignments will keep piling up until you're sure that your school to-do list is overflowing with them. Even when studying for quizzes or doing projects, some would still get low grades from it. Some said that studying there isn't worth it because as they said, "It's not worth it". From what I know, failure is common at Mapua and that makes it all the more risky to enroll there honestly. Although it's so that they can graduate early, those who failed there took longer to graduate and didn't also graduate on time. Well, unless you are an honor student that is.
Secondly, the teachers. Most students said that the lessons are fast-paced. Even if you miss one school day, it makes it harder for students to catch up with their lessons. While it's said that Mapua has a friendly environment and that the professors there are nice and kind to their students, others say that it's the opposite. Some students said that the professors are apathetic, strict and unreachable. And unless you get on their good side, they are to make your school life miserable there at Mapua.
Thirdly, your well-being is being tested. Both physically and mentally. With how the students would complain about the schedule, the campus life there, the tuition or just anything else, it's really not surprising that they are bound to be worn out and drained just from all of this. I mean, who wouldn't be? If this is the kind of school life at Mapua, I have even more doubts about whether I could handle it there or not. Students would pull all-nighters just to finish their assignments on time, only to get more assignments. If you fail a test or a project, you don't have time to cry about it and you just gotta suck it up and move on.
Before you guys say anything else, this is just from what I know, so please don't take this as offensive to those who have different thoughts about Mapua. I only know about this based on what I've read from Reddit and from what I've heard from a few friends of mine who have siblings at Mapua, so please don't bash me 😭😭😭. I'm just both curious and worried at the same time if I am to take the risk to enroll at Mapua, but I also want to know what you guys think. Please let me know in the comments. Thank you!