DORMS

UPDATES:  A LOT OF THE DORMS JUST RAISED THEIR PRICES, expect a php 1,000+ increase on the prices you see here. Although you can still find some pretty cheap rooms, they're gonna be pretty hard to come by now.

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hey guys, just reposting this since most weren't able to view it in the tab at the top of my blog. :))


Okie dokie, so 2013 is coming up, and I know a lot of you are starting to narrow down your choice of schools, or have already chosen one. 

And for those who chose DLSHSI College of Medicine.... CONGRATS AND WELCOME!!!! :) 

When I was choosing a med school to get into, one of the factors I considered were the availability of dorms, or at least accessibility to public transpo when I did want to go home.

So for those of you who are already dorm hunting, here's a short list of places you can check out. :)

1) VILLA NICASIA

This place is about a 5 minute walk away from the school. Its just a village of dorms where a lot of students, interns, doctors, and even professors stay. 

Dorm room rates vary from dorm to dorm and whether its going to be a single room or you're gonna share it with 2-4 people. 

For single rooms, average cost is about Php 5,000/month, excluding your electric bill, and sometimes water.

For rooms good for 2 people, its about Php3,500/person, you can look for your own roomie, or you can just let the caretaker know that you're open to having a room mate. 

Within Villa Nicasia, there are eateries (Asuncion, Frying Pan, Ninja Gohan), laundry shops, sari-sari stores, and its just a walk away from 7-11 and the school. :)


2) DEERLAND/ ANTLERS

Deerland is located right across the school, it has two entrances: the one right in front of 7-11, and another beside Starbucks. Its the one that looks like a forest. HAHAHAHAHAHA

It might look creepy, but based on feedback from classmates, its a pretty good place to look for a dorm since they are really cheap. 

One of the reasons they also call this place Deerland is that inside, there's a pen with around 6-8 deer, another pen of pigs (i am not joking. :))  

Antlers Hotel is located at the Starbucks side of this area, this one is a bit pricier than Nicasia since its set up very much like a hotel, but its totally safe, airy, you get to use the pool there. 

Single Rooms cost around Php 6,000/month, includes a bed, cabinet, cr--just the basics, you;re not allowed to cook, but I think you can heat your food there (there's a common microwave i think). 

Rooms good for 2 people cost around Php 4,000. 


For Deerland (yes, they're considered separate, but they're owned by the same people), its located at the 7-11 side of the area. As my friend put it, the dorms here look a bit like the GK houses, and it might look a little scary, but the prices make up for it. HAHAHAHAHAHA

The rooms here are pretty big, with Single Rooms averaging about Php 3k (and also depending whether the room is tiled or not) a month, exclusive of electricity. It also contains the basics .

Rooms for 2 average around Php 2,500/person.

There's also the Deerland Extension, located beside the hospital, near a row of eateries. As the name suggests, its an extension of deer land, with the same type of dorms and is pretty secure. For over night stays (just in case your mom, sister, brother, family member wants to stay), there is a Php 500 fee.

NOTE: Its better if you have your name listed for reservations, a lot of people are looking for dorms at Deerland since its cheap, and the waiting list is pretty long.

Security is pretty good here, a bit dark at night though, but overall, its pretty good. :)


3) VILLA ISABEL

From Villa Nicasia, its another 5-10 minute walk, its entrance is near the Korean Grocery Store. The dorms are nearly the same price as Nicasia's, there are eateries and sari-sari stores too. 

The village is huge, and not too many dorms have been set up there, its more of a residential type of village unlike Nicasia. 

4) DORMBUILT

Located behind the Wang Building near the Animo Center.

Its much more expensive than Nicasia, Deerland, and Isabel, and stricter in terms of the accommodations. 

Girls are separated from boys, I just forgot which side they are placed in. There is a lobby where the students can study or just get together, the soccer field/ track is located behind it, has a curfew, and you can't wash your own clothes (do your own laundry inside), or cook. But if you're pretty busy, this wont really matter since you would just have all your clothes laundered or you can buy your own food outside.

Prices for rooms vary, but based on classmates, Single Room costs around Php5-6,000, while rooms for 2 cost around Php3,500-4,000 each exclusive of electricity. It also has the basics, and you can request for cleaning service here. 

Waiting lists for Dormbuilt are also pretty long, since its location is pretty good, being right inside the school.


So these are just some of the options for dorms, feel free to ask about anything else. :)


DORM LIFE MUST HAVES

Dorm Life Must Haves

I apologize in advance for the rumble jumble tumble way of a blog this is. I realized that I kept posting things in random and it might be hard for you readers to actually find certain blogs and keep a certain sense of continuity if all my posts just jump from one subject to another.

But, what the hell, that's how my brain operates. In short, sabog.HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Aaaaaaanywaaaaaaaaaaays, since finding a dorm and the first day of classes are coming up, I suddenly found myself scrambling for more stuff to lug into the car and shove into my dorm.

The first trip to the dorm where I moved in all my stuff, it took two people and me to bring up all that stuff within a span of 2 hours. Mind you, I was located on the 2nd floor, and its not fun carrying 5 boxes of clothes, kitchen utensils, and whatnot up the stairs.

That was the night before the LOAD or orientation for freshies, so I spent the night there. And I found things to be...lacking. There was a lot of stuff that I forgot to bring, and a lot of stuff I forgot to buy. I don't know if I have become something short of hoarder because of the sheer volume of stuff I brought in, but there was still a lot of stuff I lacked.

So for first time dormers like me who have no sense of what should be inside a dorm, and the necessities that would make my med life more comfortable, here's a list of things that you should bring when you're moving in:

FOR THE KITCHEN (or if lacking one, foodie must haves)
(yes, as you may have gathered, I'm a food person, and my sole focus of comfort is food, hence, putting kitchen necessities first)

1. water. I had everything in my ref, and I forgot to buy water. facepalm.
2. biscuits, cookies, anything that's ready to eat.
3. candy.
4. coffee/tea/juice- if you're particular with that sort of thing when you're studying
5. pots/pans- to fry an egg, cook some instant noodles or something, make a homey meal
6. water heater/ kettle- for those late night coffee trips
7. toaster/microwave- anything to heat up the cold, lifeless meal that you intend to eat

FOR THE CABINET/CLOSET

1. hangers- you dont want to spend hours ironing out wrinkles in clothes that could have otherwise been wrinkle free if you just used a hanger
2. baskets/hampers- especially the mesh types, these come in handy for separating your dirty clothes with the new ones
3. shoe rack- if you're a bit prissy on the supposed order of shoes, you need one. For me, I just threw them all in a pile at the bottom of the cabinet.
4. Storage boxes or karts- in case you have a little space, or no cabinet at all, storage boxes are ideal. buy 3-4 of them and you are ready to go, makes moving in a lot easier too. 

FOR YOUR BED

1. Your own pillow- you wouldn't want to cozy up to dorm given pillow that has already been slobbered on by a gazillion different people
2. Mattress- just in case your dorm doesnt provide one, or their mat is as hard as rock. IF you are using one that is already provided by the dorm and its not new, give the mattress a spray over with insect killer like Baygon to rid it of any bed bugs/bed mites lurking around. Air it out for a few minutes or an hour, and you are good to go.
3. Blankets.

FOR YOUR DESK

1. Organizers- you can hang these up or prop them against your desk to keep your overflowing stock of highlighters
2. Bookends- to prop those heavy textbooks up

Here's a few cool DIY organizers that you might like to try:

ADDITIONAL STUFF

• Laundry detergent and bleach- for your white uniforms, you wouldn't want the local laundry shop screwing with your expensive immaculate uniform
• Scissors, sewing kit, manicure set, tape, super glue
• Your own lamp
• Fan

MED SCHOOL EXPENSES and DORM

My parents' wallets are probably bleeding right now, sustaining multiple blows from the immense amount needed to sustain my budding med school life.

First off, you will already be spending Php100,000 (AT LEAST) on the tuition alone.
and then...

"...dak!#$@%&WEN#$%^#$GLBVFOIJkndlkganngoiwf43*)(&((da4qo3ur908uj;dmsa;g..."

Thats what ran through my head when I started counting off all the things on the list that needed to be paid if I wanted to be in a comfortable state of studying in Med school.

So here's a list of projected expenses for one academic year (give or take a few thousand):

*These are all just estimates to some degree...

• Tution fee: Php 113,000 x 2 semesters
• Uniform: Php 950 per set (blouse and skirt or pants), I just bought two sets and will try to have 2 more made at a cheaper price. My classmate from one med school has one that costs only Php500 for the whole set.
• Books: Php23,600 ( these are the books from my previous blog.
• Allowance: Php 250x 6days a week (I just thought that I might have Saturday classes or something, idk. :)) ) 
• Dorm: Php5,000 per month for 12 months. Most of the dorms there require a 12 month contract with the student.  

For the room I'm renting, its fully furnished, and has the following:

1. one refrigerator
2. 1 round table
3. 1 cabinet
4. 1 study table
5. 1 rice cooker
6. 1 microwave
7. 1 TV
8. 2 long shelves
9. 2 chairs
10. 1 bathroom (woot! woot!)
11. small kitchen

Payment for utilities are separate, Php100 for water, Php50 if you want cable, and payment for your Meralco (can range anywhere from 250-500 pesos).

BTW, I found the dorm in Villa Nicasia, its a small village of dorms that's like 5 minutes away from DLSHSI.

Here's a map of the place.

Villa Nicasia

DLSHSI also has its own dorm called Dormbuilt, but I heard from other students that its a little pricier than the ones outside of the school.

Dormbuilt's pretty cool, spacious parking lot, safety and security is a given, and I think there's a curfew for it.

Going back to the dorm I found in Villa Nicasia, of all the dorms I looked at, this one was the most reasonably priced considering the size of the room and the furnishings. The other dorms that I looked at that were to be occupied by a single person costs roughly the same, but differed immensely with the size of the room! There was one dorm, it was just 1/4 the size of the dorm I'm staying in now, no furnishings, just a bed frame and study table, and it still costs Php5000!  O_O

I looked at about 10 dorms that day,all along the main road of Villa Nicasia, and I just about had it with the heat, and the frustration from not finding a good room. I just took a random turn and found myself along a street where the building was kind of scary looking with the old paint and all, but when I asked to look at the available room, I was pretty surprised with how great it was.

Well, after reviewing all the expenses, my mom just looked me in the eye and said, "Anak, everything has been provided for you. In my time, I didnt even have enough allowance to ride the jeep going to school. You have everything. All that's expected of you is to study, and study well. "

Holy shit. I feel the pressure now.