u/Pure_Pain7550

For context: I graduate HS in October who is super lost for college T_T And I am torn between Pharmacy in private universities vs a free state university

OPTION 1) A Private university (e.g. Saint Louis University) for BS Pharmacy.
This is the course na pinaka-leaning ako towards rn. Feel ko aligned siya sa interests at goals ko. Plus, mas direct ang career pathway niya.

My goal is to get a stable job in the laboratory field. And then (maybe) go **abroad.**Gusto ko din po sana makatulong sa parents ko after graduating college. (Edited) I’m not so sure about going abroad naa T_T.

Ang concern ko lang is tuition. Mukhang within the budget naman ng parents ko ang SLU since sila rin ang nagsuggest, pero alam kong malaking gastos pa rin siya. Kaya tinatanong nila ako kung sure na ba talaga ako, and medyo may hesitation ako kasi I’m also considering the gastos. So gusto ko sana malaman if worth it ba talaga ang BS Pharmacy, especially compared to taking a free course in a state university. T_T

OPTION 2) PUP
BS Chemistry
BS Psychology
BS Biology
+ medical school

Kung BS Biology, worried ako sa job opportunities if ever hindi ako tumuloy sa med school. Post about taking BS Biology as a pre-med: https://www.reddit.com/r/medschoolph/s/7qIGNIbAuK
+Research in biology isn’t really my main career direction.

About med school naman, my relatives are pushing me to take medical school at willing sila to support me financially daw if I pursue it, which would really help my parents since I also have two younger siblings (13 and 6 years old).

Pero hindi ko rin alam ang takbo ng panahon. What if magbago isip ko/nila? Kaya gusto ko rin sana ng degree na may okay na career opportunities kahit hindi ako tumuloy sa med.

Hindi ko din kasi sure ano timeline and all kapag medical school. Makakapag-work ba while studying sa medical school?

3.) Meron naman for UPLB/UPM since I graduate HS abroad (not permanent residence) (possible automatic admission because of my situation), pero afaik non-quota courses lang ang pwede. If ever, I’d have to take a non-quota course then try to shift to BS Pharmacy or another pre-med. Kaso I’m not confident I’ll be able to maintain the grades needed to shift, and hindi rin guaranteed na makakapasok ako sa UP in the first place.
UP Automatic Admission: https://upd.edu.ph/admissions/foreign-admission/

Pinaka-last resort ko talaga is choosing other programs e.g. engineering/accountancy sa PUP (dikolam if kakayanin T_T).
Gusto ko po talaga sana nasa lab/medical field course ko

So like ano po opinions niyo T_T. Should I really go for Pharmacy? Worth it po ba

SLU – BS Pharmacy / BS MedTech
PUP – BS Chem, BS Psych, or BS Bio → maybe med school
UPLB/UPM – non-quota course → shift → med school

Also, saang school po kayo nagtake ng BS Pharmcy hehe

Hello! I’m a Filipino who graduates high school abroad, pero planning to go college sa Philippines.

Quick context: Kinuha lang kami ng parents ko na nasa abroad(not permanent permanent residence),
So mas mahal tuition for international students. Because of that, I will be studying college in the Philippines

Because of my situation, I might get automatic admission sa UPLB/UPM. Pero afaik, I can only get into non-quota courses.

Ang advice sakin is: pumasa sa non-quota course first, then mag-shift later sa preferred pre-med course like BS Biology or maybe BS Pharmacy sa UPM.

Kaso yung concern ko is I don’t think I can maintain the high grades needed para makapag-shift successfully. Like realistic ako sa sarili ko na average lang ako. Plus, hindi pa naman sure na makakapasa ako sa UP.

Other option is PUP, where I can directly take BS Biology.

My concern is taking a BS Biology degree alone. What jobs can you actually get with just a BS Biology degree in the Philippines? Kasi honestly, mixed yung nakikita ko online and here on Reddit. Most people say limited daw job prospects unless mag-med school or further studies.

I’m not fully sure if I want to go to medical school…….😭 two of my aunts are pushing me to become a doctor and sila na raw bahala sa expenses non.

Background:
My parents had me when they were teens, and lumaki talaga ako with the help of my mom’s siblings. Parang second parents ko na sila. Most of them are in their 30s, single, no kids. My father works as a construction worker, and my mother as a pharmacy staff/assistant abroad. (Okay nga sahod pero yung cost of living kasi dito 😭😭)

Just like every other typical pinoy family, I was kind of influenced (or pressured tbh) into wanting to become a doctor growing up. I don’t hate the idea of becoming a doctor, kasi wala rin naman akong ibang strong passion, pero super hesitant ako about med school 😭

If I go to med school, titas lahat magbabayad—tuition, expenses, everything. So basically dependent pa rin ako sakanila after college.
(Unless I can get a stable job with a stand alone BS Biology degree???? Meron ba 😭)

Ang priority ko talaga is to work on a stable career and maging financially independent, as soon as I graduate. (Para din makabawi sa pamilya ko.)
So I’m thinking baka BS Pharmacy is better?

If BS Pharmacy, parents ko ang magbabayad ng tuitions ko at iniisip ko rin ang dalawa kong kapatid. Last time they told me maganda ang Saint Louis University as a back up. This was before we found out I can only take non-quota courses sa UP. (akala ko I can go for BS Pharmacy in UPM).

(Feeling ko talaga ang entitled ko hehdhshfnefjxjrj)

So yun I’m basically torn between free tuitions in
UP/PUP vs course with a high cost tuition fee that I actually wanna take. Mas bet ko talaga BS Pharmacy kasi nga yun, mas direct.

I overheard my aunts saying na better mag UP or PUP kasi masyado raw expensive ang private universities.

Siguro if ever mag PUP/UP ako, maybe mas maganda if hindi BS Biology? If ganon, what courses in the medical field can I take that has a clear career pathway like BS Pharmacy?

Sorry ang gulo, hindi ko lang talaga alam plano ko sa buhay at sobrang nerbyosa ko nowadays 😭 especially since graduate na ako in October and I go back to the Philippines around February. (Parang minsan im getting the vibe na ayaw ako pakawalan ni mama or maging independent for college jk)