A Question About Studying !!

[OldUgly&Cranky]

as you all know im very into Photography and just recently i was sent a link by a close friend of a school in cebu city that has a intensive course for not only photography but visual arts as well , so i decide to contact them and was told by them that i didnt need a study visa to take this course , so my question is that true i dont need that ? or will i have to get a special visa for that ?? im really considering taking this course its 2 semesters each lasting 5 months , i also asked them if i can take the 2 semesters at different times and they had said yes thats ok , the total cost of the course is 80k for the 10 months or 40k for the 5 months i asked also if i need any of my own equipment & they said all i needed was my own dslr which i have ! the school is located in banilad and i had seen a townhouse to rent for 13k fully furnished but its in Basak Mactan so another question is how long of a motorbike ride would it take me to get there ??? and if i could get this townhouse i would be looking to get a room mate to help share expenses since this place is a 2 bedroom so if anyone is interested pm me , or if anyone already has a place to and is looking for a room mate get back to me ok , i wouldnt be doing this until early next year so lots of time to plan it out and also it would be good for me as well as i would be spending 6 months at least in the philippines so i can really get to know this new girl im talking to and leyte isnt that far away from cebu and i had talked to her about it and thinks its a great idea coz we could spend allot of time to get to know each other plus im getting an education in something i really love not only that but i get to experience living there here is a pic of the course overview

 

i think its a great deal and covers allot of the things i want to learn !! if any of you can get back to me with answers to my questions i would be so grateful thanks 

O-U-C :thumbsup:

 

 

[JJReyes]

An expat who is not a member of this forum asked me a similar question. Since he was on a visitor visa, it made sense for him to apply for student status. The photography and visual arts academy in Manila is an accredited institute of learning, a requirement for the issuance of student visa. 

 

I went to a four years college in California to study photography. We had to go through the entire range to get a degree. About 25% of the students just wanted to increase their skills in a particular subject. I recall a classmate who retired at 60. She had inherited money and wanted to spend the remainder of her life photographing polar bears. For years I looked for pictures of polar bears credited to Alma Moore. Never found one.

 

If you just want to upgrade your skills in say portraiture or landscaping, keep an eye out for workshops. A friend of mine apprenticed with Ansel Adams. He taught large format black & white landscape photography. His students came from all over world. Many were very wealthy because buying those old fashion 8 x 10 camera and lenses could set you back $20,000. 

[OldUgly&Cranky]

so if this school isnt accredited institute of learning no need for me to get a student visa ??? , the name of the school is university of visayas also called uvns  so im not sure if it is accredited or not as i said they told me i didnt need a student visa so im assuming i can just go there on a tourist visa but i really want to find out for sure , but i was wondering something too , if i did go on a tourist visa can i change my status while im there if i needed too ??

[Thomas]

Do schools bother about TYPE of VISA?  I guess not. 

 

Comparre: Retired don't need to have retirement VISA, it's just ONE of the OPTIONS how to get VISA to be allowed to stay longer time in RP. I suppose it's same about student VISA.

She had inherited money and wanted to spend the remainder of her life photographing polar bears. For years I looked for pictures of polar bears credited to Alma Moore. Never found one.

Perhaps she went to Stockholm, Sweden, belonging to them, who believe polar bears are walking on the streets there  :lol:

[JJReyes]

so if this school isnt accredited institute of learning no need for me to get a student visa ??? , the name of the school is university of visayas also called uvns  so im not sure if it is accredited or not as i said they told me i didnt need a student visa so im assuming i can just go there on a tourist visa but i really want to find out for sure , but i was wondering something too , if i did go on a tourist visa can i change my status while im there if i needed too ??

 

I am not sure about the rules. So long as university credits are unimportant to you, you can probably study without their asking about visa status. The "University of the Philippines" followed by the campus location indicates the institute is part of the national university system. UP Los Banos campus means it's the University of the Philippines, College of Agriculture. Each province has their own university system with subsidies from both the national and provincial government. University of Visayas is definitely accredited. The "NS" might designate a specific campus location. 

[Bruce]

Is there (on line search) a photog club in Cebu? Can you find and talk to former students? Ask if it is really a good course or just ANOTHER Philiippine Diploma Mill college.

[OldUgly&Cranky]

well as i said they told me i didnt need a visa the ns stands for new school and im assuming the uv university of the visayas ??? here a news story on the school i fould http://www.philstar.com/cebu-lifestyle/2012/10/03/855591/uvns-putting-cool-back-school ,  im going to take this month to look at all options and make my final decision at the end of the month , coz if i do this it will mean i will have to inform my family and they will ether have to move back east or look for another cheaper place ( we Share apartment ) , im going to also have to talk to my cousin who is a pro photographer she has her own studio , to see if i can get a job with her as a second shooter for her so i have a job when i get back , also have to look more into housing in cebu i found 1 for 13k a month with all the furniture 2 air cons , gas burner , 32" lcd tv , 2 beds , all i would have to bring is my camera and computer and clothes , also i will have to figure out how to get a room mate to share with to help with expenses and also look into a motorbike and i will be all set !! then i will also have to look into getting a second job here so allot of planning and thinking to do !!! :) wish me luck ?? hehehe

 

O-U-C :thumbsup:    

Edited July 4, 2013 by OldUgly&Cranky

[GregZ]

so another question is how long of a motorbike ride would it take me to get there ?

About your locations:  I can't read the address of the school, but the area looks familiar to me.  Checking Google maps it looks like 25 minutes travel & 10 kilometers.  Give or take without exact addresses.  You mentioned a motorbike?  Good idea if in those 2 spots because public transport would likely require 3 rides from there.

[Mike S]

Hey O-U-C .... here is their website and they look like they would be an accredited college to me but then I didn't read the whole site .... good luck .... sorry we can't help ... as you know we are now in Negros :thumbsup:

 

http://uv.edu.ph/

 

:cheersty:

[OldUgly&Cranky]

 

so another question is how long of a motorbike ride would it take me to get there ?

About your locations:  I can't read the address of the school, but the area looks familiar to me.  Checking Google maps it looks like 25 minutes travel & 10 kilometers.  Give or take without exact addresses.  You mentioned a motorbike?  Good idea if in those 2 spots because public transport would likely require 3 rides from there.

 

i sent them a message about that greg they said it would take 1-2 hours by motorbike depending on traffic !! thanks for the look up on google bro :)

O-U-C :thumbsup: