First few days on the rock...some suggestions

[Dru]

Here are some suggestions (from a mom) for your first few days on the rock.

Sincerely, Dru

[NOVAMed]

Excellent post. Very informative and alleviates some of my questions and concerns. Thank you. :D

[Shah_Patel_PT]

Thanks Dru. I loved it!!! It is very helpful, I already gave the link to a few of my friend who are coming as well.

[CA willy]

This is a fantastic resource for in-coming students. I had the pleasure of reading it already. I love how you have it broken down day by day, step by step. I'm sure a lot of work went into this and I thank you so much for making it available to us apprehensive and inexperienced Ross new-comers.

Thanks again Dru!

[Ross]

I want to add the University's thanks for writing this letter and sharing it with all the members of the forum. It was not only informative but fun to read. If everyone would follow your advice, there would be fewer unhappy students here.

If you don't mind, there were just a couple of things that I wanted to clear up. You mentioned that a transport to Roseau would cost EC$80 but that is only if you hire it like you would a taxi. In that case, you are correct in telling students to get a "gang" together and go as a group for only EC$10 each. But if a single student simply wants to go to Roseau and hails a transport as you described (like taking the bus) , the cost will be less that EC$10.

All the advice that you gave about buying a "converter" was excellent. I'd just like to mention that you are referring to a transformer rather than a converter. Converters are for small motors such as electric shavers but electronics and big items should not be plugged into them. The students here should ask for a transformer.

I have taken your implied suggestion and we are now including both a map of Dominica and a "city" map of Roseau in the Welcoming Packet. As you mentioned, it is helpful to have during those first two weeks so we decided to use your suggestion and include it along with all the other information.

Again, thank you for writing such a wonderful letter and hopefully MitchDC will put it up with the announcements after this semester ends. I think it should be made avaialbe to future incoming students as well.

[singer]

I also beleive the school should include the Value md site in its welcome packet. Any opinions?

[Rossmed1902]

You wrote "Do NOT commit to this, as they are NOT on the official list of approved Ross sites to rent. Last year PBH did not pay their electric bill, and the Ross students who were housed there were left without power for days and nights on end when the power co. turned them off. This was right at exam time, so Ross had to bail out PBH by paying their electric bill of over $200,000. Ross currently only uses their facility for the convenience of gathering students and families in one place for the first night on the island"

These are inaccurate statements. PBH is on the list of approved housing at Ross University and whilst at PBH you get less "room" for more money, the benefits of living close to campus, right on the beach, and close to a restaurant cannot be discounted. During the Fall 2002 semester, power was cut for only 1 night, I was there, I experienced it, no big deal. Although PBH was to blame for that, power being gone all night was an occurence that affected the entire Portsmouth region atleast once during the Spring 2003 semester, maybe twice, so regardless of where you live, that occurence may always take place.

Ross did not pay out PBH. Ross merely hastened the negotiations between PBH and the electricity company by agreeing to guarantee the elecricity for the 2 weeks between when the infamous incident happened, and the end of the semester.

Lastly, currently there are approximately 70 students and faculty living at PBH. No small number. If PBH were really that bad as the author says, that number would be much much lower.

PBH may not offer the luxuries of a living room, kitchen etc, but it meets my requirements of a place to live in, with internet and cable tv mind you, a quiet place to study, and a nice place to relax by going to the pier and watching the amazing Dominican sunset.

But those are just my two cents

[CA willy]

Nevertheless, Dru, you have done a service to the in-coming students. Thanks.

[Ross]

Dru was correct. PBH was not on our approved housing list. It is only recently that we have put them on a probationary approval.

Dru was also correct about the power outage. The electrical company had shut off the power and neither they nor the hotel gave our students any warning. The owner simply had not been paying the electrical bill. When we asked the electrical company to reinstate power for our students' sake, they adamently refused. PBH likewise refused to pay the bill. We had a stand off and black out during finals! The University did have to covertly guarantee payment of the overdue electrical bill before power could be restarted.

The power outage, which truly was the fault of PBH, was only one of many reasons that we took them off the approved list. We have had numerous legitimate complaints regarding their treatment of students.

We have put them back on a probationary approval. We only recommend that students rent on a monthly basis, not on a semester basis. If problems arise, the student is then able to find a new apartment without losing their security deposit. If a student rents by the semester and leaves PBH midway through the semester, they lose their deposit.

I will agree with Rossmed1902 that the view from the dock is spectacular at sunset and that the walk to campus could not be any shorter or safer. I must add, however, that very few of the faculty or their spouses ever eat at the restaurant!

[singer]

Dean

Whats wrong with the restaurant at PBH.

Also before deciding where to live any additional info on the PBH problems?

[Ross]

The service is slow and the food is poor. (Obviously this is my opinion but that of many faculty as well.) Visitors that have eaten there have confirmed this.

They do, however, have good Bufflo Wings and when I am forced to eat there (by invitation of another), I orde those because they are consistantly good...but I can only eat wings for so long.

If all you want is a short walk to campus, then PBH will serve your needs, but as Dru suggested, I would not sign any contracts with them until I went on a housing tour and saw what all my options were. You may be able to find more apartment for less money with a better landlord within an easy walking distance. I think she was saying that you should shop around rather than giving in to the pressure to rent PBH immediatley. That is good advice. If you take the housing tour and then still think that the walk and the sunsets are good enough for you, then sign a monthly contract with PBH.

[mdwanabe]

Excellent info!!! But i was just curious as to what it cost to stay at PBH for a month. Dru said $56 a night. I hope a month rent is not $56 x 30 = $1680.

[Rossmed1902]

$450-700 depending on room type, whether you will pay for your own electricity, etc etc. Average, around $550. Btw, I agree with Dean Wagner about the food there, and yes there are problems that students get into, guess i just have been lucky, knock on wood. Best thing about it is by far the AC being free if you choose the utilities included option.

[AgentX]

I want to live as close as possible to the campus. I would probably look into PBH. I guess if I should at least look at other options but I don't want too far a walk. (I like to study on campus, whether library, room, whatever).

[atth]

everthing that letter said was pretty much right on. I just want to make a little correction about the cost of transportation to the airport. it's not $80EC. some transport driver might want to charge you that much, but don't agree to that. what i've found out is that you will get ripped of (at least once) if you are not careful, especially if you are a new student. and believe me, they can spot you a mile away! the locals tend to be very honest, but if the opportunity presents itself and money is involved greed will take over. so ask around and find the best deal. the lowest i found is $25 ec to schedule a transport to pick you up for the airport or drive you to the airport. what i don't understand is why incoming students are charged $20US or 53.4EC (double what others are charging) for the ride to PBH. Why is ross helping us get ripped off?!?!?!

[Dru]

Thanks to all of you for your tremendous support, responses, and corrections. I have completed an edited version that you may prefer to download.

Best of luck to all of you pursuing your dream of becoming physicians.

Sincerely, Dru (a Ross mom)

[Ross]

atth wrote:
the lowest i found is $25 ec to schedule a transport to pick you up for the airport or drive you to the airport. what i don't understand is why incoming students are charged $20US or 53.4EC (double what others are charging) for the ride to PBH. Why is ross helping us get ripped off?!?!?!


Since I, myself, pay EC$70-80 for a one way trip to the airport, I didn't realiize that we WERE helping to "rip off" the students. I'd be more than interested in knowing who your "rock bottom price" driver is so that we can check out your facts and see if the price can be lowered...or if you got some sort of special deal that isn't available to the rest of us.[/quote]

[Rossmed1902]

Dean Wagner,

Almost all the drivers take 25EC. Alexis, Max etc all have a standard 25EC airport rate, but that may be because they get good business during leaving week and so can lower their costs. However, last semester a friend and I went with another driver (only 2 of us, no other people) and he charged 30 EC.

[singer]

Why do we keep hearing about getting ripped off all the time?
When we are commiting $200,000 towards the future good life whats another $1,000 -3,000 for overcharges on vans , books, food , atm machines? If the extra time was spent on doing productive things many additional people would pass the courses.

[Ross]

You are correct that prices are lower during the departure week because a driver is not taking one or two to the airport. They are taking entire vanloads. (The same is true when the 4th semster arranges transportation to the airport for their class trip. The cost is usually about EC$20 because of the volume.) When an individual or small group go, the rate have to be higher because the cost to the driver are the same and he needs to at least meet cost plus a reasonable profit.

Why might you still find a driver for EC$30 with only one or to passengers? Please remember that when the University contracts for drivers, we only use drivers that have transports meeting our specifications and with the level of inusrance that we require. A driver who does not have anything more than basic liability might still be driving but we would not hire him because his insurance would not be sufficient in case of an accident.

If we can determine that reliable, safe and insured drivers are available at the lower rates, we will certainly use them, but we will not compromise safety for a few dollars. As singer said, when you are spending so much on an education, why gamble on the winding roads with a dangerous driver/van?

[atth]

singer,

may it be $1000-$3000 or $200,000 it's still money. Why do people want to buy things on sale for just a few bucks off the normal price? why do people use coupons for just a few cents off? if that's your attitude with money, then you will probably lose more money throughout life since it adds up. heck why don't you just give me $3000. it'll be more than enough for me to live on for one whole semester. some people are not taking out a lot of loans, just enough to live on and pay tuition so every penny counts.

[Shah_Patel_PT]

singer,

may it be $1000-$3000 or $200,000 it's still money. Why do people want to buy things on sale for just a few bucks off the normal price? why do people use coupons for just a few cents off? if that's your attitude with money, then you will probably lose more money throughout life since it adds up. heck why don't you just give me $3000. it'll be more than enough for me to live on for one whole semester. some people are not taking out a lot of loans, just enough to live on and pay tuition so every penny counts.

I totally agree!

[Rossmed1902]

The 30 EC driver was an Alexis driver, as u may now Dean Wagner, Alexis has a crew of drivers that works with him. We signed up with the other guy so as not to leave so early in the morning. If its an Alexis driver than should we be safe to assume that it is University approved for future purposes??

[Ross]

Yep, Alexis is one of our contract drivers and anyone that works for him should be safe and reliable. Now that I know who we are talking about, I will go see what I can do about getting prices reduced. I may not be successful for this semester but will target the January. Thanks for the information!