South University Review-My experience

[bigworld]

so many info..thanx

learning more...

[class2013]

I just signed up for this school in Columbia SC. I am very interested in hearing about anyone that is in the class of BSN here and whats going on, good or bad. Please let me know what I am in for...

Hi, I'm starting the BSN program in Oct. Can't really really answer the good or bad question yet, lol. All I can say right now is: If you have financial aid and student loans try to hold off using them until you get into the program. The cost of tuition increases a great deal once you're in the BSN program. Basically, don't exhaust your funds now or you'll have to pay a great deal out of pocket later. SU is a good school if you know how to conduct business. Good Luck to you and welcome to SU!

[Karma29223]

I just signed up for this school in Columbia SC. I am very interested in hearing about anyone that is in the class of BSN here and whats going on, good or bad. Please let me know what I am in for...

I recently contacted the location in Columbia SC, and they are blowing up my phone all day everyday to the point I have now blocked them. I already explained to them that I am completing my Masters Degree and that I have no prior nursing experience so I am even confused as to if I can enter the BSN program cause looking at the curriculum I didn't see anything about clinicals??? They are becoming a pest!!!!

[PAMaleNurse]

I just signed up for this school in Columbia SC. I am very interested in hearing about anyone that is in the class of BSN here and whats going on, good or bad. Please let me know what I am in for...

I recently graduated from SUO in January 2012. I believe that I received an excellent education in the RN to BSN program. It is far from being the so called "Diploma Mill" that one writer described it. There are tests and loads of papers but I never expected to go into an online program where there wasn't a lot of writing. My only concerns where that my Academic Advisor changed every other class which was very frustrating to me and I had one professor out of 20 that was not a very good teacher but this happens in every program. Online programs are not easy programs and require dedication, discipline and self-motivation. If you don't have these traits, then you will be joining others in this forum making negative comments because they expected a degree without putting any effort towards it. Stick with the South University Online program, it will payoff in the long run and don't quit when the slightest little thing doesn't go your way. Best of luck to you!

[DukeZion]

Bottom line this school is a business just like any other, but South University is extremely unprofessional and misleading, do not attend this school for any reason. Not only do you not receive any money back from the school, they will charge you the maximum amount they can for school. New charges will appear and raise on you without notice

btw if you read any positive reviews for this school, like someone saying it is the lowest costing online school and the faculty is great is just someone working for the school doing damage control.

[mj2009]

First off, Hello everyone. I just want to know, who in this world would take nursing classes ONLINE??? makes no sense, you will not get the full experience, and with every school, if you they are not able to retrieve your transcripts it is your responsibility. I don't think they ignored or forget to tell you. You probably chose not to remember or to pay attention to anything that they are telling you.
And if you are a student that really cares about your education, you should always make sure to check your financial aid and ask questions all the time. Otherwise, you will end up in a situation that you will not like. Its a school, they can't keep reminding and reminding you like you are 5, you have to pay attention and make sure that you take care of your financial aid and paperworks too.

[mykr65]

ONLINE classes are for the experienced, working RN. They aren't for everyone. But if you are an excellent nurse then you should be able to learn from ONLINE classes and apply it. I'm not sure what you are talking about with the financial aid, but I've had excellent assistance with my ONLINE financial aid department! I don't know why someone who is competent WOULDN'T take online classes!

[mykr65]

I received my BSN at Chamberlain College of Nursing ONLINE Program. It was a good program! And they were always available if you had any questions! I highly reommend this school.

[erinleighhartman]

Ugh that's terrible! So sorry to hear that!

[Kayceelynn]

South University is horrible. The first couple of quarters were ok....I attended the Columbia, SC campus. The nursing insructors were terrible. There were a couple of instructors that were good, but there were far more bad ones. The nursing director was basically a puppet, doing what she could to be "politically correct". One instructor who teaches mental health is absolutely crazy. She admitted to the class that she was bi-polar and sometimes forgot to take her medications. During a class she talked about other students and even revealed their grades and personal information! She talked about other instructors and their personal lives. I also found out that this instructor along with most of the other instructors were fired from other schools. So, basically they hire rejected instructors from other schools. The maternity instructors have very little nursing experience. They get their degree and take online classes for their MSN and try to teach. The nurses (real ones) from the hospitals hate them because of their attitudes and lack of skills. If the instructors dont like you, they will fabricate information to get you out, to include forging documentation. The class I started with had 33 students. Only 7 made it. To get those 7 through, an instructor provided test banks to get those through. If they feel that a student may not pass the NCLEX, they will fail you. One student was walking down the aisle at graduation and as he received his degree, the NURSING DIRECTOR, did not say congratulations, but "you are nothing but trouble". Horrible staff...Horrible school.

[Kayceelynn]

Find a new school. South is terrible. After the first quarter, all of the 33 people passed. The second week of the second quarter, (after payment was received), they failed 11 people and of course no refund. The problem is not the classwork. more than 50% of the grading is SUBJECTIVE. There is one instructor that teaches pharmacology. This class is a quarter (10 weeks long). She assigned 4 case studies. I wrote 32 pages on one case study. She sent it back saying it was not enough detail; took off one point for each place she thought there should be a comma; and 10 points off for a typo of a colon rather than a semi-colon in the reference page. Imagine 4 of those case studies, along with a research paper for another class and a group project; oh...add in clinicals and a 21 page care plan for the clinical class. Also the three courses all have 4 exams and final exams. Everything but the exams and final exams are SUBJECTIVE. That one instructor, who is the clinical director is more focused on APA than anything else. Her APA is different than what the standard APA 6. By the end of the rotation, only 7 people made it to graduation. One person passed only because she was the "pet". An instructor gave her test banks ahead of the exams and her paperwork and papers was subjectively graded. Her writing level was closer to a 6th grader. Try somewhere else. good luck

[ROQ1166]

I have been going to South since the fall of 2009. First I will say, yes they are expensive, but so are most private colleges and other schools. I have had no problems AT ALL, and no I DO NOT work for them nor am I being PAID to say good things. I am writing this in defense of SUO. I live just outside of their main Savannah, GA campus and I know the college has been in business in Savannah since 1899. SUO is properly accredited like any other major university in the United States. First of all, a diploma mill college will not be properly accredited. The most recognized and accepted type of accreditation in the United States is regional accreditation, which SUO has. Generally, college credits or degrees received at a regionally accredited institution are accepted by other regionally accredited colleges or universities (non-regionally accredited programs are not as accepted). ITT Tech is an example of one of those colleges that is not regionally accredited.

Online learning is not easy! One person on here stated that she thought it was unfair that her computer crashed and it took a week to get it repaired and they flunked her because she missed that week. Their policy clearly states that it is YOUR responsibility to ensure that YOU have access to the online class rooms. My computer has also crashed for long periods of time, but I had a backup. The classes can be accessed from any computerwith internet, not just yours, so I fail to see that as a valid excuse. Come on people we are all adults here. I give them an A+ in my book.

[legally2012]

I would like to join

The same chronology of events also happened to me regarding my transcripts. They told me I was set to go and they had my transcripts from high school. They allowed me to take 2 courses and then told me a week before my 3rd course that they did not have my transcripts. Beware, they have 2 headquarters (Phoenix and Pennsylvania) which you are never privy to at first.

The first thing they do is switch up advisors so it's to appear as though the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. They then say they are going to withdraw you if you can not meet their timeline. They then try to take the monies out of your student load, and if they can't, bill you for it.

Here's who you contact first:

Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580

1-877-FTC-HELP

FTC does not handle individual complaints, however, if there are several nationwide they will investigate. Please pass this information along so a class action lawsuit can be put together regarding fraud, theft, and any other illegal practices such as double dipping (take student monies and then charge you as well).

This is a for-profit business owned (and traded on the stock market) by

My complaint is solid. Remember, save those emails and telephone recordings if necessary!

Also, contact your State's Attorney, Department of Education at both the Federal and Local levels (South University Online has 2 locations. One in Phoenix and the other in Pennsylvania) and the Better Business Bureau. Contact them both by phone and email.