Almost on a daily basis I meet people who are smart, ambitious and would like to further their education . Often they are torn between two countries: the U.S and U.K. ‘ What is the difference abeg, are they not the same thing. Abroad is abroad now abi?’ James, a banker looking to for his MBA recently asked me. Well it is true that Abroad is abroad ( even those who school in Togo are classified foreign trained by the NYSC) but unless your intention is prolonged tourism, you need to be specific about why you want to study outside Nigeria. The days when a degree from any part of the world dazzled employers are gone. These days, employers not only want to see proof of a good degree, they also consider where that degree was obtained. So I would like to share with you five things I advise James to consider before making his choice between U.K and the U.S.
1[b].Availab[email][/email]ility of Funding:[/b] I asked James ‘ Do you have enough cash to pay for tuition, accommodation and the rest’
‘How much is enough?’ He asked. James is like that. Always answering questions with questions. I told him. He opened his mouth .
‘na wa o! ‘. He said. ‘I no go use the money start business. Na my papa build university?’
Well most of people I have met wonder the same thing, especially when they come from homes that are just well to do. However the beauty about studying in the U.K and the U.S is the availability of funding. In the U.K this funding comes in form of tuition discount and scholarships. To be honest, these are very limited. It is very difficult to get a scholarship or tuition discount that would make a significant difference to the amount you pay as tuition.
For U.S schools funding comes in the form of Assistanships and fellowships. In an assistantship , the school waves tuition for the student, while the student in return works for the school and gets paid a stipend. Fellowships are like scholarships. It is possible to get a fellowship that will cover not just tuition but also living expenses.
Also, all PHD’s in America are fully funded. They are free.

2. Ranking of School or Programme: Another thing you need to consider is the global ranking of the school and the programme. Many people fail to do this. James did check the global ranking, however he made the mistake of stopping there and making a decision based on the global ranking.
‘Global ranking is not enough’, I told him. ‘You need to also know the ranking of you’re the schools programme’.
He was confused, so I decided to explain by demonstrating. He wanted to do an MSc in finance. So when we looked up the first school he chose based on global ranking, we found that the school didn’t have an MSc Finance programme. The second school did, however they were not in the list of the best 20 Msc Finance programmes in the world. We did find them in the list of the best 50 though. However, James changed his mind and choose a school from the list of the best 20.

Don’t search for schools, search for programmes, they determine the quality of education you would receive.

3. Internship and Employment Opportunity: [/b]This another thing you should consider before making up your mind on where to go. The U.K programme is fast paced, and usually leaves no room for scholarships. In addition, you are given just a few months after your programme to leave the country.
American schools are a little slower . There are opportunities for internships during the summer. Some schools help get placements for their students while for others leave the matter in the hands of students. Also, after your graduation, you can apply for a one year OPT (Optional Practical Training). Those in the STEM programmes (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) can apply for an additional one year after the expatriation of the first year
[b]
4. Duration of the Programme and Tuition: Like I said earlier, U.K schools are fast paced. They often last for just one year while U.S schools run their programmes for 2 months. The duration also affects the tuition. While you might pay high for U.K schools, you pay only once. For U.S Programmes, though you might not pay as high as the U.K per annum, the fact that the programmes usually stretch for 2 years might mean that your overhead cost will be higher than that of a person who chooses to study in the U.K

So there you have it. Consider all these before deciding where to go.
If you have further enquires you can call me on: 07035956128, or 0818 – 6566561, 0803 – 6980584. Or visit my website at www.synergylifelineconsulting.com

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