abnot:
It depends on your interest. However, what's the possibility of securing a job as good as your current job or even better at the end of your masters degree?
I would have advised that you kept your job but I understand that your interest may be beyond your job.
Let me use my dad's case as an example. He left his job at Shell petroleum back in his days to go pursue a masters and eventually a Phd virology in USA and Canada respectively. He returned to Nigeria and joined the academia and performed very well in the academia and consulted for the federal ministry of health in the later days of his career and operated at a high level in his field. In the long run he may have made more oil money but he feels very happy that he made that decision because he feels more relevant and satisfied in the research field. Successive health ministers from 2001 till 2015 all signed him on board to work with them as a consultant and on several committees which exposed him to high level health officials/network of different nations.

So kindly think about what you want cuz most people will advice you to stay and enjoy the oil money

Gerrard59:
It's surprising how most folks are advising OP to get an online MBA or Masters . Maybe outside Nigeria, but online degrees are not yet fully recognised in our country. On the other hand, some are advising him to undergo the degree in Nigeria; tell me, if you were to be in his shoes(he got admission from Canada's top school, either McGill or University of Toronto) will you study in Nigeria? People should be honest, at least for once. 4+ years experience is more than enough for a masters degree. People wey dey McKinesy & Co dey take MBA(or any additional degree) after 2+ years.

For superior analysis I recommend Jarushub. I'm even surprised to see this kind of topic on Nairaland.

bigfrancis21:


First off, life in America is not all beds of roses. Now, I am going to be plain and direct with you about life in America and tell it to you as it is. I am not wont to give off the impression of America as heaven on earth while actually the reality in the same 'heaven' is the opposite for many people living here. As a new immigrant to this country, basically you are starting life afresh and you would need between 2 to 5 years to be able to stand on your feet in this country and this includes sorting out your permanent residency status (many people get married to a PRdent or citizen, join the US army and become a citizen immediately thereby bypassing the green card step but joining the army requires signing about 6 years of contract with them, or obtain their PR by doing business and investing up to $500,000 or $1,000,000 depending on the type of business or by refugee/asylum status etc.) and this could take about a year or two to achieve, going back to school here in the US to obtain a US degree (our Nigerian degrees are not usually recognized here and to land well-paying jobs in corporate america, as an immigrant you would need to obtain a US degree and any attendant certifications where and when necessary - be prepared to go back to school again here in the US, establishing a credit history for yourself (I cannot overemphasize the importance of starting early as soon as one gets to America to start building one's credit history as this is the key to so many doors of opportunity in this country) etc. and it takes at least a year or 2 to have satisfactory credit history and a good score, adapting to the American culture, learning Americans and their ways of thinking and doing things etc. America has a high taxation rate, especially for employees. The tax rate can be very high especially if you're single. To give you an example, from a paycheck of $1,500 for 2 weeks of work (here you are paid biweekly and not once every month end like in Nigeria), about $400 is deducted in form of federal taxes, state taxes etc. leaving you with about $1,100. Or out of an annual yearly salary of $70,000, your actual take home pay would be about $46,000 as a single individual, with about $24,000 paid to Uncle Sam as taxes. Now, if you're married or you have kids, the tax rate is lower.

America is a beautiful country with an efficiently working system and well advanced technology in almost every facet of life. The weather is adorable such that within a year of staying here you begin to notice changes on your skin (with sunshine for only about 3 to 4 months of the entire year and cold/rain/snow for the remainder of the year, your skin begins to produce less and less of melanin pigment). The economy is robust such that without a university degree, there are lots of jobs for you to survive on but there is only an extent to how much you can make compared to having a US university degree. Food here is cheap and with $100 you can eat comfortably per month, especially if you cook at home. There is constant electricity 24/7 and you never have to worry about there being no light when you get home at night after a long stressful day. Water runs steadily at home - both hot and cold, and the choice is yours to use depending on the weather. Almost all homes are equipped with heaters and ACs such that you enjoy the best of summer and winter weathers. The system here works in so many ways. Depending on the state, there is often a minimum wage that is paid, and this ensures that nobody is unfairly underpaid in any work they do. Oh, did I forget the yearly tax returns? Did you know that every year you are required to file what they call a tax return, which is basically Uncle Sam's (nickname for the IRS) way of ensuring that everyone is paying their fair share of taxes and you are refunded some or all of Federal or/and state taxes you paid for the previous year which could amount to $1,000s? The internet service here is very fast with wi-fi in almost every house, on campus, some restaurants and fast food joints etc. There is much more enforced security and you can be sure of police arriving at your house in less than 5 minutes when you dial 911. The United States Postal Services works such that you barely have the need to use courier services except for international packages. The roads are all well-built with very few potholes here and there to ensure that your car lasts you quite a while. Needless to say, life in America is very comfortable but this comfort comes at a huge price. It is not for free neither is it cheap.

On the flip side, nothing in America is free. Every freebie you enjoy is accounted for in this country. You pay for every social amenity you enjoy down to the very little of it. Out of your biweekly paychecks per month you pay for your rent (or mortgage if you bought the house), light bill, water bill, gas bill (for cooking and for the house heater depending on the house type), internet bill, cable TV bill, monthly phone bill (phone service in this country is based on month to month subscription and for any month you do not pay or renew your subscription, your line is totally cut off and you're disconnected from friends and family. This is in reverse to what we have in Nigeria whereby if you don't have money to recharge credit on your phone, your line still remains connected for as long as 6 months and you don't have to worry about any monthly subscription fees whatsoever), bus transportation fares or car loan monthly payments (if you purchased your car on loan), gas/fuel for your car, feeding, miscellaneous etc. With little or nothing left after paying all these bills per month, you'd realize that you need to savings of your own. Then you have your relatives and friends back home asking you to send them dollars that afterall you're picking dollars from the streets.

To sum it up, you must have to work or be hardworking at whatever that you do to keep enjoying the social amenities that you enjoy. The system has been designed in such a way with several avenues that take the money away from you as you earn it, thus keeping you entrenched in the system.

Now, who are those I strongly recommend to come to the US? Those people who have very little or nothing going for them in Nigeria. People who work quite hard but have very little or no hopes of making it in Nigeria, people who have very little hopes of achieving, at least, a middle class life - a house, a nice car, a good job etc. in Nigeria. For such people, I strongly recommend them to come to the US. Please come over with any opportunity that you can get. Perhaps with hard work, you would get to live in a middle class style home that you've always wanted, drive new cars and models of your choice (most times on car auto loan with payment plan to pay back the bank or loan lender), have an above-average income job, enjoy the social amenities of America, etc. That is just about it, nothing more nothing less.

For those who already have a system working for them in Nigeria such as a successful business or a well-paying job with huge benefits today or sometime down the line, packing up your bags, abandoning a system already working for you and coming to the US would be your greatest folly. For this set of people, I would not recommend abandoning a system already working greatly for you just for the sake of going to obodo oyibo. With such system working for you, you could comfortably afford to visit the US at your leisure, come shopping in the US, etc. and still get to have a taste of American life while still having your system back home running for you. You get to taste the best of both worlds.

As for Canada, the economy of Canada is not as robust as that of the US. Yes, getting your PR in Canada is easier than that of the US however there are fewer jobs in Canada than in the US. There are many Nigerians that have finished their graduate studies in Canada and even with their PR (permanent residency), they are yet to find jobs in their field of study because jobs are scarce. In both US and Canada, just like in Nigeria, the oil market sector has slumped and oil companies have been laying off workers and there's currently a hiring freeze.

My suggestion to you would be to get a study leave with pay, or even without pay, to go to Canada to do your masters. DO NOT resign from your job before leaving. Get a study leave before coming, such that while doing your masters in Canada you get to study the economy and market here and if you decide to remain behind, you can then resign from your job. If after completing your MS you see that returning to Nigeria is a better option for you, you still have your job secured for you and you could always visit the US and/or Canada for vacation.

With all of these said, it is left to you to evaluate your situation and see where you stand. The ball is in your court and the decision is yours. I ji ji, jide mma (you hold the yam and also the knife, meaning you how you choose to cut the yam is your decision to make). Cheers.

bicmitchum:

Thanks for the incredible advice. I'm 4+ years now. Not due for study leave until next year September

Saintp:
@Op,
there will always be an element of risk in whatever we do. Whether you stay or go for your masters, your future is not guaranteed.
This is why you must follow your heart and pursue what makes you happy and fulfilled.
I had to leave a mega paying job for an uncertain terrain because that was where my[b] heart [/b]is. Despite making less money than before, i have been living the best life i have ever wanted to the extent that i no longer remember i make less money.
Check yourself properly and know where your happiness lies for there is no guarantees anywhere.

bigfrancis21:


First off, life in America is not all beds of roses. Now, I am going to be plain and direct with you about life in America and tell it to you as it is. I am not wont to give off the impression of America as heaven on earth while actually the reality in the same 'heaven' is the opposite for many people living here. As a new immigrant to this country, basically you are starting life afresh and you would need between 2 to 5 years to be able to stand on your feet in this country and this includes sorting out your permanent residency status (many people get married to a PRdent or citizen, join the US army and become a citizen immediately thereby bypassing the green card step but joining the army requires signing about 6 years of contract with them, or obtain their PR by doing business and investing up to $500,000 or $1,000,000 depending on the type of business or by refugee/asylum status etc.) and this could take about a year or two to achieve, going back to school here in the US to obtain a US degree (our Nigerian degrees are not usually recognized here and to land well-paying jobs in corporate america, as an immigrant you would need to obtain a US degree and any attendant certifications where and when necessary - be prepared to go back to school again here in the US, establishing a credit history for yourself (I cannot overemphasize the importance of starting early as soon as one gets to America to start building one's credit history as this is the key to so many doors of opportunity in this country) etc. and it takes at least a year or 2 to have satisfactory credit history and a good score, adapting to the American culture, learning Americans and their ways of thinking and doing things etc. America has a high taxation rate, especially for employees. The tax rate can be very high especially if you're single. To give you an example, from a paycheck of $1,500 for 2 weeks of work (here you are paid biweekly and not once every month end like in Nigeria), about $400 is deducted in form of federal taxes, state taxes etc. leaving you with about $1,100. Or out of an annual yearly salary of $70,000, your actual take home pay would be about $46,000 as a single individual, with about $24,000 paid to Uncle Sam as taxes. Now, if you're married or you have kids, the tax rate is lower.

America is a beautiful country with an efficiently working system and well advanced technology in almost every facet of life. The weather is adorable such that within a year of staying here you begin to notice changes on your skin (with sunshine for only about 3 to 4 months of the entire year and cold/rain/snow for the remainder of the year, your skin begins to produce less and less of melanin pigment). The economy is robust such that without a university degree, there are lots of jobs for you to survive on but there is only an extent to how much you can make compared to having a US university degree. Food here is cheap and with $100 you can eat comfortably per month, especially if you cook at home. There is constant electricity 24/7 and you never have to worry about there being no light when you get home at night after a long stressful day. Water runs steadily at home - both hot and cold, and the choice is yours to use depending on the weather. Almost all homes are equipped with heaters and ACs such that you enjoy the best of summer and winter weathers. The system here works in so many ways. Depending on the state, there is often a minimum wage that is paid, and this ensures that nobody is unfairly underpaid in any work they do. Oh, did I forget the yearly tax returns? Did you know that every year you are required to file what they call a tax return, which is basically Uncle Sam's (nickname for the IRS) way of ensuring that everyone is paying their fair share of taxes and you are refunded some or all of Federal or/and state taxes you paid for the previous year which could amount to $1,000s? The internet service here is very fast with wi-fi in almost every house, on campus, some restaurants and fast food joints etc. There is much more enforced security and you can be sure of police arriving at your house in less than 5 minutes when you dial 911. The United States Postal Services works such that you barely have the need to use courier services except for international packages. The roads are all well-built with very few potholes here and there to ensure that your car lasts you quite a while. Needless to say, life in America is very comfortable but this comfort comes at a huge price. It is not for free neither is it cheap.

On the flip side, nothing in America is free. Every freebie you enjoy is accounted for in this country. You pay for every social amenity you enjoy down to the very little of it. Out of your biweekly paychecks per month you pay for your rent (or mortgage if you bought the house), light bill, water bill, gas bill (for cooking and for the house heater depending on the house type), internet bill, cable TV bill, monthly phone bill (phone service in this country is based on month to month subscription and for any month you do not pay or renew your subscription, your line is totally cut off and you're disconnected from friends and family. This is in reverse to what we have in Nigeria whereby if you don't have money to recharge credit on your phone, your line still remains connected for as long as 6 months and you don't have to worry about any monthly subscription fees whatsoever), bus transportation fares or car loan monthly payments (if you purchased your car on loan), gas/fuel for your car, feeding, miscellaneous etc. With little or nothing left after paying all these bills per month, you'd realize that you need to savings of your own. Then you have your relatives and friends back home asking you to send them dollars that afterall you're picking dollars from the streets.

To sum it up, you must have to work or be hardworking at whatever that you do to keep enjoying the social amenities that you enjoy. The system has been designed in such a way with several avenues that take the money away from you as you earn it, thus keeping you entrenched in the system.

Now, who are those I strongly recommend to come to the US? Those people who have very little or nothing going for them in Nigeria. People who work quite hard but have very little or no hopes of making it in Nigeria, people who have very little hopes of achieving, at least, a middle class life - a house, a nice car, a good job etc. in Nigeria. For such people, I strongly recommend them to come to the US. Please come over with any opportunity that you can get. Perhaps with hard work, you would get to live in a middle class style home that you've always wanted, drive new cars and models of your choice (most times on car auto loan with payment plan to pay back the bank or loan lender), have an above-average income job, enjoy the social amenities of America, etc. That is just about it, nothing more nothing less.

For those who already have a system working for them in Nigeria such as a successful business or a well-paying job with huge benefits today or sometime down the line, packing up your bags, abandoning a system already working for you and coming to the US would be your greatest folly. For this set of people, I would not recommend abandoning a system already working greatly for you just for the sake of going to obodo oyibo. With such system working for you, you could comfortably afford to visit the US at your leisure, come shopping in the US, etc. and still get to have a taste of American life while still having your system back home running for you. You get to taste the best of both worlds.

As for Canada, the economy of Canada is not as robust as that of the US. Yes, getting your PR in Canada is easier than that of the US however there are fewer jobs in Canada than in the US. There are many Nigerians that have finished their graduate studies in Canada and even with their PR (permanent residency), they are yet to find jobs in their field of study because jobs are scarce. In both US and Canada, just like in Nigeria, the oil market sector has slumped and oil companies have been laying off workers and there's currently a hiring freeze.

My suggestion to you would be to get a study leave with pay, or even without pay, to go to Canada to do your masters. DO NOT resign from your job before leaving. Get a study leave before coming, such that while doing your masters in Canada you get to study the economy and market here and if you decide to remain behind, you can then resign from your job. If after completing your MS you see that returning to Nigeria is a better option for you, you still have your job secured for you and you could always visit the US and/or Canada for vacation.

With all of these said, it is left to you to evaluate your situation and see where you stand. The ball is in your court and the decision is yours. I ji ji, jide mma (you hold the yam and also the knife, meaning you how you choose to cut the yam is your decision to make). Cheers.

tiniyata:
a bird in hand is worth 10 in the bush

humilitypays:
Don't mind Nigerians, we are not just creative in Nigeria....our lives just follow a pre-defined pattern: go to school, graduate with good result, go for NYSC, look for a job, go for Masters so that u can become the manager of another creative man's company...and then if possible, acquire a PhD certificate to intimidate your mates and colleagues and to show that u sabi book well well...and at the end, u have no sustainable thing for your children to inherit aside the money u stole from other people's companies and government purse (if u succeed in getting political appointment)

This is the sole reason Nigeria is a corrupt country with skyrocketing rate of unemployment!

We lack creative youths who are bold and smart enough to think of creating their own companies to employ others...all Nigerians want the easy way out- get a job and start immediately to receive big salary and start to carry girls up and down, shame

MsNas:
Don't even try it. Lemme ask you a few questions.

1. Are you getting paid well?
2. Are you ready to forgo all the luxuries you're used to in Nigeria and start all over in Canada?
3. Your masters is not funded. Are you willing to use all your savings to fund your masters?

I live in the US and my husband is into Oil and Gas. I know for sure that the industry is not favorable right now and will not be favorable in the next 2-5 years. Just this last month, my husband's firm (and he works for one of the biggest in the US) laid off 50% of their workforce.

Yes, Canada is favorable because it's easier to get permanent residency, but getting a job is another issue. I know of a Nigerian-Canadian who is into Oil and gas and got offered a job with juicy remunerations in the US. He worked for a few months in the US and decided to quit and go back to Canada. Oil prices began to slump after he went back and he was on of the first ones to be let go. That was over a year ago and he is still in the market looking. He is always calling my husband to check if they have any openings in their company but they also are laying people off, so no hope for now. I know not less than 3 Canadians (2 in my husband's office) are on H1 visa in the US because they found it hard to get jobs in Canada. Canada is one of the worst hit economies with this oil price fall and I don't see any boom in hiring anytime soon. Heck, one of my friends graduated with a masters degree in Geophysics from the University of Manitoba in 2014 but still doesn't have a job.

Second of all, to be candid, people in oil and gas in Nigeria make much more than those in the US or Canada. Yes, the ones in the US might make more on paper but by the time health insurance, 401K and taxes is taken, your counterparts in Nigeria take home more than you do...taxation is almost non existent in Nigeria anyways. After your masters, you may get a job but it might not be in the cadre of what you used to do in Nigeria and it might leave you unfulfilled as You already have a career in Nigeria. What you might get here might not be at par. It's easier for those who haven't had a career yet in Nigeria before moving

Third, you're lucky. You're so lucky. You mentioned that there has been several rounds of layoffs in your company but you survived. Means, they value you and consider you an asset. Continue like that and you might make managerial position in a few years. You have study leave coming up soon, why not wait until then? If you go before your study leave, is your job guaranteed?

Lastly, with your first class, you should not be paying out of pocket for any post-graduate degree. Several high ranking schools in the US will accept you in an heartbeat with full tuition waiver to boot! You will have recruiters coming to your school and from there you can score an internship which will eventually lead to a full time job provided you perform well. Have you even thought of online masters degree? There are several high ranking schools in the US who do that. Take your classes online and do your research on ground or whatever. Your diploma does not bear "Online Degree" it is awarded by the school itself. Some reputable Ivy League schools offer this option.

Overall, the choice is yours to make.

bicmitchum:
This is a point in my life where I really need other opinions about my pending decision.
Here are the points:

-I graduated first class some years ago after completing studies at the University of Lagos
-Secured numerous masters admission with and without scholarship and intended to go for masters immediately, but got an attractive job offer with an oil multinational. Took the job offer.
-I've worked now about 4+ years with this multinational and the going has been incredibly terrific. Even with the incredible layoffs in my company and in the oil industry, it looks very likely I'll continue to keep my job.
-Every year I have continued to apply for masters in universities abroad given my intention to really acquire a masters and possibly a PhD degree. Never once accepted any of the offers I have been getting. Simply ignored them. As the years rolled by, the offers are no longer coming as usual. I'm getting turned down by schools.
-This year I have now obtained an offer to complete my masters at the No.1 ranked university in Canada, my desired destination. The only offer I got among the top schools I applied to. No scholarships.
-I'm yet unentitled to study leave

Here's the question: do I quit my job and go complete this masters in a really reputable school or do I stay back in Nigeria and continue slugging it out in the oil industry? Who knows what will come of the industry as the oil price continues to flutter? Who knows how my future might turn out if I leave to go chase the masters?

Here's my decision: Work is getting boring as time races on. I'm not getting any younger. I'm in my very late twenties. I should quit, go chase my masters and embrace any uncertainty that may come out of that. If I'm unable to secure an attractive job I'll go with academics for life whether in Canada or in Nigeria. I might even secure a Canadian citizenship. Canada is a lovely destination where I don't mind spending a large chunk of my life.

My worry: I have a comfortable life here. Why shake the bottle? Why stir the pot? Racism is still rife in these "white" countries. My life could get unbearable mixing in a culture I'm not familiar with.

Any inputs, please.

humilitypays:
Don't mind Nigerians, we are not just creative in Nigeria....our lives just follow a pre-defined pattern: go to school, graduate with good result, go for NYSC, look for a job, go for Masters so that u can become the manager of another creative man's company...and then if possible, acquire a PhD certificate to intimidate your mates and colleagues and to show that u sabi book well well...and at the end, u have no sustainable thing for your children to inherit aside the money u stole from other people's companies and government purse (if u succeed in getting political appointment)

This is the sole reason Nigeria is a corrupt country with skyrocketing rate of unemployment!

We lack creative youths who are bold and smart enough to think of creating their own companies to employ others...all Nigerians want the easy way out- get a job and start immediately to receive big salary and start to carry girls up and down, shame

humilitypays:
Seriously Nigerians are damn sick! You are not even thinking of using your so-called oil company experience to startup an oil servicing company in partnership with some of your smart-thinking colleagues or to startup a business in a related field so as to create job and become a company owner and employer of labour in years to come, but you are here thinking of going to acquire another nonsense paper qualification just to justify your foolish ego.

Now I see why Nigeria is under-developed with high rate of unemployment.

People only think about acquiring paper qualifications just to answer professor, doctor, engineer, accountant, this and that without using it to create jobs and employ people…

Its so unfortunate that the so-called first class graduates are just theory-minded and can´t create any meaningful solution to global problems, but only after paper qualifications to get job and get more pay and serve others till they die, so pathetic.

Did Mark Zuckerburg graduate from Harvard university before he developed Facebook? How many masters does Seun Osewa have before he created nairaland? How many masters does Bill Gates have before he started Microsoft? How many masters does Aliko Dangote have? How many masters does Carlos Slim, and all the great people deciding global technology and economy future have? If you check well, the founder of that so-called oil company you are working with probably isn't a graduate talk more of a masters or PhD degree holder….but he employed you and many other Bsc, Msc, and PhD holders and deciding your fate and future in his bedroom, nonsense Nigerian youths, think!

Use the money you have saved so far (that's if at all you are telling us the truth) to create job for other unemployed youths roaming the streets in search of a job to get started and stop pursuing paper qualification that will only make you a bigger slave and another man's servant!

If you are truly smart, there are plenty opportunities to explore with the little money you have saved….I am sorry to say this (sincere apology to my great Yoruba friends), I am suspecting that you must be a Yoruba guy because you guys love paper qualification so much more than creativity, and why? Simply because you feel and believe that having big big degrees will make you become manager and director so that you will sit in another man´s company to be collecting big salary without any meaningful contribution than using juju to bring down others trying to climb close to your position! This is bad and we the younger Nigerian generation must correct this ill-mentality our useless fathers installed in us.

I am so disappointed with all the people advising you….none of them ever told you to create jobs with the money you have saved or maybe you were using your income to live a luxury life and carrying runs girls up and down in the name of oil company worker…I pity the future of Nigeria because the youths today are not thinking of creating companies that will employ our unborn children, instead they are busy axcquiring paper certificates to secure jobs in the few existing companies started by young people like them some years and decades ago, shame on all Nigerian youths, shame on you all!!

rman:
Be careful what you spend your life and time pursuing because you may already be there.[i][/i]

If after masters your plan is to secure another oil and gas job then do not quit. I can authoritatively tell you if you look closely, there are people with that qualification you are pursuing doing exactly the same job you do in your industry or company.

However, if your plan is to end up in the academics fields then you can quit.

bigfrancis21:


First off, life in America is not all beds of roses. Now, I am going to be plain and direct with you about life in America and tell it to you as it is. I am not wont to give off the impression of America as heaven on earth while actually the reality in the same 'heaven' is the opposite for many people living here. As a new immigrant to this country, basically you are starting life afresh and you would need between 2 to 5 years to be able to stand on your feet in this country and this includes sorting out your permanent residency status (many people get married to a PRdent or citizen, join the US army and become a citizen immediately thereby bypassing the green card step but joining the army requires signing about 6 years of contract with them, or obtain their PR by doing business and investing up to $500,000 or $1,000,000 depending on the type of business or by refugee/asylum status etc.) and this could take about a year or two to achieve, going back to school here in the US to obtain a US degree (our Nigerian degrees are not usually recognized here and to land well-paying jobs in corporate america, as an immigrant you would need to obtain a US degree and any attendant certifications where and when necessary - be prepared to go back to school again here in the US, establishing a credit history for yourself (I cannot overemphasize the importance of starting early as soon as one gets to America to start building one's credit history as this is the key to so many doors of opportunity in this country) etc. and it takes at least a year or 2 to have satisfactory credit history and a good score, adapting to the American culture, learning Americans and their ways of thinking and doing things etc. America has a high taxation rate, especially for employees. The tax rate can be very high especially if you're single. To give you an example, from a paycheck of $1,500 for 2 weeks of work (here you are paid biweekly and not once every month end like in Nigeria), about $400 is deducted in form of federal taxes, state taxes etc. leaving you with about $1,100. Or out of an annual yearly salary of $70,000, your actual take home pay would be about $46,000 as a single individual, with about $24,000 paid to Uncle Sam as taxes. Now, if you're married or you have kids, the tax rate is lower.

America is a beautiful country with an efficiently working system and well advanced technology in almost every facet of life. The weather is adorable such that within a year of staying here you begin to notice changes on your skin (with sunshine for only about 3 to 4 months of the entire year and cold/rain/snow for the remainder of the year, your skin begins to produce less and less of melanin pigment). The economy is robust such that without a university degree, there are lots of jobs for you to survive on but there is only an extent to how much you can make compared to having a US university degree. Food here is cheap and with $100 you can eat comfortably per month, especially if you cook at home. There is constant electricity 24/7 and you never have to worry about there being no light when you get home at night after a long stressful day. Water runs steadily at home - both hot and cold, and the choice is yours to use depending on the weather. Almost all homes are equipped with heaters and ACs such that you enjoy the best of summer and winter weathers. The system here works in so many ways. Depending on the state, there is often a minimum wage that is paid, and this ensures that nobody is unfairly underpaid in any work they do. Oh, did I forget the yearly tax returns? Did you know that every year you are required to file what they call a tax return, which is basically Uncle Sam's (nickname for the IRS) way of ensuring that everyone is paying their fair share of taxes and you are refunded some or all of Federal or/and state taxes you paid for the previous year which could amount to $1,000s? The internet service here is very fast with wi-fi in almost every house, on campus, some restaurants and fast food joints etc. There is much more enforced security and you can be sure of police arriving at your house in less than 5 minutes when you dial 911. The United States Postal Services works such that you barely have the need to use courier services except for international packages. The roads are all well-built with very few potholes here and there to ensure that your car lasts you quite a while. Needless to say, life in America is very comfortable but this comfort comes at a huge price. It is not for free neither is it cheap.

On the flip side, nothing in America is free. Every freebie you enjoy is accounted for in this country. You pay for every social amenity you enjoy down to the very little of it. Out of your biweekly paychecks per month you pay for your rent (or mortgage if you bought the house), light bill, water bill, gas bill (for cooking and for the house heater depending on the house type), internet bill, cable TV bill, monthly phone bill (phone service in this country is based on month to month subscription and for any month you do not pay or renew your subscription, your line is totally cut off and you're disconnected from friends and family. This is in reverse to what we have in Nigeria whereby if you don't have money to recharge credit on your phone, your line still remains connected for as long as 6 months and you don't have to worry about any monthly subscription fees whatsoever), bus transportation fares or car loan monthly payments (if you purchased your car on loan), gas/fuel for your car, feeding, miscellaneous etc. With little or nothing left after paying all these bills per month, you'd realize that you need to savings of your own. Then you have your relatives and friends back home asking you to send them dollars that afterall you're picking dollars from the streets.

To sum it up, you must have to work or be hardworking at whatever that you do to keep enjoying the social amenities that you enjoy. The system has been designed in such a way with several avenues that take the money away from you as you earn it, thus keeping you entrenched in the system.

Now, who are those I strongly recommend to come to the US? Those people who have very little or nothing going for them in Nigeria. People who work quite hard but have very little or no hopes of making it in Nigeria, people who have very little hopes of achieving, at least, a middle class life - a house, a nice car, a good job etc. in Nigeria. For such people, I strongly recommend them to come to the US. Please come over with any opportunity that you can get. Perhaps with hard work, you would get to live in a middle class style home that you've always wanted, drive new cars and models of your choice (most times on car auto loan with payment plan to pay back the bank or loan lender), have an above-average income job, enjoy the social amenities of America, etc. That is just about it, nothing more nothing less.

For those who already have a system working for them in Nigeria such as a successful business or a well-paying job with huge benefits today or sometime down the line, packing up your bags, abandoning a system already working for you and coming to the US would be your greatest folly. For this set of people, I would not recommend abandoning a system already working greatly for you just for the sake of going to obodo oyibo. With such system working for you, you could comfortably afford to visit the US at your leisure, come shopping in the US, etc. and still get to have a taste of American life while still having your system back home running for you. You get to taste the best of both worlds.

As for Canada, the economy of Canada is not as robust as that of the US. Yes, getting your PR in Canada is easier than that of the US however there are fewer jobs in Canada than in the US. There are many Nigerians that have finished their graduate studies in Canada and even with their PR (permanent residency), they are yet to find jobs in their field of study because jobs are scarce. In both US and Canada, just like in Nigeria, the oil market sector has slumped and oil companies have been laying off workers and there's currently a hiring freeze.

My suggestion to you would be to get a study leave with pay, or even without pay, to go to Canada to do your masters. DO NOT resign from your job before leaving. Get a study leave before coming, such that while doing your masters in Canada you get to study the economy and market here and if you decide to remain behind, you can then resign from your job. If after completing your MS you see that returning to Nigeria is a better option for you, you still have your job secured for you and you could always visit the US and/or Canada for vacation.

With all of these said, it is left to you to evaluate your situation and see where you stand. The ball is in your court and the decision is yours. I ji ji, jide mma (you hold the yam and also the knife, meaning you how you choose to cut the yam is your decision to make). Cheers.

GboyegaD:


The boldened part got me laughing. You know what you want for your family though. Are you applying to Canada too?

bicmitchum:
This is a point in my life where I really need other opinions about my pending decision.
Here are the points:

-I graduated first class some years ago after completing studies at the University of Lagos
-Secured numerous masters admission with and without scholarship and intended to go for masters immediately, but got an attractive job offer with an oil multinational. Took the job offer.
-I've worked now about 4+ years with this multinational and the going has been incredibly terrific. Even with the incredible layoffs in my company and in the oil industry, it looks very likely I'll continue to keep my job.
-Every year I have continued to apply for masters in universities abroad given my intention to really acquire a masters and possibly a PhD degree. Never once accepted any of the offers I have been getting. Simply ignored them. As the years rolled by, the offers are no longer coming as usual. I'm getting turned down by schools.
-This year I have now obtained an offer to complete my masters at the No.1 ranked university in Canada, my desired destination. The only offer I got among the top schools I applied to. No scholarships.
-I'm yet unentitled to study leave

Here's the question: do I quit my job and go complete this masters in a really reputable school or do I stay back in Nigeria and continue slugging it out in the oil industry? Who knows what will come of the industry as the oil price continues to flutter? Who knows how my future might turn out if I leave to go chase the masters?

Here's my decision: Work is getting boring as time races on. I'm not getting any younger. I'm in my very late twenties. I should quit, go chase my masters and embrace any uncertainty that may come out of that. If I'm unable to secure an attractive job I'll go with academics for life whether in Canada or in Nigeria. I might even secure a Canadian citizenship. Canada is a lovely destination where I don't mind spending a large chunk of my life.

My worry: I have a comfortable life here. Why shake the bottle? Why stir the pot? Racism is still rife in these "white" countries. My life could get unbearable mixing in a culture I'm not familiar with.

Any inputs, please.

omonija2000:
poor man mentality bro.Try and get your permanent residence through Canadian education experience after your study. Canadian . Your education is enough to give you the required point under their selection factors. PhD makes anyone to be above poverty level anywhere in this world. Please note that the decision is not for you alone but also for your generation unborn.

humilitypays:
Don't mind Nigerians, we are not just creative in Nigeria....our lives just follow a pre-defined pattern: go to school, graduate with good result, go for NYSC, look for a job, go for Masters so that u can become the manager of another creative man's company...and then if possible, acquire a PhD certificate to intimidate your mates and colleagues and to show that u sabi book well well...and at the end, u have no sustainable thing for your children to inherit aside the money u stole from other people's companies and government purse (if u succeed in getting political appointment)

This is the sole reason Nigeria is a corrupt country with skyrocketing rate of unemployment!

We lack creative youths who are bold and smart enough to think of creating their own companies to employ others...all Nigerians want the easy way out- get a job and start immediately to receive big salary and start to carry girls up and down, shame