PART ONE

1. Be patient while you wait for funding decisions
After I applied and was waiting to hear from the school I wanted on their admission decision, I spent endless hours agonizing and wondering exactly what was going on. I would write countless emails, deleted some of them and not send them, and actually sent many of them. All to ask about the status of my application.

But, now that I’ve been through the process, learnt how US grad admissions work, and mentored other people through the process, I can say it’s probably not healthy to be too anxious. Most graduate admission committee members are also professors and lecturers who have classes to take, conferences to attend, presentations to make, proposals to write, and a bunch of other activities not related to research or their field.

Worse still, you can continue to remind them. If you can’t settle, keep sending them emails to remind or inquire. They’ve been there, and would generally understand. Contact them within reason of course. No foul language or desperation. Only make sure it’s to the right person (see; grad prog co-ord, or to your proposed advisor, if you have one already). The best thing you can do for yourself is to put your best foot forward, and stress about submitting the best application possible, and convince yourself that you did the best possible, and work on other things to allow time for decisions to roll in.

2. Speaking the American English
Having gone to schools in Nigeria, you’d think you can interact in the English language with anyone, local or international. But you’ll be shocked.

Coming to America would make you realize how fast Americans speak their English, how you’ll need them to repeat what they said so you can hear, and how they’d ask that you repeat what you said too so they can hear.

It’s easily one of the most frustrating parts of moving to the US, especially if you’ve been raised in Nigeria. But I can tell you that it gets better. Don’t be discouraged. Don’t shy away from native speakers due to this. Keep at it. Watch American shows and YouTube videos without the captions. Build friendships with a few natives at first, so you can get comfortable in such situations.

You’ll probably not be able to ‘remove’ your accent (which is perfectly fine and actually good), but you’ll gradually see yourself being able to hear and talk to American English speakers.

3. Doing research – the lifestyle
The research atmosphere here is more hands-on and not laid back, like you currently see in many schools in Nigeria. There’s always the constant pressure from your professor and competitive urge from your fellow research mates to produce good data and results.

Weekly lab meetings are the norm, and you’re constantly emailing your professor back and forth on your latest research data and any research challenges you’re facing. It can be challenging going through this, week in week out, and being made to feel like you’re lazy. But once you realize how funding works in US grad schools, you’d understand why professors are constantly on your neck – which is because the funding agencies are constantly on their neck too, to deliver results for the money.

And that gives you the motivation and perspective to always be on your toes… which helps you grow in your research career anyway – so win-win both ways.

4. Foods
In your first few months of arriving in the US, the local foods would probably not taste so good… which makes sense, given you’re introducing your taste buds to foreign and new foods.

But don’t be disturbed by this. It’s always a good idea to stick with Nigerian foods for the first few months, and occasionally try an American food that sounds or looks interesting to you.

See if you like the food. Chances are you won’t enjoy the whole thing. But pay attention to the food item you enjoyed. Was it the sauce, avocado, or the bread? Note those items, and build your own American food, using those things to like. Because the good thing about the foods is that you can choose and order the items you want, to make your own special order.

5. And speaking of ordering foods, you should tip when you go out to eat.
Imagine sitting at a Nigerian restaurant to order your favorite amala and ewedu. You sit, place your order, wait for it, eat, pay and then leave. For the most part, it’s pretty much the same in the US.

Except when you are expected to tip after your meal. Meaning, to pay extra (at least an extra 10%) on top of what you paid for the meal. For instance, if your order was $69.70, it’d almost be criminal and immoral for you to leave without tipping the waiter at least $6.97 or more.

This is because restaurant workers don’t get paid very well for all the excellent work they do, and can make up for that by the amount of tips they get. Also, giving tips is also seen as a way to encourage waiters to continue to provide excellent service to customers.

6. Sports/ American football
Football in the United States and Canada has a whole different meaning from what Nigerians or Europeans know as football. You’d wonder how Americans can be so obsessed with the American football, when all they do is run after a ball and take more breaks than usual. But, after spending some time learning the game, I actually got more curious about it, and started learning the various lingo and rules that govern it, and the game started becoming more interesting to me.

7. Loneliness
Watching Hollywood movies in Nigeria and talking to your ‘yankee’ friends have made you believe these people are as outgoing and friendly as Nigerians. Turns out you’re in for a shock. People smile at you, engage in small talk, but that’s it. Everyone has got their cross to bear. You can’t blame them.

You miss the happy atmosphere in Nigeria. You stay on calls to your family and babe(s) and boo(s) back home. Depends on how bad you are. You can’t go knock on your neighbor’s door, so you both can play PES. Or talk about the latest Davido’s track! One of the sweet things about living in Nigeria is the community. That community among family, friends and total strangers (!) for parties, events, owambes, hangouts, etc. You just don’t see that same level of interaction when you move to the US.

8. A different definition of being outgoing and being friendly in America
The American culture values putting yourself out there, and speaking what you think, as opposed to not saying anything. People cherish their rights a lot here, and they would remind you every chance they get as to why they deserve X, Y, and Z.

This disposition also translates to broader sections of the society, including the American workplace and talk shows in the media. You’ll need to ‘tout your own horn’ in order to convince a prospective employer, by speaking very highly of yourself, without trying to be humble. This might be uncomfortable at first for Nigerians, mainly because of the move to a new country, and the reality of having to interact with people that you don’t quite fully understand at first.

But it gets better with time.

9. The 2-second smile
It’s almost a faux pas (a social mistake) for you to lock eyes with someone and not smile at them. If there’s some chance that you’ll be making eye contact with a stranger, just be ready to smile… for 2 seconds, and then go your own way.

Because if you make the eye contact and don’t smile, you run the risk of them thinking you’re mean. And if you do smile, and they don’t, they might start to feel bad... Which is why you want to be prepared to squeeze your cheeks, right and upward for that snappy smile!

10. The small talk
In many, not all US states, it’s expected to engage in what people call ‘small talk’. Which essentially means, a quick conversation about random subjects not related to the real reason you’re meeting with the person.

This is because it’s believed that small talk helps people dissolve those nerves that develop as you newly meet someone or start a conversation, either over the phone or in person. And this happens a lot, from research lab meetings to job interviews… from conference calls to riding in an Uber.

11. You’ll spend all day calling your family back in Nigeria, if you let it happen
Humans tend to stick to what’s familiar. And so, much more than checking in with family and loved ones, maybe weekly, you’ll feel the need to speak to your family all day… everyday… Because you speak the same local language, and they get your jokes.

12. Knocking on your neighbor’s door to check up on them or surprise them
That’s not a thing, you don’t do that. If you’re going to check up on people here, definitely don’t walk or drive the distance to surprise them. You have to plan to check up on them. Weird, I know.

13. Way way more texting than calling.
You gotta text back and forth first. Speaking of planning, you’d want to text them in advance, either to check in with them, or schedule a time to come see them.

Yes, a lot of texts, and fewer calls. Many people have their phones in ‘silent’ mode, and it’s just more comfortable to text than speak on the phone, especially if you identify as an introvert. So, which means you can’t just show up. You need to call in advance and let your host know you’re coming.

14. People cherish quiet here – quiet neighborhoods, quiet apartments, quiets streets
Unlike many Nigerian streets that thrive in being noisy and always have an event/program going on, quiet streets and neighborhoods are a given here.

15. Nigerian (or British) English vs American English
You say “gas”, not “petrol”, you say “truck” not “lorry”, etc. – given the British/American way of speaking many words.

16. You sometimes feel a rush of being an ‘outsider’. Because you have a different skin color from many around you, especially if you live in predominantly white environments

17. You won’t find a lot of young folks around here arguing about football (e.g. Messi v Ronaldo, etc.). Partly because European football is not so big here. Neither will you see young people argue about politics the way we do in Nigeria

18. Coffee and different kinds of tea (green, etc.) are the prevalent drinks here. And not your usual Milo or Bournvita.

19. You would need to be very intentional to get the “Nigerian teas.” That is, actively look for certain physical and online stores that stock the tea products, as the commonly brewed drinks here are coffee, green tea, etc.

20. Sometimes, you wish you were lucky enough to be born in the US

Especially in the early days, as you compare the daily experiences of the average American of your age to what you experienced back in Nigeria

21. Getting around without a car is a huge pain here – especially if you live in many parts of certain US states

You’d need a car in many US states earlier than you thought, and it’s not due to pleasure or “living large”, it’s just a plain necessity in cities with little to no public transportation

22. Getting a car – be prepared for it to take weeks for a used car

And speaking of getting a car, it takes longer than you think. Unless you’re buying from a friend, don’t expect to get a used car in good working conditions by shopping around in a week or two, especially if you’re on a student budget and also want to get the best for your money

23. Nigeria = the same as Africa for many

Many people here equate Nigeria as a country to the whole of the African continent. So, you’ll hear many folks say “you’re from Africa”, rather than “you’re from Nigeria”

24. You suddenly become average – especially in class. This gets more uncomfortable, especially if you’ve been used to doing very well in undergraduate classes.

Most graduate programs emphasize research over classes, and so you will often feel like an imposter and always feel the need to catch up in order to thrive in the program. This is normal and does not in any way signify that you’re unfit for the program.

25. Strange, getting used to asking questions so frequently in classes

A lot of classes actively encourage student participation, and so asking questions and providing answers in classes isn’t just you “showing off”, it’s expected of you, and cast in you in a positive light with the professors and instructors.

26. Good lab equipment are there for you to use

Coming from a Nigerian university with minimal access to laboratory equipment, you’ll appreciate the ease with which you can use many lab equipment like simple beakers, bunsen burners, analyzers, etc.

27. The largely informal nature of many classes vs the format in Nigerian classes

Professors in US grad programs won’t want you to keep using “Sir” to address them, which is simply a reflection of the broader American society. People show respect in many ways, not just in prostrating, kneeling, or saying “sir” or “ma.”

28. There’s a lot of term papers, homework, and just a lot of work that you constantly have to keep doing

Classes and academics here are generally rapid and continuous throughout the semester. You’re constantly being tested and graded, and so you would need to keep tabs on your scores and grades early on in the semester and not wait to ‘blast’ the final exam. Especially since there are no strikes or industrial actions here.

29. The research work here seems to ramp up very quickly, by the 2nd semester, depending on your program

Same goes with the research work. There’s always more work to do. Your research advisor is always interested in getting new data from you, and once you get some preliminary results, you’d need to double down and just keep on working to get more useful results.

30. Just getting to understand more the meaning of ‘American citizen’

Contrary to what a Nigerian citizen means, you’ll see the various levels of residency in America. Majority are American citizens (either by birth or naturalization). And then there are immigrants, permanent residents (green card holders), non-immigrants (e.g. you) in various visa categories, DACA recipients, refugees, asylum seekers, visitors, etc.

31. You realize there are very many other types of visa, apart from F-1

And then you start hearing of other visa categories like the F-2 (for your dependents, if you plan to bring your family), B-1, B-2, J-1, J-2, Q-1, M-1, H1B, H-2A, H-2B, H-3, H-4, etc. Like an alphabet soup of visa categories.

Post: https://beyondbsc.com/need-to-know-nigeria-to-us-for-graduate-school/

Check out more useful articles on MS & PhD graduate school admissions in the U.S.: https://thenaija.us/ms-phd-us/

Cc: Lalasticlala & Mynd44.

PART TWO

32. Airports outside Nigeria just look more beautiful (like the Hamad International in Doha, Qatar, Dubai International Airport in Dubai, UAE, etc.) , and don’t even compare to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.

33. You’d discover a different way of ‘hitting’ on girls here. Often times, you’d need to share a common group or connection with the girl, thus giving you the opportunity, as opposed to stopping a girl on the street to ask for her phone number.

34. You can breathe easy here: Electricity here is stable and there’s Wi-Fi when you need it.

35. It gets really, really cold; and gets really, really hot, depending on what state/city you live in.

36. Your Nigerian friends suddenly realize you left the country and they miss you more!

The grind that comes with being a Nigerian graduate may make you and your friends drift apart, but once friends realize you’d left, they would wish you were back in Nigeria!

37. Americans would find you laugh with a lot of energy than they are used to!

38. Apart from the image of Nigeria being a developing country and of ‘Nigerian princes’, many Americans don’t have a lot of strong opinions about the way and culture of Nigerians

39. You’d need an ID to buy liquor (beers, etc.) from stores or enter a bar. This helps you show that you’re at least 18 or 21 (depending on the state) and legally old enough to consume alcohol.

40. Markets here are more segmented, so shopping is just different. Think Shoprite-style for physical in-store shopping, and a whole lot of online shopping, as it’s so convenient that way

41. I use Remitly to send money to Nigeria, because it’s faster, easier, and cheaper than any alternatives I’ve tried

42. I use Boss Revolution to make cost-effective calls to Nigeria

43. There’s a difference in time zones between Nigerian and America – 7 hours or 6 hours depending on Daylight Saving Time (DST)

44. It’s better to get your healthcare paperwork done in Nigeria, with well-documented paperwork for tDap, HepB, MMR vaccines, etc. because it’s cheaper to do in Nigeria

45. Taxes here are a huge thing – you don’t get to decide to pay or not. In fact, in this part of the world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes (Benjamin Franklin).

The government collects taxes before you see your money in the bank. For most people, they “over collect”, and every year, you get to claim back the excess.

46. Health care here is expensive, and you absolutely need to have health insurance

Especially, as an international student, you absolutely must have health insurance to cover certain hospital bills.

47. The American culture values convenience a lot, and people here would often spend more just to be able to do things conveniently. And oftentimes, technology reduces the cost of convenience, hence why technology has thrived a lot here.

You see this with restaurants, online shopping sites, voice home assistants like Alexa and Google, lodging marketplaces like AirBnB, ride hailing like Uber and Lyft, and food delivery like GrubHub and DoorDash.

48. Baby showers are huge here

Think of baby showers as the naming ceremony for a newborn, only this time, you do it before the baby is born.

Initially, this was a strange concept to me. But, it’s actually quite fun, and it’s tradition here just like naming ceremonies are in Nigeria.

49. The US is really big. Like really big. It’s until you get here and you want to go visit your friend in another state, that you realize you’d need to drive 13 hours, or spend three-figure costs in flight fees.

50. People generally don’t pay with cash. They mostly use credit cards to pay for stuff. Why?

It goes back to that prevalent convenience culture. And the benefits you get from using cards.. such as getting a few extra free dollars, and helping to build your credit history (like GPA for your personal finance here).

51. American foods are unlike what you are used to, and would be unnatural to you, and you would need to intentionally want to get better at eating them

52. Paying for University in Nigeria vs student loans in the US

While students generally pay cash for their tuition and fees in Nigeria universities, it’s common here to take loans from the government and private lenders to pay for your University education, so you can pay them back once you graduate and start making money while you work.

53. Internships are emohasized here

In the US, you don’t simply attend University, take classes and exams, all through.

No, you start looking for internships while you study. One, to gain practical experience in your field. Two, to build relationships and connections, and oftentimes earn some money along with it.

Think of this as the 6-month Industrial Training you do in Nigeria as a Science or Engineering student during your later years in school.

Only, this time, you start very early – like your first or second year – as your chances of getting a full-time job by graduation depends a lot on the kinds of internships you did while in school.

54. Many US foods have a lot of fats, oils, and cheese in them.

55. American “spicy” foods are not at all spicy in the Nigerian context. If someone tells you it’s spicy, be prepared to put in a whole lot more pepper, especially if you enjoyed eating spicy foods back in Nigeria.

56. There’s something called being “politically correct.” Meaning, there are certain issues that you would need to be diplomatic about, due to the likelihood of causing tensions or uneasiness. you simply care about “speaking your mind.” For example, issues surrounding religion, politics, racism, etc.

57. There’s Black and White America – right now, the distinction is so big, and it’s such a hot, racy, tensed and very controversial topic in the U.S.

58. To work here as an international student, you need work sponsorship. It’s simply more than graduating and expecting to land a job. You might excel in all the requirements needed for the job, but you might not get the job because of work sponsorship.

58. Getting a job here takes time. Unless employers come to campus, and they have a lot of job openings, to specifically recruit for your course (mostly for undergraduates).

Other than that, you’ll need to network and connect with professionals in your desired industries, polish your resume and cover letter, and develop those skills Americans value in job candidates. Especially as an international graduate student.

59. You don’t add your pic to your resume in America – ever.

This is part of being as fair as you can. This is to encourage fairness and impartiality on the part of the employers, to assess candidates based on their suitability for the job, and not on their facial appearance.

60. Laws vary a lot by state

The U.S. runs a decentralized government, which means each state has more power to enact and enforce its own rules, so that some rules that apply in one state might not hold in other states. Examples are rules on driving, cut-off age and time requirements for drinking alcohol, marriage, and abortion, etc..

61. Grad school, especially in the US, is hard

Getting your MS or PhD is hard work. Very hard work.

Partly because there’s a lesser emphasis on classes and GPA, and a bigger focus on your research output. That is, you’re constantly assessed by how much useful data your research produces and how many valuable research papers you can produce.

At least, until you get your degree, you’ll experience a lot of low points, because by definition, doing research means you’re trying to accomplish what has not been done before.

So, while you can consult textbooks and research papers already published in your field, it’s expected that you’re constantly trying new things, and to fail a lot of times. And succeed a few times.

But that’s great!

Because those few successes would make it worthwhile, and make the many failures would make the joy of success even taste sweeter.

62. Every US citizen pays taxes for life

If you become a US citizen, you’ll also become a US taxpayer… for life. No matter where you eventually decide to live.

63. What Did I Miss?

What did you learn and what did you wish you knew as part of life in the US – whether you’ve moved to the US to study already, or you’re in the process? Share in the comments below.

Everything you said here is accurate. Nice work

otipoju:
Everything you said here is accurate. Nice work

@ otipoju, thanks.

For me to read it all without missing a sentence means i enjoy this write-up

Kudos to you!

Wow nice one.

Nice write up
But I didn't read it is too long

Jayson504:
Wow nice one.

Thank you!

ZINIBANKS:
Nice write up
But I didn't read it is too long

Thanks!

Nice!

kudos op

prodigyy:
Nice!

Thank you!

ODJ124:
kudos op

Thanks!

Impressive and quite in-depth too. Now that I've done the reading, I guess travelling is next!

I absolutely love everything you've written. Kudos!

It would be superb if you could also create a YouTube channel along your write-ups.

Nice Nice!!

Chidexter:
Impressive and quite in-depth too. Now that I've done the reading, I guess travelling is next!

Thanks for your nice comments.

BelieverDE:
I absolutely love everything you've written. Kudos!

It would be superb if you could also create a YouTube channel along your write-ups.

Thank you! Really appreciate it.

Ikjosh04:
Nice Nice!!

Thank you.