I read mechanical/production engineering in Nigeria, ended up in banking like lots of other engineers that couldn't get into engineering companies for reasons too numerous to mention.
Thing is I am now seriously fed up with banking, really not enjoying it or making the money as I now know bankers lives are fake inside and out.
Just got admitted to London South Bank University for an M sc petroleum engrn,

1)The ranking of the school in the UK is quite low, but the course content is terrific, do things like school ranking matter?
2)Is UK education all its made out to be? Cos I see loads of Nigerians go to get an education there in the hopes of been internationally employable but always end up coming back to the Nigerian job market.
3)Does anyone know anything about London South Bank University sef?


All meaningful contributions are very welcome oh,

@OP
It depends on what you want to achieve at the end of this course, if you're looking forward to secure employment in the UK after this course I wil strongly advise you against coming to the UK for this course because securing employment especially in that same field will be almost impossible. If however, you have a connection in Nigeria to secure employment after securing this qualification then may be you can take this offer of admission. It may be hard to believe but at the moment I don't think UK have any incentives to offer international students it will only be a matter of time before most people realise this.

Also as you have acknowledged this University ranking is very low in the UK and judging by my past experience most graduates from such university are not usually attractive to employers. At least I knew some few Nigerians that attended top University in the UK like Manchester were at least able to secure a scholarship for their Phd from the USA or Canada government. In fact I know a fellow who studied pipeline Engineering in Manchester and after graduating with a distinction he was offered a scholarship to study for his masters in Nova Scotia Canada however, despite his excellent performance no offer came forth anywhere from the UK.

Finally, I will advise if you really have this money to study may be you should consider countries like the USA or Canada but forget about UK this country no longer have anything to offer for folks like you.

My 2 kobo

Goodluck

Cool men, tankz a lot 4 ur advice, I am considering Canada to actually but as you know, a well travelled part is easier to follow, hence my UK admission. But I will try to get something in Canada too.

Depend on your age and ambition,Do you want to earn money after you get the masters or you want to into another programme after.If you plan to go back to Nigeria ,i suggest you know the type of skill that is often advertised everyday in the oil and gas sector ,so that you dont waste more time do something else.www.rigzone.com , get to know the skills that are always needed without age requirements in Nigeria. But i know drillers are always needed.

, Stay back home! It's actually a wrong time to want to spend all those amount of cash, and sent home immediately after your studies.
The rules have changed here, and I hope Africans (especially Nigerians) understands that!

Invest that cash in another business back home, while you try fulfilling your dreams when you are financially stable; but in all you do, please don't leave your present job now!!!

Don't take that offer.
You prolly won't find a job after the Msc, not in petroleum engineering, not in the UK.
Maybe you should consider one of those programs in the UAE. There was this dude, orbaxy I think, who did a petroleum engineering postgrad in UAE, and was able to find a job there. See his comments here.

But I won't say don't leave the bank. I always believe that everyone should go for what they want to do in this life. Whatever you decide to do  would mean you committing to the future, whatever it brings, and never giving up no matter the odds. But as for the UK, stay away from that country for now. South Bank is not even a particularly prestigious institution.

Oh, and I forgot to ask: What is it exactly you do in the bank? Are you in relationship banking, operations, treasury, etc?
Just wondering why you'd want to paint all bankers with that damning broad brush. Lots of engineers have gone on to stellar careers in banking.

My sister just graduated from London Southbank University with Masters in Petroleum Engineering . She did not complain of the programme at all. I know several of her friends that were her course mates that have gotten graduate jobs in oil companies in the UK here with their southbank degrees, even as it is very difficult to get a graduate job in the UK. Its not about the universiyt ranking but how you sell yourself on your CV and job interviews. I can tell you of people that studied the same courses in high ranked universities in the UK and have still not gotten jobs, so its not about the rankings. This is actually not the best time to come to UK to study because you will have to leave after your studies and cannot really look for a job here. But if you want to study and go back to Nigeria yes southbank university petroleum engineering is good.

@Poster
Guy, go for it. It's worth it. Ngrn banking industry is not the most stable place to be.
Besides. u aint liking wat you're doing. Go where ya heart leads you.
If its engineering, u sure have my backing. Trust me, you'll get a rewarding and fulfilling job after that.

If you can afford to pay UK university tuition, why waste your money on a school with poor academic reputation? You might as well go for a top uni with a good academic/professional reputation. Even if you don't get a job in the UK or elsewhere on graduation, at least you should have higher chances of obtaining funding/scholarships for doctoral studies in the US, Canada etc. Southbank Uni is a ghetto uni for ignorant foreigners and ethnic minorities.

Someone urgently needs to write an expose on the marketing gimmicks of all these ghetto and chav universities in Britain exploiting the ignorance of Nigerians and other foreigners. And yet the Sun and Daily Mail label Nigerians as 419

seek advice,think carefully before you act.but london south bank is a good university .

POSTER,

Not a uni I would consider. BUT kudos to them, they have helped a lot of ethnic/minority people get an education. They are also are quite good at introducing courses that suit foreigners (who just want a job with their degree later) so they focus on things like BIT, computing, physiotherapy etc. Things that minority people can use to get a job when they graduate.
If you have interest cutting-edge research or you have the desire to go places, not the best place to go.
UK is a class society. You may not see it on the surface but simmers underneath. like someone already said, if you plan to leave uk post graduation then you may consider it if it fits into your overall plans for the future. As for experience, you will probably enjoy it more (many people from your background/many blacks) than going to Oxbridge or University of London where toffs are abundant.

I remember my prof joking by slagging off some modern med schools by saying one doctor made an error or another and only doctors trained in such and such med schools could possibly make such blunders! It was a regular entertainment

@ poster, If the bottom line is about the job,

try King Abdullahi University, Saudi Arabia or King Fahad University Saudi Arabia, 99% of the time, you'll end up in Saudi Aramco.

This is because i know.

There is nothing left in the UK

@Gunpoint,

Please forget London South Bank, you can try other Schools. To me, coming to the UK to study now does not worth it.

OP, if you wish to Phd level that will be fine, you can always get teaching job in Nigeria but if u just want to Ms level forget that thing dont waste your time, you have to consider you age, working in engineering field oversea is different from working in engineering field in nigeria pls take note.

as u said, u are a banker means your engineering experence is ZERO which means you have to start from ZERO level if you want to work oversea although naija situation is slightly different you need ony grammar.

another option: go for programming, with the knowledge u can quickly get youself something to do, with little capital you can setup a business, you can even get a job in that oil company (data collecting and analysis etc)

My fellow colleague, bank is not a place for engineers. I am an engineer formerly working in a bank. I have to pull out even without a job at hand then and went for my M.sc before joining a multinational in Nigeria. I advise you go for the UK course and seek for better job thereafter.

lmao, nigerians don go rubbish UK finish now everybody is shouting don't come to UK. Lol. Pls don't come to canada too and US also. Lmao

@Ajanlekoko, in the past engineers did forge stellar careers in banking but now the mass of small fries in banking are just too many, and I find myself just one of them.

All your advices have been great, but consider this, banking undergoes cyclic stresses, not just in Nigeria but internationally too. In Nigeria this cycle is about four years, give or take a few months.
The last cycle was in 2009, consider what happens if you are a banker with 6yrs experience but engineering educational background, banking has gone bust for you and you have zero engineering experience?
I actually saw this happen to lots of my colleagues so I'm looking to get out on my own terms before the next cycle comes in 2013 give or take months, it might come earlier cos there is no telling how this islamic banking thingy will stress the system.

poster, how many years banking experience do you have, there are two thing u need to consider, are u willing to start from the scratch? doing a masters in petroleum engrg now which is not relevant to ur existing work experience is starting again and the odds that u will get a job with that degree without any experience is small, London South Bank University is not all that, think about it, u cud delve into petroleum marketing or sumtin related but giving up all dat experience to go pursue a masters i dont tink its a good idea in my opinion

If i were  you i would hold on to my job in nigeria, no matter how bad it is.

A degree from southbank won't get you a job in petroleum engineering in this country - in order to get into certain professions in this country you have to have attended a top ranked university - britain  is a class based society and its a lot worse now that we are in a depression.  As you may have heard jobs are disappearing on a daily basis and the group which has been hardest hit in terms of unemployment are young graduates.  My advice to you is use that money that you would have used to pay for your course to start up a small business, it will be of greater benefit to you, you can run it alongside your job, if you are successful you can always leave the job and concentrate on the business - my 2 pence.

gunpoint:

@Ajanlekoko, in the past engineers did forge stellar careers in banking but now the mass of small fries in banking are just too many, and I find myself just one of them.

All your advices have been great, but consider this, banking undergoes cyclic stresses, not just in Nigeria but internationally too. In Nigeria this cycle is about four years, give or take a few months.
The last cycle was in 2009, consider what happens if you are a banker with 6yrs experience but engineering educational background, banking has gone bust for you and you have zero engineering experience?
I actually saw this happen to lots of my colleagues so I'm looking to get out on my own terms before the next cycle comes in 2013 give or take months, it might come earlier cos there is no telling how this islamic banking thingy will stress the system.

Im a Chartered Accountant and a Graduate of Accounting so banking ought to be my natural habitat, but believe me I am tired of it, banking of today in Nigeria does not task your intellect in anyway, Just have one big uncle or Aristo, and bring the billions you will surely be pushed to the top. Many have become GMs in banks today without being able to analyze a financial statement. I am working on getting a Stock broking license and go back to farm, I just love being an enterprenau

Back to your question, If you  in mid 30 years, then it will be tough to kick start your  engineering career in Nigeria even with your Msc in wherever, because engineering is not about grammar, you must just have the hands on experience. I will still encourage you to pursue your love, if you can do the following.

1. Go for your Masters in an Enginering field that you can come back and take-off as an enterprenua, I doubt if Petroleum engineering meets this requirement.
2. You may need to take up Engineering  job in a place that is not necessariy a Blue chip or multinational , but which will sharpen your skills.

Forget this banking thing bros, Nigeria needs more engineers and Farmers , but surely not bankers.

By the way, How did you come about your Four Years Cycle theory? You damn right man!.

Nuff already said on the thread.
Southbank is not known for excellence in the field of Petroleum Engineering.
If you can't get into Imperial then try Herriot watt

That skool is probably one building in london. . . . advice get admission in a better uni

gunpoint:

@Ajanlekoko, in the past engineers did forge stellar careers in banking but now the mass of small fries in banking are just too many, and I find myself just one of them.

All your advices have been great, but consider this, banking undergoes cyclic stresses, not just in Nigeria but internationally too. In Nigeria this cycle is about four years, give or take a few months.
The last cycle was in 2009, consider what happens if you are a banker with 6yrs experience but engineering educational background, banking has gone bust for you and you have zero engineering experience?
I actually saw this happen to lots of my colleagues so I'm looking to get out on my own terms before the next cycle comes in 2013 give or take months, it might come earlier cos there is no telling how this islamic banking thingy will stress the system.

Hmm. I feel you on the small fry thing. Interesting point on the 4-year cycle, how did you come by that?

@ajanlekoko, the big dogs won't leave that's why we are small fries, you think SLS was madt when he forced out those oldies? Or do you think they would ever had left otherwise? You don see ED wey don do 10yrs b4? Which time e wan reach us?

@jimmyboy, essentially I'm still an engineer so I relate with events analytically, I have considered the time span separating distresses and the definiteness of it happening plus I work in the economy research team of one and know for certain that it will be inevitable @ about that time. Sorry fellow bankers, no good news today so dust your exit plans and start working on it. Plus like you rightly mentioned, the Nigerian banking model is warped, marketing is all there is to it.

I ain't 30 till next year so maybe that's a plus right people? And by the way, I'm paying myself so I can't afford the harriot watts. . .

@Jimmy boy
I like the way you analyse banking in Nigeria of today truly it's a joke! Many of these so called bankers going about in suit have very little financial knowledge all they know is how to get deposits by whatsoever means, they have no regard for professionalism.

wow, have also found myself in your shoes poster, am currently in an IT firm, but i am thinking of leaving my job as employer wont be giving me a study leave so i have to resign!, Am heading to Uni of Northampton for my MBA, but men my head's been full of thoughts as per having to leave my job and dunno most importantly i think its just this "fear of the future' phobia!,

@Poster,

London South Bank University (LSBU) is a good university. Ignore the negative comments about the university. Work hard and be prepared to make your grades at LSBU.

The fact is that London South Bank University has greater population of foreign students. Does that make it bad? NO!

I work with highly regarded Nigerian professionals from London South Bank University in high profile companies and government departments in the UK.

The reality is that every university in the UK go through strict quality assurance process for all their courses. This is why degrees received from the UK are highly regarded around the world. Any course listed in Southbank University have been approved by the QAA in the UK.

I think UK government Quality Assurance is better than League tables. League tables have some bias, stereotype and unfair comparison to them.

See the evidence below and read for yourself:

Quality Assurance Report about London South Bank University:
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/InstitutionReports/Pages/London-South-Bank.aspx

You can compare with other universities and colleges too:
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/InstitutionReports/Pages/Institutions-A-Z.aspx

Quality Assurance Agency website
http://www.qaa.ac.uk

Recognised UK universities:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/higher-education/recognised-uk-degrees/recognised-bodies

I studied Geophysics in Nigeria, clocked 5 years in banking and got dumped by my last employer. Now I am 33, two kids and a wife.
During the 5 years that I shortchanged my body and soul (insufficient sleep, staff loans, car loans, loads of 'Yessirs' and 'Yesmas', incommensurate appraisals by superiors who do not appreciate my talent and skills), I longed to do something along my talent, but I never got the opportunity.

Its been 10 months now, and I have finally started enjoying my life by pursuing my talents and skills in software development and writing. If I have enough money, I will go to Silicon Valley, do some relevant courses and hook with a really techy company. I will come back to Naija and start up mine.

@gunpoint,
Please outline your dream and pursue it vigorously. Do NOT go to the UK. FInd somewhere else. If you are not married yet, the sky is your limit. If you must do one thing, sail brother, don't wait for the banks to lay you off before you set sail.

beknown:

@Poster,

London South Bank University (LSBU) is a good university. Ignore the negative comments about the university. Work hard and be prepared to make your grades at LSBU.

The fact is that London South Bank University has greater population of foreign students. Does that make it bad? NO!

I work with highly regarded Nigerian professionals from London South Bank University in high profile companies and government departments in the UK.

The reality is that every university in the UK go through strict quality assurance process for all their courses. This is why degrees received from the UK are highly regarded around the world. Any course listed in Southbank University have been approved by the QAA in the UK.

I think UK government Quality Assurance is better than League tables. League tables have some bias, stereotype and unfair comparison to them.

See the evidence below and read for yourself:

Quality Assurance Report about London South Bank University:
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/InstitutionReports/Pages/London-South-Bank.aspx

You can compare with other universities and colleges too:
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/InstitutionReports/Pages/Institutions-A-Z.aspx

Quality Assurance Agency website
http://www.qaa.ac.uk

Recognised UK universities:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/higher-education/recognised-uk-degrees/recognised-bodies

Have you ever gone through the graduate recruitment exercises in the UK?

Do you realise that applicants get screened out cos they haven't attended a red brick university especially when it's a highly technical discipline.

Why would you advice someone to waste thousands of pounds only for them to add to the statistics?

IF you have to leave your job to pursue a different career then at least give yourself a chance.
No point wasting money on a course that wouldn't get you anywhere.

@gunpoint

I studied engineering and have worked in the banking industry just like you. Being in like situation, I understand your motivation.

I would not advise you to spend another day in the Nigerian banking industry. Making a career out of banking in Nigeria is based almost entirely on luck, you can wake up tomorrow morning and discover that you have been sacked. Their is entirely no guarantee as to how secure your job is. Moreover, the job is just damn too stressful for the peanuts they pay you.

As per LSBU, please forget all the trash that people are saying here and look for a well ranked University in the UK, its tough staying back in the UK now, so you might as well give yourself the best education now to make yourself as marketable as possible. For Gods sake, you can not compare an Imperial College to a LSBU just as you cannot compare an obscure state University in Nigeria to a University Of Ibadan or OAU.

A friend of mine who finished from the University of Nottingham said companies looking to employ students visited his school before they graduated. I'm not sure you would get the same opportunity with a school like LSBU. The problem is that these educational consultants and agents peddle these lowly ranked schools here and unfortunately, Nigerians don't know that they can get well respected and known schools at same price.On the complete University Guide, the school is the LAST on the ranking list (No 114) whilst Imperial is No 3 in the UK! If you have not tried other schools please do, only go to LSBU if you have been rejected by other better ranked Uni's.

A number of factors also come into play. If you want to come back after your program, the best known school for oil industry programs in Nigeria is Robert Gordon University. If you don't want to come back and you have a 2.1, go to Canada. If you dont mind travelling far away from home, go to Australia and do Mining Engineering. Best of Luck!!!

@ poster , you should really listen to beknown , all other people are telling you about rankings of other universities. Yes masters petroleum engineering just started three years ago in London southbank university but the programme is very good as well. I know several Nigerians that graduated from there with masters in petroleum engineering that have gotten good oil and gas jobs in the UK. Life is all about risk , you just have to be  very optimistic and take the risk. everybodys destiny is different just because some people came to UK to do masters and have not gotten jobs does not mean yours will be the same. You are an Engineer working in a bank  and you are obviously not happy were you are. If you stay too long in the bank u will end up not having any job experience in the engineering field. A good masters degree will always benefit you.

Please my brother, if you want to eat frog, eat frog that has egg. If you are ready to spend over £10,000 on a masters qualification, do it right. LSU is not looked favourably by most employers. Seek admission in top unis. Go for the top 20 unis and you wont regret it. LSU is really not as good as OAU, Ile-Ife. Fact.