₦airaland Forum

Abmoney: That's a UI Guy!!!... Here's a colleague from School, i like your comment and i strongly share your views.. Perhaps its because of the orientation from University of Ibadan(Die hard Syndrome).. My boiz no dey carry last and dem dey always Keep the flag flying anywhere in the world.. Listen up Nairalanders, what you need most is having a positive mind and a clear cut focus on your Vision and i bet the sky can only be your Spring Board. My Brother to get admission for Nija self no easy also the school matters then the years you spend +lecturers wahala +AASU+SSANU+many other strike action and God willing you get a Graduate Admission in US of A, you come go dey fall your country/School rep for there!!! Haba think am well now. And for those saying what his he feeling like.. Well na me know wetin i dey talk

Abmoney, I`m a UI babe!!!! OK, UI mum (lol) Class of 2001( ....how time flies...). Proud to be a female Engineer. Ok....I am not a guy!!! what a man can do, a woman can do better with a lot of nagging (lol). I represent the rest of Nairaland babes ( oops mums).

deevick246: Well said!!! Seriously, attimes I get so pissed off here when I read comments/contributions that are not portraying a correct position. I feel this is where the work of the thread moderator is needed the most. To pin-down and correct such misleading insinuations before it is too late.

I like that your mathematical equation of HND=Bsc. They are both the same in the US admission evaluation, as far as it covers a 4 years study duration.

deevick246: This comment lacks weight as it is a mere guess work. The US educational system only requires a student applying into a graduate programme to have gone through a 4 years higher education to be eligible for admission. There is no such thing / barrier as Bsc or HND in most US university requirement for graduate admission. I know this because I was able to get more than 2 yankee universities regular admission with partial funding with my HND.

The digging deep or doing research on universities one wants to attend, I think both the Bsc and HND holders go through it. Everyone have to find a school that suits his or her preference.

imperiouxx: ^^^ That shouldn't hinder him, another person that graduated from his school had said that shouldn't be problem. He got admitted with his HND without any problem than online searching. I advice he keep on search.

Ok. I will clarify and also give a good example. I will speak from experience.
My brother has a HND FROM NIGERIA. He finishes his M.S IN AMERICA this May. He got a job. His evaluated transcript says B.S. This is the way I see it; If you say your HND is worth a High school diploma, so be it. If you say your B.S is not worth more than an associate degree, so be it.
However, our collective job on his thread is to see that our degrees are given the same regard as degrees from other countries. It is our duty to ensure that "people" don't look at our degrees like a bunch of crap from a jungle in Africa. We should defend what we have worked so hard for. I worked hard for my B.S from the University of Ibadan and I was highly favored to get a job with it. Oh... Lest I forget, I was told back then by some "well meaning" Nigerians that my B.S in Civil Engineering is no good. To say the least I thought I was a loser, but I was careful not to take everything I was told. I had the last laugh. They couldn't believe I got a job as an Engineer; that trophy is for God.
Fast forward to today, you"ll hear the same thing. It is your duty to defend what you worked so hard to get. Why would you let someone tell you you have succeeded in wasting 5-6 years of your life plus AASU? Why can't we, Nigerians dine with the so called Ivy league grads? I guess I know why. We are chickens.
We are scared of the way we talk, we are ashamed of what we have, we don't just see ourselves there............
To Niralanders who share my view, I say keep spreading the news.... YES WE CAN.
To those who think we have to start all over again, oh well....we will be here if you ever need a hand.
To those who started over and finally made it, I say.... Lati aaro! ( jeeze! Since morning).
To those who just started over..... See if you can cross over.....

Good luck!!!!! Get fired up!!!!!!!!!!
My heart breaks for Nigerian who have been misled and the many more who will be misled.

HND =B.S . Don't ask how. Let WES decide.
When you tell the school you have a Higher National Diploma, they'll probably ask you what that means. I know quite a handful of people in the US with HNDs from Nigeria who are heads of big agencies at the moment and hope to move further up on the ladder. Do not let HND hinder you. If anyone chooses to go back for undergrad after having obtained one from a polytechnic, it should not be because they were not given a chance like their university counterparts. It should be because they chose to make a first impression the second time.....


Good luck!!!!!

eduson002: [size=8pt][/size] Na wao.I ve changed many sentences to my own words.There are some sentences I left unchanged.Will few exact sentence nail me?God help me o.I used whole 8 hrs to write this SOP

A single exact word will nail you. This should be YOUR statement of purpose. YOUR statement of goals. You may get formatting ideas from the internet. Anything beyond that ....... You may also want to get yourself accustommed to writing from within. You may spend days writing it; be sure it is original. If its not your work, you need to reference it. Who references SOP? No one.
Your SOP is like a grad school version of MYSELF. You may not copy anyone.

Good luck!

deevick246: You just got these words off me. Its obvious with the way things are going, very soon we will start fore-telling the course particularly unique to someone's success in life.

I am of the opinion and mindset that there is juice and honey loaded enough for anybody/dummy who cares to bend down to peruse this thread from the start. What we do lately here is just mere replication of all that has been said before.

Ha ha ha... we will be messing peoples lives up. I`m still trying to figure out things myself. I`m not even sure I want to continue this PhD next semester. I`ve tried to quit every semester. My kids don`t believe mummy has homework too. We are all busy people.
This thread should be about people helping people after they have tried all their best and not people tring to help people figure out what they need to do for the rest of their adult lives.
If we cannot do the little research that goes with finding a suitable school, grad school may be tough.

ferdiii: Just do the GRE to straigthen things with the Embassy, get a good look-in from the admission office, GA & Financial aids etc. For affordable schools use google and head to NC,SC,NM,TN & other less popular states.

Manweysabi, really please don`t just do the GRE. Do whatever the school requires. "For the life of me" it could be GMAT.
You got me rolling my eyes at the computer.

Manweysabi: @imperiouxx, kindly recommend an affordable school for me with good funding. i intend going for my masters in Economics. graduated with a 2.1. and is it necessary i write GRE? thanks

With a 2.1 GPA, you should know better my friend. The semester is close to halfway. Imperiouxx is probably tryng to put two presentations together anf fine-tuning his public speaking skills. You are brilliant enough to go and do your own research. 2.1 in Econimics is near genius in my books.

All the best.

[/b]

Chi-town Base:
yo fellas check this schools out eatern illinois university..[b](www.eiu.edu)...........Illinois State University (illinoisstate.edu)...western illinois university..(www.wiu.edu).......and also shout out to my n**gaz jimtosam and impreioux dey got some more schools with full funding for y'all; u just gotta to pay less than a 1000 usd a semester in eiu for the school i kno much about...to try to check each department and call or send dem an email if necessary..........best of luck guys...i hate to see people suffer but at the same time they never try to find out imformation or make research dem selves at least to make it a lil easy for dem selves.......America is a place to be if u got the right info mehn u will live at least an average decent life with little stress but not stress free.............

It will be of more benefit if everyone can seek information themselves. Read the whole thread. There is a lot of useful information everywhere here. When you ask for specific information like " Please tell me which test to take", " tell me what school to go?" It speaks volume. You`re not ready.
Take your time. When you`re ready, do the research. Do the research. Be sure you are ready.
Dont leave the rest of your adult life into someone elses hands. Please read Chi-town's post if you wont rerad anything else on this thread. What part of " make research themselves at least" don`t we all understand?

Good luck!!!!!!!

GboyegaD: This got me laughing and all I can say is thank you. Life here is about moving with the right people and getting all necessary information because it is key to living a comfortable life.

H GboyegaD, thank you too for all you`ve said. Me and you share the same opinion about this beloved country; America I mean. Its all about getting the right information, moving with the right people and listening when they advise you. When people are more than themselves....the rest is story. A yoruba adage says "Ori ti yoo ba je igun, ti won ba fun ni adie, ko ni gba" meaning some people are destined to suffer no matter how hard you try to make them not suffer.
While I really don`t like to use this words, i will say it; "Everyone has to pay their dues". Some people will pay dearly, some people will pay so little that they won`t even know they`re paying at all. When you`re paying yours, do not complain. Life will get better if you have the right information. If after everything you still cannot take the heat, leave the kitchen. But dont complain about GEJ or NEPA ( what are they called now?) or bad roads or.....................

Listen to the people who tell you the TRUTH and nothing else. Stop listening to people who paint too good or too horrible pictures of how many bathrooms they washed daily with their PhDs.

Good luck.

America is what you make of it. The reason why people earn 100G ( I guess this is in $) and still struggle with student loans is because they lack common sense. They live way above their means. Again, it depends on what makes you happy. Some people are happy when they owe the rest of the world and they're riding big cars and living in mansions. I don't pity anyone who bought a car and rented the best apartment with their student loan. I also got a student loan at one point and paid back in full immediately. Be careful when you throw pity around. Some Americans/Nigerian Americans don't want to be pitied.
I remember back in 2005 when we lived on my husbands military salary. For the love of all that is sensible, we were living a good life. I had no job, we had 2 cars and we ate until I gained weight.....
It's all about common sense my people. Life is what you make out of it.
I always say this, go cccccchhhhhheeeeeaaaapppp. You'll thank your stars. Go loooooooooow. You'll have savings.
America is not for everyone. To some, this is their Goshen. To some, this is their doom city.
However, don't make a determination after you pay your first rent and electricity bill; after all no one said it will be free. If you sign up for a loan, guess who pays. You.
Stay away from Havard if your dad is not a Senator or a politician. You will be fine with what you can safely afford.

Good luck !

dipson047: Hey pals plz I do need ur help!! An agent want to hlp me get USA student visa & he said I shuld pay d sum of 200k for d admission alone & I will ve 2 balance him 900k after d interview..when I heard all diz 4rm him I went online bymyself 2 check about diff cheap universities & I saw diff tins differs 4rm what d man told me..my question is can I apply by myslf because I ve sponsorer here in Nigeria & a white woman over there whcich I meet on facebook who re willing to foot my bills.

You may want to stay away from the agent. You may not have enough money for your tuition after paying all his fees; especially the 900K.
Stay away from the white woman you met on facebook too. Flee from every appearance of evil.

Good luck.

valentino81: @ NLDERS; I'm new on this thread, and I av been trying to go thru post since and sincerely really appreciate the contributions of the gurus in d house.
Pls, I got to know that if someone can pay detail attention here, no need of AGENTS.
I had my HND in accounting in 2009 and finish my NYSC june last year. I want to know what my chance of obtaining student visa and getting addmission for eithr undergraduate or postgraduate and the schools that can be applied to.
And finally, the steps to be taken in securing the addmission and full steps involved.
Thanks God bless, looking forward to ur anticipated co operation.

Your HND is equivalent to a BS for the most part(Well except if WES evaluates it otherwise). Only once have I seen a WES evaluation that said taking a few credit hours with an HND will be equivalent to a BS; again, this is not common.
With that said, evaluate your transcript if the school wasts an evaluated transcript. If not, send it directly to them as instructed; be sure to follow instructions. WES iGPA for a $5 fee will give you an idea if you have not decided what you want to do. You stand the same chance of getting a visa as someone with a B.Sc... well...if you`re going for a MS.
Go for MS. No BS please; like previous posters advised. Steps involved will be stated by the school; you need to do your due diligence. You don`t need an agent if you`re comfortable doing things for yourself.

Good luck.

Yankeeboi1: My fellow Nairalanders, I cant explain all I am facing here in the US as a student coz I'm finding it somehow uneasy. First, when I got here this fall I have a problem with my accommodation and where I eventually move to is too far from my school. I have to walk for about 20-30mins to the bus stop before I can get a free shuttle bus to the school. To be candid my pple, I'm not coping in classes coz since we start lectures, the lecturers always talked about one article or the other and also presentations whereby I didnt have a computer with me here I believe in myself to be a good student but it is becoming the other way round in this country and I feel alot depressed anytime we have classes. Is this how I will continue or Is there anybody in the house who has or is in my shoe? I tried to look for job in other to sustain myself but all prove abortive as I was told I have to have a work study before I could get one presently. I even went to the cafetaria yesterday and I was told to file up an application which I dont know when it will be review. Pls I need to know the way out of this b4 it get out of hand. I am just trying to manage the little money with me here. Kindly let me know what to do coz I'm thinking of leaving this school to another state where I get some pple but im afraid of falling out of status. I believe I can transfer but I dont believe I can stay here till next fall or even spring.Any advice pls?

Yankeeboi1, welcome to the US. I mean this in a good way.
Here is what I will advice; you`ve heard it from others.
1. Disclose your school/ state if you`re comfortable. You may get help here. Good samaritans are everywhere.
2. Talk...talk...talk. Speak out. Make friends with your course mates. You can get help with your studies. You don`t want a "C".
3. Use the computer at the library, computer lab... you can also get a cheap one ($400 or less) from walmart if you still have the money.
4. Check the possibility of moving closer to school or make an exercise out of it like someone said.
5. File that job application at the cafeteria and follow up everyday until they get angry and give you a job.
6. Nobody said it will be easy; please do not fall out of status. If you have not applied to another school by now, you may be stuck there in spring. Make it work.
7. Talk to your advisor about grad assistance and other opportunities.
8. Talk to your international student coordinator about your hardship asap. Its his/her job to ensure you are ok.
9. Don`t get into trouble; don`t do anything illegal; don`t complicate things.
10. You will be fine. You only need to keep your head up.
11. You asked for this, make it work. Be a fighter.

Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kpolli: I don't preach dishonesty, whatever ur putting in ur DS-160 should be "as is". . . Meaning current truthful situation, if everyone had a job in Nigeria at everytime of their lives, we wud have the best economy. . . . . In my application, I put the truth and I got it. . . It's all God's favor. . . Don't and lie in ur application and expect God to help u

Thank you for pointing this out kpolli. Two years ago when I discovered this thread, people gave honest advice. I totally fell in love with the thread. Fast forward 2 years, I cringe at some of the things that are suggested. Granted we are not saints ; but, shall we continue to live in sin that grace may abound? This forum does not preach dishonesty and we should be careful not to encourage it otherwise before we know it, it will be a big pot of mess.

I wish everyone the best!

Ovap: my interview goes thus:
con: u're going to Atlanta Me: Yes
Con: for ur MBA? Me: yES
Con: are u applying to any schl apart from this? Me: No
Con: Which level of Education? Me: bachelor of engineering in mechanical engrg(trying to show my certificate but ignored)
Con: why not online program? Me:Masters is all about research, I need exposure and I need to be practically oriented, in which on-line program cant do these
Con: Why Project Management? Me: to be fulfilled AS AN ENGINEER, u need the basic management skills as henry fayol analysed it; initializing, planning or designing, Executing, Montoring and Closing.( try to xplain these points he cuts in)
Con: Do u write GRE? Me: No, but i meet up my school requirement thru evaluation of my transcript( give him admission list and my transcript but he ignored it)
Con: You are not eligible to be in US.Me: why?
Con: read it inside the white paper given to you. He denied me
strength me pls. some says because of my age 32yrs and my father still sponsored me(hE DIDNT ASKED ANYTHN ABT MY FATHER), some says cus of GRE.Pls what are my errors? WHAT CAN I DO NEXT?

Here are a few things I will point out; and I`ll be speaking from the Engineering point of view.
1. You don`t tell a non engineer you need Project Management to be fulfilled as an Egineer. Engineers practice PM unknowingly. While we do, we use some basik PM skills. However, 99.999% of our projects are not successful but we do not know it because for the most part we don`t even know what a project is. 3 things are important in project management. They are called the 3 constraints budget, time and deliverables. If you tweak one, the others get affected. these are the three things engineers play with a lot and this is where our projects fail. So its not that we are not fulfilled, its that our projects fail all the time. By failure I dont mean it does not get executed. I mean it goes over budget, it is not on time and we almost never get all of our deliverables.

2. You spoke about MBA and PM. What is the link? MBA with a major in PM or PM with a business minor? Excuse my ignorance.

3. Masters is not all about research. MBA is not about research. Project Management is hands on; its not about research. Really, you need a better reason why you want a traditional school as against online. Like...one on one interraction with professors and classmates, learning by presentation....stuff like that.

4. Age is not a problem, your father sponsoring you is not a problem.

5. When he said "why PM?", you didn`t talk about PM as it relates to your job or to the art and science of Project Management in Nigeria. You talked about Henry Fayol; some guy from out of space. I`ve never heard about him; I have been an engineer for 11yrs and managed projects actively for more than 5years. You notice he cut in; he didn`t want to hear about Henry. It should be about you and your plan. Your interview is your tiket to 3minutes of fame. 3 minutes to sell yourself and not some strange guy you read about.

Good luck.

My sister got her visa earlier this week.
A few lesson for anyone in a similar situation:
1. You can have as many sponsors as are available to you. As many as.......
2. She had a visiting visa she never used. That was not a problem to her. The CO was more than friendly to her.
3. School started 2 weeks ago. No problem. Deja Vu.
4. She barely passed GRE. It was a requirement by the school. The CO asked for it and she handed over her not so good score.

ferdiii: It can't be.Use rar unwrapper to extract them.

Naira landers,
Good morning. Well....it's still morning here.
What is the source of the GRE and TOEFL materials flying around? Exercise caution. You don`t know who else is watching or reading. For those mailing the materials from the US, I`ll say softly softly. Its way cheaper to buy a Barron or Kaplan book than to end up where you don`t want to. Some of these materials clearly say not for distribution.
I`m not trying to rain on your parade but be careful guys.

bibigirl07: Infact, you ave been so helpful with this info. I used this thread cos I saw how positive minded ‎​Ãήϑ success oriented the contributors are. I have started the process of d second option. Is there a way u can send me ur email so that I can reach you when I have more questions as I proceed on my quest? I wil truly appreciate.

No problem bibigirl. Send the mail to pureamazinggrace@gmail.com. I'll be more than happy to answer your question from an engineering point of view (ha ha ha, you know that never always makes sense to a doctor) or direct you to the right source.
I wish you great success!

kanayogod: @Imperiouxx, and all, i have a dilemma, my brother who is a US Citizen just filed for me on july 10, 2012, i wish to study for msc in spring, pls, kindly assess my situation, do i wait for the filing to sail thru considering the lenghty years i have to wait, though he filed from Hawaii, he's with the US army, some said due to the very low black population, the filing might be processed earlier, or i should go ahead and apply for spring 2013.
I hope to hear frm you all soon. Much Love!

Kanayogod, filing for immigrant visa for a sibling may take up to 10years (the last time I checked; its being a while though) its less than a year for parents. So waiting for your immigrant visa to come through may take that long. This is not to scare you. I guess you already know and took that into consideration when your brother was filing for you. Also, if you have a pending case (which I believe you will declare), it makes your case even more complicated. When you knew you will be seeking an F1 visa, your brother should have held of filling I130 for you. your brother being in the military makes no difference; I was a military spouse so I can tell you that much. You"ll wait in line like everybody else.
I"ll say the deed is done. Take your chances. You never can tell. But generally, I don't advise people to file for siblings who may want to come to the US (for visits, scool etc) before the long wait of visa availability for relatives of siblings .
Good luck. USCIS will answer most of your questions more than all of nairaland together. Per the low black population, who says? Really, everywhere I turn, I see BLACK.

ik.swiss:
PLEASE FRIENDS AM LITTLE CONFUSE NOW I WAS GRANTED ADMISSION TO PSYCHOLOGY IN EAST BAY UNIVERSITY IN CALIFORNIA AND ALSO GRANTED ADMISSION TO STUDY SOCIOLOGY IN MORGAN UNIVERSITY IN USA PLEASE AM SO CONFUSE WHICH OF THE MAJOR SHOULD I GO WITH AND THE LEVEL OF WORK IN NIGERIA AFTER STUDYING....PLEASE HELP NEEDED ASAP

Someone already answered your question. However, I'm going to be a little bit bias here. I'm a Morgan State graduate. There is a lot of opportunities for scholarship in MSU but I cannot speak for East Bay. Regarding coming back to work in Nigeria......umh..........the CO knows your intent. MSU is also an HBCU. Also, you shouldn't be asking anyone on nairaland what to do when you grow up. Remember it's your life. I bet a lot of us here are asking ourselves what in the world is sociology?
Good luck as you make your choice. Do not tell the CO you have admission for two different courses though. You may be giving the impression of a truly confused individual. Oh well...you said it. Give yourself time to figure out your future career.

bibigirl07: Pls I need a positive reply urgently. How fast can a Doctors' report facilitate a Visa to the US for fertility treatment for I ‎​Ãήϑ my spouse.

Bibigirl, you're in the wrong thread. This is a student visa related thread. I'll try as best as I can to advise however. You have two options here. Option 1, apply for visiting visa and when you get to the US, go about your private business. You visiting visa allows you to seek medical attention while in the US. I know people in a similar situation and my advise was this option. Option 2 as you said is to get your doctor's letter. In my personal opinion, the consular officer may grant you a visa out of compassion. I also think your doctor must be able to prove that your condition is life threatening and there is no facility in Nigeria that can provide the level of care you need. While I'm not sure of the severity of your case, I cannot say for a fact that infertility count as a severe case except if you have some medical conditions that go with it. I am not a doctor though. I am an engineer; I know nothing about medicine.
I wish you luck and pray that you find favor and all the wonderful things that you desire.

DEJAY1: . Got that and thanks. Now my intentions are-to find a university in houston that offers music production as a course just like fittty advised nd take the toefl exam,find a new sponsor.how bout that bro and anything to add?

First, are you going for B.S or MS? You said post secondary education. I may have missed where you mentioned a prior degree; is this a second B.S?. That being said, find a university. Then look at their requirements. Do not go and take TOEFL because you think it will boost your chances. Satisfy the schools requirement. However, TOEFL is cheap, so ....your choice. Nothing boost your chances in the overall more than having all the requirements the school wants, being confident and genuine. Everyone's experience is different and will continue to be. You mentioned that you want to study English/Literature; you also jumped at the idea of taking TOEFL...... I dont get it ( forgive me). You seem to be everywhere. Give yourself time to figure things out. Don`t be in a hurry to fail a second time.
You told the CO you do a lot of things. You succeeded in creating an impression of someone who is not stable. You also let him/her know you are still trying to figure out what you want to do- cars, clothes, music, english/literature.
YOUR BROTHER CAN BE YOUR SPONSOR. I say it again, YOUR BROTHER CAN BE YOUR SPONSOR. I sponsored my brother 2yrs ago, he got his visa. The question is "Is your sponsor genuine? Anybody can be your sponsor. I advise against dumping money in someone`s account for the purpose of sponsorship; again, this is me speaking. Your I-20 has a slot for "Funds from another source Specify type". To me it means any other source......ANY.
Also, you don`t have to go to school in Houston because your brother is in Houston. You can if you want to but you mentioned that you will find a school in Houston. I may be wrong but you haven`t convinced me that you are not an intending immmigrant (Again forgive me but I`m only trying to think like the American CO). See, to the CO, every NIV applicant is an intending immigrant and is treated as such. You just have to prove him/her otherwise. You did not come close to trying.
You have been advised to take time to prepare. Don`t go back to get denied. Do your due diligence. Frequent this site.

Good Luck!

Chi-town Base:
New comers how yankee dey treat una.....you guys shudlet us kno so we can alsways let u kno wat to expect like first

you class mates will laff at ur accent mostly black student dey will almost make u look like a comedian becos of the way u talk
dey will laff at ur dressing style mostly black students
when dey realize u are from africa the will start asking you silly questions like.....do u live in the jungle or have u seen a lion

if you see mostly 9ja poeple that have been there for a while dey will start forming accent for you and treat u like dem no send you..that means O.Y.O ;

Expecially when u just come u will mostly compare everything u want to buy in naira...and that will make u not buy most of the things you need

make sure u make best use of ur time to study at the library and also make time for fun but not too much fun becos you will lose concentration on studies ;
;
when u want to get a room mate try looking for an african like u that just came together or a nice fellow african that is willing to help in area of advice

also kno the way you spend ur money mostly walmart, try and get used to american food becos dey are cheaper than african foods but kno let ur belle big like 3 months pregnant ooo
try and also find out from ur class mates where dey cut their hair....my friends here akata use to cut me for like $5, but outside is $20...so try and find out basic things most especially.

when u want to look for job try and check mostly dinning and housing halls becos is first come first serve,

house add to that

Don't iron all your clothes on saturday. My husband tried to; he was quickly reminded NEPA did not follow him to the US.
Swallow your pride, ask for help if you need to.
Swallow your pride, use coupons if it makes sense.
You`ll soon start forming like the Nigerians you met when you came last week. Give yourself a couple of months.
Your writing ability will be commended. ( I hope I`m right here)
Let the professor notice you. Let the professor notice you. Let the professor notice you. You might not have to worry about tuition again.
Get yourself a scale. Know your healthy weight before you start doing the dollar menu. We are all prone to obesity. (This made me laugh)
Chi-town , thanks for all the 32s.

Ovap: At imperiouxx,thank so much 4ur concern. I have read d interview, i even jotted some of his questns and ans. In fact thanks 4d post. Pls if u dnt mind,give me ur phone no or e-mail addie mine is myvincent4u@yahoo.com.

Ovap: At imperiouxx,thank so much 4ur concern. I have read d interview, i even jotted some of his questns and ans. In fact thanks 4d post. Pls if u dnt mind,give me ur phone no or e-mail addie mine is myvincent4u@yahoo.com.

Ovap, I was thinking you can go to your program web page and print out the admission requirements to take with you. Also what I will do is send an email to the program chair with your GRE question. He/she will probably respond with " oh yeah, GRE is not a requirement" you can print that email and take to the embassy. My brother got his visa without GRE or TOEFL. So, I don't see a problem here. He wanted a school that will not require a standardized test and that was it. He also got a full scholarship......how about that? So, don't stress about the test. Qui sera sera. I wish you luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Allohrandy: 10. always tip the waiter or bar-tender any time you go to the restaurant or a bar. The first time i went to a restaurant in downtown San Francisco,i didn't tip the waiter after paying for my bills because i did not know of the tipping rules in America. As i was about to leave the restaurant, the waiter started insulting me and i felt really embarrassed. so when i went back to my hostel and told my friends about what happened, they were all laughing at me. they told me that i must always tip a waiter, a doorman or a bag boy, bar-tender or a taxi driver 20 percent of my total bills. its like an unwritten law in America ( America is a really funny country, if you asked me ) But you don't need to tip at the fast food joint or supermarket.

. My advise will be keep your money in your pocket. If the waiter needs that tip so bad, he might as well get a second job, You are a student. Let him yell all he wants. He does not own you. If you feel like a philantropist, give tips. If not, let him do his job. The next guy will tip him. I started giving tips to pizza delivery guys a few years ago for two reasons. First, I could easily part with $2 without thinking about how many pieces of diapers it will buy, second, I met a grad student who was a waiter and told me of how much the tips helped her pay through grad school ( not entirely of course). That being said, would you as a grad student contribute to your classmates tuition fund? Typically, you tip about 10-20 percent. So, for a $25 pizza, I am expected to part with $5. Forget it. Let the next guy tip. I"ll drop $5 in the good will offering at church. Been here 7 years, never tipped for a service and I care less about what the service provider thinks. I don't take tips either....or I don't get offered tips. One thing you will notice throughout your stay here is that you don't see money on the ground. The most you"ll see is a penny! We haven't even started talking about penny pinchers,...."....."......Oh well, I am also from Remo so that may explain my tipping philosophy.

Ovap: @ Imperiouxx,Nysc is my youth service certificate here in Nigeria. By followin nairaland, i can see dat VO are askin pple GRE or TOEFL bt I did not write any of these because my schl did not make request. Is there any hope or what do u suggest?

Ovap, here`s what I think about standardized test requirements/preference. Your school sets the rules. If your school says its a requirement, then it is a must that you have it. If its a preference, it is a matter of choice. If it is neither a requirement nor preference, you have no business with it. Like someone said, these are Americans. Yes, so am I and a whole lot of us. Being an American does not make you a small god. You need to be able to defend yourself when someone question your choice. If someone askes you " Why didn`t you take GRE?", if it is not a requirement, the answer should simple be my course of study does not require that I take GRE. Simple. That is the simple truth. If you`re asked "Why didn`t you take TOEFL? The answer should be "Since the language of instruction for my undergrad studies is English, I am not requred to take a test of English". Again, simple. For the sake of all that is holy, aren`t we speaking English? ( Oh well I know we`re not writing English).
I think it is high time we let "people" know what we are made of and wht we can do. Why take TOEFL if it is not required? Why let someone question your ability to speak a language you were not taught? To many of us, English is like a second mother tongue. We didn`t learn it, we simply started speaking it. We need to actively stop giving the impression that we can only speak in monkey. If you need a TOEFL waiver, write an impressive statement of purpose. Simple. If you`re asked why you got a waiver, tell the VO your statement of purpose was from out of this world. Oh, shhhhh don`t tell the VO I said this but I bet he/she will not pass the TOEFL.

My suggestion is go for your interview with confidence knowing you have done all that is required of you. The VO does not expect you to go above and beyond what the school expect of you. You have satisfied the school requirement, there is nothing like the VO requirement. These are people who have been trained to do what they do; they do not expect you to be a genius. For all you know the person interviewing you may be a 26 year old with nothing more than a high school diploma (Ha ha ha... here goes the American) and guess what? Because he sees the fear in you, he capitalises on your vulnerability and squeezez life out of you for the 3 mins you are in front of him/her. Take charge. Be confident. The VO is American, You are Nigerian.

I wish you luck!

Mystiqme: U are doing a wonderful job contributing here ma.Maybe one day if I enter Maryland, I might meet you. Regards to the familick. Cheers.

My pleasure; I`ll be happy to meet a Nairalander. Give my regards to your family too.

jimtosam: Greetings to everyone ... I am still trying to settle here in the downtown of Chicago. Successgreat is greeting you guys too..Trying to settle at Hammond, Indianna....

I'm still learning but simple lessons I have learnt in just a week I spent in the United States:

1. To really enjoy your stay, bring down your school fees or Guarantee your Graduate Assitantship or Undergraduate Scholarship. Your Graduate Assistantship stipend will conveniently feed you, pay rent and utilities. If you are already into it without GA and no money, God will see you through.There are legal way out of this problem. Start thinking of transfer to a cheaper school or school that can Guarantee ur GA. GA is easy while you are here than from Nigeria. You might be called for interview and you will be there. So that you will never be out of status.

2. With your GA or any on campus job, you can easily get ur Sola Sola and eyes. Decode. If you don't have GA, quickly look for on campus job. Even if you have all the millions, just get those two stuffs. Lots of advantages are attach to them that will make your stay smooth.

3. Contribute in class and do some extra curricular activities if time permits.

4. In case you are not bouyant, patronize thrift store.There are lots of thrift stores around you. I just got a reading table at a very ridiculous price. Thrift store is a store where people donate things. You can donate too. They will sell these things at small prices and give the money realize to motherless babies' home, Disable, etc.Google for the nearest thrift store around you.

5. Make craigslist.com your friend. Somebody around you might want to sell stuffs that will be useful to you at ridiculous prices, why not take advantage. I just sealed a deal for an office chair yesterday. The person selling is very close to my residence.

6. Look for promo online. Or wait till promo time to buy some things. A friend here just took advantage Verizon promo to buy Galaxy for 50dollars (One month unlimited payment inclusive). Just be looking out for promo. Companies here do promote a lot when they have achieved their target for the year on time.Even Air ticket could be very cheap at promo time.

I'm still learning..I will always update any latest thing I learn for the benefit of Nairalanders who have invested in me.I love you all.

Goodwill is a good thrift store for anyone considering buying from a thrift store.
Please be very careful when you buy through craigs list. People are crazier than you think. You`re safer going to thrift store like Goodwill. This is not to say everyone selling on craigs list is crazy but.... crazy people list on craigs list a lot. Dont go in the hoods looking for bargains. Also, before you check craigs list or thrift store, check new items first and be sure you are really getting a deal. I have been here long enough to know that when they tell you you`re getting a deal, check twice. You`ll be surprised what you think you`re buying on sale was cheaper at some point ( Ha ha ha.. you can never be wiser than Walmart).

Good Luck.

walex57: Yes ooo my bro...will miss the hot amala with gbegiri pelu ogunfe to solid!

For those having problem with food in the US, this is my advise. If it doesn`t look farmiliar, do not eat it. If it does look farmiliar, be careful how much you eat. You will soon discover how unhealthy most fast food are and how negatively eating out can affect your health and your pocket. There are too many fat people here and its so easy to become fat here with all the junk and the rest of them.
Here`s a few tip:
In place of egusi, I use sun flower seed. I get that from whole food. You`ll never miss egusi again.
When you buy rice, go for long grain perboiled ( Ha ha ha, i learnt the heard way). If you know someone with Sams club membership, you can get a box of long grain perboiled rice. Otherwise, buy the cheap perboiled long grain rice from walmark.
For beans, not everything that looks like beans is really beans (learnt that too). Go for black eye beans in small sachets at walmart( its your regular white beans)
Look for people who buy in bulk that you can share with.

If you live in the MD area, I can be of help.

Good luck.

dwordworks: Yes. She should sit for SAT and possibly TOEFL.

So long as she is qualified, she can be admitted into any institution of higher learning. Her age should not be a problem when she applies for a visa. Minors travel by themselves all the time and besides, there are "kids" much younger than her in Universities in the US.

Be sure she has a parent figure keeping tab if she`s going to be here by herself studying for four years.

Good luck.

franklynx: i Read CRACKING THE GRE and BARON'S Study packs..very good and illustrative..conversant wif like 1000+ new wordz brodaaa..

Franklynx,
What is the ISBN numbers for the GRE prep materials you used?

Thank you.

Nairalanders,
If anyone sees an available date in August, please post it. I`m keeping hope alive for my sister. She needs a date in August. She got a ridiculous date.

Thanks!