₦airaland Forum

cc150615: my question is what does it really take to get shortlisted at all for this Commonwealth scholarship even after meeting the general requirements, is it just the thickness of your personal statements, cos I applied last year nd was turned down but I still intend re applying. Offcos by thickness there I mean how convincing the statements are. imma pm you if u don't mind.

The quality and sincerity of your Statement of Purpose-SOP (Personal statement) is very important in applying for graduate school AND for scholarships. They want to know WHY you are applying for the course, WHAT motivates you, HOW you will add value after going through the programme. Bear in mind that for every one spot there are sometimes more than 100 applicants so the key is writing a SOP that will get you noticed.

I will be happy to hear from you

P.S I am very very old school and will appreciate it if you wrote out your words in full. Thanks

cc150615: my view is this: the general Commonwealth scholarship is kinda biased towards ppl in academics when u see their requirements of having how many publications nd all that, also I know that some unis even nominate their lecturers for it so I didn't bother applying for it but I think the Commonwealth shared is fairer, I once applied too tho I didn't make it, maybe my personal statements weren't thick enough. chevening scholarship is also fair but only tenable in uk schools.

These Scholarships are extremely competitive and I do not think they are biased towards people in academics. I know a couple of people in my circle who have gotten these scholarships and many of them had never authored any papers. As I said earlier, I am a commonwealth alumni (not through the scholarship but through the fellowship-The commonwealth professional fellowship allows professionals from developing countries to come to the UK for a period of professional development) and the awards are very competitive.

Wish you all the best in all your applications (and your future endeavours).

nabsprada: can't thank you enough for all your help/time

Of course I won't hesitate to send you a mail

I know a bit about the commonwealth scholarship as I was a Commonwealth Professional Fellow (scholars are sponsored to school, Fellows are sponsored to work in the UK). The scholarship is open to those who had first class or second class upper and takes care of everything (Fees AND living expenses). There are different scholarships but the most common ones are
- Scholarships for Master’s and PhD study at UK universities (this is the one where you have to be nominated by the Nigerian Government- it is the one that ministry of education advertises http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/scholarships-developing-cw/)

-Shared Scholarships for Master’s study at selected UK universities (here the commonwealth scholarship commission AND specific UK universities SHARE the funding. This has nothing to do with the Nigerian Government). This is however, restricted to certain courses in certain universities- you can check the prospectus http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/prospectus-shared-scholarships-2014.pdf
search for the course you are interested in doing, the university that offers scholarship for your course, go to the school's website and find out criteria for the shared scholarship.

e.g. The University of Strathclyde in Scotland is one of the schools in the shared scholarship scheme (see the prospectus link above) and they offer the scholarship for the following courses
• Advanced Computer Science
• Applied Economics
• Advanced Mechanical Engineering
• Electronic and Electrical Engineering
• Environmental Engineering
• Finance
• Forensic Science
• International Law and Sustainable Development
• Internet Law and Policy
• Pharmaceutical Analysis

If you are interested in one of these courses, all you need to do is go to strathclyde's website, find out what their criteria is and apply.

So make good use of the internet and for more information, go to http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/


It is a great scholarship- I thoroughly enjoyed my Fellowship Programme

Hope this was helpful

nabsprada: Thanks a bunch...commonwealth scholarship is my interest but I guess I'll do as you said.

In addition to what xfire has said, some schools actually offer scholarships directly. Infact, I did not apply for any external scholarship during my application process. I actually searched for, and applied to schools that had scholarships in the course I was interested in. Many of the top schools offer some kind of scholarship or the other (extremely competitive but not impossible to get ). My admission into Oxford came with a fully funded scholarship from the school itself.

All the best and don't hesitate to send me a mail
cheers

Ideally, before you apply for any job (or graduate school), you really should ask yourself why you want to work in that organisation (study in that school). Actually, if you did write a cover letter (or statement of purpose), it should have answered the question to an extent.To fully answer that question, you will need to (thanks to the internet) read a whole lot about the organisation- what they do, where they work, the profile of people who have passed through that system etc. They are basically asking you to "sell" yourself to them (similar to "why should we hire you?"

e.g if I was interested in working in KPMG-

I'd go to their careers page (where they will be trying to sell themselves to me ) and the "about us" page. I did that and this is what I saw

"We are seeking bright minds that are ready to learn, perform, and are interested in a challenging and rewarding career. You will have the opportunity to work with a team of outstanding professionals of diverse backgrounds, varied experience and probing minds. We always strive to win. Not as individuals but by working as a team. Our winning culture is based on collaborative teamwork, and we create results by being open-minded, helping each other and showing trust in each other’s method and capabilities.KPMG will help smooth the transition from university to work with induction and development programs"


Whatever answer you give has to definitely show that you [are]
1.interested in a challenging and rewarding career
2.comfortable working in a team
3.flexible and able to adapt to change
4.appreciate that the company has promised to help you in the transition from an engineer to a management consultant
5 have a general idea of the ethos of the company

For people applying to organisations without websites, find one or two persons who are currently working (or have worked) there and ask questions.

all the very best... Others should please add to what I have said here.

Xeep: Thanks for your contributions on this thread, my question is this, how do one answer this sort of question convincingly in an interview.
"Why do you want to work in a professional services firm like KPMG?"
Assume the interviewee is a graduate of petrochemistry.

Hello all,

It is really sad that Nairaland was attacked and our precious thread was affected . However, we can, together, revive this thread. Let's keep the questions coming.

All the best
Me

Dear nabsprada,

You really have done a great job putting up xfire's posts... really amazing work.

nabsprada: To all who followed or are now following the thread,its sad that the crash destroyed all that wealth of knowledge and experience shared but like seun osewa said "you crashed our system but not our memory,nairaland remembers"...I have the complete work of xfire(and by complete I mean from page zero to the very page he said the end) saved on my system,will post all of it as soon as my schedules permits me to.

I know just how much I gained from his work and that of all other contributors of this thread ,I didn't just learn,I also got a mentor! @Darrellriver,you are acknowledged.

I am back

xfire: I am using this opportunity to call on darellrivers to return to the thread.

ochukoccna: I use glasses and am thinking of seeing an Ophthalmologist MD to have a comprehensive look at my eyes when my boots are on UK soil
Way I figure, better facilities and a more accurate diagnosis awaits me there than here [remember the iconoclastic Gani's wrong diagnosis here]
Even thinking of doing corrective laser surgery rather than collecting glasses/spectacles if the cost isn't exorbitant
Can our UK brethren please enlighten more on Specsavers and Optical Express which I came across during my cyberspace journeys?

[size=13pt]Also can you help breakdown how our health needs [students] are taken care of over there?
Do you register with the NHS, their general hospital or what?
Please teach us out of Naija freshies

Also Justwise and those already in the system is an NUS extra card a benefit?
Please enlighten us[/size]
Thanks

I recommend specsavers- I used them whilst I was in the UK and even had free eye tests. I was registered with a GP but never had cause to use the services. all the best in your sojourn in the UK. cheers

Dehonourable: Am new on d forum but honestly I found it vry educatn. My questn are: are there any engineering unis in uk dat charge tuitn fee £9,000 for Msc Eng. Secondly, wot's d duration for student visa?

Dehonourable, If you have a first class or a very high 2-1 from your undergrad, you can apply to OXFORD University (and CAMBRIDGE)!! Tuition is very expensive (for my course it is about £30,000) but scholarships (full scholarships- tuition+Living expenses)abound and most times you are automatically considered!

The bigger the school, the less interested they are in your money!!!!! UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLE!

Cheers and all the best

Another thing that saddens me is that Nowadays, People do not go to school to get educated! People go to school so they can get jobs! If you are properly Educated (not schooled), Jobs will run after you! (My opinion anyway)

Sagamite: Many Nigerians do a masters because they just want to pack as much certificates as possible. In Nigeria, that increases employability. In the West, it usually counts for little in employability, it is the quality of your institution that matters most times.

I could not agree more! sadly, Nowadays, Sagamite, even a masters degree is beginning to loose its "hype" in Nigeria! Many people go back home from the UK roaming the streets of Nigeria! (I know quite a lot).. It really is no guarantee that you would get a job..

[quote author=Sagamite]Update on fundraising campaigns by universities.

https://www.nairaland.com/141689/rough-guide-best-most-reputable/8#10426465

Largest fund-raising campaigns
Oxford – Launched a campaign in 2008 to raise £1.25bn by 2016. After already raising the target sum of £1.25bn by 2012 (i.e. in 4 years and with 4 years to go), they have increased the target to £3bn.
Fundraising rate: £312.5m per year.

The funds raised are used to attract the "best" minds to Oxford! If you have a first class degree from Nigeria (A properly earned first class), or a CGPA from 4.0 (again, a properly earned 4.00 and above CGPA), you should give it a shot! There are three things to consider when applying to Oxford

1. Have a really good first degree (goes without saying)
2. Ask yourself: Why do I want to study at Oxford? Why do I want to have a post graduate degree? (Many Nigerians want to do a masters abroad only so they can "migrate" to that country) and What would I do with it in the future?
3. Remember you are competing against the very best in the world!

I am Studying at Oxford University now and really, the experience is awesome! The beauty of many "rich" schools is that you do not have to be RICH to attend them! Oxford does offer lots of scholarships! Yes, getting in is competitive but the experience is truly worth it!

hi..I am currently studying in the UK but would like to visit Australia later in the Year. Would I apply from the Australian embassy in the UK or do i have to apply through south africa?

presiade: Good day all,
please I have admission to study MSc Advanced Mechanical Engineering at University of Leeds and my total anticipated expenses is around £24,000 (say #7m). My major challenge, however, is funding; infact I had to defer my admission from Sept., 2012 to Sept., 2013.
I wouldn't mind to obtain a loan to cover my study. Hence, anybody willing to grant me such loan or has a useful connection should please contact me. I'll be paying the loan back in a period of 1 1/2-2 years with a reasonable interest rate.
SCAMMERS PLEASE BE CAREFUL, I only want genuine and straight forward individuals.
Thank you for you comments.

Why would you want a loan for masters? are you sure of a job when you finish? You do not have to do the masters in the UK. Try Germany! They do have great Engineering programs there and you can school there for almost nothing! Please, try not to take a loan to go to school! EXCEPT YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN YOU WOULD GET A GREAT JOB WITH IT!

i came across this satiric article on "how to be a Nigerian student in the uk".. while it made an interesting read, it really made me think of how we misplace our priorities in Nigeria

http://sataire./2012/11/02/how-to-be-a-nigerian-student-in-the-uk/

enjoy!

Hi guys, i came across this article.. "How to be a Nigerian student in the UK"

http://sataire./2012/11/02/how-to-be-a-nigerian-student-in-the-uk/

interesting read!

Justwise, thanx for answering all my "private" queries. I have gotten the visa! I have made my decision! God bless you

bigfrancis21: Hello nairalanders. For those who have written the GRE, please my question is this; paper-based gre and computer-based gre which is better?

Computer based! you get to know how you did immediately!

no life was lost. it was just one building, an out patient clinic so there were no trapped patients. people should please desist from spreading false information or half truths

Thanks Justwise! God bless u

dear wip, you really are doing a good job here. Please i know someone who is interested in going to EMU. She is 16 and wants to study Civil Engineering. However, her waec result is not out yet! Can she apply and will she be eligible for september entry?

OzReal: ^^^
Yeah I feel you. Having an OXFORD certificate is really tempting, but like you I didn't even know about Notre Dame till I got here. Overall, that school is highly regarded in this country(really top notch). Anyway, good luck with whatever decision you finally make.

Thanks OzReal.. I'm finally going to Oxford! Will come to the US for Phd by God's grace! Thank God GRE is valid for 5years (3years for some schools).. Had to Reject Notre Dame! (Sob sob..they were so nice n warm)

Thanx OZreal, I didnt even know NOTREDAME was top notch until i applied to the school, but i'm leaning towards going there. I'm in a health related field and i think the US is the place to be for us.. especially since i'm going to be applying for a Phd afterwards! but having an OXFORD certificate sounds very tempting. Most folks in Nigeria dont know anything about Notre Dame even though it is a highly regarded school in the US. Thank u so much! Someone on Nairaland helped me proofread my SOP. I really appreciate what you guys are doing here

Thanks a whole lot. I will contact all three offices.

I just got into my top choice University and got part scholarship - for Masters! Please i really do need advice on how i can get more funding as the tuition scholarship was just $10k and i still need about $30k which i cant afford now! Should i contact the graduate office, financial aid office, international office or the Program director?