₦airaland Forum

Bem_bem: I did exactly the SAME THING. I came here immediately after nysc..this is my second bachelors thou and im just 25. Being here over 4 years .Spent a semester at lousiana state university(LSU) their tuition was killing..i paid abt 12k for that semester which includes tuition, meal plan, and dorm. I later transferred to a community college in Lafayette which was about 2500 a semester. Got a lot of campus jobs..math tutoring,desk assistant job, and a volunteer job.Graduated from the cc with an associate degree. i got an opt..worked for a few months under the opt..i then later transferred to a uni with a scholarship...graduating this December. It's a long journey but quite interesting.

walex57: One thing again...for those who still wanna come...if you have an MTN line and you use it with a phone that use wireless connection to connect to the internet or you are on whatsapp or 2go...please don't sell that phone or dispose your mtn line before coming...it'll be useful for you here if you like keeping in touch with your naija padis dem (at least for free)...you can still receive text messages on your MTN line even here only say u no fit send or make calls....and of course you can chat with whatsapp or 2go with your Nigerian friends and family everyday via the internet...i brought my mtn line here and i still receive text messages from Nigeria (at least na 5 naira dem go use send am)...i still recharge my mtn line here...

Yvete: I have never posted on this education forum but I feel the need to say a few things to those experiencing difficulties here. I came to the US in 2003, did my undergrad, worked for 2 years and now pursuing my MBA in Texas. *Btw I'm 26 so you know how young I was when I came to the US. Plus, I'm not a nurse nor in the healthcare field.

1. Avoid expensive cities like a plague. (You need a cheap city where you can live comfortably and made excellent grades at school without distractions). For instance, If you like the city of Miami because of its popular beach, take a vacation there. You don't need to reside there permanently. I'm just saying....
Texas is a best friend for new comers. I'll tell you why --- Cheap accommodation. (Roughly about $400 monthly, All bills included plus free transportation to school. I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO MOVE TO TEXAS OH. ITS JUST AN EXAMPLE.

2. On-campus jobs are not provided to help pay your tuition --- Do NOT come to the US broke, Period! Have enough funds to cover at least one semester of your stay, in terms of feeding, transportation, etc. During my 4 years as an undergrad, I worked on campus for $8/hr x 20hrs/weekly (plus a lil' overtime). I USED to take home roughly about $640/monthly, but it was enough. Student housing rent for $385 (which my brother still pays here in 2012) and the change for my personal use.

If you need a job on campus, walk into their office and boldly ask for the supervisor. Don't be scared, this ain't Nigeria. Explain that you're an Intl student in dire need of a job. Make sure you applied on-line and go with a copy of your application. Prepare a resume with part-time experiences in Nigeria (For females, maybe babysitting experience, part-time secretary & for males, part-time Admin Assistant). Basically you need a resume that highlight basic communication skills, computer use, team-player skills and time management). Nigerians are usually timid, i think!

3. Do NOT buy new textbooks. Shop for textbooks on ebay, amazon or craigslist. Wait till a week after school to find out what books your professors need.Some will give you handout and not really care about the books. There is also a book rental service at your schools' bookstore. Take advantage of that as well. PLEASE TRY TO MAKE EXCELLENT GRADES ..C is unacceptable. A's & B's only.

4. You need a laptop. If you don't have one, use the desktop at the library. I didn't buy a laptop till the next semester, but I was ok. November Thanksgiving sale is around the corner, you can get a cheap brand new laptop for about $399. Save for that if you can. That's the only time I purchase electronics.

5. Education is the US is time management! Learn to prioritize. Don't spend money on phone cards calling "Friends" in Nigeria. CUT SPENDING: Avoid eating out as much as possible. Cook noodles, noodles and noodles! Ramen is your best friend. Look for cheap grocery stores and cook! cereals, noodles, rice, chicken...basically, do not spend money eating out. It wont help if you're struggling financially.

6. Look for cheap housing on craigslist.com . You'll find people looking for students to sub-lease a room from their homes (choose wisely), or students looking for roommates, or people that are dropping out of school and need someone to take over the contract for housing. Trust me, you'll find amazingly awesome deals there.

7. BE FREAKING PATIENT! I graduated with Intl. business and it took a whole year for a company to hire/sponsor me to get a work authorization. It was rough but now I'm living comfortably in Houston. If your family struggled to send you here, do NOT equate yourself with children of those that got millions to shut down a nightclub. Be frugal and stingy to yourself, IF NEED BE.

8. A city with a lot of African or Nigerians will help you. You will be able to familiarize yourself with other Nigerians and could get help. They can always hire you ----- you know what i mean----- even without your ------- because many people here run private businesses.

9. If you're in an expensive city, spend one semester and TRANSFER TO A COMMUNITY COLLEGE. Unless you're a dummy. Houston Community College averages about $2000 per semester for 12 hours(4 courses). Who wouldn't take advantage of that? After 2 years, you can transfer to your intended university. I did it and can guide you if you need help.

10. All my 4 siblings live in this city and life is easy for everyone. Its best to go where you know somebody. 5 of us each coming from Nigeria one after the other is a success. Look for an old school friend (they might not help you financially, but guide you and introduce you to other Nigerians).

I'm kinda tired of typing ...lol. If anyone needs any help with finding jobs, school transfer, etc,....holla! THERE ARE OTHER EMPLOYMENT OPTIONS THAT I CANT WRITE HERE. PM me if interested.

emmanuelson20: Cyprus is a beautiful country to live in. Wish all prospective & current students the best in their Studies.

peteafrik88: Pls Mr. Chris, i am rili interested in going to University of nicosia. I am stil applyin yet and hope to be accepted for the fall batch ( October). Do you tink it is late for my application? What are the necessary documents that I need to submit, so as not to loose out on the time of application? Pls help me

Chi-town Base:
well i dont know how u guys make research about states and all that..but one thing is anyone interested in coming here should be prepared regardless of the states u go live in there is always expensive places and cheap places so u just have to find out. i stay in Illinois and i pay $300 for rent and $20 for internet and 30 at most for electricity for a one bedroom apartment so u just gotta find out. try to make friends with not just indians alone there are cool black and white americans, and also check organizations around you like church, african student association, ahplha phi, sororities meet people thats the best way to get so many information u need dey will let u kno mehn.....as funding like imperioux always emphasize on mehn thats a great deal. like almost all my firends in grad school are going to school free of charge dey only pay like $800 a semester for student fees tuition is fully funded by the school plus they get stipend monthly like $900 for up keep. so life is what u make it. if u feel u are not enjoying here is becos u have not found a way out. so try and mingle mehn....AMERICA IS FUN FOR THOSE WHO KNO THEIR WAY...NOT ILLEGAL OOO OR SCAM.