₦airaland Forum

Horayce:
Thanks for the feedback. Congrats on your admit!! Norway is a top destination for Nigerian Engineers. I came to the US last year to study for an Msc in Subsea Engineering at the University of Houston. I'll hopefully graduate by December 2016. It's been mostly a positive experience but also bit underwhelming due to the oil industry recession. Things may eventually improve we hope. Cheers

I get you bro. The industry isn't smiling at the moment. I can imagine the great experience you've had all along as I've been in touch regularly with my friend and former colleague doing same course with you at Houston.
I understand the oil industry will pick up by late 2017/ early 2018 when prices are predicted to go higher. But before then God will make a way for his own. Cheers bro.

Crispels:
Am a student from the best University in the South East. I study History and International Studies. Am in my third year. Presently, am faced with a puzzle. Firstly, am a student politician/unionist/leader. I currently serve as the General Secretary of my Faculty. A position I took as the youngest in the History of my institution. Based on my track records, leadership qualities and innovative ideas, the Students' populace are urging me to test the waters of Students' Union leadership. However, am contemplating pulling out of Campus politics so as to explore other opportunities as an undergraduate. These opportunities includes - Taostmaters international programmes and certificates, debates, conferences, lectures etc. For instance, I will be a delegate at an upcoming United Nations programme. Am a decent 2'1 student, and I thirst to study harder to increase my CGPA that has dwindled as a result of my participation in campus politics. Campus politics consumes lots of money, time and energy. And even when you emerge, it brings about more stress and problems to face.

In terms of money, am okay, I lack no basic needs as am not even into campus politics for money but for the life lessons one learns from it. In terms of connection, am closer to my VC than even some SUG representatives as he loves the ideas I bring on board.

In summary, I want to focus more on my studies and seal my 2'1. I also want to explore other aspects of international opportunities like Toastmasters international, UN models, conferences, debates , improved scholarship et al.

More so, I already received a certificate of honour from the University authorities for my leadership qualities and contributions.

However, I believe am a born leader, filled with ideas and I evidently can serve the Student populace the best way possible. I see myself as a missing link. What is neeeded.

I can't combine the two, one has to step down for the other.

I plan to proceed to the United States for my postgraduate after my degree in Nigeria.

Your advice?

This happens to be the biggest decision of my life.

I can't advice you to go ahead with student politics, I rather wonder...'who student politics don epp'?
Just face your studies and as you plan, proceed with your postgraduate studies.
All my friends who did student politics then ended up with not-so-good results and are still struggling to find their feet in the job market. I don't need to play student politics to venture into main national politics. I rather work hard, succeed in my career and get an appointment as Petroleum or Power minister than spend irretrievable youthful time in students politics that won't guarantee a successful political career eventually.

Horayce:
Wow, you left school in 2011 and ur still 25. Man u r young. I studied mech too but went thru an unconventional route to work in high finance out of love (not necessity, biko kwa). But after a career meltdown im now goingback to my engineering roots. All my peers( bar none) who left to study for an msc in pet engr or a related degree virtually all have good jobs with the top oil majors or service coys like schlum and subsea7. I'm about to do same now, got admitted into very good msc petrolem and subsea programs in the states There's simply no other option for me, study now or live to regret wondering what if i did. Instead of talking about it I'd advise you take the risk of applying to only the top programs in the UK --Heriot watt, imperial, Cranfield --and US-- Stanford, UT austin, Texas A&M. If you are admitted with funding or scholarships, weigh the cons and pros of leaving a job you dread for a very promising career prospect. It's night and day in my opinion. Personally i think the upside of an msc is higher at this point in your career, considering you want to break into an oil major.

Hello, I just came back here to share my updated story from November 2014.
I applied for several overseas MSc scholarships including PTDF and NDDC, unfortunately I was offshore during the assessments so I lost out on them. With nobody in my family to support me for my school choices in the US and Canada(needed about N7-10m for tuition fees and living expenses for both countries) as I earn far more than the rest, I had to look for an alternative.
With more online research, I found a cheaper option and used 2015 to save up the required funds. I'll be leaving for my MSc this August at the University of Stavanger, Norway to study Offshore Technology. I required about N3m including Visa and Flight ticket costs. Stavanger is the Oil capital of Norway and apparently the North Sea.
One can only hope for the best afterwards with BabaGod in charge of my affairs.
Would love to know how you progressed since then.

Exchange rate be cutting my head like sey no tomorrow. May God help my pocket.
And may these increased expenses ultimately not be in vain in Norway.

SCHOOLDROPOUT:
Nice! Have you gone to your bank?

Yes, even to their HQ. They said hopefully it should be done this week.

SCHOOLDROPOUT:
Nope bro, we use local banks and official rate too. Finland doesn't require you to transfer to any block account. Where are you headed in Norway?

I'm using my local bank here (gtb) to transfer the 103,950 NOK, but it's taking too long due to forex scarcity and my deadline to transfer it is June 1.
I'm heading to the University of Stavanger.

SCHOOLDROPOUT:
You're welcome bro but hope you know you will be paying between €10,000-25,000 for tuition alone?
why not channel that into another country, preferably Germany or Norway which still offers tuition-free education, all you need to do is deposit €8,040 and 100,200 NOK respectively in a block account for whichever you choose. I'm sure they've got reasonable wages too

Are you guys here required to transfer your blocked deposit to Finland as well?
How are you guys finding it with forex issue at CBN, anyone here who's successfully transferred their required funds so far?
I'm heading to Norway and mine has been pending in the bank for a while now. No success yet.

kennycanny:
The competition for admission in schools in Norway is so stiff , maybe cos of the free tuition. Unless you have a very strong cgpa don't even think it.

Yeah. This year in particular was very competitive as applicants were way too many, which has led to far less people discussing travel plans here.
Several guys including myself have challenges in transferring the required funds due to lack of forex at CBN. My worry is that UiS deadline to transfer d money is June 1.

It seems not so many peeps on this forum were admitted to Norway Unis this year. Just very few people talk about challenges encountered in funds transfer, visa application, flight booking, etc.

asha80:
I am not sure if you can categorically say diezani has no account with the bank though unless you have records of all the bank acc owners

Many newspapers reported that she had no account with Fidelity bank.

martyns303:
Someone should educate me, What crime did the MD commit? He's a banker, its his job to take money to keep and disburse when needed. You can't arrest a man for doing his legal duty.

Lemme educate you. When huge amount of money is transacted in a bank: excess of N1m for an individual, and N5m for a corporate body; the bank is supposed to report such to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit. The bank probably didn't.
Secondly, Diezani had no account with the bank but brought in $23m cash alongside funds from four oil companies for the MD to keep for further disbursements to INEC officials.
Thirdly, the MD got his share of I think...N20m for a Job well done
All these are brazen acts of corruption!

OP, all your points are 100% valid and familiar. I had to learn to save in a different account from my first month three years ago. And I had to consciously sustain my church activities cos the money was trying to take me away.
It's good to assist those REALLY in need. I was really into that initially as I felt privileged to be in a position to help out, till my relatives and friends started taking my kindness for granted by over demanding. You know Naija people and awoof. I don't pick their calls anymore. But I should try to watch out for genuine needs.
Good topic I must say!

dshiznitplata:
wishing u speedy recovery @ Onyindo....aka Ketchup

Did you attend IJ?

Kulex:
Hey guys, I called the Norwegian visa office customer care hotline to inquire about the necessary payments and was told that we are only required to pay a processing fee of N7100 at their office, when we submit our documents, after making the online visa application payment of 3200 Nok( I was charged N125000 via my Ecobank mastercard debit card for that, due to the High dollar rates I guess )
The good news is, the customer representative told me that she is not aware of the certificate verification fee.
It appears it has been scrapped. Just thought I should let the house know

I got personal questions for you bro as regards visa application. Sent you a message on Facebook

Meaning N3tr($15b) was stolen in the defence sector only in the past govt! No wonder we had 4yrs back to back budgets of N1tr for the Ministry of Defence to fight Bokoharam with nothing to show for it.
Well, let's see what happens when the Ministry of Petroleum gets torchlit.

ShowYourCertificate:
What did I twist?

You want to know? Re-read the story and Check the new headline!
I had to do something about it because I'm tired of people misleading others for their selfish/propagandish interests. It's been going on for too long. Let people get the real truth and decide for themselves what to make of it either by their approval or disapproval of govt actions.

ToluNorsk:
Thanks for your quick response @Kulex.
But some of my pals whose application was rejected were given a reason for rejection.
From the admission office

My mail just read, "Fullbooked " no attachments with the email. And no full detailed information.

I already sent them a mail for more clarity...If I was rejected, it should atleast be written in the mail from the admission office. As dey did to my friends.
Kinda confused.

It's good you've sent them a mail. But if it's not a mistake on their part I think they have selected more qualified(perhaps higher GPA) students for now and put you on waiting list in case one or two persons reject the admission for better schools/programs.

Kingsley1st:
Even me too. I got admission in uis and i need shared hostel. Can we share the accomodation together? I have not applied yet.
Pls tell me the procedure and requirement for application. Thanks.

There's no procedure. It's clear you've not REALLY gone through the admission email UiS sent to you. click on the link where they talked about accommodation and you'll see the application form. It's in your interest to go through all the information stated in all the links, including the international students guide.
For the shared accommodation, I already applied, but didn't state anyone to share with as no on here responded. You can state my full name as your intended roommate during your application. I'll pm that to you now.

I find it difficult to celebrate increase in Oil prices because of the mess of importation of refined Petroleum products we have at the moment in Nigeria. All the money we expect to derive from high oil price will end up as supplementary budget for petrol subsidy in the 3rd and 4th quarter of 2016. Except the govt decides to increase Petrol price according to the Estimated Open Market Price which will make Nigerians shout. What a shame that could have been taken care of in the last 16yrs!
For those above me arguing about the cause of oil price increase, it's simply because Nigeria is under supplying by about 250000bls/day for now due to vandalism of Shell Forcados subsea line in Warri, Iraq is affected due to ISIS bombardments and U.S under producing Shale oil for now.

materrazzi01:
Please needs some advise here. Am a graduate of political science and international relations, wish to have my master program Norway in related program to my course of study. And please if possible needs assistance with schools that does not need TOEFL or any English test result as criteria for admission.

Applications will open in October-December for 2017 students. So you have enough time to do your research for the schools, courses and their requirements. Every piece of information you need about studying in Norway is on this thread, start from the beginning in advance. You'll find links that will show you all the schools in Norway. Good luck

Kingsley1st:
[b][/b]
good day stewiepeters
i was given admission in uis.
What is the procedure for payment? Can i apply for study permit and hostel before i lodge nok103000 into my norwegian account. Pls i need ur urgent responds. Thank you.

It's quite straightforward, accept the admission if you haven't already. Then apply online for hostel accommodation using the link attached to your admission email from UiS.
Then transfer the 103950 NOK to the UiS account. Once they receive it, they'll send you a confirmation receipt with which you can proceed with your study permit application.

grossintel:
exactly my point, science is yet to understand the relationship between testosterone and Eirection, their are numerous examples of low T and hard erection. BIAFRANNIGERIAN seems to have an obvious remedy and I don't mind trying it than injecting hormones in my blood.

So have you started taking all the combos stated by BiafranNigerian, if yes how is making you feel at this initial stage, any noticeable change? It might still be too early but I'm asking so I can consider following his recommendations for an overall better sexual health.

loco2:
I got admitted to USN, can somebody help me on using Form A for the deposit transfer. FBN said I have to open current account with them before they can do the transfer for me. Is there any alternative as the deadline is far approaching.

Well, it's compulsory you use a current account for such transactions. Go and open one, it's no big deal. Or u put d money into someone who has a current account already to do d transfer in ur name.
What course by the way?

loco2:
I got admitted to USN, can somebody help me on using Form A for the deposit transfer. FBN said I have to open current account with them before they can do the transfer for me. Is there any alternative as the deadline is far approaching.

Well, it's compulsory you use a current account for such transactions. Go and open one, it's no big deal. Or u put d money into someone who has a current account already to do d transfer in ur name.
What course b the way?

2good:
If oil price increases before your graduate (which is most certain), Norway is the best place to get a job after graduation because it has the biggest oil and gas industry in Europe. I worked and lived in Stavanger for a period of 9 months and I will tell you that it is one of the most expensive city in the world so you should not expect to work to pay your tuition or cost of living because it is not possible to achieve. If you have a scholarship, you will be in good shape.

Thanks bro. I already have my finances sorted out for at least a year. I hope to work to sort out the 2nd year living expenses through a part-time job. That's why I want to know how easy it is to get a part-time job especially before worrying about the Oil industry.

I bumped into this thread while seeking information about migrating to Germany.
I recently got admission to study Offshore Technology(MSc) at the University of Stavanger and I'm about to start processing my Norwegian visa. The thing is, I've always had a thing for Power Engineering (Mechanical) and I've only just found a very good school in Germany that I can apply to.
Considering that Germany gives non-EU students 18 months to job hunt after graduation compared to Norway's 6 months. And it's far less cold.
I just need people who live in these countries to shed more light on prospects for student part-time jobs and skilled jobs after graduation before taking any further decision.

stewiepeter:
okay, I will be glad to.
list of documents I submitted to the embassy for visa application
1. cover letter (these is automatically generated when u pay for ur visa fees online)
2. receipt that u hv paid the application fees( these is not necessary if you paid online, as ur cover letter will hv ur receipt no)
3. admission letter ( print it from soknads, it should must hv or schools logo)
4. documentation that u have deposited money into the schools account (2.5mil)
5. documentation that u have a place to stay in Norway
6. signed check list u can get these from UDI website
7. submit ur original degree result and pay the result verification fee( I paid 50k cause I schooled in the north)
note: the application fee is 3200N which is like 85k depending on the bank exchange rate

Had to bring you back here as no one is talking about visa application here so far. I got admitted into UiS.
Firstly, I intend to submit my visa application through VFS Lagos and there's a chance I may be on duty(out of town) for a month about the time my documents will be ready for submission. Must I appear in person to submit my documents?
Secondly, what's the alternative to paying the 3200 NOK online? If I pay online, I feel I'll be charged by Mastercard in dollars and with this current market exchange rate at 325naira, no be small zapping of my money oh!. How can one get the cover letter and receipt number without paying online?
Thirdly, am I going to pay cash for the result verification fee and DHL fee at VFS office? If yes, how much for each of them? (I schooled in PH).
Fourthly, I applied for shared apartment at UiS. Do they pair students based on nationality?
cc StarFlux, Inyxz, Chunap

seanwilliam:
olujastro, R u a student? aspirant? or graduate? i lyk ur analyses joor. 3 gbosa 4 ur write up

Graduated 5yrs ago. Btw, where did you see my name to cc me, cos I seldom write on NL.

seanwilliam:
olujastro, R u a student? aspirant? or graduate? i lyk ur analyses joor. 3 gbosa 4 ur write up

Graduated 5yrs ago

Well, choice of school varies with different people for various reasons.
Personally, I won't choose OAU cos they have a lot of internal strike actions which cause students to spend much time before graduating and going for NYSC.
I'll also not consider UniIlorin because, even though it's fast and doesn't join in regular ASUU strike actions, I'm not sure of what they offer academically. Moreover, Illorin doesn't seem to expose one to the intrigues of a cosmopolitan city.
It's quite confusing to choose between UI and UniLag. I'll go for UI because unlike Lag with crowded classes of over 100 students per department, I hear from my friends who studied Engineering and Geology in UI that their depts had less crowded numbers with about 30 students. No doubt, Lag got swags. If u no jasi in lag, then ur eyes can't open even in London.
For me, I didn't choose Unilag because I was born and brought up in Lagos. I decided to explore a totally new city, and didn't want my parents to interfere with my university life in any possibile way. Like I said earlier, different strokes for different folks.

Mhmdrdwn:
Hi guys, actionally i am from egypt. I am looking for help. i got email from UiS telling me that i am in the waiting list in petroleum geosciences Master degree program and my admission status will depends on available places. I don't know if this program is very competitive. my grade is 79% which equal 4+ on CGPA. Did anyone got admission in this program? What can i do in this case?

In my own opinion, it's either they've shortlisted more qualified candidates already and are waiting to see if any student(s) will reject the admission so they can put you in Or they're yet to conclude admission processes for Petroleum Geoscience.
That's why I think it's good for students to reject any admission they don't intend to honour early enough to create room for others. Having said that, I should do that for my USN admission right away.

ireloju:
Thanks but I'm getting stories of delay and denial. Any success stories with CBN forex here?

Well I called my bank account officer yesterday and she said I can go to the nearest branch to request for it. I'll be doing that next week. I think forex availability has improved a little unlike before.
Meanwhile, anyone else going to UiS? I'm applying for shared accommodation and they request I put the name of who I want to share with, or Nobody. Mk I no go end up with a roommate with headaches.