Remen:
<candidatecare@prometric.com>

Scholastica16:


All those rankings generally mean absolutely nothing. Last time I checked, Sheffield University in UK was rated top 70 in the world yet TAMU college station is about 115-150- I forget. I guarantee you, most Sheffield students will not even agree with that ranking.

As a rule of thumb, I like to make my assessments on these issues with what I have seen on ground. As it stands, any world ranking of universities I see that does not even have US schools occupying the top 10 position, I render it- trash... null...void. That is not to say other schools are not good. They very well are. US schools are for the most part just better and you will have to see it to know it.

sillysassysally:
So essentially, you're saying that your "facile" opinion holds more weight than those of Times Higher Education (THE) or QS World Ranking? LOL

sillysassysally:
That doesn't strike me as a credible source. ETS would have probably sent it themselves. What's even Prometric?

Remen:
So I wrote my exam on the 31st of October and I just got this mail... what can dis mean pls?
Dear Candidate,
As you may be aware, your GRE/ GRG testing appointment scheduled with Prometric had to be cancelled due to Technical Issue for October 31st 2018.
You are required to contact ETS directly to get further assistance as the content of the exam has been viewed. They can be reached at ....., Monday – Friday 8AM to 7.45PM EST.

Please ignore this message if you have successfully rescheduled or contacted the client.
While we do our very best to avoid any disruption to the appointments, but from time to time cancellation of an appointment is unavoidable. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause you and wish to make the scheduling process as easy as possible.
Thank you for your business and best wishes on your exam!



Best regards,
Prometric

CptCharlesVane:
How many of the US institutions have you been to? 70% you say Universities that are part of striking ASUU I understand if you want to stoke your ego but on what basis is UI better than any even lowest ranked US university that could be a1,000 times better funded than UI?

Looking into STEM fields, what equipments are in UI and how much access is a regular student granted? XRD, NMR, MS or MM modelling software. For chemistry in labs abroad, acetone is used to wash glassware, like it's free and you could use up infinite amount of solvents learning the ropes for flash chromatography.

I'm sure you're trolling, if not then I wonder. How much goes into education in Nigeria? How much external funds does UI get how much is internally generated and how often and much do the staff get payed and owed? A cursory look at universities website tells a lot and when did they start using one. I suggest you read an article by Pius Adesanmi on Education and universities in Nigeria. How many foreign students are in Nigerian unis, you think if it was so good even in West Africa there wouldn't be lots of foreigners here?

Say what you know and be proud of your uni but don't talk about what you know nothing about. If you compare universities like high schools, based on students and alumni performance as a result of teaching, perhaps. but universities are mainly the birthplace of new knowledge and you damn need a whole lot of money for that.

I'd rather send my ward to Ghana for an education than Nigeria. Simple transcript and responding to emails they need genuises for that.

** There's a researcher who collaborated with a professional association of scientists to send old model lab instruments that have been replaced to African universities for very subsidised rates, sometimes even for free. They occasionally come around to teach your uni professors how to operate old low resolution models of spectrometers.

Nigerian universities are based on rote memorisation that's why AW on GRE record low scores. We were never taught or encouraged to question, just follow, do as I do. That's why you have professors with huge egos abusing students in Nigeria.

You can memorise how an electron microscope works but can you deduce the principles behind it and why one is needed in the first place to build a better and more affordable based on paucity of funds in the 3rd world. Raman was Indian and developed Raman Spectroscopy in India and won the Nobel Prize that's how you measure universities (Places where knowledge is generated that becomes useful for future inventions) how do you do that with hungry lecturers, can you even do research without funds? but even then our tertiary institutions began in the 60s, while universities have been in existence way before the 10th century.

Tip for you: go to a university where there is more money per member than big ego 'prestigious' universities that strike over workers emoluments.

Postfut:


True. But I think it makes sense to try as much as possible to apply the best school your profile affords you.

Going to UI is far better than going to an[b] unaccredited [/b]school in the USA

HigherEd:

You are quite right. For instance, when Covenant attempted to start medicine they understudied their foreign counterparts, but when they saw the requirements of creating a World Class Medical program they simply backed out - temporarily. Yet, Covenant is more or less the richest institution in the country. A small replica of University Of Wisconsin - Madison's molecular laboratory at CU cost over 250 million naira.
So Universities are fund consuming machines and i would understand if many of them here find it hard to compete with the foreign ones. Nevertheless, there are roadside universities in Europe and USA too. I believe in the next few years Covenant and soon to be Dangote university would be Nigeria's flagship universities.

sillysassysally:
Check the rankings for yourself.
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2019/world-ranking#!/page/0/length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats

University of Ibadan and Covenant University fall between 601-800th globally. University of Nigeria falls above 1,001+

CptCharlesVane:
Same egos rate federal universities with antiquated libraries and systems over CU that is in record time making remarkable strides. Save for their priggishness, and fundamentalist approach, CU is a very good university for acquiring knowledge.

We could argue about the so called roadside unis in Europe but I digress. Yes, universities are not businesses to yield ROI like the model nigerian private universities use but at this time in our history, more universities are always better than few.

MasterforceII:


Man like Scholastica � Couldn't agree more. Good to have you here. How's your program going?

Postfut:


Nah Bro. In as much as I agree with your assertion, I believe Oxford and Cambridge belong in the top 10.

CptCharlesVane:
Ok I would submit all my applications before Mid-December.

How's your program (PhD?) going, Do you get to do some teaching?

sillysassysally:
So essentially, you're saying that your "facile" opinion holds more weight than those of Times Higher Education (THE) or QS World Ranking? LOL

Scholastica16:


For your information, a school has a better chance of being higher up those times and seasons rankings by "sorting" those bodies out than say, amassing much funding whilst producing better research than your competitors. This is an open secret.

Just recently, a Prof in the state university I attend secured a $52M grant for his research. That is $12M more than Atiku used to erect his AUN in Adamawa. That same school may be ranked less than some UK universities who will not receive that amount of grant as a whole institution let alone department. But one Prof, in a state university, in one department, in the US, got that.

.

Scholastica16:


They cancelled your exam. Reconnect with them as they are supposed to reschedule you for another at no cost to you. You will even do better so..better for you.

sillysassysally:
That doesn't strike me as a credible source. ETS would have probably sent it themselves. What's even Prometric?

Soluadebayo:


The mail is from ETS especially for candidates who had their test on 31st October in river state. The test was cancelled due to unavoidable technical circumstances. If your test centre had no issue on that day, better to ignore the mail.

adeyinka09:

Impressive. Welldone scholar. I've missed your contribution here.How are you doing sir?

Remen:
There is only 1 test centre in rivers state(PH).. I did mine in PH but still got the mail. Anyway will contact then tomorrow.. Let me stop stressing

Scholastica16:


I am seriously stressed which is why I post here less often. The second midterms are approaching. Projects and presentations to tender. Tons of homework. I am tired to be very honest. Whoever said US education was easy (I speak as an engineer) lied. How is your program going?

kylexy61:


Soo true mahn! I was expressing the exact same sentiment about Canada yesterday. As a grad student, you're a student, a researcher and teacher simultaneously

Scholastica16:


I think he is saying he is in the same boat as you.

Yes, ETS have cancelled exams in a centre before. ETS TOEFL almost cancelled mine. I shared the story here. Did the connection trip off at any point during the exam that caused a time lag? Were you guys made to restart after that connection glitch? Did other people (if not you) experience this on that day? Was there any sign of examination malfeasance? These are some of the reasons that can cause it. As long as the centre had an issue, I believe you are to rescheduled at no cost to you. Do not stress it. Just relax..and aim to do better this time. Everything happens for a reason.

Scholastica16:


I am still doing a masters primarily because that is what PTDF is funding me for. Whether I would transition into a PhD on completion of it is definitely in the offing but God may lead me elsewhere .

I am actually mandated to undergo a teaching practicum which is a requirement for all grad students here and I must say I am not thrilled. I have taught once (as part of the syllabus for the class) and will need to teach 2 more times before the semester ends. This is just a training. By next semester I will be randomly assigned to assist in a class teaching - either during office hours or even in class. I am not looking forward to it at all because I am a very shy person -in person.

Remen:
There is only 1 test centre in rivers state(PH).. I did mine in PH but still got the mail. Anyway will contact then tomorrow.. Let me stop stressing

Postfut:


I believe you have a good profile which I have seen already.

NO Professor can single-handedly verbally guarantee your admission to a PhD program as most times admissions are decided by a committee. Nevertheless, I believe he has given you assurances already so I encourage you to apply and if he is on the admission committee then your chances go up.

For me, a better way to gauge your chances of admission is to look at the profile of currents students(incoming class profile and admission statistics) also check if minorities are adequately represented (if no your chances go up)

Please don't take this advice seriously as it is coming from someone that has never filed a grad school app in the US but will be filing soon.

Sugahylz:


Are you sure it’s just one test center in PH though? I wrote mine in PH too...on the 31st of oct. We didn’t experience any challenges on the test day and I didn’t get the email you got talking about cancellation.
I just checked my gre account now and the status still reads the normal... “scores are currently not available. Please allow 10-15 days after computer-delivered test...blablabla “.

Remen:
I wrote mine at Jephthah... Is d center same with urs?

Scholastica16:


I am sure you do not know US schools do not care about such rankings because they understand how those come about. Their focus is on how they compare with themselves whilst leaving the outside world to play politics. It is the same reason a positively burgeoning institution like CU is below the pecking order in Nigeria compared to traditional and generally more well-known Universities like UNILAG and UI even when they are more funded, more organized and at this point, churning out better graduates and patents.

For your information, a school has a better chance of being higher up those times and seasons rankings by "sorting" those bodies out than say, amassing much funding whilst producing better research than your competitors. This is an open secret.

Just recently, a Prof in the state university I attend secured a $52M grant for his research. That is $12M more than Atiku used to erect his AUN in Adamawa. That same school may be ranked less than some UK universities who will not receive that amount of grant as a whole institution let alone department. But one Prof, in a state university, in one department, in the US, got that.

Make no mistakes, he is not alone. My Major professor gets $2M grants almost every other year. Few years back, he got $33M from NSF in connection with NASA. How in the world do you think he will not produce more results than UI which will in turn act as a precursor for better technologies which capitalists will latch on to, to make more billions of USD- and that [non]viscious cycle will continue. Yet as of last count, my school as far as Chemical engineering at grad level is concerned has 30 other schools (in the US) doing better. Does that not make your head spin?

What is that technology? NMR? GC? HPLC? UPLC? Name it, my lab has it. Not my school. Not ChemE. I said the lab my CALTECH-trained professor runs, has it. I have met a Chinese here who told me they had some of those things in their toppest schools only that they may have just one for the whole faculty and the queues formed by people waiting to use them slows down research. But one lab in some state university, in the US has more than one. How will I take you seriously when you tell me Birmingham University is "higher ranked" than me?

Virginia Commonwealth Uni is ranked 100+ in Chemistry in the world. But more than 80% of the schools ranked ahead of them did not have a Nobel Laureate sitting as a member of their faculty yet VCU did - Late John Fenn. Time will fail me to talk about the amount of grants he attracted to the school through his work and clout. His yearly budget could maybe fund UI staff salary for a year, yet because UI claims to be housing 50k students and have 200 degree programs, VCU will be unranked world wide and UI will be 700. How will any sensible person take that kind of ranking seriously?

Notice, I have constrained myself to just money in my lengthy writ. That is because money is the center of research which in turn should be the center of universities. So help me understand how schools that do not receive as much funding are somehow better than the ones who do? Maybe if you can give me a layered, well-thought out and researched response, I can take you to the next port of call which will then be quality of research produced and accompanying patents.