₦airaland Forum

sonofakin:
Good write up, however, I don't think it is as easy as you are presenting it to be. You also have to understand that unless someone is just starting their academic journey at the undergraduate level, the advice might not be for everyone. For people seeking graduate admission, we all have our different undergraduate background, qualifications and prerequisites. So not everybody can just wake up and say they want to do engineering courses and selected courses in management science. For example, I don't think someone who studied Chemical engineering as an undergraduate will just opt to go for a biology or public administration master's. Likewise, I don't think someone with an arts, humanities or administration background can navigate themselves into a graduate study in engineering. If you have a way around it, you can as well share. I know a lot of people here think about like in the US after studies including the success of getting a H1-B Visa, following your defined 'ideal pathway' might not be easy for some

Actually, once you acquire your Master’s degree, less weight is placed on your Nigerian Bachelor’s degree. Employers don’t really care for your Nigerian Bachelor’s based on experience.

I’ve seen people who studied Food Tech, Biology, Sociology, Political Science, come to the US & graduate with MS degrees in Industrial Management, Management Information Systems, Data Science, Data Analytics, etc. Many of them now work for GE, Cummins, Apple, Microsoft & other fortune 500’s. Go to LinkedIn and search for yourself.

Look for the right schools & research! Like I said, many won’t understand till they come here & see their mates getting internships and jobs left and right, & their only option is to opt for a PhD cos they can’t find jobs.

Janet200:
Life comes with different phase, staying in Naija as a graduate is not easy, don’t associate yourself with failure, people did not make it does not means I will not make it, there is a million reason why the person fail. I have never seen a Naija student that travel to the United States for studies and go back to Nigeria except those that their family already lay a huge position waiting for them. People have been here thru academics and got their residency via H1B. And lastly no course in the United States is useless, know what you study and be good at it, you will get multiple offers. Stop trying to discourage people, instead motivate them.

No course is useless but some would afford you more opportunities than others, tell yourself the truth.

At the end of the day, your success or failure doesn’t affect me in any way. I can only offer my opinion(s), you’re completely at liberty to do whatever pleases you.

By the way, on the contrary, I’m not discouraging anyone. The way I see it, I’m actually motivating whoever cares, to do things the right way, & take steps that would present them lots of opportunities.

Of what use is getting your Master’s in something blue chips don’t care for, then you start looking for a job but can’t find one so you opt of a PhD or a second Master’s?

If your life’s goal is to be in academics, fine. By all means study whatever you want. But if you hope for a career in a fortune 100, study something a fortune 100 would care for.

Hey guys,

I see a few people here applying for courses that would barely provide opportunities here in a bid to just leave Nigeria.

I understand we all have our goals and aspirations. However, If you’re paying out of your pocket, I’m not sure a Master’s degree in Biology, Public Administration & co. puts you in the best position of opportunities here in the USA. Even if you aren’t, you may need to have a rethink and properly strategize.

Arriving the US is only the beginning. You’ll need internship(s) at some point. You’ll need a job at some point. And as we all know, things are getting more & more stringent.

To work full time, you’ll need to find a company that’s willing to file a H1-B petition for you & that does not come easy, especially in non-competitive fields. It can even be very challenging finding a company that would let you use your OPT as work authorization.

If you also think you can arrive the US, get married to some citizen within a few months & have your work authorization, please have a rethink & do your due diligence. Every PR filing now has to be accompanied by a I944 (Declaration of self sufficiency) & this document has been designed to easily detect sham marriages & reduce number of qualified applicants.

It’s better paying through your nose for decent courses in engineering (Industrial, Electrical, Mechanical), IT, select management sciences, than being fully funded in Biology, Public Administration, etc. You won’t understand the implications till you’re stuck & forced to start all over. Look for cheap schools & do something that would afford you a lot of opportunities.

A word is enough for the wise.

Based on my stay here so far, I've come to understand a few things:

Your choice of school isn't as important as the course you opt for: Before anything, write a list of courses that pique your interest & logon to www.indeed.com & compare available openings for each course of study & their earning potential. Also check www.myvisajobs.com & see how well companies file for these courses. Obtaining your Master's is a huge investment in which you deserve a return! Don't be sentimental with your decision.

Ivy leagues won't automatically open more doors: As long as you're not attending an outrageously ranked school, gunning for a Master's in Havard or Yale is great, but it won't necessarily create more wealth, and may only afford you very few more opportunities than the average joe. For a PhD, it might be different. Had an internship last Summer in a fortune 500 company, & I worked with people from various classes of schools. Most employers won't pay you any higher than the standard set for your position regardless your school. But they can only hire you if you have a degree they require.

I'll write more but I'm busy & only took some time to write this because of a few posts I saw. Focus on the things that matter! Your choice of course, funding, then the school in that order. When you get here, you'll face other set of challenges but getting those right will make things a lot easier for you than others.

Rowlexy:
Hello house, i wish to apply for M.sc Food & nutrition Jan 2019 or Sept 2019. My CGPA is 3.08 ( Biochemistry 2014) and my GRE score is 296 ( I wrote my GRE Jan 2017). I need three schools where my CGPA would fit in. Thanks

MS in Food & Nutrition. Fam, anybody that tells you this is a good idea doesn't have your best interest at heart. Industrial Management would place your foot on a way higher pedestal. You can still work in a Food & Beverages firm as a Safety Engineer/Advisor or as a Quality Control expert.

Rowlexy:
Ok bro I'll make my findings on the course and weigh my options. But I'm more interested in food safety and quality assurance

Just go for Industrial Engineering or Management & have better value for your money. Don't take this the wrong way, but of what use is your interest if it doesn't put food on your table?

ObaKlaz:
Music teacher?? lol. How many of these overhyped Nigerian singers can ACTUALLY teach music?! Wetin Small Doctor, Wizkid, Davido, Tekno, Up-coming or A-list whatever/however you choose to call/categorise them wan teach for music??!

Tekno can actually teach music, ignore his watery lyrics. He's a great instrumentalist.

Follygunners:
Empty vessels of the same handle flock together! Nobody sabi you, Fool! The article had to prefix ur bros. name for us to even identify the nonentity!

Guy, you wicked.

Lol

Glocal1:
Thanks bro, the guy is now a citizen or PR as d case may be. He was telling me theres no bro or sister in USA. Sensing my desperation when i mentioned getting a study loan; he told me im not a citizen or PR. Which school are you bro, and do they fund from d onset. Thanks

It doesn't matter the school I'm in. Tailor your search for schools to your program of interest. Ace your standardized exams, contact these schools beforehand about funding & get some funds before coming.

Don't put your hope on loans. You stand a chance of being assisted by a stranger than your African family members when you're stranded. That's how difficult it could be.

Glocal1:
A friend is discouraging me from coming to US without at least getting funded by school or self. How feasible is getting a loan or funding on arrival in school. I would not even mind being funded by a tier 3 school. American dream must be fulfilled o

Loans are not advisable. Nothing beats having enough personal funds that can last you for at least two semesters, or being fully funded by the school or any other organization.

However, if you're still interested in loans, you'll need a US citizen or sometimes a permanent resident to stand as your guarantor before you can be issued a loan. It's usually payable only to the school towards tuition & other academic expenses. That means typically, you will still have living expenses to worry about if you aren't funded or working here.

Brightofficial:
Hello house....
Please do i have to write a standardized test before i get I-20 form?
Or can i write the test after the whole admission process

You're issued I-20 by the school that has conditionally or unconditionally offered you admission.

Whether you need standardized tests before admission or after (which is highly unlikely, save for English tests) solely depends on the school. Log on to the websites of the schools you're looking at & check the requirements.

Naughtyvirgin:
Kudos to femi on his non-reluctant attitude towards questions no matter how irrelevant it seems....atleast you dey give us newbies Joy.. ..tnx man

That's the Femi I know. Warm hearted & always willing to assist. God bless him abundantly!

folakemmmi:
Yes not everybody needs funding but this person we are talking about needs funding. Because it worked for you does not mean it will work for someone else. Your friends that got funding is just a fraction of the total numbers of Nigerian students in the US who were fortunate. A fraction has also fallen out of status due to inability to pay tuition. Just like you mentioned your friends, some of my friends too had to go find there way with marriage because they could not pay tuition and they fell out of status. Some are begging friends to use there credit cards to pay tuition, and when you ask them why they left Nigeria without any means of paying for their fees, they tell you they didnt know this is how it's going to turnout. For once we shouldn't encourage people to rush without proper planning, the other side is not always green

And because it didn't work for someone else doesn't mean it won't work for him.

Does he stand a better chance preparing for the standardized exams & gathering his documents against Fall 2019? YES!

Can he still be admitted for Fall 2018 by some schools? YES! Only with much less probability. The earlier, the better. Not the end.

A lot can happen in one year, much more one year & 7 months! If he is really serious about coming here, can ace the standardized exams in few weeks, then I see no reason why he shouldn't give it a shot.

At the end of the day, we're solely responsible for our actions and inactions. I just want the man to reach a final resolve being aware that Fall 2018 is still possible. Inadequate financial planning is a totally different argument.

folakemmmi:
No he can not meet up. There is no point rushing and failing. Funding deadline has passed in 99% of the schools if not all. I am not sure he has registered for the exams yet, he needs to gets lor, write sop..All these things don't happen in a day. He needs proper planning and not rush, very few graduate programs admit for summer, very few. In-fact the probability of getting a school that offers construction management in summer is low if not close to 0. Aitonline, plan towards Spring or Fall 2019

I was in a similar situation, I wrote my exams & had full scholarship to study here. Not everyone gets funding while in Nigeria; not everyone needs funding & that's the bitter truth. At the end of the day, it all boils down to the circumstances we're in & our individual strengths.

For example, igbonerd got funding after he got his visa, two days before he travelled. Many of my friends got funding only after they resumed. At times, we think we know but we don't.

Aitonline:
Good day all.

From your experiences, can I still meet up with Fall 2018 admission,despite I've not taken my GRE and TOEFL?

Yes, you can. While many schools may have reached their application deadlines, some few ones still have theirs around March, May & even July. Come to think of it, there's still a Summer semester before Fall. It all boils down to how prepared you're for the standardized exams, & what schools you're look at.

Raynee:
Hello im about getting a law degree from a top tier Nigerian university. I will like to pratice in a foreign jurisdiction. Putting the name of the country on the map. Following the thread so far i see one of main reasons for visa denial is an intent to migrate without any plan of returning to ones home country. Please will i have my visa request approved if i apply for a JD program directly from Nigeria? Given the fact that the JD degree is only meant for lawyers who intend to work for a longtime in the USA. And wont they see this as an intention to stay back in the USA? Thanks

E say top tier Nigerian university Lmaooo! You're funny, bro.

You've answered your question anyway. If your degree can only be used in the US, it means you have no intention of coming back. Bear in mind that it's bad intent to apply for visa with a different program & switch when you arrive the US.

Yildiz:
Well one of my major concerns is that the course is relatively new and without ranking, but with full funding, so how acceptable will it be in the job market. My specialization is Signal processing and Machine learning. Again since you have mentioned DOD, then it means I will also need clearance if i am to work in the US with the data science PhD since my concentration will be national security. Thanks

Data Science is great, I wouldn't change it if I were you. During the course of your PhD, apply for NIW. You'll most likely get it & not have to worry about green card anymore. The job prospect is good too! Companies like KPMG, PWC, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, Ford, Cummins, Lockheed Martin & even oil companies hire data scientists. Your concentration is in National Security doesn't mean you have to work in that line. UTK is a good school too. You will be very alright.

If you doubt me, log on to www.indeed.com & search 'data scientists'. You're on a good path.

Naughtyvirgin:
You 've been really helpful bro...really wish I could easily chat you up on whatsapp each time i have a question..thanks alot amd everyone on here also

There are typically two routes to a Nursing degree since you have a Bachelor's degree. You can either apply for a Master's in Nursing, having fulfilled all prerequisites needed for admission, or you can apply for an accelerated Bachelor's degree in Nursing which would take you an average of 18-24 months. For a direct Master's in Nursing, the general requirements are a Bachelor's in Nursing & a registered nurse (RN) license. Though this may slightly differ from school to school.

For an accelerated BSN, the general requirement is a Bachelor's from any field. You may need to have fulfiled basic biology, human anatomy, chemistry (& so on) requirement based on the school. You will need to write the Health Education System Incorporated (HESI) exam & obtain good scores on the test. Your HESI, undergraduate GPA, and perhaps in some schools, your essay, will be used in making the admission decision. Getting into a good nursing program from Nigeria can be a bit tricky.

MrBiggie101:
Good morning people please did I post this in a wrong group ? I’m new here and really need to know I’m making a good move ....


Please I have a question and need some advice please.. I currently did a change of name and I would love to apply to study abroad would that’s affect my traveling since most of my documents if not all my documents bears the old name ... I changed my middle name and first name ... I want to know if this would be an issue for me with the embassy and all .. if you have had this Experience I would love to know thanks..

First name & middle name? May I ask why? I have no experience with this, but I'll like to think a sworn affidavit should be your first step. Nothing is impossible.

TWoods:
Even your sister giving you advice is an illegal immigrant, hiding from the police.

1. Your househelp isn’t going anywhere.
2. You likely will be refused a visa, save your money.

How is not having papers denotive of being an illegal immigrant? Generally speaking, when people say they don't have papers, it means they don't have green card, but that alone doesn't confirm the legality of their stay. They could be on a student, tourist or any kind of visa. Please stop being rude to people, especially based on ridiculous assumptions like this one.
Humble yourself before life humbles you.

fromree:
Hello everyone, i'm new here so i apologize if i have not posted rightly or something. I gained admission for my masters program to study in the us but my i20 came really late, like 5days ago. I'm supposed to be in the US by latest 24th. filled my DS-160 form and paid my visa interview fee but i didn't get any date before the 24th and while i was waiting for this to change i didnt see 24th anymore but 25th which i picked. The problem now is i dont know what to do? is there any possibility that i will be given visa if i go for the interview on the 25th? I tried rescheduling but the site wrote in bold letters that if i try again i will lose my visa fee? Please guys i really need help. I'm sorry if my write up isn't well put together, m really nervous.

Apply for an expedited appointment stating your reason for applying. Refer to this link: http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ng/ng-niv-expeditedappointment.asp

COA1:
The interview went well. We were over 50 but for different roles (sales, manufacturing, supply chain, workshop, field service, finance etc). I was for field service so I can't say much for other roles. Also, I wont give exact questions (word for word) asked, but just a guide.

After some talks by their staff, we (field service) went to take a test, 20 mechanical questions for 15 mins (Obj & about 6 theory questions) and 20 Electrical questions for 15 mins (all obj). The mechanical part was tough (maybe because we were taken by surprise), more about fuel & cooling system of a diesel engine. The Electrical part was very simple, mainly on current, volt, power, resistor etc, just elementary physics.

From the info I gathered, other roles had a case study presentation on how to penetrate Africa with a particular product. They prepared & presented within 30 mins as a group with one person being the spokesman, others could contribute while the spokesman presented.

We then went on to the interview stage. 3 interviewers per panel/ job role. First question was as usual, why applying to Cummins. The other 4 questions were the same thing asked in different words but summarised thus "when has a skill/ strenght you possess helped you accomplish a task". So its best to have different examples of such a time.

Finally, we were well fed breakfast and lunch, serve yourself. Those from outside of Lagos were also given some money for transport depending on your place of residence. We were not told the exact date to receive feedback, but I learnt from one of the their trainees that in their time it was after 2-3 days. In summary, I belittled Cummins. From what I saw, they are quite a good company & a place to be. Their organisation for the interview was superb. I hope to be successful. This is my story thus far.

I hope you get an offer. I'm a currently a Trainee at Cummins, though at the HQ in Columbus. I testify it's been a great experience so far. Wish you the best.

Justwise, can you please move this to the travel section?

salahudeentope:
Please do you have an idea of how much they pay?
I don't want to waste my time and theirs if I get shortlisted for test or interview.
Thank you.

Please take it serious!!! They pay well in the U.S, & I don't think it's going to be any different for their international branches.

oluphy:
you can book to Houston. Then take a greyhound to corpus. It's a 3 hrs drive. I stay 45mins from corpus

The guy is coming to Kingsville. Book a flight to Houston Kelvin, then take a greyhound from Houston to Kingsville.

Which one is "he will cancel I-20" again? LMAO. You people shouldn't create unnecessary tension abeg! Hian!!!

warriboy21:
well c how it goes lol

who don get visa....make una quickly fly enta dis way before january ooo...der a general tension among all international student right now...

Which general tension? Biko chief, speak yourself.

Everyone, please endeavor to stave off negative vibe as much as you can, & focus on your main reason for being here or wanting to come here. Utilize every opportunity you've got, try to remain in status & maintain a good relationship with your creator. He wouldn't bring you this far to fail you.

A lot of things would be said against your staying here or decision to come here, don't listen. If you're funded & your intentions are true, please come. Nothing is more fulfilling & emboldening than setting goals & bringing them to fruition regardless surrounding negative energy.

It shall all work out together for our good!

Fortissimo502:
Are you trying to access them using your school's internet connection?

Nope, with mine. I get to download them easily using the school's system. I was wondering if there are ways to download them on my laptop, with my connection, at my own convenience lol. I'm not really a Library person. Thank you for the reply.

Thank you everyone.

Hi guys, hope you all are doing great? I am.

Please guys, how can one gain free access to journals? I've tried a few alternatives, but all efforts have proven futile.