John123john:
Hi there! This summer I was going to visit the USA, for my tourist purposes. I heard that in some states, not all, marijuana is legalized. Is it so? If so, how much can I buy?
I also heard that they can get a medical license there, so that you can use cannabis, without any consequences. The police will not be able to detain you when you bring her up.
Can someone tell me more about this?

Miracleadeyeye:
All of this argument because of me, please oo @ monsieurcoder, I made my findings before considering a Msc program in computational linguistics..

Thank you@ kolping I will check right away. God bless you sir

whyqueu:
[Gurus in the House !

is Tarleton State University steville Texas a good school ?


sorelee theamerican

MonsieurCoder:






Computational linguistics is the scientific and engineering discipline concerned with understanding written and spoken language from a computational perspective, and building artifacts that usefully process and produce language, either in bulk or in a dialogue setting.
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/computational-linguistics/

When did Linguistic become a Science and Engineering discipline?

You said "it's an area which uses linguistics rules to model natural language to be processed by software"

Where did you get this definition from?

You said "you don't need to have a background in CS though it would be an added advantage"

Where did you also get this from?

whyqueu:


Dear Sorelee,

I will say this but please don't take it off with me , you among the few guys on this thread that deserves some accolades for your continuous effort towards educating people like me here and I won't lie(lasisielenu voice) I have benefited from every little thing you guys have said and still learning.


Furthermore, I will like to draw your attention with what happened few days back about the issue with low ranked schools bla bla bla . which you totally don't fall in tune with which is very correct .but I will like to inform you that most of this things are not people fault and though you can blame it on lack of information. They are here to meet gurus Like you to feed them with of information

I will still want you to keep your comment intact here because me in particular I'm a fan and its seems you guys don't know much this has changed so many lives on here .


Please don't stop your good work irrespective of any argument you can have on this thread and keep sharing information and ideals .. I can see that our mummy lagosismyhome is now getting older and responsiblity is now half shared here ..

Please I love you guyz walspring sorelee theamerican femi312 and co..we love you and I have learnt so so much from you all ...

MonsieurCoder:


I should stop disgracing myself?

This is a statement you made.



Back it up or you are a bloody liar. Name one school that does computational linguistic without Computer Science background. I am waiting for you o.

MonsieurCoder:


I should stop disgracing myself?

This is a statement you made.



Back it up or you are a bloody liar. Name one school that does computational linguistic without Computer Science background. I am waiting for you o.

MonsieurCoder:


It means that you MUST have a computer science background before you do Computational Linguistics. Whether you take CS courses before or during your M.S. is irrelevant. People change fields everyday.

Show me ANY school that does MS in Computation Linguistic without Background in CS. I am waiting.

MonsieurCoder:


Where did I say you can't do Ms in in computational linguistics with a BS in linguistic?

My Post: Computational Linguistics is a Computer Science discipline not a Linguist discipline. It takes concepts from linguistic but is done by computer scientists not linguists.

Your Post: This is not true.

My Post: You cannot do computational linguistic without a background in Computer Science. Show me anywhere on the internet that says otherwise.

Your Post: Infact My fiancée was a linguist graduate and she didn't do any computer science course before she started her Msc in computational linguistics. computational linguistics courses often don't require any computer science background at all.


How is what I have said different from what is on the website. Instead of you to admit you goofed, you are making baseless claims you cannot backup! Show me ANY school that does MS in Computation Linguistic without Background in CS. I am waiting.

MonsieurCoder:


The Brandeis MA Program in Computational Linguistics is a specialized degree offered by and housed in the Department of Computer Science.

The First Year

All first-year students take LING 131: Programming for Linguistics in the Fall of the first year, and COSI 114: Fundamentals of Computational Linguistics in the Spring. Additional courses for the year are chosen by each student in consultation with the computational linguistics advising faculty, with the final schedule tailored to individual student needs and academic interests.

The goal is for all students to emerge from the first year with:

a strong foundation in the basics of both computer science and formal linguistics
facility and comfort with the fundamental techniques, goals, and methodology of computational linguistics, natural language processing, and corpus linguistics.

Any additional room in the first-year schedule is devoted to developing and strengthening the student's computer programming abilities, along with taking other computer science or linguistics electives of interest to the particular student.

Computer Science Background Courses

COSI 11 Programming in Java and C
COSI 12 Advanced Programming Techniques
COSI 21a Data Structures and the Fundamentals of Computing (required, but can be taken in the second year)
COSI 21b Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (recommended)
LING 160 Mathematical Methods in Linguistics

MonsieurCoder:


You cannot do computational linguistic without a background in Computer Science. Show me anywhere on the internet that says otherwise.

MonsieurCoder:


You cannot do computational linguistic without a background in Computer Science. Show me anywhere on the internet that says otherwise.

MonsieurCoder:


Computational Linguistics is a Computer Science discipline not a Linguist discipline. It takes concepts from linguistic but is done by computer scientists not linguists.

folmus:


Stop asking Native speakers" how was your night" Its meaning is not the domesticated one Nigerians translated their mother tongue to mean. You asked the VO about his sexual escapade last night. Meanwhile, your choice of school get K-leg o.

ghs007:

I hope the answers are not too long?

ghs007:
I got accepted with a full ride scholarship to McNeese State University in Louisiana but my I was denied a visa during my first interview. My second visa interview will come up soon so I need you all to help me analyze the answers below. Thank you.

1). Why are you going to the US?
I am going for my bachelor of science degree in engineering with a concentration in mechanical engineering. This degree will enable me to be competitive enough in the Nigerian professional world.

2). Why US?
The United States has one of the best educational systems in the world and an academic experience gained from a US university is greatly valued in Nigeria by potential employers, so pursuing my higher degree from a well structured educational system will undoubtedly help me stand out and have an added advantage over my pairs once I return to Nigeria.

3). Why that school?
Aside the fact that I have been offered a place in the Honors college with a full ride scholarship due to my good test scores and application, McNeese State became my first choice after I had a one on one conversation with the director of international programs, Preble Girard, during the last college fair organized by education usa. There, I was told about the diversity in engineering degrees, small class sizes, hands on educational experience, and benefits of being in the honors college.

4). Why mechanical engineering?
I have a flair for mechanical engineering courses and I am also very good at it, so I believe a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering will bring out the potential in me and at the same time be beneficial to my country.

5). What has changed?
During my previous interview, I was quite nervous so I couldn't explain myself to her satisfaction.

6). Have you traveled out of Nigeria before?
No, I have never had a reason to. It's because of my education that I want to travel now.

7). When did you graduate from high school?
2017

. What courses will you be taking?
During the fall semester of my freshman year, I'll take courses in Calculus, Engineering graphics, General Chemistry, English Composition, Foundations for Engineering Freshman Success, and a History general education elective. All of which are 17 credit hours.

9). Why do you think you got the scholarship?
It's because of my good test scores, GPA, class rank, recommendation letters, and essay.

10). How many schools did you apply to?
I applied to 2 schools and I got admitted with scholarship offers from both of them.

theamerican:


First, I must commend your effort in reading a lot about GGU and trying to put forward a counter-argument to what I wrote (if she had done this research and figured ways to counter the issues you raised, she could have had her visa by now). You made very excellent points but failed to address the important ones so I'm also going to reply for the sake of others reading this thread.

I asked you to quote the source of your "10% of people with unranked schools get visas" claim and you asked me to check NL transcripts? Really? That's your source? You also failed to provide the stats for people who apply to ranked schools. Opinions are a opinions, not facts. So I won't dwell on that.

Look at the first line of what I quoted (it's in italics too). That sums up all she has to do to get her student visa and I'm sure that's why she came here. She asked what could have gone wrong with her visa interview and what to do to fix it.

You said VOs are now realizing people wouldn't spend money on unranked schools. Do you want me to give you a list of other preconceived notions VOs have towards visa applicants? Did you miss the part where I said it's the applicant's job to convince the VOs otherwise? I don't care what preconceived notion an interviewer has, it's your job to prove those notions wrong.

Where did I tell her to gamble on the school losing accreditation or risk wasting her money? How did you even reach that conclusion? I wonder if you understand how rules, regulations, laws, and freedom work. Please stay on track and understand arguments before you counter them. I said Losing accreditation is not relevant at the time of her interview, same way no one should say "what if your sponsor dies 6 months after you get to the U.S." ? Focus on the matter at hand and leave out "what ifs".

All the stats you pulled out, the screenshot, etc. and all those things lol. Do you honestly think the VO pulled them out, read everything, while conducting the interview? What she does with her money is not my business or the VO's. She said she's coming here to study and going back home to work and wants to know how to get her visa. Stay on track.

You can say you think applying to a better school would increase her chance, and I won't bother saying anything, you're entitled to an opinion. I will forever reject the notion that an unranked school condemns you to doom. That's not true.

If she comes here asking "do you think I should spend so much money going to GGU considering the fact that I wanna remain in the U.S and practise there?" Your arguments would have been excellent and I'd even support some of the things you're saying. But she's asking us how she can get her visa... and that's what I want us to address. Stay on track.

Finally, I don't know what you searched for about GGU lol. I searched for different things and I have so many positive things to say about that school. It's not my job though. I'm not being paid for consultation.

theamerican:
Dear @Sorelee,

You largely missed the point. A visa denial happens based on a lot of factors. Is the proposition "If your school is unranked, then your visa application will be denied" true or false?

Better still, consider: "your visa application will be denied if your school is unranked". Is this true or false?

I'll answer for you: it is false.

Consider the following statements you made:

1. These days we get to see just 1 out of 10 persons get visa approval applying to an unranked school. (That's 10%, is this a fact or opinion? I'd like to see the source of your stats and also, tell us the percentage of approved visas for applicants to "ranked" schools).

2. Even with all of these being said, you might still get your visa with this same school, [s]but what if the schools loses its Accreditation? What then happens to the time and money spent?[/s] (that is irrelevant at this point, sir. What if the school doesn't lose its accreditation?)

[s]I can reasonably infer even from your two statements that it is nonsense to say you can't get a visa with an unranked school[/s].] You can get it and that is my point. I don't wanna go into details forming arguments, she's a lawyer, she can form all that on her own.

Her interview didn't end when the VO asked: "Why did you choose GGU?". It continued for a reason.

I'm sorry you think "that is nonsense" is an insult. I didn't mean it in an aggressive way. My opinion remains unchanged. She can still get a visa with an unranked school.

theamerican:


You didn't prepare well for your interview, simple. Don't let anyone tell you your visa was denied because your school was unpopular/unranked. That's absolute nonsense. Once a school is SEVP certified to sponsor/enroll/admit (use any other word) international students, you can get a visa with that school! THE END.

Now, before replying, I googled GGU and read some stuff about it. I compared what I read to what you answered and I shook my head. Choosing a school like that over the other thousands of schools in the U.S for the reason you gave was NOT good enough. If you doubt me, read the wiki page of that school and you'll see that there would have been better reasons for choosing the school over what you wrote.

[s]Check accreditations, rankings, and alumni.[/s] You'll see that there's nothing wrong with the school. You chose a private university in downtown San Francisco. I'd also wonder why/how your sister's willing to commit to sponsoring you there and if you'd be stuck. It's gonna be expensive AF despite getting the 18k scholarship. Again, I don't know how old you are or how old your child is, all these things could also play into the mind of the VO. Can't say for sure.

Always remember, your sister is not your spouse, parent or child. Those are people considered to have enough "stake" in your life to sponsor you through thick and thin. It'd be different if you were an unmarried relative of that sister. You're married and with a kid, a VO doesn't see you as the responsibility of the sister. She's not legally responsible for your welfare. A VO would trust your spouse or parent to give you $100 than your sibling or other relatives to give you $5.

See? I could go on and on about what could have influenced the decision of the VO and you'd see the countless possibilities. It could have been anything, and it's the reason I always stress being over-prepared.

Now that we've tried to cover what could have gone wrong, let's see how you can fix it. For a start, you can contact the graduate coordinators or any other faculty of that school and ask them why their school is a better proposition and try to make them tell you the sense in committing a fortune to studying there than anywhere else. You'd be surprised at what you'd learn from them. Add this to other information you read online and work on convincing a VO that you really know what you're doing and not making a mistake AND PRACTISE MORE!

Whether it's GGU or Harvard University, burden is on you to do enough to change a VO's mind and make them approve your visa. A VO sees you and is thinking: "this one is an intending immigrant" and has 1,001 reasons to deny your application. It is your duty to have 1002 reasons to change their mind.

I'm glad you're a lawyer, get down to work and prepare better. You can still get that visa. It just wouldn't come easy based on the factors that are already against you. You can get a visa with a SEVP certified school, you can get a visa with your sister as a sponsor, and you can get a visa irrespective of your age, marital status or number of children you have.

Disclaimer: This is an opinion given after eating honey butter chicken biscuits. Do NOT mistake it for legal advice.

harthy007:
Thanks to all those who have contributed here. I am a silent follower of this thread.

Visa approved today at the Lagos Embassy. Time: 6:30a.m

At the stage b4 having my fingerprint done, had an issue, my passport photo had my shadow ..lady requested for another i said the other is same. She went to her superior or so.. who ask her to accept it.. God favour from then on..

Young lady in her late 2Os or early 30s. I was her first interviewee and her mood was cheerful.

VO: Good morning, How are you?
Me:I am Fine, Good Morning
VO: Pass me your I20 and Passport
Me: I did as instructed
VO: Which state are you going to ?
Me:
Colorado, Boulder. My program is at the University of Colorado, Boulder
VO: How did you find out about this school?
Me: it was recommended to me by my industry mentor who is a senior manager at Cisco. He emphasize...V.O cuts in....
VO: Did you apply to any other university?
Me: Yes, I did. I applied to Cornell University, New York, University of California, Berkeley (made a mistake..just flowed and didnt correct myself), University of Maryland College Park.. V.O seems impressed by schools ..started typing
VO: nice, so what will this program do for you
VO: I currently work in the IT industry as a Network Engineer. A masters at this point would equip me with the technical and business skills to design plan and build secure and scalable network systems. It will give me the requisite exposure and experience to advance my career forward as Network Architect
VO: who is paying for your studies?
Me: I was awarded a merit based scholarship and I have a loan and my family support to cover my shortfall.
At this point brings out white paper..
VO: By family support,do you mean your parent or who?
Me: Oh! My uncle, my dad is late.
VO: What does he do
Me: He is a Senior manager in the government parastatal **** in charge of ***
VO: Have relatives there?
Me : No sir
VO: What will you do after your program ?
Me: There are many lucrative job opportunities in my field here in Nigeria. I will return to take up jobs at top ICT multinationals such as Cisco, HP and Microsoft
VO: circled something on white paper and said) Congrats, your visa has been approved, pick up your visa at .....(me:not listening)... Have a nice day
Me: Thank you .. have a great day!

Do mocks if possible .. do not cram, get use to formulating reply based on ur application intent, sop... No need to be tensed

whyqueu:




Personally, I think you had issues when you said your Elder sister will be Paying for your studies !! its wasn't convincing enough at all ! A married woman depending on your Elder sister is not strong enough ! What of your Husband and co ?

I think that was the major reason why you where denied not because of the school .The interview was going well before you threw everything away ! My advice try again and find a better reason !!

My advice

nwendujudy:

Thanks for the observation,I never knew about this anyway. Now what are the chances of getting another admission and I20 and still making it this fall? I wouldn't want my sevis fee payment to expire�

nwendujudy:
Visa denied. Lagos. Post 2. 6am
Interview lasted for about 6 to 7 minutes

Me: Good morning
VO: no answer,pass me your passport and I 20
Me: Gave her

VO: why did you choose this school?
Me: I chose GGU because GGU has this curriculum that suits my career goals in this sense that offer students this environmental law and justice clinic whereby students get to work under attorneys and other US agencies(names one agency) while they study gaining rich practical experience on environmental Law. Then secondly GGU offered me a merit scholarship of 18000 dollars ( She was just starring at me)

VO: which program are you going for?

Me: masters degree on environmental Law

VO: (Cuts in) LLM on environmental law so what will this degree do for you?

Me: This degree upon my return to Nigeria will score me a job as legal officer with Nigerian Federal Environmental Protection Agency,then secondly when you look at PORT Harcourt where I live,there's a lot of ongoing environmental pollution cases and most of these victims are masses who can't afford to pay a lawyer,so I intend to set up a service oriented NGO in ph where these victims could be offered free access to justice and I believe that a good knowledge of this course will go a long way in equipping me.

VO:How many schools did you apply to?

Me 3 schools

VO: what's your highest qualification?

Me: BL... Barrister at Law

VO: Are you married
Me: Sure am married

VO: Any children?

Me: Yes I have one child,a son

VO: who is paying the rest of the tuition:

Me: My elder sister(calls her name)

VO: why did you chose this sponsor?
Me: Because she's been the one paying my tuition since secondary,university and Law school,she's like a mother to me

VO: sorry I won't....(hands me a blue paper and my passport

Me: Thanks


Please the gurus in this house should help me look at this,add or subtract where applicable. I actually prepared well for my interview and my interest is a bit dampened which is not too good for me.
I have a virgin passport which I have had since January 2014.

I am looking at reapplying but don't know what to state as the reason for the previous denial/what has changed in my application. I wouldn't also mind a mock interview: my whatsapp line: 08064553800. Please help a sister

freudianslip:
For those that won't show up in school..


USCIS Changing Policy on Accrued Unlawful Presence by Nonimmigrant Students and Exchange Visitors

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today posted a policy memorandum changing how the agency will calculate unlawful presence for students and exchange visitors in F, J, and M nonimmigrant status, including F-2, J-2, or M-2 dependents, who fail to maintain their status in the United States.

This policy aligns with President Trump’s Executive Order: Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States to enforce the immigration laws of the country and will go into effect on Aug. 9, 2018.

“USCIS is dedicated to our mission of ensuring the integrity of the immigration system. F, J, and M nonimmigrants are admitted to the United States for a specific purpose, and when that purpose has ended, we expect them to depart, or to obtain another, lawful immigration status,” said USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna. “The message is clear: These nonimmigrants cannot overstay their periods of admission or violate the terms of admission and stay illegally in the U.S. anymore.”

Individuals in F, J, and M status who failed to maintain their status before Aug. 9, 2018, will start accruing unlawful presence on that date based on that failure, unless they had already started accruing unlawful presence, on the earliest of any of the following:

The day after DHS denied the request for an immigration benefit, if DHS made a formal finding that the individual violated his or her nonimmigrant status while adjudicating a request for another immigration benefit;
The day after their I-94 expired; or
The day after an immigration judge or in certain cases, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), ordered them excluded, deported, or removed (whether or not the decision is appealed).
Individuals in F, J, or M status who fail to maintain their status on or after Aug. 9, 2018, will start accruing unlawful presence on the earliest of any of the following:

The day after they no longer pursue the course of study or the authorized activity, or the day after they engage in an unauthorized activity;
The day after completing the course of study or program, including any authorized practical training plus any authorized grace period;
The day after the I-94 expires; or
The day after an immigration judge, or in certain cases, the BIA, orders them excluded, deported, or removed (whether or not the decision is appealed).
Individuals who have accrued more than 180 days of unlawful presence during a single stay, and then depart, may be subject to three-year or 10-year bars to admission, depending on how much unlawful presence they accrued before they departed the United States. Individuals who have accrued a total period of more than one year of unlawful presence, whether in a single stay or during multiple stays in the United States, and who then reenter or attempt to reenter the United States without being admitted or paroled are permanently inadmissible.

Those subject to the three-year, 10-year, or permanent unlawful presence bars to admission are generally not eligible to apply for a visa, admission, or adjustment of status to permanent residence unless they are eligible for a waiver of inadmissibility or another form of relief.

This policy memorandum is updating Chapter 40.9.2 of the USCIS Adjudicator’s Field Manual.

USCIS is accepting comments on the policy memorandum. The 30-day public comment period begins today and closes on June 11, 2018. For complete information on the comment process, visit the Policy Memoranda for Comment page.

For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis), and Facebook (/uscis).

TheGrandChemist:
Well, it looks like a checkmate here.

theamerican:
I have said it many times, the problem with Nigeria is not just with the corrupt politicians, but with the mindset of the average Nigerian citizen. Looking down on people/places/things in 2018? *sigh*

@thegrandchemist put it absolutely spot on!!! "KNOW THYSELF". Know your strengths and weaknesses, and plan your life according to them. If you have a background in creative arts or Insurance, don't let anyone fool you into thinking you'd be a complete failure here unless you switched to an engineering or nursing program. Life comes with NO guarantees.

Not everyone can score 320+ on their GRE or 110+ on TOEFL to get into top programs/schools. Don't look down on people who can't get into those programs and go to lesser known schools instead. As @Femi321 put it, the country has changed. Most of the employers now lose interest in hiring foreigners who need to be sponsored to get legal status to work. Going to study at the white house guarantees absolutely NOTHING.

Getting into top programs is great! I encourage people who have what it takes to shoot for them, but let's encourage others who cannot. A friend of mine went to a school no one knows about at age 32 and got a Bachelor's in finance. She works for Microsoft now and makes $120k+ per annum.
Another friend with a Nursing Masters degree makes so much less than her. They are both happy with their lives.

Other examples, a truck driver friend went to truck driving training for 8 weeks or so, job he got now pays him about $60k, CNAs (after 6 weeks of training) get jobs that pay $14+ per hour. Happiness in life is subjective, let's encourage people.

You have no idea how difficult it is for some people to even get into those schools you laugh at and the joy on their faces when they finally see the admission letters from them. Encourage people to believe in themselves and think outside the box.

LagosismyHome:


no the bank is not going to change names ............ You either submit a bank statement with the owners name showing how much is in his personal account or submit documents verifying that he is the owner of the business and how much access he has to the money

It never a good idea to use a company account as it can be hard to prove that money in there belongs solely to the owner use

dmajor1:
Hi guys, I got a lot from this tread and I know it's only natural to give back. Visa approved on the 25th of April and this is how it went.

VO: (with a smile) Good morning.

Me: Good morning sir.

VO: How are you?

Me: I'm fine thank you? How are you?

VO: I'm fine. Thank you. (I have already passed my passport, sevis receipt and i20 to him by now). So, you're here for a student visa.

Me: Yeah.

VO: Tell me about the program you're going for.

Me: I'm going for a chemistry doctoral program at Florida State University. I'd be taking courses in Molecular biology, cell biology, bioinformatics... (he motioned for me to stop).

VO: Tell me about your background.

Me: I have a bachelors degree in Chemistry and Masters degree in analytical chemistry. I currently work at a Pharmaceutical firm as a Medical Sales Representative (motioned me to stop. He was typing all along).

VO: So your 2nd degree is from University of Ibadan?

Me: Yes

VO: And you've being working at a pharmaceutical firm since...

Me: February last year (he nodded).

VO: how many other schools did you apply to?

Me: five others.

VO: five in total?

Me: no. Five others aside FSU.

VO: oh... Six in total. Who's paying?

Me: I got a graduate Assistantship (nods and reaches for white paper).

VO: I have approved your visa. Congratulations and have a good day (I didn't here more than this).

Me: Thank you. Have a good day too.

Thanks to everyone in here whose stories have one time or the other inspired hope.

cojunior:



I actually got the scanned copy and it was approved by the school. However, I don't know maybe the scanned copy will be accepted during interview.

Suppy083337:


Well, i did my findings and i know little if not all about the school. i also exchanged several mails with the graduate coordinator even before i applied, my reason for posting that is just to know if there has not been issue at the embassy for people that choose this school before me.