Wednesday 25 March 2009

What I miss most about Nigeria Part 2

Part 1 listed Nigerian food as the most craved thing left behind by Nigerian students pursuing their education in UK.

But it is not the only thing. Part 2 attempts to detail the second most missed thing about Nigeria (and for some people the first).

Social Life and Romance

The UK has many clubs and social activities to explore but it is easy for international Nigerian students to get frustrated with their relatively small social network compard to back home. Even those with large networks, invariably complain of the quality of friends and romantic acquaintances they meet. i attempt to explore this issue in more depth in this post.

Nigerians, you either love us or hate us - even if you are a Nigerian! The largest African ethnic group in the UK are the Nigerians so why do they feel there aren't enough?

We are still the minority I am afraid - that's why! But then what do you expect when you move to another man's land, especially those who choose anywhere outside of London.

The majority of Nigerians reside in London, so if you are planning on meeting your future wife or husband here and that person is preferably a Nigerian, London is your best bet.

Where will I see them?
-Your local University ACS (African Caribbean Society - Nigerians dominate these things as we are the majority in terms of black university students, some universities i.e. Cambridge and Greenwich even have a separate Nigerian society!)
-Nigerian societies (I am not talking of cults but rather cultural societies not linked to universities!)
-Certain clubs that play Nigerian music (not the best place to find romance but it can happen!)
-Nigerian sports clubs (there are rugby and football clubs for Nigerians - come cheerlead your way into your future boyfriend's heart - that's a joke by the way, but if you are interested in the games, not a bad way to meet people either!)
-Religious institutions (we are a religious people after all, but please don't go there just to meet people - His grace is watching!)

DegreeAngel UK offers bespoke advice on issues of settling in to the UK, including lists of the instituions listed in this post. Check out our website for more details at: www.degreeangel.co.uk.

What I miss most about Nigeria Part 1

What do most Nigerians miss about Nigeria?

Well most would think not much at all, but that is surely a sign of being unpatriotic?

Even the most unpatriotic Nigerians international students must miss some things right?

So what did we find they missed the most?

You guessed it . . . FOOD! -Nigerian Food to be precise.

Funnily enough there is access to Nigerian food in the UK, and has been for some time.

Buying fresh Nigerian ingredients can cost up to four times as much as in Nigeria - and you dare not complain, what's you alternative. You undoubtedly must eat some English food to balance costs but nonetheless there are shops and markets available to buy those coveted Nigerian ingredients in almost every town, just ask around, if you don't see a Nigerian or other African to tell you. Indians generally sell African goods in their stores. London is probably the easiest city to find your African goods and you can get stuff from these markets:

- Brixton Market

- East Street Market

- Ridley Road Market aka ‘Dalston Market’

- Rye Lane Indoor Market

- Shepherd’s Bush Market

Can't cook? Won't cook? - Don't worry there are restaurants in London too (also highly priced spend on average £20 for a meal that you could probably cook for yourself with the equivalent of £1 net - but tasty nonetheless - lets hope you have a part time job to help out)!

Mama Calabar
2-4 Empire Way, Wembley

Motherland
9 Cazenove Road, Stoke Newington

Obalende Suya Spot
523 Kingsland Road, Dalston

805
805 Old Kent road, Peckham

There are many restaurants in the UK and places to source food stuffs and this list is not exhaustive for more information and links to lists simply comment on this post and we will get back to you.

www.degreeangel.co.uk



The new UK points-based immigration system

What is it? How will it affect me? What can I do? Who can help me? Is there still hope?

These are just some of the questions surrounding the new UK points-based immigration system. It has many question marks and is regarded by most as another hurdle in the UK immigration system for Nigerian students. For many this may just be the hurdle that causes their dreams to stumble and fall.

DegreeAngel UK can provide professional assistance to Nigerians seeking loans and other forms of assistance to study in UK (comment on this post with your contact details to find out more - comments are hidden for confidentiality). But here is a straightforward outline of what you need to hopefully help those who wish to help themselves also!

Here are the main hurdles you need to jump to get a student visa:
1. University acceptance letter (including the institution's sponsor number - they act as your sponsor and have to justify your acceptance - must be a fulltime course)
2. FULL University tuition fees (held in your account for at least 28 days before you apply)
3. FULL first year Maintenance fees (£600 per month for London and less for outside London - also in your account for a minimum 28 days)

Please note, these details are not an exhaustive list and circumstances will vary from person to person. Please check this website for more advice; www.degreeangel.co.uk.

Which university is the cheapest for Master's degree?

Graduate fees in the UK vary between institutions and between different courses. There is no such thing as a cheap university in the UK compared to the average Nigerian university fees, but there are some that are less costly than others and some may even be comparable to Nigerian fees.

But arts courses (i.e. classroom based courses) are generally cheaper than science courses (based in labs or workshops). Generally speaking the more prestigious the university the higher the fees (there is a widely held conception that the more prestigious the university the easier employment is - we tend to agree, but there is hope for all graduates nonetheless).

Fees change yearly but for a quick VERY BASIC comparison of international fees please try the following link:

http://education.guardian.co.uk/students/internationalstudents/page/0,,2281001,00.html

However this list fails to mention the many private universities that exist in the UK. Whilst providing the same courses and approved accreditation (sometimes accredited by state universities - meaning your certificate will bear the state university's name), they often offer a cheaper alternative to studying at state universities and for many Nigerians will be the best option. With all these universities on offer it can be quite confusing on which one to choose. For more detailed advice on choosing a course and financing it, along with assistance please reply this post or check out www.degreeangel.co.uk. If you have any other questions don't hesitate to post on this blog.

WELCOME

Welcome to 'UK Degrees for Nigerians', a blog dedicated to helping Nigerians who have ambitions of studying in the UK.

The site lists information for obtaining a visa, financing studies and working in the UK. This is also the blog for the consultancy 'DegreeAngel UK' - a company specialising in professional assistance for Nigerians seeking UK degrees.

We offer application assistance and short term loans to prospective Nigerians students living in Nigeria only. There is an upfront holistic personal consulting fee but there are no fees for financial assistance until you have received your UK student visa i.e. if the loan we provide for you is not enough to secure a visa we will not charge any interest. Financial assistance is offered on a first come first serve basis and in the majority of cases will include partial sponsorships depending on the course and education provider you choose. These sponsorships are arrangements between us and the education providers and are unlikely to be obtained using other agents.

We cannot guarantee all candidates will receive loans from us specifically as a system of TRUST needs to be put in place but we will do all we can to provide support - including other non-student visa application assistance and loans from other commercial lenders.

If you would like our help, feel free to leave a comment or email us at director@degreeangel.co.uk. You can also check out our official website for more details: www.degreeangel.co.uke to post.

We will open an office in Nigeria shortly, whilst our current operations continue to extend from the UK.

The site will provide news updates, links and advice on everything helpful for budding UK undergraduates and postgraduates so feel free to read through and share with friends and loved ones.

Thank you

Kind Regards


DegreeAngel UK
www.degreeangel.co.uk