7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE MOVING TO THE UK

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

You finally got that visa...yayyy so now you're ready to bolt down to the UK. I was just like you three years ago, flipping through the pages of my passport as I left the embassy. Still looking for the visa page, you needed to have seen the wide grin on my face when I saw the visa on the last page *dancing alanta*. All my antenna was raised as I earnestly prepared my Naija foods, warm clothes, my study documents cos I was going for my post-graduate degree and made sure my passport was safe till my departure date. I was so intrigued with the joy of leaving that I did not equip myself with the knowledge of my intended destination; I did not ask how the UK economy was or their way of live. I only focused on the education and believed that when I get there, everything will fall into place... and yeah they did eventually but looking back at three years ago, I wish I knew then what I know now. I am not where I would have wanted to be but I am happy for how far I have come despite my ignorance of my environment at that time. 

So if you have plans of coming to the UK -whether for studies or for work and you intend to stay for a long time; these are few of the things you need to know before making your trip. 

1) Prepare your mind: The most important thing is to first prepare your mindset for the new environment and decide to embrace it with enthusiasm. Forget any negative stories you've heard and decide to create your own beautiful story. Focus on your goal, your ability to fix your eyes on the reason you came will help you not get distracted or influenced.

2) UK's culture of individualism - Individualism as defined in the dictionary is a belief in the primary importance of the individual and in the virtues of self-reliance and personal independence. Unlike Nigeria, (collectivist country) it is believed that you are O.Y.O (on your own) and 90% of the time you must learn to D.I.Y (do it yourself). In Nigeria, we practice collectivism which stresses the importance of cohesion in groups eg family ties - uncles & aunties who were not born by your grand parents but still part of the family. We love being in groups and create bonds that are not easily broken, so don't expect too much from anyone cos they expect you to be independent. However, God will always place the right people in your path to help you but you need to be aware of the culture. 

3) Working in the UK: As soon as you come in - first thing is to get your National Insurance (NI) number and begin your search. You're at a better advantage if you have a previous UK experience prior to your job search. If you don't... God dey, you can start by taking professional courses to improve yourself. It is also wise to do a volunteer job or internship for few months and then hit the job market. As a student, your school will always have  a career department; they'll be very helpful. Also, register free with Sponsors for Educational Opportunity http://www.seo-london.com/ to help maximize your opportunity for career success. Apply for summer/spring internships to boost your CV and give you that UK experience; before you graduate you'll get job offers from big multinationals and kick-start your dream career. Visit SEO and read testimonials for more inspiration. #wishiknewaboutSEOin2011

4) Accommodation: Students you may not have any problem with this if your accommodation has been provided by the school. If you're not, or if you're here to work - I'll advise you go for a house that is "bills inclusive". So that if anything goes wrong e.g. slow internet, no heating (during winter), no water, electricity goes off; all you need to do is call your landlord and he/she fixes it. If your accommodation is without bills, more work for you cos you have to do the duties yourself. You shall become electrician by force (D.I.Y thingz). It's best to make things easier for you when you're still fresh in the system and when you get used to the environment you can take responsibility of topping up. 

5) Stop the currency conversion: I see most people who come for vacation and convert the price of every item before they buy it. PLS STOP IT if you're here to stay for a long time cos you'll just vex and not buy anything. If you used to be extravagant, learn to be prudent and not buy everything you see. The economy here is different and you cannot expect it to reflect what you were used to back home. Just re-adjust and gradually get used to it. Yes, things are expensive (especially if you live in London) but this is why you should learn to buy the things you need not impulsive buying. If not, your N1,000,000.00 that you thought was big money when you came will vanish in 30 days. 

6) Networking: Some people have been in UK for over 9 years and the only friends they have are Nigerians. Haba... why na? Networking helps in many ways especially if you're thinking of going very far here so mix up and make friends with people from all backgrounds, race, colour, religion. Employers need to know that you have a good interpersonal skills. 

7) PUSH: You must learn to push your way through. Surprisingly, there are still some parts of the UK where racism is still high; you need to stand firm and not sulk at every unkind word spoken to you cos of your skin colour. Never see yourself as disadvantaged or limited; just keep pushing your way through. 

Lastly SHINE YA EYES... There are lot's of opportunities if you keep yourself informed at all times. Ask as many questions as you can; there will be people willing to answer you. If not Google is your best friend, ask google. 

PS: There is no "owambe" here, where you get invited for a party to chop free rice, chicken, pomo, shaki etc; so if you're invited for a party or any outing, better carry your money cos you're in an individualistic country so ain't nobody paying for your food. O.Y.O #oyolowa

Hope this was helpful...

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London Metropolitan University Crisis: Non-EU students fear removal from UK

Thursday, August 30, 2012

London Metropolitan University has had its Highly Trusted Status (HTS) for sponsoring international students revoked and will no longer be allowed to authorise visas, according to the institution's website.

The move could mean more than 2,000 students being deported within 60 days unless they find another sponsor, according to the National Union of Students (NUS) .

Immigration minister Damian Green said there had been a "serious systematic failure" at the university. He said it proved to be a "very, very deficient" sponsor because more than a quarter of students sampled were studying there when they did not have permission to stay in the country. A "significant proportion" of students did not have a good standard of English and there was no proof that half of those sampled were turning up to lectures, he added.

Every international student looks crushed after the university became the first in the UK to be stripped by the Home Office of its ability to sponsor foreign learners. What these students fear most is that if they don't, by some miracle, get themselves a place at a new university within the next few months, they will be removed from the country.

Cecil Ezeja, 21, from Enugu state in Nigeria was the great hope for his family. Now he dreads the moment when he has to tell his family that his year of studying electronic communications and the £10,080 they paid has come to naught."I can't call them, I don't want to cause any heartbreak".

For Mohammed Islam, 23, from Bangladesh, it is the second time he has enrolled for a law degree and found himself at an institution suddenly stripped of its ability to host foreign students. He has not told his parents but hopes they are prepared to stump up another £10,000 to pay for his degree. "I have a dream," he said. "To finish my LLB from a good university from the UK. This is my main dream."

Ursula Rehman, from Dubai, looks desperate. She has just one semester to go to complete her degree in biomedical sciences and is not having any luck moving to another university. "I've spoken to so many universities now and they say, 'oh we don't do transfers, we don't do this, or we'll have to charge you this much'." She's exasperated. Everyone, she says, is worried and scared.

Emmanuel Egwu, international students’ officer at the university, was one of the many students angered by the decision. He was granted a visa to study at the university in 2009 and is in the final year of his course.

"I pay a lot of money. I've spent £30,000 to 40,000 in tuition fees - my parents sell properties and land to make sure they can pay my fees so what's going to happen to people like me," he told Sky News.

This video explains it all

 
This is sad oh....I pray the Home Office finds a better way to handle this issue with the university cos we know how much our parents pay for studies esp in UK. 

Culled from Yahoo News and Guardian.co.uk

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