Being a freshman come at some costs, especially in a new environment. As an international student from Nigeria, the odds are stacked against you, as you will have to learn how to adapt. From learning how to communicate effectively and making relevant connections; you have a lot to do.
The Freshman Survival Guide for Nigerian International Students
We are your brothers in arms – here to help you with the freshman survival guide to lead you all the way through.
1. Get the Essentials Ready
Your freshman starts when you’ve gotten an admission into a university outside Nigeria. But you wouldn’t be able to process the travel itinerary or finalize the paperwork at the school if the necessary documents are not available.
In addition, you need to sort out your banking account and cellphone plan. Here are the basic things you need to do ahead of the trip.
a. Make Sure Your Documents are Complete
The following papers are important for every freshman leaving Nigeria to study abroad:
- Confirmation of enrolment, being a document from the school where you got an admission.
- Visa and passport documents
- Travel insurance documents
- Health-related documents and;
- Driver’s license.
b. Notify Your Local Bank
If you have an account with any of the banks in Nigeria, do well to notify them of your departure. They should help make your banking solutions accessible when you are out of the country.
c. Create an International Bank Account
When you get to the destination, don’t waste time to create an international bank account. That will save you the headache or handling finance as an international student.
These tips prove helpful:
- Bank with a financial institution with either Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) or branches within your school.
- Opt for a student account or as an alternative, one with a minimum balance requirement.
- It wouldn’t be a bad idea to obtain a credit card, which helps you become financially-prudent and build a decent credit score.
2. Get a Cellphone
Except you are on international roaming from Nigeria (which is costly by the way) – it makes sense to get a cellphone abroad.
Compare your options:
a. campusSIMS
These are cellphones specifically-targeted at the student community and is meant to be used as a “native device.”
b. Prepaid Phones
These cellphones permit the owner to make calls and other forms of telecommunications per use.
c. Contract Phones
These cellphones are also called contract-based cellphones. They are affordable, but one needs to have a decent credit score or a Social Security Number (SSN) to own one.
d. Unlocked Cellphone
As most international students from Nigeria do not have a credit check or an SSN; it makes sense to skip a contract cellphone.
Opting for an unlocked phone, which you can take from Nigeria to your school may seem a good option. For one, it allows one to purchase a new SIM card, such as campusSIMS for communications.
On the flipside, students will pay higher due to international roaming, and may be unable to use unlocked phones in the U.S.
e. Use Messaging Apps
If you still want to keep in touch with loved ones back home and at affordable costs, consider using any of the messaging and mobile apps, such as WhatsApp and Messenger. You could even make voice and video calls!
3. Major in an Area of Interest
International students may have a lot of options to choose from – but at the end of the day, passion often trumps over intuition.
The course you choose to study should align not just with what you are passionate about, but also your future aspirations.
4. Familiarize Yourself with the Campus
Don’t wait until lectures start before getting around. Familiarizing oneself with the new environment helps to build the enthusiasm for what is to come.
Here’s how to get started:
a. Get to Know Fellow Freshmen
One can easily spot a first-year student out of a crowd. The “I am lost” gaze, awkward walking steps and the tense feeling when out in the public signals such people out.
You should get to know such people – fellow freshmen. Start with your roommate(s) because as fellow first-year student(s), you are better off getting along.
That done, do the following:
- Get to know the other freshmen in the residence hall.
- Be authentic (be you) anywhere you go, because that’s how to shove off the feeling of not fitting-in and getting people warming up to you.
- Don’t be the hostile freshman – be open to conversations, even amongst fellow first-year students.
b. Know the Campus Layout like Your Palm
The easiest way to get lost in college is not knowing your way around the campus. Before lectures start, take the time to walk around and know the important structures and places.
c. Find a “Study Spot”
What’s international studies if one can’t seize an opportunity to stow away to a favorite place to read? In your Dora the Explorer moves, find an ideal place where you can bury your head in books.
5. Go to as Many Orientations as Possible
Orientations are what they are – dedicated events to help new students settle into the community. Make sure to attend as many as possible.
Here’s why it is important:
- Oriental periods are when international students get to learn the core values and mission of the school.
- Orientations help new students to learn more about the school better – including the locations of the faculties, social clubs to join, community events and course structures.
- During orientations, both the teachers and students get to form a cordial relationship, as introductions are officially made.
6. Attend Lectures
This is obvious already but we like to reemphasize it. Attend lectures. That’s the reason why you are in school in the first place.
And you have to be diligent about it, especially by not missing the early morning classes. That’s where the professors let you know where to concentrate on the most ahead of the assessment tests.
7. Socialize!
All work and no play makes (insert your name here) a dull international student. Seek a balance between study-life and socializing or interacting with the rest of the world.
It doesn’t cost much and you may not need to break a bank – or your safe box to do that. It could be as basic as:
- Become a member of a social club, sorority or campus student government association.
- Find and join a study group, especially if this is related to your course of study.
- Participate in extracurricular activities, such as sporting events.
- Get someone (typically one experienced in the field you need mentorship) to guide and mentor you. Also, turn to the school’s Guidance Counselor to get expert directions on navigating a course of study.
8. Put a Thumb on Your Expenses
Being an international student from Nigeria comes with some flipsides, one of which is fluctuating exchange rates. Except you have a lot of money in the bank – it is commonsense to spend wisely.
These money management tips will make sure you stay on top of your finances:
a. Draw up a Budget
Your budget is a plan of expenses directing you on what needs funding and what doesn’t. To be sure of everything, plan the budget according to the income or expected inflow of money monthly.
This is what the budget of an international student should look like:
- Tuition: set aside a specific amount of money towards paying the tuition fees and purchasing books. That is a good way to not feel overwhelmed when paying at once.
- Personal Expenses: this allocation goes towards the personal expenses, such as shoes, taking haircuts, toiletries and cosmetics. Clothing can also be classified here.
- Bills: these are recurrent expenses, such as television, telephone, electricity, gas, Internet subscription and water.
- Recreation: except you want to lock yourself indoors after classes; creating a budget for recreation, fun-time and past-time activities is essential. Payments can be shifted towards concert tickets, movies, gym, and nights out.
9. Pay Your Taxes
This is applicable to Nigerian international students who also work while schooling. Paying your taxes is a good way to continue benefiting from the amazing services the government provides.
Factor the taxes into your budget so you can keep a thumb on what’s left.
10. Schedule Everything
It may be a four-year course, but if not properly-batched, one may make the mistake of thinking there is enough time in the world. Therefore, schedule everything you must do as an international student and stick to it.
You can use a mobile app for timing your studies and other activities, or use a to-do list to make a list of the important things that need attention.
11. Don’t Forget Yourself in this “Rat Race”
It could come off as a rat race when one seems to be working round a circle – from class to bed and from bed to class.
In the midst of all these, international students may forget some other things that matter – socializing, having a “me time,” binge-watching a movie for a while or even attending a karaoke.
The goal is to maximize your time, while doing other things that will not only add value to your life, but also make abroad studying worthwhile.
Read: How To Stop Homesickness As an International Student
Nigerian International Students Survive the Freshman Period
The first year of international studies is one of the most trying but once you’re able to navigate it, the rest of the journey will be smoother.
We hope this freshman survival guide has helped you figure out the most important things to do and how to get the best results out of each.