passyjango:

Why is it that in Nigeria when we talk about exposure, we often talk about exposure mostly bad and irrelevant things like prostitution, bribery, drinking, chasing women and get rich quick. Exposure goes beyond these, it could all so mean having a better idea of what life is all about and living it according to those principles.

For example, a girl who decides to keep her virginity may be considered as not being exposed in Nigeria. But it could be a matter of principle. She may have been exposed to circumstances that enabled her to form such principles or she may just have a higher level of understanding. So, a school does not need to be in the city for you to be exposed.

Just knowing how to satisfy a man or a woman does not make you exposed. Knowing all the latest dance steps or lyrics does not make you more exposed than those who don't, except you are pursuing a career in entertainment. All social activities add to your being a total human, but that does not mean that all your focus should be in them.

The exposure that counts as far as career is concerned is the exposure to yourself. Once you discover yourself (knowing your strengths and weaknesses), the sky becomes your footstool. Knowing yourself will enable you choose the course that taps into your strengths so that you will be the best at what you do, making you get any job irrespective of the university you attended. Even if there are no jobs you can also tap into your strengths and create opportunities for yourself and even others.

We need to redefine what it means to be exposed. Once you are exposed to yourself you will discover that you are distinctively made and hence you do not need to follow the crowd (you have no competition), create your own path and others will follow you.

Thanks so much for this wonderful reply.

talking about exposure, i certainly wont send my child to unilag. Trust me, i really dont want the type of "exposure" on offer at unilag. @topic, school matters, just to a little extent.

Ok, some non-cheering news, no Nigerian University is in first 400 university ranking in the world.
As a first hand info from a friend that was a lecturer at Covenant University and just relocated to US. He thinks the first generation universities are still better off even though standards keep falling in all. The students at these private universities are over pampered, they even find it difficult to think by themselves. To firms giving preference to a foreign degree holders, i wouldn't blame them that much but job competency/skill acquisition is individually based. My advise to all is to develop yourself personally, think outside the box. Make good use of your access to internet, there are a lot of free trainings you can come across online rather than posting pictures on FB or tweeting Some of the curricula at Nigerian universities are outdated. Do not be myopic to whatever you studied at the university, they are only foundational knowledge . Most importantly improve on your reading habit, read motivational books. Improve your self esteem, be confident, work on your public speaking. Most graduates need to go back and work on their english writing and speaking, it is not our local language but it the official language. What's the point being brilliant and skillful but can't convince prospective employer that you are?

I always thought that Federal Universities are above both state and private universities when it comes to recruitment exercise. Perhaps, I may be wrong but I stand to be corrected because I am presently studying in one of the state universities, maybe It's all about grade this days

Not in Nigeria anymore. Nowadays it's man know man. But overseas, I can speak for the UK, what university you attended still counts. If you attended one of the G5 university i.e Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, LSE and University college, then you stand a very good chance of getting a plush job. i.e after passing the aptitude test. At my work place, employees that graduated from those University even have an official ''parapo'' recognized by my employer. Most of them work for the Global Banking and Markets division, so if you have an interview in that division, the chance of you getting interviewed by one of them is very high and there would definitely be sentiments. Apart from that, they are also head hunted by recruitment agencies.

But in Nigeria, the influx of ''su'' universities graduates into decision making positions in big firms has not favoured first generation graduates in terms of job opportunities available.

I would give you some workplace experience.

Until the time I graduated Many Multinationals go to schools for job fair and recruitment.

If as a company you have a budget to go and recruit, You would consider the First generation University before the Ayo Babalola and Taraba State University

While I was a Student, Schlumberger would come to my school to recruit students for Industrial training, The one chosen from my school was taken to venezuela for his IT

In our final year, Many companies came like KPMG, PwC etc.

Some of my colleagues got jobs before they even finished from school because of the name of the school while I know friends from other school who did not have these benefits

For example if you are a recruiter You see a resume from Oxford, Harvard or MIT VS University of Great Falls, Walla walla University. Definitely there would be some bias

Ys It does, certificates from few selected universities, especially UNILAG are given more preference.

martin123:

why not tell him the truth? i presently work in a company where the university matters alot.Apart from graduates from abroad, my company only accept a minimum of second class upper from UNIBEN and OAU.

wat abt uniben n oau makes ur company accept only products from those schools? Thats good to know tho. Proudly uniben

I don't understand what you guys mean by bias, can you compare Oxford university curricula(what you are taught) to that of any Nigerian university for example. What about Internship? isn't it all alchaic theories that are being taught in Naija universities? I have a sis-in-law that graduated 2 yrs ago from computer science department of one Naija university. When i asked her of what the program was about, they are still teaching FOTRAN in the 21st century and infact they do not have a computer lab in the computer science dept of the school. I sent her a laptop with some CDs that teaches MS office, then i referred her to some online resources. She learnt SQL, C++, Java during her service year, all that she didn't learn in 4+ years in the University. She is now gainfully employed in an IT company.

Akiika:

I don't understand what you guys mean by bias, can you compare Oxford university curricula(what you are taught) to that of any Nigerian university for example. What about Internship? isn't it all alchaic theories that are being taught in Naija universities? I have a sis-in-law that graduated 2 yrs ago from computer science department of one Naija university. When i asked her of what the program was about, they are still teaching FOTRAN in the 21st century and infact they do not have a computer lab in the computer science dept of the school. I sent her a laptop with some CDs that teaches MS office, then i referred her to some online resources. She learnt SQL, C++, Java during her service year, all that she didn't learn in 4+ years in the University. She is now gainfully employed in an IT company.

Exactly my point, your university education is what you make of it. The fact remains that if you had bought her the laptop and CD while she was in school, she would have graduated better prepared. So, it is not about the university, it is about having the right tools and taking full advantage of the opportunity that the university environment provides.

University will not determine your job opportunity, is only how your brain functoin in the university determine your future.

very intresting thread, following and learning!

passyjango:

Exactly my point, your university education is what you make of it. The fact remains that if you had bought her the laptop and CD while she was in school, she would have graduated better prepared. So, it is not about the university, it is about having the right tools and taking full advantage of the opportunity that the university environment provides.

So what about those that doesn't have the opportunity to own a laptop, let alone get resources to develop themselves? had she not get any help, she would been parading herself as a bonafide computer science graduate, competing for same job with an oxford graduate for example. Would you hire her over a more qualified candidate? My point is, most of the contents of the curricula are obsolete, the lecturers themselves need personal development. It is the tools (including qualified lecturer, not those that took to lecturing after frustration from the job market) that the university lack that makes it all about the university. The problem is traceable back to our corrupt leaders, if they invest in education, those schools will have the necessary tools for learning.

Akiika:

So what about those that doesn't have the opportunity to own a laptop, let alone get resources to develop themselves? had she not get any help, she would been parading herself as a bonafide computer science graduate, competing for same job with an oxford graduate for example. Would you hire her over a more qualified candidate? My point is, most of the contents of the curricula are obsolete, the lecturers themselves need personal development. It is the tools (including qualified lecturer, not those that took to lecturing after frustration from the job market) that the university lack that makes it all about the university. The problem is traceable back to our corrupt leaders, if they invest in education, those schools will have the necessary tools for learning.

But do we then have to wait for our visionless governments to improve the system. My prediction is that we may have to wait forever for that to happen. Yes, the curriculum is obsolete, but there is enough content on the internet today to satisfy the curiosity of serious scholars in most fields.

There are also books, seminar, workshops, and training programs. Yes, they cost money and most of us have the convenient excuse of being poor, but I believe that there are a lot of undergrads who can afford these things but will prefer spending their money on looking good, maintaining girlfriends, furnishing their rooms, and other short term needs.

So, any serious undergrad should know that his/her university in Nigeria is not well equipped to prepare him/her for global competitiveness and hence should augment the deficiency with personal effort. Just because you are in a sinking ship does not give you license to give-up and die. At least you should try saving yourself. So, you should not allow your university to cripple your future.

As for your first question, those ones are in a very bad situation (I will not like to say hopeless). In fact, only God can save them, especially if no one helps them like you did your in-law. The irony is that most of them do not know how bad their situations are.

Going to a prestigious university can be both a blessing and cause. The name of your university could increase the expectation of the interviewer on you. Mistakes that would be ignored for graduates from less prestigious university may be suicidal for you. Like I tell people it is better to be underestimated than to be overestimated. When you are underestimated you impress people, but when overestimated you disappoint people. So, prestige can go both ways.

Well to me,i think those first generation universities has upper hands in the labour market.It's clearly written that 1st class degree from a state universities can't be compare to 2nd class upper from a federal university e.g UNBEN,UNILAG,ife OAU, UI.Well a thread said it all,2nd class degree from UNilag is more better than 1st class degree from ABSU.Please don't even think of arguing,i school close there and i know what their level of education is like.Let forget about self personality and ability,we just have to face reality.

bravedude:

Well to me,i think those first generation universities has upper hands in the labour market.It's clearly written that 1st class degree from a state universities can't be compare to 2nd class upper from a federal university e.g UNBEN,UNILAG,ife OAU, UI.Well a thread said it all,2nd class degree from UNilag is more better than 1st class degree from ABSU.Please don't even think of arguing,i school close there and i know what their level of education is like.Let forget about self personality and ability,we just have to face reality.

So, you are among the graduates of  ''federal'' university?

A graduate making unsubstantiated statements and unapologetic grammatical blunders . Nigerian educational system is really a mess.

Nonsense!

Arrant nonsense. . . bias, prejudice and quick generalization that has held Nigera backward over the years. How can a sane fellow come on here to make such submission that a second class upper from Uni-Lag is much better than a First class of ABSU. Where did you get your statistics? Please, go and tell the cows in the bush for we're no fools here

desertboom:

Arrant nonsense. . . bias, prejudice and quick generalization that has held Nigera backward over the years. How can a sane fellow come on here to make such submission that a second class upper from Uni-Lag is much better than a First class of ABSU. Where did you get your statistics? Please, go and tell the cows in the bush for we're no fools here

His use of English language has exposed his deficient intellectual capabilities even more.

Chamber2. . . That's how some fellow here operate. Always believing that they're much better than others because of their crappy certificate and school. In no distance time, some people will come on here to paint a different situation all together. Lets watch out

desertboom

Well, I am unperturbed by such primitive, unsubstantiated and baseless claims. There is absolutely no basis to assume that graduates of federal universities are, by any chance, better than their state or private universities counterparts. All Nigerian universities still suffer similar problems; poor learning environment, unmotivated and quack lecturers, constant strike actions, lack of access to modern learning facilities, poor funding and unnecessary government interference, prostitution, cultism, laziness, exam malpractice, and host of other unprintable, unmentionable and unfathomable issues

So, for a product of such defective system to assume he is better than his counterpart from another university is ridiculous. What we have in Nigeria are few individuals who managed, albeit the inherent deficiencies, to  graduate as ''sound'' graduates from these institutions. Very few i must repeat.

In a graduating class of maybe 100, you can only find 20-30 people who can reasonably be termed graduates. Others are either half baked or unbaked.That is the situation among all universities in Nigeria. And the few that graduated as best tend to forget all what they learnt in school 2-5 years after graduation. The only evidence of their being graduates is in their use of high sounding English words or maybe better grammar. Every other thing seems to be forgotten.

So, classifying or in worst cases generalising that graduates of federal universities are better than their counterparts in other universities is fallacious. I am not saying graduates of federal universities are not good, but every university tend to produce few sound graduates every year. Also, most federal universities have had much gestation periods and their graduates are found in almost all organisations, compared to their state and private universities counterparts which are of recent creation. This tend to help advance the ''i better pass you'' mentality as displayed by most federal uni graduates.

The best thing, therefore, is to treat people as individuals rather than as groups. Afterall, we all wrote the same jamb, waec and maybe aptitude test

Check it out
www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-790008.0.html#msg9420672

chamber2 (m)

So, you are among the graduates of ''federal'' university?

A graduate making unsubstantiated statements and unapologetic grammatical blunders . Nigerian educational system is really a mess.

Nonsense!


You think you are good with your grammar,give me the go ahead to print out and present to my Eng lecturer,you will know how arrogant you are.You are a fool chamber2 (m)Don't you think I'm entitle to my opinion.For your info,i am not among the graduates from federal university.Nonsense.


desertboom (m)
I think you are a fool too,but chamber2 (m) is a bigger fool.Idiots.

bravedude:

chamber2 (m)

So, you are among the graduates of  ''federal'' university?

A graduate making unsubstantiated statements and unapologetic grammatical blunders . Nigerian educational system is really a mess.

Nonsense!


You think you are good with your grammar,give me the go ahead to print out and present to my Eng lecturer,you will know how arrogant you are.You are a fool chamber2 (m)Don't  you think I'm entitle to my opinion.For your info,i am not among the graduates from federal university.Nonsense.


desertboom (m)
I think you are a fool too,but chamber2 (m) is a bigger fool.Idiots.

It's entitled 

chamber2 (m)

It's entitled


Why didn't you give me the go ahead to print out your grammar?You are a fool.Kiss my ass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

chamber2 (m)

Which of those women is your mom?i blame her for giving birth to a fool like you.Learn how to mind your business,he goat.

bravedude:

chamber2 (m)

It's entitled


Why didn't you give me the go ahead to print out your grammar?You are a fool.Kiss my Bottom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And this is supposed to be a graduate or undergraduate

chamber2 (m)

It's entitled


Why didn't you give me the go ahead to print out your grammar?You are a fool.Kiss my Bottom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



And this is supposed to be a graduate or undergraduate Huh


How is it your business if I'm a graduate or undergraduate?The issue here is,I'm young and well to do dude.How old are you?Bleep u!!!!!!!!

bravedude:

chamber2 (m)

It's entitled   


Why didn't you give me the go ahead to print out your grammar?You are a fool.Kiss my Bottom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



And this is supposed to be a graduate or undergraduate Huh


How is it your business if I'm a graduate or undergraduate?The issue here is,I'm young and well to do dude.How old are you?bleep u!!!!!!!!

Okay. This thread is not for teenagers. Visit the jokes section

chamber2 (m)

It's entitled


Why didn't you give me the go ahead to print out your grammar?You are a fool.Kiss my Bottom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



And this is supposed to be a graduate or undergraduate Huh


How is it your business if I'm a graduate or undergraduate?The issue here is,I'm young and well to do dude.How old are you?bleep u!!!!!!!!

Okay. This thread is not for teenagers. Visit the jokes section


How old are you?can i buy you lunch at MC Donald?i know you are hungry fool.Hey,you didn't tell me which among those ugly women is your mom.

@bravedude. . . Hahaha. . . I laugh you because you didn't sound any  different from a motor park-tout. You just tagged chamber and I arrogance, fool and all sort of names just to remain relevant in this thread. The character you've exhibited above is a classical case of the "pot calling the kettle black". Next time don't blow your trumpet of Uni-lag 2:1 being better than 1:1 or First class of ABSU when almost all Nigeria institutions suffer the same situation highlighted by chamber2 day-in-day-out.

desertboom (m)

@bravedude. . . Hahaha. . . I laugh you because you didn't sound any different from a motor park-tout. You just tagged chamber and I arrogance, fool and all sort of names just to remain relevant in this thread. The character you've exhibited above is a classical case of the "pot calling the kettle black". Next time don't blow your trumpet of Uni-lag 2:1 being better than 1:1 or First class of ABSU when almost all Nigeria institutions suffer the same situation highlighted by chamber2 day-in-day-out.


You and i know everyone is entitled to his opinion.Why did you start by calling me names,talk to chamber2 (m) for trying to make a fool of him self.Do grammar give money?Nonsense!!

University education is pretty much a personal thing. I graduated from a not too highly-rated state University, but because I made the most of the opportunities I had, I am currently sought after in my field. Not because I went ahead to obtain a Masters degree in a UK University, but because I took ownership of my own learning experiences and the outcomes.
It really does not matter where you have graduated, what really differentiates you is what you have made of your learning experiences.