naijaeclectic:


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I am the daughter ohh!

Good morning, everyone. Thanks for the transcripts, advice, and encouragement here. You were extremely helpful. God bless you all.
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I think I got there at some minutes to 6. There was a crowd already. I had to register my bag for N2,000. Then, I learned that I was not with the correct copy of one payment receipt (the one paid to GT). They said that I needed something with a CGI logo.

A guy there showed me a sample of the correct document. Then, he said it would cost N10,000 to log in and print it. I didn't know when I told him he was wicked. Lol!

After bantering small, I started speaking pidgin/Igbo. I told them not to look at my clothes or smell my perfume, that I'm from the streets, and we're all here to hustle. All na packaging. Lol.

We later agreed on N4,000 for printing that paper and photocopying my passport data page. Photocopying costs N1000. If I hadn't argued, I would have paid N11,000 to print a sheet and photocopy a page.

I only agreed because I knew time was far spent. If you have time to argue or you don't have cash, please tell them you don't have the money. They'll drop the price.


Please, everyone going should ensure they're with the correct documents. The guys there are seriously looking for how to extort money from us. Someone behind me on the line said she paid N10,000 to print something.
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After paying the N4,000, I ran to the line. My interview was for 8 a.m, and they'd already called that set when I was sweating/haggling over the price of printing. I lined up. It wasn't time yet, but they usually check documents first.

We stayed on that line for about three hours. No seats. Please wear comfortable clothes so you won't suffer more discomfort. Also, dress decently (like, nicely).

Your documents will be checked on the line. Carry your reciprocity fee, or you'll have to start looking for that.
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At some minutes to/past ten, five of us entered the building. (We'd been entering in groups of five.)

We kept standing inside. We submitted the GT payments to someone, then joined the line for the interviews.
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There was this terrorist at one window. He kept grilling people, and when he got to one boy that said he's studying Creative Writing or English (I'm not sure which), the boy was there for a while. I come dey sweat because I'm also going in for Creative Writing. He was grilling STEM-inclined people, and now, an art-based person was almost sleeping at his window. Jump and pass, na my prayer.

I started praying specifically to be sent to a friendly VO on the left (Window 10, I think). He occasionally asked people to stop sounding like robots, but from his demeanor, I could see that he was nice. Plus, people spent less time at his window.

Please try not to recite what you read online word-for-word. It shows when you're repeating it. Just pick valid points and mention them. Be confident.

Someone said you should smile (even behind your mask). I agree. A smile in your voice shows you're not intimidated.

When I got to the front, I saw that I'd either go to Mr. Terrorist or Mr. Nice Guy. They were delivering finishing speeches to the candidates in front of them. I prayed harder for the person in front of Nice Guy to pack his things and walk fast. Immediately he did that, I raced to Nice Guy. Two seconds more from the applicant, and it would have been too late.
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TRANSCRIPT:

V.O: Good morning (smile).

ME: Good morning.

V.O: Please, pass your papers.

ME: (Passes papers.)

V.O: What school will you be attending?

ME: I'll be going to Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

V.O: (Laughs.) Not to be mistaken for University of Miami, Florida.

ME: Yes (laughs).

V.O: So, I see you're going to study Creative Writing. Why Creative Writing?

ME: Well, I'm an editor, so I understand the power of language and how stories can be a powerful tool for sharing information about and addressing issues in the society. (It was basically something like this I said).

V.O: So, you're an editor. Freelance?

ME: No. I co-founded an editing company with my mother.

V.O: What kind of editing?

ME: Fiction and creative non-fiction.

V.O: Have you published a book?

ME: (Laughs). Not yet, but I have stories and poems in literary journals.

V.O: (Smiles). Well, that has to change soon. (Taps on my 1-20, and I believe it's because he knows my final year project is going to be a book).

V.O: (Tikka Tikka Tikka on keyboard.) Are you married?

ME: No.

V.O: Do you have kids?

ME: No.

V.O: Have you ever traveled out of Nigeria?

ME: Yes, to Denmark.

V.O: (Surprised look). Denmark? That's an odd place to go. Why did you go there?

ME: Well, I gained admission into the Erasmus Mundus Journalism program. I did not get the scholarship, but since it was a subsidized program, I joined. In my second year, I was supposed to go to Swansea but could not make it due to financial issues. (NOTE: Some Erasmus programs let students school in different countries. Depending on your course, you can school in 2 to 4 universities before you're done. One school per academic year or one per semester. Something like that.)

V.O: (Nods like he could feel my pain). But I see you have a full scholarship now. (Happy smile on my behalf).

ME: (Happy smile back) Yes, I do!

V.O: Well, I'll be approving your Visa. (Story story story.) Miami University, huhn? It's a great school!

ME: I know, right! And it's public Ivy, too. (I laughed and said that because the school is on a list of public Ivy League schools. The guy slipped my passport and the yellow slip back to me. Told me to have a nice stay. I told him to enjoy the rest of his day, smiled, and ran to the reciprocity place.)

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That's all.

The interview lasted about a minute. I was worried he'd ask complicated questions, but nothing like that. Seeing as they were grilling people doing super-complicated courses, the chit-chat for mine was just a miracle.

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Lessons learned:

1. Carry extra cash. You never know the stuff you'd need it for.

2. Calm down. Confidence helps anywhere. Overthink it, but don't overthink it. I hope that makes sense. Overthinking will make you tense, but you still need to realize how important this is.

3. Know why you're going to study the course. Me, I just need a space to chill and write in peace while chopping life, but I gave a valid reason for why I'm going. And what I said about why I'm going down the writing path is true.

These guys have interviewed people long enough to know lying patterns and stuff. Plus, when you deal with humans, you'd learn to watch their faces and decipher speech patterns.


That's all, guys. I wish everyone going the best. Please stay safe. Also, let's just say they're happily giving out visas. Stay optimistic.

God bless you, and good luck!

(Forgive any grammatical and punctuation errors in the text. Don't use this to judge my editing skills ohh. Lol.)

helo I'm going to Miami also can we talk?
My email is obaseki091@gmail.com

Helo every one please who is in Miami University help a brother out please