The Nigerian experience is physical, emotional, and sometimes international. No one knows it better than the amazing people on #TheAbroadLife, a series where we detail and explore Nigerian experiences while living abroad.
Raimot (30) had always wanted to study abroad. So, when the opportunity presented itself, she jumped at it and said goodbye to Nigeria. In the midst of adjusting to a new life and settling down, she experienced a mix of the good, the bad, and the ugly.
I’m currently in Italy, and I left Nigeria in October 2022.
I relocated because I got a scholarship to study.
Yes, when I was at university in Nigeria, I knew if I was going to get a master’s degree, it wouldn’t be in Nigeria. I had been trying to study abroad since around 2017 or 2018. Initially, Italy wasn’t even part of the plan. It was all about the US. One of my biggest priorities was securing full funding. I started applying to US universities around 2018, and in 2020, I finally got an adviser. For people in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) and research fields like mine, you often need an adviser who can support or fund your research.
Everything seemed to be going well. The professor told me I could apply by around July, but then COVID-19 happened. After that, I stopped hearing from him.
To be honest, I still don’t know what happened to him because he used to be very responsive. I even checked his website, but there was no updated information. At some point, I just thought, Maybe we lost him. So, I moved on.
Then one day, I was scrolling online and came across the University of Padova. I checked the requirements and immediately noticed that they had scholarships. By then, I’d been applying for years, so I understood the process a bit better. I looked at everything and thought, It looks like I have a better chance here. Let me shoot my shot.
The application opened in November, and I submitted mine in the first week because I was already prepared. I just had to edit a few documents.
Twenty-four hours later, I got an email saying my application had passed the first evaluation stage. I was happy, but I had been through this process before, so I knew that wasn’t the main issue. The biggest thing was funding.
The scholarship list was supposed to come out in March, so we waited and waited. I remember the day the results came out. I was at work and just praying, God, I beg. The information was that successful applicants would get an email, and the list would also be published online.
So I kept refreshing my email. Then, around noon, I saw an email pop up. I was in the cold room at work, and the moment I saw the highlight, I hadn’t even opened the email yet, I screamed. That was what changed everything for me. Honestly, that was the beginning of Italy.
My family knew about the process, so they were very excited that I would be leaving because it’s something I’ve always wanted.
I was awarded the Padova International Excellence Scholarship, which funded my studies and living expenses in Italy at the time.
To be fair, I don’t think I was impressed when I first arrived. I came during winter, and everything was strange. It was also my first international flight, so I was just taking everything in.
The first time I actually thought, “Oh, wow, I think I like this place”, was when I started classes. I found out that, depending on the university, you could rewrite an exam up to three times. And not just because you failed. If you got a score you weren’t comfortable with, you could choose to rewrite the exam.
So, if the grading was over 30, maybe you got 20 and wanted 28 instead. You could reject the score and try again. I’m someone who really loves excellence in everything I do, so when I heard that, I was like, Wow. This is good. It gave me the feeling that I could pursue the level of excellence I actually wanted from my degree.
I studied Marine Biology and specialised in aquaculture production and management
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The language barrier. Italy isn’t an English-speaking country. Though my programme was taught in English, and my professors spoke English to us, the community itself wasn’t English-speaking.
It was very difficult and frustrating to communicate. Even with a translator, it wasn’t always easy. Sometimes, someone would literally tell you, “I’m sorry, I don’t speak English,” in English.
It was obvious. They weren’t interested in communicating in English. It was either Italian or they wouldn’t speak with you at all. That was probably the biggest challenge I faced when I first arrived.
I am so poor at learning the language. I tried registering for an Italian class and using Duolingo, but most of the time, it’s the Google Translate app to the rescue.
Yes, one would be paying for nylon bags to pack their groceries. They also value family time. Italians have a particular lunchtime everywhere, both in corporate environments and local communities. By 1–2 p.m., everywhere will be closed, including pharmacies. I’ve had that experience a couple of times when I needed to buy something. I’d forget they’d be closed and already walk for minutes, or even take a bus, before I realised it. So, I had to wait until they reopened their shops.
I actually like that culture. Some people can even be inside their shops during lunchtime, but they won’t attend to anyone. Some may go home to their families for a meal and then come back to their shops.
I didn’t get a job immediately after graduating. One good thing about Italy, though, is that you get a one-year post-study period to look for a job. During that period, you can legally remain in the country while figuring things out.
Another thing is that the job doesn’t necessarily have to be in your field. As long as you get a job that gives you a contract, you can use it to apply for a work permit.
At first, I was looking for research assistant roles and other opportunities in my field, but I couldn’t find any. It was challenging.
So I had to go back to the odd jobs I used to do. I worked in a supermarket, helping with stock arranging and all. I did that for months before I eventually got my current job in my field.
I work as an aquaculture technician. The job is to care for aquatic species and ensure they grow well in their habitats.
Sometimes, you have to survive first before you find the career you actually want. You can’t always insist that it has to be your field. Bills have to be paid. You have to eat. You have to be okay.
One thing I always say is that going abroad isn’t a journey you should do alone. You need good people around you. You need people with similar interests and people you can confide in.
I have colleagues here who have become more than colleagues. We share opportunities and support each other. And back home, I have a very strong community of friends. Honestly, my friends can lay down their lives for me.
So during that period when I was trying to transition into the career I actually wanted, that’s how I survived. Financially, I took the jobs that were available. Emotionally, I had support both in Italy and back home.
For me, it was the willingness of professors to help students. I’m not saying every professor is perfect. I don’t expect everyone to like me, just as I don’t like everybody. But I believe that if you’re in a room of 100 people and 80 of them are willing to help you, you focus on the 80.
In my experience, most of my professors were willing and ready to help, especially if you showed up, participated in class and made an effort. You didn’t always have to know somebody or pay somebody before you could get support.
One of the best examples was when I was looking for an internship. I’d planned most of my journey from the beginning, and I knew I didn’t want to do my internship in Italy. I wanted to explore another part of Europe.
I was applying through LinkedIn and other platforms, but nothing was working. It was always, “Unfortunately…”. Then one day, I decided to speak to one of my professors. I liked his course and participated actively in his classes, so I felt comfortable approaching him.
I told him I wanted to do my internship outside Italy. He started mentioning Spain and Portugal, but I said, “Professor, I love Europe, but maybe Germany, Canada or the Netherlands?” I wanted to explore places with stronger economies. He said he’d look into it.
Two or three days later, he sent me an email saying one of his colleagues had reached out because they needed an intern in Germany. He asked if I was interested.
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