When Itunu left Nigeria for her master’s degree in the UK, she imagined a smooth transition, school, part‑time work, and a fresh start. Instead, she found herself battling depression, debt, and the harsh reality of starting over in a new country. This is her story.
Where do you currently live, and when did you leave Nigeria?
I live in the UK. I left Nigeria in 2024.
What were you doing in Nigeria before you made the move, and what inspired your decision?
I was working in one of the Nigerian banks. The pay was not bad, but it wasn’t enough anymore. Things were becoming tougher. Before, I could afford to travel for vacation, but with the naira falling, it was looking like “goodbye to vacation abroad.” My friends were leaving, church members were relocating, and it just seemed like I was the only one left in Naija. So, I started planning my move. All I wanted was better opportunities and a better future, and Nigeria wasn’t giving me that.
What visa route did you use to get to the UK?
The student visa route.
Why did you decide to move to the UK instead of Canada or the US?
The UK seemed like the easier option. I had friends who had been denied Canada visa, and I didn’t want to put myself through that. Also, Canada takes longer, and I just wanted to be out of Nigeria.
What was the application process like?
The application itself wasn’t too difficult. Getting admitted wasn’t the problem. When I got my admission letter, I was so happy. I thought the hard part was over. Then came the CAS. The school didn’t release my CAS on time, and by the time it came out, resumption was only a few days away. I went ahead and applied for my visa anyway, thinking I would be lucky. I had heard people say they got theirs in three days, so I was hopeful.
Two weeks later, my visa still wasn’t out. I contacted the school, and they told me there was a cut-off date; if my visa didn’t arrive before that date, I couldn’t join. When that date passed, they advised me to withdraw my visa application and defer my admission to the next session. They also told me the CAS I had used would now be invalid. The school would issue a new one when I deferred. Just like that, I lost close to a million naira because they do not refund the visa application fee. Money that could have gone towards paying part of my school fees. Gone.
What happened the second time around?
The school released my CAS early, I applied for my visa, and it came out in less than a week. Less than a week! After everything I had been through the first time. That stung a little, honestly, especially because of the money I lost.
When you finally arrived, what were those first few months like?
I thought everything would fall into place easily, but I was so wrong. I was depressed for the first month. I couldn’t get a job. I was paying back debt. I went three full months without any income. Every day, I would call my people back home, and I would be crying on the phone.
I was applying everywhere, care jobs, cleaning jobs, warehouse jobs, and hospitality. Nothing was clicking. Nothing. You are sending out applications and just hearing silence, and in the meantime, the bills don’t stop.
I eventually got a warehouse job, and I lasted one day. The work was so physically brutal. Nobody advised me to run for my life. I ran away from that job, and I did not look back. I later got a cleaning job, but it was draining. Three hours every day, Monday to Friday. Even on school days, I’d leave class early to rush to work. I hated those short shifts. I would have preferred a 10-hour shift and cover my 20 hours in 2 days. But I kept going because I still owed money on my school fees.
How did you manage your finances?
Before leaving Nigeria, I had paid about 70% of my fees. I thought I’d get a job quickly and pay the rest, but my thoughts were only just thoughts. Life had other plans. Without a job for three months, I couldn’t do much. I felt like I had made a mistake coming to the UK. I kept thinking of how money used to enter my account every month, and here I was without income for three months.
The day I finished paying my tuition, I took myself out. I treated myself because, hmm… it was not easy at all. I said to myself, “Na me work am, na me chop am.” I worked for it with my own hands, every single day of those exhausting shifts. That feeling? Nobody can take it.
What misconceptions did you have about life abroad before leaving?
Two big ones. The first one, I thought clothes would be cheap here, so I packed light. I was so shocked. I would walk into a shop and see simple dresses on sale for over £30. Or is it the price of jeans? Something I could walk into any market in Lagos and buy for less than 20,000 naira, I will be seeing £20. I couldn’t afford to buy anything new for a long time. I was managing what I came with and just making it work.
The second one is bigger. I genuinely believed that my UK degree would get me a job here. That is not how it works here at all. Here, they care about experience and skills far more than the certificate. Even your own lecturers will tell you: this degree will not get you the job you want. You have to build skills, get experience, and be intentional about it.
What advice would you give someone who is currently planning to make the move?
First, make sure your full tuition is sorted before you leave. If not, you will cry real tears. Not small tears. Real ones. If you can, also have funds to cover your cost of living for the first few months. That buffer will save you from unnecessary pressure and sleepless nights, especially when you are also dealing with school and assignments at the same time.
And the second thing, stop believing the “abroad pictures.” You see people posting their lives in the UK, and you think they have it easy. Even when they are telling you it is not easy, you do not fully believe it because the pictures look nice. It is only when you land that you will truly understand. The view from back home and the reality on the ground are two completely different things. The abroad you see online is not the abroad you will meet. Until you get here, you won’t understand.
