Someone you know has left or is planning to leave. 1,000 Ways To Japa will speak to real people and explore the infinite number of reasons and paths they use to get to Japa
At 20, Mayowa received a full scholarship to study at one of the world’s leading universities, and her whole life took a dramatic turn. In this story, she shares how she landed the scholarship and is now positioning herself to make her first million in the United Kingdom.
Where do you currently live, and when did you move out of Nigeria?
I live in London, United Kingdom (UK), and I moved in September 2021.
How did the big move happen?
I got a fully funded scholarship to study at the postgraduate level at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Before that opportunity, I graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) with a first-class degree. After graduation, I started working as a content writer to make money, then later transitioned into tech and product management.
I always knew I was going to pursue my master’s degree outside the country, but when the former president Muhammadu Buhari won his rerun election, I knew I had to put that plan in motion and get out of the country. So I applied for the Chevening scholarship, and one of the application requirements was that I needed to apply to three UK schools; that was how I found my school, LSE.
I’ve always wanted to go to an Ivy League, and as someone who grew up poor, Chevening felt like the perfect opportunity. The LSE was ranked the number one university in the world for the course I wanted to study. It felt right, so I applied, but my Chevening application was rejected. I thought that was the end of the dream.
I already paid a ₦80,000 application fee to LSE, but I knew I could not afford to go to school there—the only reason I applied in the first place was because I had hopes of landing the Chevening Scholarship. Despite my doubts, one of my friends encouraged me to apply for LSE’s graduate funding. I was initially sceptical, but I wrote my application essay and submitted it anyway. Months later, I got an email informing me that I had received a fully funded scholarship to study at LSE. It was the Standard Bank Chairman Scholarship, which at the time was only offered to six students every year—two students in LSE, two in Oxford and two in Cambridge. The scholarship covered all my living and accommodation costs and came with a generous stipend.
That’s so amazing. Congratulations!
Thank you
LSE is a competitive school. Can you share some tips on how to get admitted there and get a fully funded scholarship?
To get into a school like LSE, you must be obsessed with research. I watched every single YouTube video I could find about getting into LSE. For a school like that, you must show that you’re worth it. You want LSE to be able to say, “This is Mayowa. She studied at LSE, now she’s a diplomat.”
If you have big dreams, you need to be able to sell them with a structured essay. The selling point of my essay was financial inclusion in developing countries, and how it concerns the world.
I started my first paragraph with the problem. In my second paragraph, I talked more about personal achievements, like how I graduated with a first-class degree from OAU and tied it back to how I would bring that energy to LSE. The following paragraphs focused on my short-term plans, medium-term goals, long-term goals and how they all tie back to the problem I identified earlier. Then my final paragraph focused on why LSE was uniquely suited to help me achieve those goals.
I also went into details about how I felt about the course modules, I mentioned lecturers in my department and what I wanted to learn from them. I’m always happy to walk people through the process and share my personal statement.
My essay for graduate funding wasn’t that different from the main application essay. I just had to paint a realistic picture of my financial inability to study at LSE.
What was it like studying at such a reputable university?
It was intimidating because that was my first time outside of Nigeria. Plus, I was 20 at the time. It felt surreal to be studying at LSE and not paying for it. I was also privileged enough not to work because of my stipend. LSE is intellectually demanding, and my goal was to graduate with a distinction. It would have been tough to achieve that if I were studying and working. Overall, it was a fantastic experience, and I’m glad I graduated with a distinction.
Congratulations! How were you able to stay back in the UK?
Thankfully, the scholarship I got didn’t require me to return to Nigeria. After my studies, I started applying for jobs and got one. I didn’t go for graduate scheme jobs, I was more interested in real jobs that would appreciate the work experience I already had. I got tons of rejections, but I didn’t give up. A degree from LSE was helpful, and I found a way to sell myself using all my achievements. The company that eventually offered me employment sponsored my skilled worker visa after my student visa expired.
Nice. How much has your life changed since you moved to the UK?
My life has changed drastically. I turn 25 this year, and I’ve already lost count of how many countries I’ve been to. I’ve grown as a person, and I’m now earning a salary that once felt like a dream. I can afford to sponsor my younger siblings to private universities in Nigeria and give them a beautiful life. My new goal is to become a millionaire and help other immigrants become millionaires in the UK.
Tell me more about that goal
The plan is to become a millionaire by age 30. I want to retire at 30 and allow myself to choose what I want to do with the rest of my life without any financial pressure.
When you grow up poor, you have a different understanding of the importance of financial freedom. I might not hit the millionaire mark by 30, but I’ll be close.
I started a social media account called @wealthfromscratch on Instagram to document my journey to becoming a millionaire. I also talk about investment plans and the lessons I’ve learned as an immigrant navigating money in the UK system, and I share tips to help others replicate financial success.
I’m rooting for you. On a scale of one to 10. How happy are you in the UK?
Probably seven. I wish Nigeria would work, because there’s no place like home.
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