Jann in TX Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 Cross posting on College Board... DD2 will be attending the University of Lancaster for her Master's program beginning this fall! It was her first choice and the number of students accepted is VERY limited! :hurray: Anyone with experience willing to chime in-- we have a 6-7 months to prepare. DD spent a summer in Spain attending a university, but has never been to the UK. DH has been there a few times.... I almost died in the Heathrow airport last summer (literally!) but other than that I've no clue what to expect... How does one prepare for a whole year out of country? 37 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 (edited) What do you want to know? About living overseas: I wouldn't try to pack everything. If there are particular items that she really relies on (skincare products, for example) then take supplies for a few months in case she can't find them there and needs a care package. Otherwise: travel light. Remember that accommodation is likely to be small - houses are much smaller and university accommodation is rarely luxurious - so you don't want too much stuff. If you are wondering whether to take something, check amazon.co.uk and if it's available, don't take it. The voltage is different, and it's often easier to just buy small electrical appliances locally, rather than dealing with transformers. Start working on the visa as soon as possible. Arrange evacuation insurance in case you need to fly her back home with a condition that you want treated at home. She will be eligible for healthcare in the UK as a full-time student. See if you can get a credit card with a chip and pin. She will need a UK bank account after she arrives, but a chip and pin card will make life easier for the first few weeks: most shops can cope with a non-chip card, but it is a bit of a palaver. Waterproof shoes: Gore-Tex is your friend. She'll be walking a lot, and it does rain copiously and unpredictably. There's a reason the landscape is green. ETA: what's the programme? If you'd rather not say, that's fine too, of course. Edited February 4, 2016 by Laura Corin 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabelen Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 Congratulations and all the best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mabelen Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 @Laura Colin, I hadn't heard the expression palaver for ages! When I read it, it somehow transported me back to my time in the UK and it made me smile! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 (edited) Other thoughts: try to find some books about modern Britain to read. John Lanchester's 'Capital' gives an interesting picture of modern British life. Do a bit of reading up on modern British politics: the nature of the UK, its nations, the nomenclature (it's 'The UK', for example, just like 'The USA'), the culture. You'll find, for example that it doesn't do to refer to Scotland as being part of England, but that's sometimes not obvious to outsiders. The status of Northern Ireland as opposed to Eire. Talk to her about what she wants to do about drinking - students are pretty heavy drinkers and the legal age is 18, so most people will be much more habituated than she. British politics are, in general, a fair way to the Left of those in the US, so social mores might be different than she is used to (views on religion, homosexuality, swearing, etc.). It's better to be prepared. Edited February 4, 2016 by Laura Corin 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 Just curious how did your dd decide and get her heart set on a college overseas and how did she narrow it down to which one? When I went to college the thought of going overseas to college was never even on my radar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 Congratulations to your daughter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 (edited) dp Edited February 4, 2016 by Mama Geek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Professormom Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 No advice, but many congrats :hurray: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vera Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 Ds in is grad school in London. He also spent undergrad in England. We just send him with money so he can pick up whatever he forgot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 Congratulations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawyer&Mom Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 Talk to her about binge drinking. Really. I went to grad school in the UK. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halftime Hope Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 Congrats!! Way to go, Jann's girl! Dd SO wanted to do grad school in the UK (cuz UK) but couldn't narrow her focus to a program. So she's in SF instead, and still keeping options rather loosely held. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 Wow, thrilling news! Congratulations! :hurray: My advice would be to get season tickets for Chelsea or West Ham United, but that's not very practical. :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted February 4, 2016 Author Share Posted February 4, 2016 My mouse battery just died-- so I can't use the quote feature... DD will be getting her Masters in Cognitive Linguistics with an emphasis in TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language). Her BA is in English with a minor in Spanish. Most programs only accept 10-12 student per year-- she was a top choice for Lancaster! She had looked at schools in the US and did not find the 'perfect match' for programs... also, even with the out-of-country tuition it will still be cheaper to get her Masters in the UK (and PHD if she chooses to continue). This DD is more 'left' than her conservative parents... As far as drinking goes, she is 23 and does not drink. She is actually allergic to most alcohols! When she was in Spain she became the 'designated walker' and made sure her roommates made it home safely from their bar-hopping adventures. She also said it saved her $$$--- but she did say she had to watch the calories (some of the pubs had great milkshakes!). Thanks Laura! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 Congratulations! I can't think of anything to add to Laura's suggestions right now other than a good waterproof jacket would be useful but that can be bought here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 My daughter spent her first two years of undergraduate at University of Edinburgh (transferred this year back to the US to finish up here). Agree with Laura to start the visa process early -- the long term student visa has several more steps than the tourist or business visas that any of our family members have ever gotten, and the interview appointments back up (at least in NY -- I don't know where your daughter will be going?) in the summer. Get her an unlocked phone so she can get a SIM card there. Don't let any US carrier try to talk you into any kind of "international" plan. Phone service is vastly, vastly cheaper there (most other countries, really) than here. My daughter paid 16 pounds/month for unlimited Europe calls/data/texts, used free Skype on wifi/cellular for her international calls, and her "all-you-can-eat data" still worked here when she was home on vacation. The first year she went I made her limit herself to the 2 bags she could take on her ticket. That turned out to be the wrong call -- things like bed linens and towels are vastly, vastly cheaper here than there, so you're better off going to Target and just paying for the extra bag. As Laura said, she was eligible for an NHS health card. She didn't have any big problems, but was very pleased with the care she got for her sundry little problems. Good outerwear. It really is crazy how much it rains. Congratulations, to you as well as your daughter. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 :party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 (edited) The first year she went I made her limit herself to the 2 bags she could take on her ticket. That turned out to be the wrong call -- things like bed linens and towels are vastly, vastly cheaper here than there, so you're better off going to Target and just paying for the extra bag. It really depends on the hassle factor. Things are more expensive to buy in the UK (better working conditions and safety net cost money) but there's the journey to consider. Calvin goes to university mostly by train and the most he can manage is one big suitcase with a duffel bag attached, plus a shoulder bag. I believe that Lancaster does have an airport, but I doubt if there are regular flights to London. Edinburgh is easier. So after flying into London, that means taking multiple bags on at least two trains and possibly the London Underground as well. Avoiding London Underground might involve an expensive taxi ride, depending on which London airport you fly into. I would recommend buying waterproof shoes and a waterproof jacket before leaving the US, but just eating the cost of buying any other bulky items in the UK. At the end of the year, donate them to a charity shop. Edited February 5, 2016 by Laura Corin 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Flying into Manchester is easy. Good direct flights daily out of Atlanta and Orlando for a start with the Delta/Virgin partnership. Train service there is great with an easy station at the airport. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Flying into Manchester is easy. Good direct flights daily out of Atlanta and Orlando for a start with the Delta/Virgin partnership. Train service there is great with an easy station at the airport. Great idea! There are some direct trains from Manchester airport to Lancaster, depending on the time of day. The journey takes one hour and 14 minutes. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Phone sim wise a lot of my family use giff gaff, It's no contract but they do monthly packages of minutes/texts and data that you can change really easily and it works out good value for money. If she knows her address when she's here she could pre-order a sim to be delivered when she arrives, I'm not sure if you can pick them up in shops. She should be able to buy up an unlocked phone here easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 It really depends on the hassle factor. Things are more expensive to buy in the UK (better working conditions and safety net cost money) but there's the journey to consider. Calvin goes to university mostly by train and the most he can manage is one big suitcase with a duffel bag attached, plus a shoulder bag. I believe that Lancaster does have an airport, but I doubt if there are regular flights to London. Edinburgh is easier. So after flying into London, that means taking multiple bags on at least two trains and possibly the London Underground as well. Avoiding London Underground might involve an expensive taxi ride, depending on which London airport you fly into. I would recommend buying waterproof shoes and a waterproof jacket before leaving the US, but just eating the cost of buying any other bulky items in the UK. At the end of the year, donate them to a charity shop. I wouldn't load her down with extras that cost less in the US either. If the item is already owned and unused in the US send her with it if you know she needs it immediately on arrival but I wouldn't go shopping for supplies. These days you get 1 carry on and one approximately 23 kilo bag for free. Next bag is $60 or so. Third bag more. I also want to highlight Laura's charity shop comment. Charity Shops are amazing places where great bargains can be found. Most places have a few. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Phone sim wise a lot of my family use giff gaff, It's no contract but they do monthly packages of minutes/texts and data that you can change really easily and it works out good value for money. If she knows her address when she's here she could pre-order a sim to be delivered when she arrives, I'm not sure if you can pick them up in shops. She should be able to buy up an unlocked phone here easily. It's worth contacting Student Services at Lancaster to see which mobile phone company systems work best there. Outside of big cities, coverage is sometimes patchy. For example, where I live, Virgin is dreadful and O2/Tesco Mobile is fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam in CT Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 Yeah, I take Laura's and mum's point re: logistics on the other side. It was easy-peasy for Emma to get from the airport into town so we never worried about that bit. Your daughter's end-game will be more complicated. And the cost-of-things really depended. Big things -- health care of course, university fees themselves (even despite how much more non-EU students pay), and apartment rent -- all were substantially cheaper there than their equivalent here. Food to bring home and cook was a little more, food in pub-style restaurants was maybe a little less. Phone service WAY less (and you can easily do it month-to-month rather than long contracts). Sheets and towels, :svengo: , books, sundry items like throw rugs, fabric for curtains, cleaning supplies etc tended to be more. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 For a big shop after she arrives you could just go online with ASDA (Walmart Store) or Tesco, Sainbury, or Morrison and have things delivered. Grocery deliveries and online shoping are both really common and easy here. She can get towels etc. all in one big shop that you can set up from home if you want. I think the first delivery is even free right now. ;) They do a great job and you just hand something back to the driver if you aren't happy with it and he removes it from your bill. I did check and she definately has an asda. For our family the grocery bills are much cheaper here then in the US. I buy quite a bit of fresh fruit and veg really inexpensively because each food chain has 5 on sale for a pound or less each week. For instance a nice size bag of apples or oranges were 59p at aldi yesterday. I am not sure how my shopping habits would scale down to one. But cooking at home saves lots of money. Poundstores have lots of great deals also.......cleaning supplies are especially good there. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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