2 million British Emigrants???? (house, high school, university)

[Mag3.14]

Originally Posted by backtotx

Ian - Thanks - I think. We have four kids and the eldest is 13. She wants to go to university in the UK but I told her that the facilities etc would be better here. Still a few years to think about options but its a bit scary

Many universities in the midwest have exchange programs with universities here, so they could spend 1 of the 4 years over here. My wife's university isn't far from you.. UW-Madison. I loved every minute of my iniversity life here, but I spent a year living in Madison and envied the student life at UW! The facilities are not even comparable.

The fees in the UK are alot more expensive for foreign students.. I'm not sure how it works if you are a British citizen abroad??

[Mag3.14]

Originally Posted by famenity

Anyone would love to study at Cambridge, there are some facilities money can't buy.

Actually, I would have hated to study there. You are almost guaranteed a well paid job afterwards but I wouldn't have traded my education at a lesser university to go there. Ivy league universities in the US are the same.. I wouldn't want to go to those either.

[backtotx]

Originally Posted by ian6479

Many universities in the midwest have exchange programs with universities here, so they could spend 1 of the 4 years over here. My wife's university isn't far from you.. UW-Madison. I loved every minute of my iniversity life here, but I spent a year living in Madison and envied the student life at UW! The facilities are not even comparable.

The fees in the UK are alot more expensive for foreign students.. I'm not sure how it works if you are a British citizen abroad??

I do think that the fees for a British citizen abroad are more than those for a British person living in the the UK.

I agree about the Cambridge comment, there is more to an education that the name of the university you go to.

[mackinac81]

I think I accidentally turned this into a "Bash the UK" thread. Not planned.

But I am thankful that America is so big that I can just move to another part if I don't like where I'm at. (I do like where I live though) In the UK you're stuck on a small island...maybe that's why they call america a "land of opportunity"

I for one love the BBC (the news, at least). It's so much better than anything over here (especially Doctor Who!) And as dumb as it sounds, Fish and Chips are delicious. And based on the photos I've seen, the West Country is amazing in its beauty.

So, UK expats...is there anything you miss about the UK?

That's my two pence.

[famenity]

Originally Posted by mackinac81

I think I accidentally turned this into a "Bash the UK" thread. Not planned.

Well we, that is the UK certainly deserves a bashing, and if we cannot be self critical whats the good?

Perhaps this aspect of UK citizens behaviour is to be applauded, I wonder?

[swim73088]

Originally Posted by backtotx

I know that US schools are not as rigourous as UK schools but they do have a different curriculum and study certain subjects at different grade levels. For instance they spend quite some years on US History and the Constitution. They may not get to study European and World History until they are at high school. My seventh grader spends more time on her core subjects than she did in the UK, so she has math, english, science, history, geography and french every day. She does find this repetitive however as it is the same schedule daily. What she misses are the extras like art which they study every other semester which is frustrating as she loves art. She also doesn't do DT, IT, PHSE etc etc.

And I pity the person in the US who can't afford health coverage. People in the UK complain about the NHS but it really isn't all that bad.

that is not entirely true. U.S. high schools have many different levels of courses basic/honors/AP for the same subject and the students choose what level they want to take and the difference in difficulty is incredible.

basic/standard english is an absolute joke compared to honors/AP level english. i went to an excellent American state (public) high school and now am at a British university and was in almost entirely honors/AP level course and i worked my a** off. I would have 2 hours of swimming practice after-school everyday and then be up well past mid-night most nights doing work (this was very common) because there were so many exams/papers to do. my british friends said they had barely any work to do at home and most of them went to very good well known schools.

what i will say however is that A-lvl material is harder than basic level material in the U.S. no question though the courses that teach just the basic/standard curriculum in the U.S. still give far more work out.

[backtotx]

I do understand about the ap courses. In fact the school district we are moving to in the summer, only teaches ap courses as they want the kids to be 'stretched' in their studies. My kids went to a private school in the UK and are at public school here so maybe I can't really compare like for like. My fifth grader certainly finds it easier here and completes his homework during class time. On the A level front - more and more schools here are also now offering the IB diploma as well as the SATs.

[Full-Of-Wanderlust]

I think for me the biggest problems are

- Overcrowding, costs and the people.

Yes, i know compared to Asia or something - the population is nothing. But to me, it's one thing i hate about this country. Unless you're wealthy - you can't get away from them!

We just had our house evaluated at £275,000. (roughly $550,000). We live in a village a couple of miles out of a mid-sized town in the west country. Nowhere special. Our house is tiny!! 3 bed, 1 bath semi. You go into the garden and there are 3 other houses looking over you.

There are beautiful fields less than a 100ft away from us. But, oh yes - to compensate for the amount of people - they're building yet more houses!!!

Think what you could buy in a similar location in the US for that! There's is no comparison. America wins hands down in that department. You get more space and a hell of a lot more house for your money.

And then there's all the other rising costs, bills, more taxes.

The NHS is not 'free' - our insane taxes pay for it. And it is not at all great. We have one of the lowest cancer survival rates in Europe. Obscene waiting times, filthy wards ... i could go on and on. Like someone else said - the USA healthcare is expensive - but it is one of the best in the world. Again, beats the UK hands down.

And the people!! Oh.. the lovely people. How can i say this without sounding snobby...

Nobody has any class. You know? The country is full of 'ladettes' and chavs. And the binge drinking culture is disgusting. And people have no.. ambition. No drive. Many people are happy being on benefits. The amount of people receiving benefits is shocking. Very few people aim to be 'great'. And British teenagers are the worst i have come accross.
The lack of respect is shocking. Do American teenagers pelt ambulances with stones?


"Sickeningly, the yobs then hurled stones at the mercy crew, shouted abuse and banged on the side of the ambulance." - (the person died by the way).

And then the (lack of) respect to the soldiers.
Pictures that should shame us all reveal the shabby way Britain treats its fallen heroes | Mail Online

I'm just ashamed to be British. I really am.

Maybe this is related to the housing. I mean you put too many people in a little space and tension starts. People clash. Trouble begins. Likewise with houses - the size of a lot them here is ridiculous. Everyone needs their own space. No space and then tension will start. Families breakdown. Lack of family life leads to lack of everything. This could explain why cities are worse than towns/villages.

Ahh but then a lot of Europe is like that. And none of them are as bad as the UK. I don't know...

Maybe (the lack of) religion has something to do with it?

Who knows?!

The weather is another complaint. I don't think it's that bad. We're lucky in that sense i guess. No extremes. It's just sooo miserable. Which in turn makes the people miserable. In America - you get sick of one climate - hey! Just move to another! lol.

I could go on and on about the negatives.

There are plenty of good things about this country. But the bad outweighs the good for me. By far.

I know America has it's fair share of problems... but i'd move there in a heartbeat if i could. I am leaving the UK as soons as i finish University. I just need to figure out where to move to :P.

But then the grass is always greener, right?


(sorry for all of the rambling... it's late!)

[LINCOLNSHIRE]

"But then the grass is always greener, right?"

It sure is...then you get there and find it`s covered in cow pats...

[famenity]

"But then the grass is always greener, right?"

Life is what you make it.

Most young people are very respectful, but this is thought not newsworthy, same with most things.

Aim your spears at the top, thats where the blame lies, generals ruin an army not the soldiers.

Generational effects are not understood by our great leaders.