Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > General U.S.
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 06-24-2008, 02:10 PM
 
29 posts, read 66,749 times
Reputation: 13

Advertisements

First of all I wanna say Sorry cause this thread might be taken as SPAM but it is not! It's just that I really want to move to USA but now I'm so confused.. that I've blocked! I've looked the entire web for info and stuff and I have talked with friends and people in US and I'm still confused ! I can't decide where to move to. I want to move to Boston but the rents are high and without college degree I can't find a good paid job. So here's the situation. I am from Bulgaria. Next year i graduate from high school. And I hate it here! I wanna move to US so badly! But I don't know where... ! So I'm gonna need your advises and tips! I'm planning to take a bank loan about $14 000 ! Is it gonna be enough to start a life in USA ? Or is it too much or too low ( the money ) ? How much money will I need to start a life in US ? Where should I move to ? Where will live a calm and good life? Where rentals are cheap? Where food/clothes/electricity/taxes are cheap? Give me advise what to do.. ? I've been totally confused! Some people tell me that Atlanta is better, other that Las Vegas, third - Tampa, fourth - Minneapolis,Chicago,Boston .... I'm stuck! Please tell me where can i live a calm and good life and work for a salary that is gonna be enough for all rents/taxes/food/clothes and to pay the monthly bank loan from Bulgaria ?????? Please help me. I don't know what to do! What to think! All I want is time to go on. The time for me to leave Bulgaria to come! Help me! What should i do? Where should i go? How much money will I need? What kind of a job should i look for?
Thanks!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 06-24-2008, 03:06 PM
 
910 posts, read 2,985,144 times
Reputation: 258
your saying your confused?? im twice as confused at your post
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-24-2008, 03:25 PM
 
Location: Chicago
3,340 posts, read 9,690,476 times
Reputation: 1238
Ok, Don't move to any of the cities you mentioned, they're way too expensive for you, or they're just bad *cough* Vegas *cough* What kind of climate are you looking for? Also you should try to go to college if you can so you can get a job with higher pay. Also, I would suggest a small to mid sized city to avoid overwhelming you with too big of a culture shock.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-24-2008, 03:37 PM
 
721 posts, read 2,610,751 times
Reputation: 270
You could apply to colleges in the US as an internatioanl student. Check out some colleges and universities online. You may qualify under an F1 student visa. You will also need a TOEFL score (English profeciency exam). Since you are still in high school you will need to graduate next year and have good marks.

Another option would be to apply to Narcel Open Door or another reputable exchange program and become a foreign exchange student and live with an American family for a short term experience in order to see if you really like the USA. Then, graduate from a US high school and apply to colleges in the US. Many people do this and find it rewarding and it is not such a hit financially as moving to the US from Bulgaria with no job, money, or address.

You could not do that (move as you are currently planning) in the first place without employment secured from a US company and a permanent address and VISA application approved from the US Embassy in Bulgaria.

Finally, calm down. You won't make any progress freaking out about this stuff.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-24-2008, 03:51 PM
 
29 posts, read 66,749 times
Reputation: 13
Thanks @newcastle ! Well now then I think about it I think next year when I graduate I'll go to a US college. Maybe in Boston. When i graduate from the college it'll be much more easier for me. You're right ! So that solves the problem. But as always I have another question. Can you suggest me which college i should aim ? I'm looking for a college that accepts people from other countries with no problems? My last question is: Which are the best Boston colleges for emigrys ? And if the college has American Football Team it'll be awesome !
Thank you all for the answers and sorry for the inconvenience ! :-)
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-24-2008, 05:33 PM
 
1,354 posts, read 4,090,987 times
Reputation: 1286
To get into a US college you must have a TOEFL score. If it is not high enough you have the option of studying at an English program which is authorized to issue I-20 visas. Why don't you google studying in the US or such and get the info you will need. Good luck and you have your whole life ahead of you so as another mentioned--calm down and take your time and make good decisions.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-24-2008, 06:20 PM
 
2,502 posts, read 8,921,814 times
Reputation: 905
Well, Atlanta and Vegas are the most affordable cities on the list...but Boston has lots of colleges, so that's an option too.

Good luck.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-24-2008, 06:57 PM
 
8,726 posts, read 7,414,967 times
Reputation: 12612
Just think, there are people moving from here to places like Bulgaria to escape the hectic life here and the higher cost of living, mostly retirees or people looking for a shift in lifestyle.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-24-2008, 07:00 PM
 
Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota
3,941 posts, read 14,717,521 times
Reputation: 2287
If you want an affordable city you will have to completely forget about cities on coasts. Boston, New York, Miami, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles will be WAY too expensive for someone just starting out. Sorry.

Try looking at midwest or mountain cities like St. Louis, Omaha, Minneapolis, Houston, Phoenix and Denver. Also, the smaller the city is the more affordable it will be. $14,000 is a great amount to start off with. Just remember that you will have to pay first and last month's rent on top of a security deposit in case there are damages when you live there.

As for a job, you may need two while you are just starting out. I suggest waiting tables for good tips and then working in an office or something similar. I hope your English is perfect, otherwise it will be difficult to get hired. Schools in the US will probably be very difficult to get into for you. Would it be possible to take English in Bulgaria and then study abroad in the US?

Best of luck to you!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-24-2008, 07:17 PM
 
Location: In a delirium
2,588 posts, read 5,432,556 times
Reputation: 1401
Hi.

I agree with DannyBanany that the midwest is generally more affordable than anything along the coast. You just need to think in terms of climate - the northern US can be super cold. My friend's stories of Minnesota reminded me of life in Russia.

But, since you have stated that you want to go to college here, then you need to research colleges. We can't tell you which one to go to - there are so many! It's easy to do online, I imagine, and many will take foreign students. Yes, you have to pass the TOEFL, but there are ways to study for that and I suspect you'll do fine.

newcastle had a great idea as far as being an exchange student and is absolutely correct about finding a job. Being an exchange student will also give you a year in the country to learn the culture better and gain a better understanding of where you would like to study.

People move here from other countries all the time, with varying degrees of English proficiency, and do fine. It's not easy, necessarily, but completely possible. Be brave, plan ahead, and make the jump. I imagine you can always go back. Since you're so young, you'll get fluency quickly and will no longer be subjected to snide remarks such as the one from Vision-quest.

Good luck!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > General U.S.
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:21 PM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top