About 206inUK

Status:

Expatriate  

Gender:

Female

Currently Lives:

Surrey, United Kingdom

Citizen Of:

United States

Some Forum Posts:

United States: Want to go to college in the USA.:

First, you generally need to be 18 before you start at college/uni in the States, but that means starting the application process this year. A great resource for UK students who want to study in the States is the Us-UK Fulbright foundation Fulbright.org.uk. They do workshops on how to apply, and sponsor a big US college fair each autumn. You could probably sit the entrance exams and do all the applications to a college/uni itself online, but to gain a student visa, I imagine you would need your parents' support as there is a financial requirement. Have you explained the main difference of having lots of choice to study subjects before picking a major in the States to them? Sports opportunities are also a bit better than in the UK. Colleges generally also provide lots of support for international students in terms of adjusting to the culture, finding housing, etc. Perhaps you can start by just telling your parents you are going to explore the process, along with looking at unis in the UK? If you can't do it for undergrad, there's always grad school! Good luck

United Kingdom: Salary Comparisons - Moving from Seattle to London:

Hi, My family made the same move a few years ago, and my partner is in the same industry. I was surprised at how much higher salaries are in Seattle compared to London, especially since the cost of living is much higher - at least in rent and transportation. Expat packages are also not what they once were, but if you don't ask for things like a housing allowance, return trips home, private medical insurance, relocation expenses, etc., you won't get them. Rents here are often 1/3 higher than at home, and places are generally smaller. Once you are through with.negotiations, you should try and set up a bank account that allows you to open an account here in the UK. That made the financial transition much easier for us. Good luck!

United Kingdom: Preggers and moving to UK:

I know 2 US expats who have had babies here in London and they have been quite happy with the medical care. You may be going with private practice here which I'm sure is a bit better. But for NHS patients, my friends liked the midwives and home visits after the baby was born. The only downside was the shared hospital room after the baby arrived. That said, if you will be moving at 6 months pregnant you might want to think of continuity of care,and who will be around to provide post natal support on either side of the pond. For me, it would seem easier to physically move before the baby arrives, but other factors may outweigh the ease of moving boxes. Good luck!

United Kingdom: Schools for Child with High Functioning Autism:

My experience is only observation, but my child's school SW of London has exactly the public school situation you describe, as well as a "centre" that gives wider support for students with special needs. Do you know where you want to live in London? If so, you could start by contacting the local council for information on enrollment and support available. There could be schools designated to have such programs. Other online resources are mumsnet.com and the National Autistic Society (autism.org.uk). Hope this is of some help.

United Kingdom: Homeschooling in the UK?:

Hi, I have children similar ages in the local state schools and the generous holiday periods of half-term weeks off and two + weeks at Easter have helped with making time to see the country and Europe. From Windsor, you would be quite centrally located to go all over England and not far from Heathrow or Luton for quick flights to the continent! Regarding your 2nd grader, what I have observed for children with learning disabilities is often a full-time learning assistant dedicated to a particular student in a school. This assistant will do one on one work with the pupil and stay with them in the classroom. I believe the staff person responsible for coordinating services for pupils with learning disabilities in a school is the SENCo (sorry - don't know what it stands for). Hope this is helpful. Best of luck!

United Kingdom: Possible relo to UK ?'s:

We have been here two years with our two young children and are finding the experience terrific. That said, your concerns about finances are valid. I'm pretty sure the relo package becomes taxable at some point. On housing, take a look at some of the UK websites for detached houses. In our area (N. Surrey), I was surprised at how large some of the homes are. They can be very expensive, but 5 bedroom homes aren't uncommon, but you need to make sure they are double bedrooms. Single bedrooms are often very small, although they could work for a toddler with a junior size bed. Which reminds me - remember that school starts one year earlier here for children, at age 4. On the car, I know a family who brought over their left hand drive van and are happy with that choice. If your employer is paying for it, sending over the suburban could be worth it. That said, except for motorways and large dual carriageways (highways), most roads here are very narrow in comparison to the US, so driving (and parking) a large vehicle like yours would take some adjustment. There are lots of 7 seat vehicles available here that you can't get in the US that might be easier to drive. Automatics are hard to find though. Check out autotrader.co.uk for an idea of what's out there. We sold our car and bought a used vehicle here. Financing may be a challenge. If you use a bank that has branches both in the US and UK (like HSBC) they may be able to help more readily than a bank you simply walk into here. Good luck with your decision-making!

United Kingdom: Neighborhoods in London & Safety:

Betsy, Here's my limited view: Many, many people seem to move outside central London once they have children, especially if they want to have children in state schools. We are in NE Surrey near Kingston and it is a very family-oriented place. For families not used to living in flats, the leafy suburbs are very welcoming. We also looked NW of London near St Albans which seemed similar. We spent a short time in Wimbledon when we first moved and it was also crawling with children. It has great parks and while a bit more suburban has a tube line. Hope this helps!

United Kingdom: GP accepting private patients? (Surrey):

Hello, We are not eligible for NHS due to continuing employment through the US company. Our local GP gives private patients very low priority as they are a busy surgery. Can anyone recommend a GP that allows private patients to register in northeast Surrey? Surbiton, Kingston or Esher would be ideal. Thanks!

Date Joined:

7/14/2009

Total Posts:

9

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