Uni in the UK - practical issues?

[Anonymous]

Anyone who gets into Cambridge or Oxford should go. Both offer a top-notch education that dominates the US academic experience (in nearly every school here) in many important respects. The tutorial format for courses makes a huge difference. In some areas (math, economics, physics, etc), both schools are simply outstanding. Distance is a factor. If that is tolerable/acceptable, it should be a no-brainer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another tangential issue is that students are allowed to drink at 18.

Nope. You can "drink" at 16 in a pub or restaurant so long as an older person (over 18) has purchased your drink.
You can purchase your own drink once you turn 18.

[Anonymous]

Lived in the UK for many years:
Replace small electric home goods with a UK one… hair dryer, hair straightener etc or risk blowing out the circuit (ask me how i know)
If your child suffers at all from SAD - and its is MUCH darker in winter there, for much longer than it is in USA - get a sun lamp

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another tangential issue is that students are allowed to drink at 18.

Nope. You can "drink" at 16 in a pub or restaurant so long as an older person (over 18) has purchased your drink.
You can purchase your own drink once you turn 18.

DP. I think you missed the PP's point that they can legally drink there at an age when they couldn't here.

Your addition adds nothing. And isn't entirely accurate anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone who gets into Cambridge or Oxford should go. Both offer a top-notch education that dominates the US academic experience (in nearly every school here) in many important respects. The tutorial format for courses makes a huge difference. In some areas (math, economics, physics, etc), both schools are simply outstanding. Distance is a factor. If that is tolerable/acceptable, it should be a no-brainer.

Disagree. US system can be better in terms of figuring out what you want and gaining a breadth of knowledge. I agree about tutorials for upper level content. I went to Oxford after US school, and that was great. My spouse is English and prefers US system. To each their own!

[Anonymous]

I’m the pp above… more tips:
Access to day to day stuff is just different/non existent in the UK… as an example:
There’s one Sephora in all of the UK… and the sh^^ that they sell at Boots drug store is sh^^… buy face and beauty before she goes.
Melatonin can’t be purchased OTC there… just an example,… if there is anything that she needs daily, google Can I get XYZ in the UK.
Another example, Claritin is a different drug there, marketed as Clarityn.
Set up an Amazon.uk account. It’s different than our Amazon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another tangential issue is that students are allowed to drink at 18.

Nope. You can "drink" at 16 in a pub or restaurant so long as an older person (over 18) has purchased your drink.
You can purchase your own drink once you turn 18.

DP. I think you missed the PP's point that they can legally drink there at an age when they couldn't here.

Your addition adds nothing. And isn't entirely accurate anyway.

Thanks. You're so positive its great to have your input. Well done. Come back again soon.

[Anonymous]

My DC is in school in England now. Some things have been tough. Very difficult to see Dr when sick. DC has had to wait up to two weeks to see a Dr. Housing has been difficult and heat is often off in dorms during winter to save money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC is in school in England now. Some things have been tough. Very difficult to see Dr when sick. DC has had to wait up to two weeks to see a Dr. Housing has been difficult and heat is often off in dorms during winter to save money.

Are you serious? Where on earth are they studying? the University of Victoria Peasantry?

Nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC is in school in England now. Some things have been tough. Very difficult to see Dr when sick. DC has had to wait up to two weeks to see a Dr. Housing has been difficult and heat is often off in dorms during winter to save money.

Are you serious? Where on earth are they studying? the University of Victoria Peasantry?

Nonsense.

DP. This was true when I was at lse in the early 2000s. In a dorm that was only five or so years old. We only got heat, I think, eight hours a day? They turned it off during most of the day and night. So you’d have heat when you woke up in the morning and in the evening before you went to bed.

Also the hot water heater in the shower frequently didn’t work. My euro roommates just shrugged at all of this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC is in school in England now. Some things have been tough. Very difficult to see Dr when sick. DC has had to wait up to two weeks to see a Dr. Housing has been difficult and heat is often off in dorms during winter to save money.

Are you serious? Where on earth are they studying? the University of Victoria Peasantry?

Nonsense.

DP. Yup. And some of the buildings are so old, there’s black mold that kids will suffer through. Mine did a semester in the UK and got really sick from it. Two weeks at home and her lungs cleared out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another tangential issue is that students are allowed to drink at 18.

Nope. You can "drink" at 16 in a pub or restaurant so long as an older person (over 18) has purchased your drink.
You can purchase your own drink once you turn 18.

DP. I think you missed the PP's point that they can legally drink there at an age when they couldn't here.

Your addition adds nothing. And isn't entirely accurate anyway.

Thanks. You're so positive its great to have your input. Well done. Come back again soon.

Will do, and a tip o my jaunty cap!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m the pp above… more tips:
Access to day to day stuff is just different/non existent in the UK… as an example:
There’s one Sephora in all of the UK… and the sh^^ that they sell at Boots drug store is sh^^… buy face and beauty before she goes.
Melatonin can’t be purchased OTC there… just an example,… if there is anything that she needs daily, google Can I get XYZ in the UK.
Another example, Claritin is a different drug there, marketed as Clarityn.
Set up an Amazon.uk account. It’s different than our Amazon.

Life is hard. So hard. I have to learn to spell Claritin with a y!

Love Boots. Good stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m the pp above… more tips:
Access to day to day stuff is just different/non existent in the UK… as an example:
There’s one Sephora in all of the UK… and the sh^^ that they sell at Boots drug store is sh^^… buy face and beauty before she goes.
Melatonin can’t be purchased OTC there… just an example,… if there is anything that she needs daily, google Can I get XYZ in the UK.
Another example, Claritin is a different drug there, marketed as Clarityn.
Set up an Amazon.uk account. It’s different than our Amazon.

Life is hard. So hard. I have to learn to spell Claritin with a y!

Love Boots. Good stuff.

Oh, I hit a nerve. But do you shop Sephora now?

[Anonymous]

Boots has the best face cream.