What to know before I move, so I don't end up destitute and unhappy.

[greensweatergirl]

That is so exciting you're moving to the UK! I'll be hopefully moving to London (to close the distance) in September or October.

My best advice would be to have making friends on the top of your To Do List. You seem to be very reasonable about what if we stay together/ what if we break up but you are moving to a totally new place & I think it's important to establish your own social circles - especially if things do go bottom up. (Which I hope they don't!)

Are you going through SWAP or did you just apply for the visa on your own?? Because I know SWAP can help you find a job, but I'm not sure if they're in Northampton....? Finding a job is the one thing that really worries me about moving to the UK but I am willing to do any sort of job at night & then intern during the day... The good news about internships in the UK is that (most will) pay or at least give you a stipend! (I will have a Fine Arts degree in April & only a handful of internships I've looked at in Toronto offer this 'perk.')

They don't have many flavours of Pop Tarts in the UK so if you really like those then definitely pack them.

Good luck! I look forward to hearing about your adventures!

That's so exciting that you're moving to London! I can't wait to hear about your adventures either...London was such an amazing place when I went there! Have you been there before?

I looked at Swap very briefly but I think they only operated in London, if I remember correctly. It seemed like a very well put together program, but a big expense (600 dollars!) for things that I could do myself, with the exception of a tax cut they offered. I don't need to hit the ground running and find a job the moment I get to the UK, so I decided to save myself the money and do it on my own. The only thing I worry about is having sent everything I needed to the Border Agency...their website is so confusing in terms of telling you what you need to show. Will you be going on a youth mobility visa?

That is very good to know that they pay for internships in the UK! If I can find one in Northampton I don't mind working for free for a few months, but I think it would be rough to be paying transportation fees for one in London. But if I was paid a little, even just the 400 pounds to cover transport, I'd be a happy lady. My boyfriend doesn't seem to understand that an hour and a half commute is doable - which it is. I'll definitely look into London more seriously now. I hear you on the Toronto internships. I was looking at full-time internships in Toronto, and most of them were offering a measly 1200 dollars for 3 months. How the hell is anybody supposed to live on that in Toronto, even if you work 20 part time hours? I lived in Toronto for 4 months, and paid 700 dollars a month for a BASEMENT, and all my friends who came over thought I'd gotten a great deal. Do you go to Ryerson by any chance? I'm taking my courses from there long distance at the moment...

I'm somewhat worried about finding a job too. I'm really past the point of shitty retail stuff; the only exception would be working in a bookstore. My boyfriend has been really sweet and told not to just get any job, but to take my time and try to find something worthwhile. If I'm still jobless/internshipless in 6 months, we'll talk about taking something shitty then. I think it helps to know that my job situation there can't be any worse than it is here, and at least there I can hug my SO after a rough day.

I definitely want to make a conscious effort in finding a social group for myself, hence why I've already signed up to the gym and a book club. When I lived abroad before I found I needed to talk to other Canadians from time to time, who I could bond with over our shared poutine hunger pains and the lack of space. I'm rooting around for an expat group in Northampton, but so far no luck!

[snow_girl]

There are always people that need babysitters. Even if it isn't a steady income it is nice to have a little coming in. I was introduced to a family from my friend who I babysit for and just before I came home for a visit she told me she told all the moms at the kindergarten about me and could have a lot of work if I wanted. Was really nice but knowing I might be moving to Edinburgh soon it would have been nice to have the contacts sooner. So even if you can't find a 'real' job there is stuff you can do in the meantime.

When are you moving there?

[ChibiFelicia]

Im in the UK and i personally find the cost of living (where i am anyway) to be hella expensive. Then again im in north hampshire, and live right on the 2 big commuting routes (London - portsmouth and Reading to eh...i think Gatwick - never taken that train all the way down). Public transport is actually pretty good but expensive...i remember the days wheni could get around with £1 but yeah those days are long gone.

Anyway. Im a big bargin hunter so when you come over and you need something post on here if you need help finding the cheapest place. One thing that i gotta do when i move to the states...im not gonna know where to buy stuff i need for the best price hehe. I've only been to canada once so i cant compare prices, but comparing things to the states, i feel alot of stuff is more expensive here. I buy my make up in the states now.

I dont have any advice on getting into your line of work, but if you're struggling to find a job, just any job for money. I'd suggest going to a hospital and looking for cleaning (housekeeping) work. Or even care assistant work. They pay alot, more than minium wage. I used to do both. Earnt around £8 an hour on sundays. I guess it depends on the hospital.

Oh and im happy for ya, that your bf is doing so much xD Kinda jealous..my man aint gonna look for things for me to do lol. He's gonna make me do it all. But then again it would in the long run irritate me so it's prob why he wont.

[flugelhorn]

That's so exciting that you're moving to London! I can't wait to hear about your adventures either...London was such an amazing place when I went there! Have you been there before?

I looked at Swap very briefly but I think they only operated in London, if I remember correctly. It seemed like a very well put together program, but a big expense (600 dollars!) for things that I could do myself, with the exception of a tax cut they offered. I don't need to hit the ground running and find a job the moment I get to the UK, so I decided to save myself the money and do it on my own. The only thing I worry about is having sent everything I needed to the Border Agency...their website is so confusing in terms of telling you what you need to show. Will you be going on a youth mobility visa?

That is very good to know that they pay for internships in the UK! If I can find one in Northampton I don't mind working for free for a few months, but I think it would be rough to be paying transportation fees for one in London. But if I was paid a little, even just the 400 pounds to cover transport, I'd be a happy lady. My boyfriend doesn't seem to understand that an hour and a half commute is doable - which it is. I'll definitely look into London more seriously now. I hear you on the Toronto internships. I was looking at full-time internships in Toronto, and most of them were offering a measly 1200 dollars for 3 months. How the hell is anybody supposed to live on that in Toronto, even if you work 20 part time hours? I lived in Toronto for 4 months, and paid 700 dollars a month for a BASEMENT, and all my friends who came over thought I'd gotten a great deal. Do you go to Ryerson by any chance? I'm taking my courses from there long distance at the moment...

I'm somewhat worried about finding a job too. I'm really past the point of shitty retail stuff; the only exception would be working in a bookstore. My boyfriend has been really sweet and told not to just get any job, but to take my time and try to find something worthwhile. If I'm still jobless/internshipless in 6 months, we'll talk about taking something shitty then. I think it helps to know that my job situation there can't be any worse than it is here, and at least there I can hug my SO after a rough day.

I definitely want to make a conscious effort in finding a social group for myself, hence why I've already signed up to the gym and a book club. When I lived abroad before I found I needed to talk to other Canadians from time to time, who I could bond with over our shared poutine hunger pains and the lack of space. I'm rooting around for an expat group in Northampton, but so far no luck!

I was living in London at this time last year on exchange with my university. I met my SO in February of last year & we started dating last April.
Have you lived in the UK before (I can't remember)?

It's true, SWAP is better if you need to hit the ground running. I hear you about visas.... I went through visa nightmares last year when I tried to get a Tier 4 visa. Really long story short it ended with me in tears at the Border Services office in Toronto & I didn't end up getting one (but as a Canadian I was allowed to go in for 6 months to study without one). Luckily I got all my application money refunded. I totally, totally hear you on how they make it so confusing. I was also in school at the time & I think had I had the time to really focus on it, then maybe it wouldn't have ended in tears. But you should be fine. I think the 'support funds' are big for them & make sure you have your SO's address at the airport since they will want to know where you're staying.
I will be going through SWAP when I go & yes, I'll be in Tier 5.

Yea, a lot of internships I've looked at (more in arts sector) said they will reimburse for travel so that would be awesome if you could get reimbursed!

Do not even get me started on what Britons think 'long' & 'far' is..... Tell them you once drove from Toronto to Montreal, 8 hours, in ONE DAY & they will look like they're about to faint! They don't see 'long' & 'far' quite like we do, I think because our country is so much bigger & sprawled out. After all, my boyfriend who lives just outside of London commutes about an hour & a half so taking a train from one city to the next wouldn't be that big of a deal. I know some Ryerson students who do a similar length commute every day!

I'm really lucky in that I still live with my parents in Toronto so I can be more flexible with not getting paid but I do think it's unfortunate for those who want the opportunity but can't take it! Unfortunately since I want to work in the arts/ design sector I know I have to put in my 'free hours' for awhile before someone pays me.
Yes, I do go to Ryerson! I'm in my final semester now (eeeeeyyyyiiiiiikkkessssssss!!! ). Yea, the distance classes are good. A girl I know was living with her boyfriend in Sweden while doing a diploma by distance... best of both worlds!

You seem to definitely have it sorted. Another website I just thought of to meet people is Meetup! A great way to meet people with similar interests. I just looked it up & there's an Ex Pat Canadian meetup in London... well that's that sorted!

One place you should look for jobs in on the Olympics website here. I know you're not in London but when I was looking at them they wanted 'Ambassadors' in other UK cities.... & the training was due to start in February! That would be a nice job. I say keep checking back because they will always need more people closer to the Games.

It's true about talking with other Canadians, sometimes you just need to feel a little piece of home! There's a Tim Hortons in London now! The donut did not taste the same but I can't speak for the beverages.... If you find cheese curds please PLEASE let me know... My boyfriend & I went to The Maple Leaf, the Canadian pub in London, & ordered poutine... it came out & just had shredded cheese! I was so disappointed.

Wow, this was very long!! I hope some of it has been helpful.

[greensweatergirl]

snowgirl

I'm leaving as soon as my visa comes through. It's being processed now.

ChibiFelicia

Unfortunately, Canada is nowhere near as cheap as the States. There's a site online I found that let me compare cost of living between my city and my boyfriend's, and everything in his city was cheaper (food, clothing, housing) with the exception of transportation. My boyfriend walked around with me at the grocery store while he was here, and he was really shocked at how much everything cost.

flugelhorn

I haven't lived in the UK before, but I visited London about 10 years ago. I know it's not the same as living there, but I'm glad I have some sense of what the country's like. I'm a massive Anglophile anyways, and living there was something I'd always wanted to do. My boyfriend already booked us concert tickets to see the bootleg Beatles, so I can have my Beatles' concert at last!!!

Ah you have so much good advice! I'll definitely look into that Olympics site and apply if they're still hiring when I get to the UK. And I'll bring my boyfriend's address to the airport, too. I have the most innocent looking face in the world and people tend to see me as incompetent and sweet no matter what I try, so I've always waltzed right through at checkpoints, but maybe I shouldn't count on that if I don't have a return ticket booked. I should really take up a career as a hit woman, no one would ever suspect me...

I'm already on the meetup site. And now I'm sad because I did look at the Maple Leaf bar (although I wasn't sure if I could go and sit in a bar called the Maple Leaf - I'm a massive Sens fan and even just living in Toronto felt like a complete betrayal) and was all excited to go down there and get a poutine. But shredded cheese..... My boyfriend has been checking out farms (I swear to God, he's the nicest person alive) and small shops to see if there are cheese curds, but no luck so far. I will tell you if I or he stumble across any. He managed to find perogies somehow, so maybe we'll get lucky.

Can you send me the link to the Canadian expat group? I found one for North Americans but must have missed the Canadian one. Even if I could only afford London once every two months, I'm sure it would help to ease the homesickness.

[flugelhorn]

Before I went on exchange I had never been to London before.... it was a crazy first couple of days! Even knowing a little bit would have been helpful, for sure!
Ahaha, that is so hilarious you're going to see the Bootleg Beatles because... my SO's Dad went to high school with the guy who is George Harrison! Small world! I would love to see them, I'm sure it will happen one day. Let me know how it is. I saw Rain, a Beatles tribute band a few years back & it was ace (as the Brits would say).

The Canadians Meetup group is here. Maybe I'll see you there in the not-so-distance future!
Aha, don't worry, there are Canadians from all over in The Maple Leaf, not just Torontonians. We just happened to go on a day when they were showing a Vancouver playoff game last year & it was full of Canucks fans. If it really bothers you, you can just go next door to the Australian pub to feel the Commonwealth love!

Yea, everyone says to check Polish delis for cheese curds! My boyfriend & I are going on a hunt for them when I go visit in February. I don't even like poutine *that* much but I think when you know you can't have something then you want it even more!

[snow_girl]

I'm going to have to check out that meet up. I've seen a few I just don't like going and being the 'new one'

[greensweatergirl]

flugelhorn

I'm so jealous you got to do an exchange in London! I went to Queens and they had an exchange program in England (where you got to live in a castle!), but there was no way I could afford it. If I could have travelled to London and taught English there I would have, but unfortunately ESL jobs in England aren't exactly plentiful . I figured my dreams of sipping tea and watching Doctor who at the same time it aired were to be forever unfulfilled. It's so lucky and wonderful to know they'll come true now!

No, I don't mind going to the Maple Leaf. I was just scared it was specifically a Leaf's hangout, what with the name and all. In Toronto I went to a bar with a Sens jersey on and it caused problems. The bartender refused to serve me for 30 minutes!!! And when I go to games here there's always a group of Leaf fans who are booing the Sens, even when the Leafs aren't playing! That level of hatred kind of scares me and makes me uncomfortable. I mean, I don't like the Leafs because I'm a Sens geek, but I would never drive 5 hours and pay for tickets so I could boo Toronto while they played, say, Boston. That's too much hate!

My boyfriend is already on board with the Ontario rivalry though. He jokes that a team that can't even pluralize their own name properly will never win the Stanley Cup, haha. Umm....maybe I should have checked to see if you were a Leaf's fan first....um, don't hate me if you are, OK?

I'm so excited for the Beatles too. My other goals are a Derren Brown show and a Dylan Moran show, but we might have to save that for financially better days. Anyways, hope to see you/meet you on the other side of the pond! Good luck with all your degree-ee thingies!

snow_girl

Me neither. I think I'll drag my boyfriend along to the first couple till I know some people there.

[snow_girl]

If I am still in london when you get there....when do you go? I'll go with you.

[greensweatergirl]

As soon as my visa is finished being processed. Hopefully by mid-late February. I honestly don't know if/when I'll be able to get down to London (it's quite expensive), but if I can I'd definitely like to meet up. When are you there till? PM me your details and I'll send you mine when I get a phone number there.

[snow_girl]

As soon as my visa is finished being processed. Hopefully by mid-late February. I honestly don't know if/when I'll be able to get down to London (it's quite expensive), but if I can I'd definitely like to meet up. When are you there till? PM me your details and I'll send you mine when I get a phone number there.

Cool, it isn't too expensive if you don't go in all the time. Its about 4.50 pounds to watford and then about 5 more to N Hampton. If you buy a day card it is cheaper.

[greensweatergirl]

Really? My boyfriend said it was 400 pounds a month when he looked at the train website. Where are you looking?

[snow_girl]

Yea a monthly pass isn't cheap, but a monthly pass is for someone that commutes daily. If you are going in on the weekend it is not that much. I just looked on the national express website and it is 8.5 each way plus maybe 5 on the tube for the day so a day is only like 20 pounds. If you go in once every weekend thats less then 100 pounds a month.

[greensweatergirl]

No way I could afford once a week. You also have to pay for whatever you're doing in London, so that's another consideration. I'll have to see how much we realistically spend when I get there, but I'd still love to meet up with fellow Canadians if possible.

[snow_girl]

It was just an example. There is also lots of free things to do, the parks, museums are all free and really most places are walking distance to save some money on tubes as well when you do want to make a trip in.