Should i go?

[Triciashiff]

My boyfriend and i met while on a video chatting site. We have been together for almost 8 months. I am starting to apply to colleges and he thinks it would be a great idea to apply to some in london... i live in the us and very close to my small family. Im torn between what to do. I love him but i dont know if i can live in a country where i know no one. Uk university are way better then ones around me so it would be good to go...

[Ejoriah]

Do YOU want to go to college in the UK? If not, then don't. Choosing where you go to college just based off of a relationship that isn't even that long in the grand scheme of things can be disastrous. They call higher education an investment for a reason: once you get a degree it is with you for your entire life.

University in the UK is incredibly expensive for international students. If you want to consider going down that route then make sure to look at the financial aspect of it. Maybe you could compromise by finding a US university which has a study abroad program in London.

[SailorRei]

Choosing UNI and education and where you want to live for next couple of years is too big and important to base it on you bf. This is something that you have to do on your own, nobody should influence or push you to anything. Purely hypothetical- what if you two won't make it after you move? If you didn't really want to do live in UK, and move there just for him- you'd be stuck there.

Just think about what you want to do and where you can see yourself living for 4-5 years, don't make decision to move to another country if you are not sure.

[Unicorn26]

No.

University over here is hideously expensive, especially for foreign students. For a three year course you would be looking at at least $30,000.00. Can your family afford that? And there is no guarantee that you would even be accepted....

Have you met in person? If not, then considering moving to uni in the uk just so you can be with someone you've never met is insane.

Arrange to meet up during the uni hols. Get him to fly over and see you. It's bonkers to even consider it.

[Triciashiff]

We have met a few times. I can afford to go to uni in the uk perfectly fine, that isnt the problem. even before i met my so i have wanted to travel to the uk. the reason i am questioning is being away from my grandma, who has raised me. she always pushed me to do big things but the thought of leaving her makes me miss her.

[BaconGirl05]

I think the decision should be up to you. Don't base it on your relationship. 8 months is a long time, but I don't think that is long enough to base choices around your relationship. During my last year of high school, I was questioning what I should do for college. I was thinking about going down to Australia for UNI, but I decided that I only wanted that because my SO was there. I'm in college now and I'm doing it online. It's not the normal thing for an 18 year old to do, but I found that to be best for me. It's fits my schedule and I can still be independent while doing it.

I know it can be hard to be away from family, but sooner or later, we need to leave and become independent. If you feel like you're going to miss your grandma too much, then go to college where you're at. I think ultimately, the decision comes down to what you think will best fit YOU and what will make YOU happy.

[R&R]

Do YOU want to go to college in the UK? If not, then don't. Choosing where you go to college just based off of a relationship that isn't even that long in the grand scheme of things can be disastrous. They call higher education an investment for a reason: once you get a degree it is with you for your entire life.

University in the UK is incredibly expensive for international students. If you want to consider going down that route then make sure to look at the financial aspect of it. Maybe you could compromise by finding a US university which has a study abroad program in London.

I honestly think that Ejoriah has given the best advice. This way you can try it first and if you find that you really enjoy it and want to be there, maybe the following year you could transfer to London for the remainder of your college. This will also allow you time to see how you feel about being away from home and your grandmother......a kind of trial run.

[Unicorn26]

Well that's good that you've met a few times. Have you been to the UK before? London is very busy and very crowded. And it rains a lot!!

I'm not trying to be negative, I'm just trying to make sure you make the right decision for YOU. At some point you will have to leave your grandma but it sounds like you're not quite ready yet. If you miss her really badly then your education will suffer and so will your relationship. It's really important to keep perspective on things and you sound like you've got your feet on the ground. Don't make any decisions without thinking things through thoroughly and remember, it's about what's best for YOU.

[MissingMyDutchLove]

I understand wanting to uproot your life in order to be with your SO. However, I don't think you should do it. I don't mean to be harsh, but it's immature to drop everything to follow a guy that you haven't been with that long. You are young and need to do what is right for you. Period. He shouldn't even play a role in your future at this point. If say you graduate and decide to move there, fine, great, perfect. You have been together years, gotten your degree, and are finally ready to close the distance. You have accomplished things for yourself and are now ready to accomplish things together. At this point though, it's just plain stupid. You're moving away from your support system to be with a guy that you haven't been with for very long and have only seen a couple of times.

Also, you probably won't want to take advice from me now that I said all of that, but school is VERY different between the US and the rest of the world. I studied abroad for a semester and, although it was a great experience personally, academically speaking it was a terrible semester because I just didn't get how things should be done there compared to what I was used to before it was too late. So yes, study abroad. Please, please do! It's a great experience and would give you two a chance to be together CD for a little bit. But be careful.

[differentcountries]

I have not studied abroad, but my dad did it. It was life-changing for him and he loved it, he still has friends from his school days!

If you feel comfortable and wanted to study abroad anyway, it might become a great experience for you. I did school in a different part of the country and I gained a very close friend from it. Just be careful to approach the school as any other school; which subjects do they have, what is the campus like, how are the studies organized, what are the options for social life there and so on. Is it a school you would feel comfortable attenting even if things should not work out with your SO? Don't go just because of SO, make sure it is an overall good experience. If the school meets all your criteria, you can have both.

[Honour]

If you want to study abroad, then it really is up to you. It'd give you a lot of experiences, though admittedly it is expensive over here. 3 year course as standard for the course I'm studying (not including international students) is £27,000. If you can afford it and you really want to do it, then go for it!

BUT don't base it on your relationship. Or it could create tension, unease and even regret towards your SO if something goes wrong.

I know here in the UK they have something called the "Erasmus" project. European students going from one EU country to another to study. I'm sure there'd be something over there that's similar for Americans to EU.

[bartinkopl]

Choosing studies is one of the most important things in your life - you cannot base it on a relationship.

If you think you can handle and you can afford studying in UK (and you want it) - do it.

If not - don't do it just for your S/O.