Michele

i am 21 years old/ female, and will be spending the next two years at a university in london. this will be my first time overseas and i would forever appreciate any words of wisdom anyone has to give me regarding what to do, what not to do and what to expect from my time abroad. a thousand thanks!!!

jenny

hi michelle! wow! 2 years! i studied in london for 3 months two years ago and am currently in glasgow for the duration of this summer studying as well. for what to do, what not to do, go to the bookstore/library and get a book called brithink/amerithink. it'll help you with the nuances of the british that seem 'peculiar' to us. also, when you get there, go to a local newstand and pick up a london a to z. indispensible! it's basically a map of london with all the tube stops shown in it etc. also, if you're going to london for two years, there's this website you might wanna check out for fyi sake. http://www.parmly.luc.edu/sandell/ukfaq/uk_faq.html <BR>it's about moving from us to uk. although there's a lot of info on it that may not be applicable, it'll be interesting to know. if you have any other questions, please e mail me direct! good luck!

Karen

Anyone who loves Great Britain should read "Brit-think, Ameri-think"written by Jane Walmsley, an American living in England.It is a book about everyday living. She takes one subject at a time and tells what Americans think and what British think about that subject...such as, clothes, furniture, pets, eating out with kids, food, teeth, engagement rings, and on and on. It is really hilarious reading and I think, pretty true.

Lara

Dear Michelle, <BR> <BR>I am a 22 y.o female from Sydney Australia and will be arriving in london in October/November 1998. I am going to live and work in London on a working holiday visa. I will be meeting up with my boyfriend but he is going home in January so i will be on my own from then. Where are you from? When are you going to London? <BR> <BR>Lara

Lori

Michelle, <BR>My daughter, also Michelle, has spent lots of time in London. She also has a friend that lives in Ascot. If you'd like her name and e-mail address, email me and I will gladly tell you the info. The girls can also tell you how to fit in, fun places to club, shop, etc. You will have the time of your life! <BR>Lori

michele

lori-- thank you so much! i would love to hear from anyone who could give me advice on what to expect from my time in england. please feel free to give your daughter and her friend my email adress. i look forward to hearing from either of them. thanks again!!

Beth

My daughter who is 20 will be going to London in January to study for a semester - I believe at the Univ. of London. She is also looking for tips. Sounds like you are getting some good advice. You will love London, if you haven't been there. Good luck. E-mail me directly if you have any advice after your arrival!

Molly

Hi! Just arrived here in Scotland 4 months ago and will be here for 2-3 years. I found it a tougher transition than I thought it would be. You will find that going to school will help an awful lot as it will keep you busy when you could be thinking,"What the heck am I doing here?" You may find that you miss everything, from your home to certain foods at first. Most things you will be able to find, eventually. Ask questions and try not to sound too critical when you have absolutely had it with some aspect of living. Everything will feel alien to you. Give yourself lots of time to get used to the area and ways before you judge your move. You will be bombarded with new things and this alone will overwhelm you. Just walking down a street can be exhausting the first few weeks when you find yourself having to pay attention to everything from the stores, people, street signs, noise, pace and especially the traffic. Once you are used to the sights of your area, you will be able to enjoy yourself a bit more. <BR> Also, bring lots of cash with you at first or have access to cash. Many places do not accept credit cards, only their own credit cards and debit cards. Ask first. I ran into huge problems here when my bedding didn't make the move and I needed to purchase new bedding quickly. With no checks, debit card or the ability to use my credit card, I was stuck without bedding for a while. <BR> Be a tourist and see whatever you can. You may want to take a look at some of the other messages posted. Some of the suggestions of what to see and how to act are good ones. Don't worry about how you should dress, but do pay attention to the loud American thing. You will notice that people are significantly quieter here. Remember that, as many misconceptions we have of other cultures, they have of us. Most of all, enjoy yourself and give yourself lots of time to adjust. A month or two may not even be enough time! If you have any other questions, please feel free to email me directly.

menius

Not sure where you're from Michelle but for Lori if you get homesick there's heaps of Aussie/NZ pubs around. Walkabout is the most popular (on the NZ side of things) and they are scattered throughout London. I would suggest getting the A-Z before you come, as it's really handy to read on the plane, and depending on where you are staying you might be able to work out which tube lines to get to your house. I think landing at Heathrow is probably easier than landing at Gatwick but that's a personal feeling .. don't know what other people think. If you're booking into a hostel only book in for a maximum of a week. Alot of the hostels are grotty so you don't want to book something for too long if you don't like it. If you don't like the hostel there are heaps of others and it's pretty easy finding a room for a week. Any specific q's don't hesitate to send me an email. Oh yeah .. and it's not going to be as scary as you think. Everythings clearly signposted and if you don't know how to get to where your staying, assuming you land in heathrow, go to the bus stop and there's an iformation desk there and they'll be able to tell you if there's a bus you can take. If no bus goes near your place and you don't want to try the tubes then taxis stop right next to the bus stop. Cheers and happy travelling.

michele

i just bought a copy of "brit-think, ameri-think." thanks to everyone who suggested it. it is already preparing me for the often hilarious differences in perspectives between our cultures. thanks!!!

michelemabelle

to anyone who has spent an extended period of time in britain... would you recommend buying a converter and bring my alarm clock, hair dryer, etc. from home in the states with me or waiting and buying them over there. it seems it would be cheaper to bring some minor appliances but i have heard horror stories of converters bursting into flames after prolonged use. any advice??

jenny

michelle, i suggest that whatever minor appliances can be left at home should be left at home...less niknaks to pack. hairdryers, curling irons are not expensive if you plan on staying in the uk for an extended period of time. it'll save lots of grief over the potential of adapters blowing up. however, many of u.s. hairstyling products have converters built in so you don't have to buy separate converter...just an adapter (a difference of $45!!)...so the cost factor now changes to whether or not you'll want to haul all that stuff around. something major like a notebook computer, i suggest you bring from home. they're astronomically expensive here in the uk. they also have built in power converters so all you need is an adapter. i've been back and forth from the uk for 3 years and have never bought a converter. if you have any other questions, e-mail me direct. hope i could help.

michele

okay, now i'm a bit worried. i'm not concerned about fitting in or not seeming american... i've always been quite content with being an individual. however, i keep reading that everyone my age (early twenties) wears black nearly everyday. how true is this and how much of a fool will i appear if i show up my first day at university wearing *gasp* colors?

Connie

Yes, it's true, everyone your age does wear black! But there are a lot of trendy dressers also, so you may fit in perfectly! You will need and A to Zed( that's how the pronounce the A to Z guide). Other tips: you can buy monthly passes for the tube, and buses. Cheaper then buying tickets everyday. It's good for buses and trains both. Lots of cheap shopping for clothes etc. on parts of Kings Road, Portobello Road. You might want to stay away from Soho, or go with a friend when there at night. Covington Garden has a lot of coffee shops to hang out in. Leicester Square seems to be a hangout for some, better be a bit wary though. All in all, though, London is a basically safe city, and lots of fun! We lived there for 3 years and had a blast! Try to get on a train to some other parts of England too! The cotswalds are neat, so is Cambridge. And BAth is really interesting! All you can do in a day. There are alot of different nationalities there, and everyone is pretty accepting! Have fun! YOu'll remember this always!

Nick Cole

Michelle, <BR>Just picked up your message, so I don't know if you've already left for England. <BR>Anyway, fear not! I don't think you'll have any problems fitting in here. Yes, that's right, I'm British and living in London, so if you want some tips mail me back. <BR>I have a younger brother studying at UL (University of London), let me know what college you'll be attending - it might be the same one! <BR>Also, let me know if you need some advice on finding accomodation etc. and the cost of living. <BR>I studied myself for a while at the London College of Printing. <BR>Anyway, don't know where to begin telling you what to do and where to go, so drop me a line and I'll do my best to help. <BR>Nick Cole, London. <BR>

michele

a friend of mine who grew up in europe told me i should look for a restaurant called "the roundtable" or something of the sort where student travellers from all over the world all congregate at large round tables for their meals. in all my reading (and i've done a ton), though, i haven't seen it mentioned. anyone ever heard of it?

michele

a friend of mine who grew up in europe told me i should look for a restaurant called "the roundtable" or something of the sort where student travellers from all over the world all congregate at large round tables for their meals. in all my reading (and i've done a ton), though, i haven't seen it mentioned. anyone ever heard of it?

michele

hey everyone! my computer's been down, but i'm back. thanks again to everyone who has offered their wisdom to a nervous college student! i leave in exactley one month and five days, so i'm still looking to learn if anyone has anything to add!!

michele

ohh! the stress must be getting to me. please excuse my spelling in the previous post!

Amita

Hi, <BR> <BR>I did a semester in London about 6 years ago. A couple of points: <BR> <BR>About the hair dryer, buy one over there. You can get one for about 15 pounds. Ehen I toured Scotland, one morning the convertible hair dryer I brought with me suddenly started smoking! <BR> <BR>About the money, the best thing you can do is get an account with a bank on the Cirrus ATM system (or PLUS). There are Cirrus machines everywhere, and you get the best exchange rate that way. Make sure your money is in a checking account; I don't know how it is now, but when I was last there you couldn't access savings accounts from ATMs. <BR> <BR>A lot of young people go to hang out in Camden Town in London, which is sort of like Greenwich Village in New York. There's a great outdoor flea market called Camden Market right by the tube station. <BR> <BR>About the dress, don't sweat it - just be comfortable and you'll make friends! <BR> <BR>Feel free to email me if you have any more questions! <BR>