Hey everyone I am new! Am I realistic to want to move and work in the UK?

Hello everyone! My name is Amanda. I am currently studying abroad in Wales. I love it here. The culture, way of life, politics, etc. I am currently studying International Relations. I would really love to be able to live and work in the UK. My career goals are to come back to the UK after I graduate college in 2019. I may take on an internship and work a min. wage job for a year after so I can collect enough money to live on. I am not concerned about costs of education as I have a $160,000+ inheritance which will go to the fees of a Masters and PHD in the UK. I want to be a lecturer in the uk in British politics , security, studies, or Intl. relations. I also wanna do research. I am a hard worker and I worked my butt of for 2 years to be able to be in this country right now. And I will do whatever it takes in order for me to do it again.

My mother doesnt like that I may do this. She is judgmental and has never left North America, hell shes lived in a 20 mile bubble her entire life. I already know my career goals will take me thousands of miles away from home, and maybe to the UK. I am not "UK or bust". I can work in America if I have to. but my mom always makes me feel guilty and emotionally blackmails me so it is difficult. I looked up that people with a PHD can be sponsored in the UK, and most UK unis are able to sponsor tier 2 visas. So,are s my goals realistic?

Hi Amanda! Those are great goals, it won’t be easy to reach them but it sounds like you’re not afraid of hard work plus you have the financial means, so I think you stand a really good chance. 

Hi Amanda! Those are great goals, it won’t be easy to reach them but it sounds like you’re not afraid of hard work plus you have the financial means, so I think you stand a really good chance. 

Thank you! Nothing in life will be easy. Not even if I lived in my state the rest of my life. But I am willing to put in all the work in order to reach my goals. If i didnt, I wouldnt be living in Wales right now!

My mom wasn't too happy about me moving over this way either and I was 28 (nearly 29) when I moved.

I think it's a mom thing. She doesn't want you to live so very far away as it will make it more difficult for her to see you. More so than if you lived on opposite coasts in the US. Mom and I had a frank conversation after I got engaged and it was decided that I was moving this way and she misses me like mad, but she doesn't try to guilt trip me anymore.

I agree with larrabee, definitely doable goals with a lot of hard work. Tier 2's aren't easy to get.

Hey Alan day, the only thing I notice about your letter is that you've got an awful lot of money and a desire to get Away from your mother.  I'm a little concerned that you'll end up spending all your money on universities that are far away from your mom.  That seems like it could be a waste.  There might be cheaper ways to do that, like simply live on the other side of the US, or meet a British guy and marry him.

If I were you, I'd also be careful about who I told about that money, but I bet you already know more about that than I.

Some other random opinions to share with you :
It's fine to want to live your life outside the US and perfectly feasible on a general level.

It's also fine to want to live in a different place than your mom if you want.  It's a normal thing that adults do.  Don't feel you have to explain or feel guilty.

It's great that you have a cushion of savings.

But a Tier 2 will require work experience, sponsorship, and a minimum salary based on sponsor code.  Unfortunately your savings won't assist with that.

While I want my parents to be proud of me, I make my own choices in life.  I don't seek their approval or live my life to make them happy.

Hey Alan day, the only thing I notice about your letter is that you've got an awful lot of money and a desire to get Away from your mother.  I'm a little concerned that you'll end up spending all your money on universities that are far away from your mom.  That seems like it could be a waste.  There might be cheaper ways to do that, like simply live on the other side of the US, or meet a British guy and marry him.

If I were you, I'd also be careful about who I told about that money, but I bet you already know more about that than I.

Some other random opinions to share with you :
It's fine to want to live your life outside the US and perfectly feasible on a general level.

It's also fine to want to live in a different place than your mom if you want.  It's a normal thing that adults do.  Don't feel you have to explain or feel guilty.

Hi Alan! I am not just trying to live/get away from my mom. I have lived 400 miles away from her in San Francisco since august 2015, only coming back for a few months in the summer. Inheritance if for education only. I plan to pay myself for living costs, and wil take up a part time job on my tier 4 visa when i come back. UK postgrad is actually much cheaper than US grad schools. So even if I do not stay in the UK, I have decent degrees. But it only makes sense to search in the UK for a job if I get a degree there. But after I graduate college in 2019 in SF, I plan to do an internship for money+experience, then get my degree in the UK

It's great that you have a cushion of savings.

But a Tier 2 will require work experience, sponsorship, and a minimum salary based on sponsor code.  Unfortunately your savings won't assist with that.

While I want my parents to be proud of me, I make my own choices in life.  I don't seek their approval or live my life to make them happy.

Hi! My savings is for education only. After I leave wales i will graduate college, then do an internship to get work experience and to save up money for living costs. I hope with attending uni for a masters and PHD there that it will be easier to do some job hunting there, only makes sense since i will be there. But if i cant get a job i at least have a degree and phd.

I love goals and ambition (says the woman with two jobs and a master's programme on the go), and it's fantastic that you have a plan and the means.

I just happen to have some specific insight, which is that one of my best mates here did her master's degree in politics, security and integration at UCL, and that job market is TOUGH. She speaks like four languages (Russian, Estonian, Spanish and Swedish, I think??), is whip-smart, funny and all-around the best vodka-and-dumplings partner who's not my husband that I know (these are my requirements in humans). And breaking in to the sector has been an ache-and-a-half.

I think what I'm saying here is have a back-up plan. Maybe consider dabbling in the continent. And then bloody go for it.

Hi Alan! I am not just trying to live/get away from my mom.

Cool, just checking.  You sound like you've got your head screwed on right.

By the way, I'm not Alan, my phone thought you are.

Also, when I said feasible, I certainly meant on a general level.  I'm not allowed to give specific visa advice but be assured KFDANCER knows what she's on about.

If you have some visa problems, you should consider other places in Europe.  Germany has some excellent English language Universities.

Have you considered a career in the state department or intelligence services?  Might pay more.  Have you looked into what teachers are payed here?  It's not pretty.

Cool, just checking.  You sound like you've got your head screwed on right.

By the way, I'm not Alan, my phone thought you are.

Also, when I said feasible, I certainly meant on a general level.  I'm not allowed to give specific visa advice but be assured KFDANCER knows what she's on about.

If you have some visa problems, you should consider other places in Europe.  Germany has some excellent English language Universities.

Have you considered a career in the state department or intelligence services?  Might pay more.  Have you looked into what teachers are payed here?  It's not pretty.

I have not seen how much lecturers are paid in the UK. Thankfully I am not a closed person and am open to going to new places. Its just ive lived here and the US, and I would understand how both work. As of now I am trying my best to improve myself and make myself more employable, by attending workshops @ uni for critical thinking to help me do better on essays, and technical skills like learning how to use microsoft excel, just so I can have those valuable skills down by the time I enter the job market.

Welcome to the forum, Amanda .

I am a hard worker and I worked my butt of for 2 years to be able to be in this country right now. And I will do whatever it takes in order for me to do it again.

I was in a similar position to you about 15 years ago, but the opposite way around. I'm British and I had always wanted to live in the US (my aunt lives there) and got the opportunity by spending a study abroad year there during my undergraduate degree.

I went back to the UK after that year, finished my degree, took a year out, gained a masters in the UK, and then I applied for a PhD in the US, at the same university I attended on study abroad (one of the professors had mentioned grad school when I was there previously).

So, there I was, making a more 'permanent' move to the US, like I'd always dreamed of. The problem was... living there long-term was nothing like living there on a study abroad year.

The study abroad year was filled with making friends and experiencing college life and travelling as much as I could, whereas the PhD was a dose of real life. Despite already having spent about 18 months in the US previously, I ended up realising that during the study abroad year I had seen America through rose-tinted glasses... I had basically just been a tourist, and the reality was that I didn't really like it all that much... at least not in an every day, real world, real job sort of way. I just wasn't happy there - I ended up sticking it out for 8 months and then I moved back to the UK in the summer.

It's been almost 10 years since then and I haven't regretted it for a second. I now have a career I love in the UK (in a completely different field to my degrees), I get to travel loads with my job (including the US, I've lived in 5 countries on 5 continents since 2008) and I've made some amazing friends... none of which would have happened if I'd stayed in the US.

Not trying to be discouraging, but I just thought it was worth mentioning that actually living in the UK properly on long-term basis, is not going to be the same as experiencing the UK while on a temporary, short-term visa where you still have a life to go back to in the US.

My mother doesnt like that I may do this. She is judgmental and has never left North America, hell shes lived in a 20 mile bubble her entire life. I already know my career goals will take me thousands of miles away from home, and maybe to the UK. I am not "UK or bust". I can work in America if I have to. but my mom always makes me feel guilty and emotionally blackmails me so it is difficult.

Sorry to hear that .

My mum was supportive of me moving away (her sister is the one who lives in the US), but she didn't tell me until after I decided to move home that she wished I had never gone. At the time she didn't want to influence my decision about whether to stay there or not, but I was kinda annoyed when I found out because if she had just told me that to start with, it would have made my decision to come home so much easier!

I have not seen how much lecturers are paid in the UK.

University lecturers are generally paid a lot more than teachers - I suspect jimbo was referring more to teacher salaries (i.e. high school) than lecturers.

Here's an average for UK lecturers:

Salary
- Starting salaries for higher education (HE) lecturers range from around £33,943 to £41,709.
- At senior lecturer level, you'll typically earn between £41,709 and £55,998.
- Salaries at professorial level can range from around £54,637 up to in excess of £107,244, depending on your level experience and managerial responsibility.

And Post-Doctoral Researchers generally earn between £24,000 and £36,000.

Whereas salaries for high school teachers are more like:

Salary
- NQTs in England and Wales start on the main pay range, which rises incrementally from £22,467 to £33,160 (£28,098 to £33,160 for inner London).
- Salaries on the main scale in Northern Ireland range from £22,243 to £32,509.
- In Scotland, salaries range from £22,194 to £35,409. .

Welcome to the forum, Amanda .

hi! It has been fun in the uk, traveling and seeing everything. But I know that one day if I live here, it wont be that way. I will be doing the 9-5 life and probably wont travel much. But thats ok! I am having my fun now. I am trying to improve myself and figure out if I really want to live in this country. It is a goal of mine. I feel the need to be very defensive about my decision due to my moms anti-NHS comments and how she says its not all its cracked up to be.Especially since I am on her "dollar". Well guess what, life isnt all its cracked up to be! The UK has its issue and so does the US. It sends me into rage to think that I am, by family, constantly questioned for my decisions. I am even questioned by my mom about a pillow I bought at cadbury world. It is never-ending. She snoops through all my stuff and asks constant questions. Dont even get into relationships/sex/birth control with her, as she is very conservative and I have had to hide those affairs from her. To her I am not an adult and she doesnt treat me like one.  I am under an enormous amount of pressure. I can hardly stand it anymore and I just feel like doing what I want to do.

I was actually talking about lecturers and I'm amazed at those numbers.  Considering the lecturers I know have been at it for more than 10 years and are lucky to make a living wage.  However, I'll accept your research over my anecdote.  But, I find it hard to believe there's any professors making £107, 0000 pa.