Should I go to UK or should i depend on my parents forever?

Question

Hey guys, my mum just told me 2 days ago that my dad has retired from his job since he's going to turn into 60 by the end of this month, so I feel like this is the right time for me to get out of this house and become independent..( i can't depend on my parents forever) ..how? well, my aunt lives in UK and she's single so I thought that maybe it's a good idea if I go there and enroll in a high school since I have one more year left to graduate, but the question is, do you think it's easy for me to get a visa to UK? I mean is it legal to get an invitation from my aunt? and 1 more question, do you think that i would have a culture shock or would i easily fit in there?

Answer 1

It may not be easy for you to get a visa.

But being in the grade you are in, it will be impossible for you to begin school in the UK. You will not have GCSEs and will be at the age where most people are half way through their A-levels.

I'd suggest waiting until you are ready to go to university, and even then you will have to have high grades. The SATs and High School certificate are not always taken terribly seriously in the UK.

It is a completely different system, although if you are still considering it (perhaps a year later?) then it would be well worth it. A UK bachelors degree is only three years long and highly valued in comparison to a US bachelors of 4 yrs.

Answer 2

Your parents had you when they were in their mid 40s? Wow.

Answer 3

This needs talking over with your parents.

If you have one more year to do then get it done where you are - school systems are SO different in the UK and you would feel extremely disorientated at first.

Answer 4

First of all does your aunt want you there?  You should finish your high school before planning anything else. Your parents will  and should pay for it. After graduation, get a job, save up some money to move out. Don't expect to stay with your aunt. She might not welcome this idea of you staying with her even though she's single.    

Answer 5

You will have to go to the US embassy and request a visa. It should be easy enough to get. If you go to the UK you won't get a big culture shock. It will be an experience but you will then still be dependent on another person, your aunt. As long as you go to school and earn no money you will be financially dependant. in the USA or in the UK but if she invites you and you can go to school there to finish your last year, that should be no problem. You will find it's probably different at English schools. When my dad turned 60 and retired early I had moved out from home the year before.. but that has nothing to do with it. I was older than you are and I only left home at age 22.

Answer 6

I lived in the US when I was younger, my older brothers moved before they finished high school so they completed their education in the UK. I moved back to the UK earlier than that. It really isn't a big culture shock, its pretty easy to adapt to. It may be difficult schooling wise if you are in grade 10 as you will go into year 11 in the UK which means you will have missed half your GCSE's so will find it harder to get good grades. My brothers moved over when they were in 9th grade and so went straight into year 10 so they didn't miss any of their GCSE studies.

I don't know how easy it will be for you to get a visa, for us it was really easy as we are British citizens so I don't know how you go about it if you are an American citizen.

Answer 7

Nice idea, but a word of warning.  The education system in Britain is very different from America or Canada.  At 17 my parents emmigrated from Rhodesia to B.C. Canada.  I went to school there and did Grade 11 & 12.  It was a horrible move with the education system being so very different.  No GCSE's, no O'levels or or A'Levels, and this grade 11 and 12 meant nothing to me.  The subjects were differnt, like social studies, and the school was co-ed, mixed boys and girls which It hadn't been when I was in England, that might have changed in UK now though.  There were no uniforms and no discipline.  I finally dropped out before graduating.  But, where I came from no one graduated, you just did your exams and left after passing them.  Don't know where your from, but I would finish your schooling before moving.  

Answer 8

moving in with another family member is not being "independent".  have you even spoken to your aunt about this? that fact that you think getting a visa is the least of your worries tells me you are in no way ready to leave your parents.