Official Bored at Work / Off-Topic Chat Thread II

[cidbahamut]

Re: Official Bored at Work / Off-Topic Chat Thread II

Gross.

[Feba]

Re: Official Bored at Work / Off-Topic Chat Thread II

College abroad is great.

The prices are actually, you know, reasonable. Like, textbooks? They're priced exactly the fucking same as regular books. And teachers don't give a shit if you have the latest edition. The best part is that many of the books are actually American-made, only the publishers don't have the same stranglehold on the market they do domestically, so prices are significantly lower (a book that's $100+ in the states is often under $30 here). The books actually come with notices saying they're not to be sold in the US, and the publishers will do stuff like take out pages to make it harder for students to reverse import them back to the states (although this is being done anyway).

A single textbook in the states can be as much as I spend for a semester, and that's with buying the 'optional' reading, and buying brand new. If you really want to save money, there are an abundance of books in second hand stores, and plenty of people will lend them to you as well. Hell, there are plenty of classes where the teacher just prints out everything you need, and you don't buy anything, because the point of college is learning, not consumption.

I'm going to a Top-100 school for the cost of community college in the states. It's fucking silly how out of control pricing has gotten in the US, and I'm frankly pretty amazed that there aren't more Americans going overseas for college, given how many go to college away from home anyway. Oh, and while you're overseas you can take advantage of the hugely more affordable healthcare, too. I get sleeping pills every now and then, and I pay about $10 in consultation fees, and $1 for the drug itself. I had a significant amount of dental work done, and the only payment I made was the registration fee at the dentist (about $5 each time). This for about $100~200 a year in NHI payments. I've considered having braces done while I'm at it; it's not covered by NHI, but it's still about half to a third the price I'd be paying in the US (plus, braces don't have nearly as strong a cultural connection here to teenagers, so it's much more common to see them on 20-somethings). Same goes for many other cosmetic/optional procedures.

[Aksannyi]

Re: Official Bored at Work / Off-Topic Chat Thread II

I'm considering studying abroad next summer if I can possibly swing it, but my lease doesn't expire until a few weeks after I'd be back (which is obviously a problem), not to mention storage of my belongings and the fact that I'd have to quit my job.

It's something I want to give serious consideration to, but I think that's the sort of thing you have to do when you're young and you don't have any financial obligations like an apartment or a car payment.

[Feba]

Re: Official Bored at Work / Off-Topic Chat Thread II

I can see that, but at the same time, those are things that can be left behind (in many cases, for the better), even without leaving the country.

I mean, you're leaving your car and apartment, sure, but those aren't (or at least, shouldn't) be major losses in your life. Jobs can be hard to leave, although from what you've said it doesn't seem like it would be much of a loss; heck, you could work on your career/academics teaching English overseas. Your biggest problems seem to be getting out of your lease or paying for time you're not there, and finding a place to stuff your junk, which are really pretty minor.

There's a big difference between a summer abroad and a year or longer though; the summer courses are usually more expensive, even in cheap countries. They're usually oriented to be more touristy and less educational, which means more travel and nicer lodging, which comes at a cost. Staying for a year or longer can actually be cheaper, since you can get more 'local' and save a ton of money on housing, food (choosing to eat at local eateries, instead of being taken to more expensive restaurants), etc. Plus, most of the cheap countries on earth aren't going to be speaking (just) English, so more time means more proficiency in the local language.

[Aksannyi]

Re: Official Bored at Work / Off-Topic Chat Thread II

Well my first step is to talk to the study abroad office at my school, which I plan to do next week (it's add/drop week and this week is always insane in every office on campus) so I can get a better idea of if I can even do it.

I'd probably go to the UK because I'm an English Education major, there are a few British Lit courses that are required for my major that will be offered over there next summer. I'm most definitely not interested in transferring schools again, this is the 5th college I've been to and I'm getting my degree here if it kills me.

[Feba]

Re: Official Bored at Work / Off-Topic Chat Thread II

Yeah, the UK is one of the most expensive places you can go to for an education. I encourage anyone to try to follow their dreams, but if going to the UK is unreasonable, you can look at other countries; you'd be surprised how many colleges not only have good English courses, but do all of their education in English, despite it not being the national language.

[Jarre]

Re: Official Bored at Work / Off-Topic Chat Thread II

tuition fees in the Uk are up to £9k a year ($14,891.60 USD), standard student accomodation is around minimum £75 a week ($124.097 USD) (outside of London) then theres student visa costs, the actual plane fare and travel costs from the airport to the city chosen just take into account that the UK has the highest cost rail fares in Europe. Then as accomodation is room only with shared kitchen you will spend around £35 minimum. ($57.9124 USD) a week on basic cheap brand food + then theirs the cost of your Toiletries whicha re on average twice the cost in the US, plus if you want to go out for a drink in a club you wont find many drinks costing you less than £3 a pint / shot ($5) a big mac meal is £5 ($8.27402 USD) and you'll find that will be the equivilent size of your childrens meal in the US. In general you'll find that portions are half the size of the US for alot more money. You may hear firewind, satori and I moan about how much were ripped off and sadly it would be a serious headfuck for you with hardly any money to live here during your course.

[Aksannyi]

Re: Official Bored at Work / Off-Topic Chat Thread II

That's actually good to know because I'm sure I wouldn't be able to take on a job for the two/three months that I'd be over there.

Maybe I'll just plan a vacation there instead, and plan on taking a Masters program abroad when I get that far. I may have more leeway at that point.

[Mezlo]

Re: Official Bored at Work / Off-Topic Chat Thread II

I hope you're buying them used...

- - - Updated - - -

books that is... @ etra

[Aksannyi]

Re: Official Bored at Work / Off-Topic Chat Thread II

I have a class that is off campus this semester but they had us meet here on campus for the first week. They let us out like 3 hours early and I've been kind of wandering around trying to kill the time. Finally I just came to the building my class is in to sit down outside the classroom and wait. An hour and fifteen minutes to go.

I really actually want to nap. lol

[Etra]

Re: Official Bored at Work / Off-Topic Chat Thread II

I hope you're buying them used...

- - - Updated - - -

books that is... @ etra

Just rent them off Amazon. Even cheaper than used books.

[Firewind]

Re: Official Bored at Work / Off-Topic Chat Thread II

That's actually good to know because I'm sure I wouldn't be able to take on a job for the two/three months that I'd be over there.

Maybe I'll just plan a vacation there instead, and plan on taking a Masters program abroad when I get that far. I may have more leeway at that point.

It would be nice to see people from here visiting the UK, but please note that Jarre was listing stuff that's on the cheapest since of things. And College Tuition is NOT capped anymore, and for non-UK residents they will charge you even more for being dirty Johnny Foreigner.

Plus the NHS is starting to charge foreigners now so sucks to be you if your medical insurance doesn't cover getting sick over here.

Oh and pretty much every city has an area I can't advise anyone to go into without being heavily armed, and with several people with you. Oh, and all of the prisons here are full, and the Police only give a shit about you if you can afford it, or have friends that can shit on them from very high up, so good luck with those areas.

[Etra]

Re: Official Bored at Work / Off-Topic Chat Thread II

Anyone know of any good speakers (2.1, etc.) for a PC that connect through one 3.5mm jack?

[Satori]

Re: Official Bored at Work / Off-Topic Chat Thread II

I can advise you a little with the application process and courses in the uk.
I'm currently entering education as a mature student (30) since the NHS made my qualification obsolete. I've just been through college and now heading towards the path of university, at the time I was devastated but now I know I can get a shiny degree instead of my diploma "spit "
Where I come from people rarely go to work, let alone university so it's quite an odd feeling.

There is funding available and financial support even for overseas candidates and things like becoming a nurse the tuition fees are paid for by the government plus a small wage called a bursary. My current bursary is estimate at £500/700 per month.

[Aksannyi]

Re: Official Bored at Work / Off-Topic Chat Thread II

Oh if I were going to do it, it would be through my school's study abroad program and only go for a semester. I'm assuming all of the tuition and housing costs would be covered via my student loans, and after that I'd be on my own for living expenses and whatnot.

Which would be great, if I didn't have an apartment and a car payment around here that I'd need to worry about.