<p>For the past 3 years I've wanted to study abroad but my mum would never allow me to because she didn't want me to be thousands of miles away from home but now she has finally come round to the idea and kind of accepts that it is something that I want to do but I have to spend a summer at the summer school before to make sure that it is the right place for me to attend. Little does she know that they cost around £4000 which I can't afford so I decided to skip summer school and just apply to the ones that I want to. </p>
<p>But now I've realised that I can't afford to do that, I can't look around them due to financial difficulties and even if I could my mum wouldn't want me to go by myself but wouldn't get the time off work to go with me. She also can't help me with financing my education due to coming from a poorer family. </p>
<p>If I don't want to nor can I imagine myself going to the universities in the UK, I really like the flexibility of a US degree which sadly we don't have over here. </p>
<p>I'm not expecting the US goverment to pay for my education but it seems like the only way I am ever going to be able to study abroad is if I win the lottery or if I WAS was born into a rich family. </p>
<p>As you’ve discovered, education here is very expensive, parents start saving for college years before their child is through with school. Many start saving when the child is born! Compared to Europe, there is little financial aid, and certainly VERY little for international students. That’s limited mostly to the highly accomplished student whose abilities make her/him competitive for the most exclusive private universities. It’s just how it is in the highly capitalist America: anything that smacks of European-style “socialism” makes people here gag </p>
<p>It may be time to explore options within Europe – C’mon, plenty schools on your continent! – or Canada, Australia or New Zealand.</p>
<p>PS The “flexibility” of a US degree may sound attractive. But how useful is an American degree in the UK? What is attractive to you personally may be actually limiting to prospective UK employers, who may want very specific skills from their just-out-of-school employees.</p>
<p>I had a slight feeling that I would have to. Cost wouldn’t have been such a problem but unlike most countries the UK goverment don’t allow loans to be used at overseas universities. I know there’s many schools in Europe but not many teach in English and as much as I would like to I don’t have the time and money to learn another language. Yes a degree from the US can be used in the UK.</p>
<p>Firstly, there are many UK unis that offer some flexibility in the first year. This includes everywhere in Scotland. My sister went to Lancaster to study History, and in the first year she took French as effectively a minor subject. She then switched to History and French joint honours degree.</p>
<p>Secondly, there are lots of joint honours degree programmes in the UK, and very commonly these include a language eg Spanish and Business Studies. You can search for these at the UCAS site.</p>
<p>Thirdly, there are lots of UK courses which involve a year abroad. Eg Biology with a year in the US. See for example uni of Manchester.</p>
<p>Finally, have you thought about doing a summer job or a year out through an agency such as BUNAC, Camp America or Au Pair America?</p>
<p>I am sure you can find a way to fulfil your dream.</p>
<p>Cupcake: I know there’s universities over here that offer joint honours degrees but I really don’t want to to to a UK university which is why I want to study abroad. </p>
<p>I have considered both Camp America and being an AU Pair but the timing isn’t right for either at the moment so they aren’t an option sadly. </p>
<p>I haven’t heard about BUNAC so thanks for the suggestion I’m definitely going to look into it.</p>
<p>If you would prefer to give up rather than compromise, that is up to you. But you actually have very many good options open to you, which other students who post here would kill to have (eg a UK student loan). I guess your only option is to enter the world of work and start saving for a US college education. But that is still a compromise as you will not get the college experience at 18 (more like 30).</p>
<p>Yeah I don’t want to be going when I’m 30 haha. </p>
<p>I know I’m very lucky to have a student loan which I can use if I want to study here but I just wish I could use it to go abroad like some of the other countries allow.</p>
<p>University Colleges in the Netherlands. Check out **************.co.uk for more info on those. There’s a whole sub-section for the Netherlands. It’s abroad, it’s dirt cheap for EU-citizens, and it offers (more or less) the same flexibility of a US education. </p>
<p>It’s still not the US, but in my opinion, no university is worth $200k in debt. What happens after you graduate? I’d rather have some money saved up that I can use during the time between graduating and getting a job. But that’s just me.</p>
<p>Also:</p>
<p>The University of Delhi will be revamping its system. One will have to study for a major and minor. Very similar to the US system. But I’m not sure how successful that will end up being…</p>
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