Thinking of moving to America, from England, after I finish college - any advice?

I'm 17 and have got at least 2 years left at college. I don't plan to go to university afterwards so would like to relocate to America to pursue a career instead. What things should I consider before making the move?Thinking of moving to America, from England, after I finish college - any advice?
the cost of your phone service. you,ll be calling your family. the climate you are comfortable in. this is important in the u.s. there are as many climates as any place else in the world. 120F everyday in phoenix, arizona in the summer. 40-60F below zero in the middle of minnesota in the winter. four to five feet of snow in upstate new york, and it will last for five months. do some research. i live in northern illinois, about 40 miles from chicago. we have a rather benign climate. the cost of living is something to think about. major cities are expensive. smaller metropolitan areas are usually cheaper to live in. you need a skill that is desirable. there are tons of health care jobs, and skilled people are in demand.Thinking of moving to America, from England, after I finish college - any advice?
I spent 3 weeks in the U.S last year with my wife and daughter and we couldn't wait to get home to Australia. It isn't anything like you see on TV or in the movies, unless you have unlimited funds to do whatever and go wherever you like. If you don't have a high grade of health cover then you better not plan on getting sick. Most high paying jobs require a university degree and even then you have to work your way up for at least ten years before the money gets respectable. Do heaps of research, talk to people on the net who live there, maybe think about getting a degree before you leave 'old blighty'. We thought about moving from Australia to California as we have relatives there, they laughed at us, they asked if we could help them get to Australia!
First thing you need to do is LOOSE YOUR MIND!!!! I am an American (lived in England for a while) married to an Englishman (who currently has an American green card). Why in the world would you want to move to the US is beyond me. All of Europe is your oyster.


The honest truth of it is that America is a sh*t hole. My husband says two things about living in the US...


1) America is like a 3rd world country.


2) Living in America is like living in England back in the 1950's. We have stopped progressing.





If you want the real truth about America just email me. It is NOTHING like you think it is.





~~Donna~~





EDIT:


';Take unwarranted criticism of our country with the distrust it deserves. We enjoy cutting edge medical care that people from all over the world come here for. We have (those with skills or education) an excellent standard of living, accompanied by affordable fuel prices and reasonable (in most markets) housing. Practically everyone has a car, and there are colleges and universities everywhere. Only the uneducated would think us a third world country. Perhaps that is just the third world mentality coming through.';





Medical care is no better than it is in the UK. You have to wait weeks to months to get in to see a specialist. You have to wait weeks for non emergency surgery. Cutting edge medical technology my foot. Thanks to the medical technology in this country I developed gaseous gangrene due to an over zealous doctor who preformed an arterial uterine embolization. I was within 4 hours of dying. The medical care is as good, if not better, in the UK. Plus here is an interesting fact for you. 3/4 of all bankruptcies in the US are due to medical bills and 50% of those had medical insurance. Right now we pay $18,820 a yr for our medical insurance...that does NOT include co pays and deductibles. If you have a lot of money, sure medical care is decent. If you don't then don't plan on getting sick or you could loose everything you have ever worked for.





Standard of living is decent when compared to third world countries, but NOT other developed countries. When families have to choose between rent, food and medical insurance that shows something is wrong with out system.





Affordable fuel prices..please don't make me laugh. Here is an interesting fact for you. Cars in the US, when compared to the same make and model in the UK, get 2/3rds less miles per gallon. Don't believe me? Go to ford.com and then ford.co.uk and compare for yourself.





Reasonable houseing......again go online and check out the housing market. Look at houses for sale, then for rent. You will see for yourself. Houses, for sale and rent, are MUCH more affordable in the UK than in the US.





Practically everyone has a car......lol. You want to know why? Because if you don't live in a large city (which the vast majority of Americans don't) then you are screwed without a car. Public transportation in most areas of the country are unheard of. You can't go to work. You can't go to the doctor. You can't go shopping. See where I am coming from. It isn't a luxury, it is a necessity.





there are colleges and universities everywhere....yup..I agree with this. However higher education in the UK is a pittance when compared to how much it costs in the US. If it was so affordable, then more people would have college educations.





only the uneducated would think us a third world country.


Two things with this particular statement. 1) Only people who have never lived in another developed country can sit back and believe all this BS. They have nothing to compare first hand. 2) My husband is highly educated and is actually an escalation manager for a 'large corporate bank'. So this is not coming from someone who is considered 'lower class and uneducated'. We are considered middle class in the US.


I myself have a nursing degree. Although I do not currently work, that does not mean I am uneducated. My priorities are a little different, as I choose to stay home with my child during his formative years.





Look.....think what you want. I just wanted you to know that things are not all roses here in the US. A lot of Brits regret moving here.








EDIT #2:





Just a couple more things you should know.





1) Wages in the UK on average are at least twice as much versus the US..for doing the same job. (not going to say how much my husband makes) But he has not earned this little since 1980's back in England. He is so embarrassed by his wages here, he won't even tell his family what he earns.


Example. In the UK a phlebotomist can earn 18,000 pounds a yr, working 3 hrs a day, 5 days a week.


In the US the same phlebotomist works 5 days a week, 40 hours a week, and earns roughly 18,000-20,000 us dollars a yr. Look up the currency conversion and you will see what I mean.


2) Here in the US you get (if you are lucky) one weeks unpaid vacation a yr, after working a yr.


In the UK, you get from day one, 5 weeks paid vacation a yr.


Which do you like the sound of better?





Oh one last thing. You know how in the UK you get a job contact that protects you from being fired? Forget it here in the US. You can get fired for any reason, or no reason. Job contracts are rare. If you do get one (like my husbands) it can say they can fire you at any time, for any reason or no reason, without notice. How is that a job contract?
well my husband is from uk-north east. He is going back in December. He cant wait to get the h e l l outta here. I agree with the other post...why would you want to. I am leaving here to go to uk once he gets back and gets settled again. He has been here 2 years and hates it. All though I have heard from so many ppl the same thing about the uk that we are saying to you...why would you want to live here? But the grass is always greener.


My advice is to come over with your passport(you dont need a visa) you can stay 90 days. Go explore...see the real side of america, not what the movies show. See the poverty, racism how messed up the government is. You will see that its defo not what it seems. The food is pure shite. no selection, all processed.


If you want to live abroad, stay in Europe! Travel to other places before deciding. You are young!Spain, Turkey, any where on the Medi-Trust us....america is doomed darlin.


One positive note...you will have the girls attatched at the hip with the accent. Us americans are quite fond of that damned accent!
We are still a land abundant with opportunity for those who will work. We still welcome educated law abiding immigrants who wish to have citizenship.





Your first consideration should be employment. You will need to be self-supporting. Try to have a job lined up before settling here. Secondly, you should choose your new home town carefully, and after much research. If you have friends or relatives in the USA, prevail upon them for guidance. Given the climate you come from now, I would favor somewhere in the north-east as a starting suggestion.





Take unwarranted criticism of our country with the distrust it deserves. We enjoy cutting edge medical care that people from all over the world come here for. We have (those with skills or education) an excellent standard of living, accompanied by affordable fuel prices and reasonable (in most markets) housing. Practically everyone has a car, and there are colleges and universities everywhere. Only the uneducated would think us a third world country. Perhaps that is just the third world mentality coming through.





Good luck and welcome.





Edit 1) Apparently unable to understand the (very) simple community guidelines, another respondant chose to comment on my response. While it was humerous to read through numerous mistakes in what at least she considered a diatribe that was in some fashion relevant, it does nevertheless constitute chat. Good luck and Godspeed back to the UK....soon.
Green cards ... !