Perceptions and Thought Processes

Well I'm into my last month in the US. It's exactly 30 days until I land in the UK. I received my visa today! I bought my ticket and I paid my rent. I will post another entry about the practical processes of every thing shortly.

Now that all the basics are covered I'm able to spend more time and energy thinking about the day-to-day ways my life will change. The main thing I've been thinking about lately is how I'll be challenged to think differently. I read an article about the top 11 greatest things about the UK, written by a native professor. One point talked about the women. The article compared UK women to that of other regions/cultures. It said that American and German women are too ideological. That got me thinking. I'm well aware of the fact that the article was a personal opinion, but I can't help but wonder how I'll be received in this new environment. I can be pretty opinionated; however, I basically have a personal mantra of live and let live. So what did the author mean by ideological? I started thinking about every way I've been socialized into thinking... values based actions, stand for something or fall for anything, 

The goal of moving abroad is not to change myself, per se. The goal is to enhance myself, to expand my world, to grow. And half the fun is to share my culture, my norms, my ideals also; cultural exchange, as a matter of term. Nonetheless, as a social creature I still want to be accepted.

I don't think I'm so bad of an American. I'm relatively open-minded and tolerant. Except for elected ignorance. I enjoy embracing other worlds. My bachelors degree is in international relations, so in multiple classes we discussed American stereotypes. I keep those (or at least the most significant ones to me) in my mind constantly. I try to break the stereotypes. I've also recently watched a documentary called The Listening Project where four Americans travel to different countries on different continents to interview strangers about their perceptions of American people. Many were congenial sentiments, though some were negative, centered around our publicized image of being rich. Of course, I would say that I am not rich.  By American standards I am far from rich. My annual earnings are not enough to support myself and I buy things on credit from time to time. But compared to many I most certainly am rich. However, it's an inadequate comparison. Standards of living are vastly different, as are cultural norms. I did not choose to be born and raised in America, and standards are always going to be partial to the circumstances. However, I am aware that my life is incredibly comfortable. 

I am very interested to continue this social research of cultural stereotyping, as I am just as guilty. And it should come easily, because I've been told my program is 80% international students, mostly from Asia and Africa. I've also been informed that many of these students are at the University studying on grants from their governments because they are recognized as the top people in the their respective countries, having previously run things like TB clinics. Well upon hearing that I was intimidated. The most I'm done is be a receptionist at a doctor 's office! But I've been trying not to look at it that way, instead look at it as I bring a different perspective and they'll be intrigued to hear more about the American health system. And I'll certainly have a task at hand trying to explain it to any one!

Applying for My Student Visa

So I will be in the UK on a Tier 4 Student Visa, this is for students studying more than 6 months in the UK. There are several parts of being eligible and applying for a student visa.

Step 1: Becoming a Student Again

To be able to apply for your student visa you have to have been accepted to a university, and received a form from the University called a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). You can only apply for your CAS 4 months in advance of your start date, and I had to pay my deposit first. My deposit was £1000, approximately $1500.

Step 2: Finances

You have to be able to prove your financial standing whether it be a sponsor, scholarship, or personal funds. Presently the standard is your tuition and then 9 months of living expenses; the UK Border Agency deems it necessary to have £800 per month outside London or £1000 per month for London and metropolitan area. Every thing must be listed in British Pounds (GBP), and the UK Border Agency uses a particular website for conversion.

A scholarship through your university will be listed on your CAS, as will any payments already made like your deposit. These amounts can be deducted from your minimum required amount of financing. If using personal funds a bank statement must be provided and you must have held the minimum required balance for at least 28 days. 

Step 3: Applying for Visa

A. Application

You must submit your online application, pay the application fee (which is approximately $500), and choose a date for your biometrics meeting. The online application is your personal information. Then for US nationals there is a paper component that covers the program you'll be studying and the finances. You must include a recent passport photo on the application, no more than 6 months old.

B. Biometrics meeting

This is an appointment at an immigration office near you. Mine was about an hour away from my house. At this appointment they take your photo and all 10 of your finger prints. I had to schedule a meeting time, however upon arrival I was placed into a queue of people and had to wait for my number to be called. The only rationale I could come up with for having a scheduled appointment time was for them to ensure that a manageable amount of people showed up during each hour. Once I was called back the process of taking my information took all of 5 minutes. You have to take a specific form that is printed with your online application and then they stamp it and it must be included in the application that is mailed to the UK Border Agency.

C. Mailing It In

For US nationals it must be mailed. And they tell you where to mail it. I had to send mine to the British Consulate in NYC. Inside must be:

-your printed online application

-your paper application including recent passport photo

-your CAS

-your financial proof

-your stamped biometrics form

-your passport (yes, the real thing)

-a prepaid envelop to mail your documents back to you

This must all be mailed within 2 weeks of your biometrics meeting. I had mine mailed overnight priory there, which included $100 of insurance. I received an email stating that they had received my application the next day. I had heard a few different time frames to hear an approval or denial, somewhere between 8 and 21 days. Well I received an email after 1 week that it had been approved and was in the mail back to me. Two days later I received my passport and visa inside. My visa is actually a sticker on a page in my passport.

With my Tier 4 Student Visa I am able to work up to 20 hours per week during term time. Personally, I have not decide yet if I want to work. I am going to wait to see how intense my program is first and I also want to find an internship like opportunity before taking a menial waitressing job or something similar.