4 THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE MOVING TO UK

 Moving out seems like an exciting experience, especially for a young person that never went away from home for a long period.

I moved to the UK when I was 18 years old and without no money. I believe that If I knew these things before moving out I would have at least think about it twice. This doesn't mean that I regret moving out to a different country, now I am definitely enjoying it.

1. Language barrier

Oh God, I wish I knew how to speak English before moving to the UK!

Communication is something that we take for granted but is really important. Do people in Spain speak English or, more likely the correct question, do Spanish people speak English? So, the answer depends where you go.

The tourist sides like Barcelona, Madrid, Málaga and Seville, you will find good English speakers. Inland towns and villages, and costal areas with fewer foreign visitors can be a different prospect. However, where Spanish- or local languages/dialects such as Catalan and Andaluz- may be the only language spoken.

 

My English was so poor, and my communication was worthless. I tried applying for jobs, but they were always looking for a fluent English speakers, which made sense. In conclusion, my recommendation before moving to the UK, you'll want to study and practice the language as much as you can. You can buy a workbook to practice the language and when you move in apply for a intensive lessons is a great way to meet people and ease the linguistic transition.

2. Education system

The education system in Spain is different from the UK, The Spanish education system is divided into four stages, two of which are compulsory:

• Nursery and preschool (educación infantil) – optional

• Primary (educación or escuela primaria)  – compulsory

• Compulsory secondary education (educación secundaria obligatoria)

• Upper secondary education (bachillerato) – optional

Children in the UK have to legally attend primary and secondary education which runs from about 5 years old until the student is 16 years old.

The system in the UK is also split into "key stages" which breaks down as follows: Generally key stages 1 and 2 will be undertaken at    primary school and at 11 years old a student will move onto secondary school and finish key stages 3 and 4.

• Key Stage 1: 5 to 7 years old
• Key Stage 2: 7 to 11 years old
• Key Stage 3: 11 to 14 years old
• Key Stage 4: 14 to 16 years old

Students are assessed at the end of each stage. The most important assessment occurs at age 16 when students pursue their GCSE's or General Certificate of Secondary Education. Once students complete their GCSE's they have the choice to go onto further education and then potential higher education, or finish school and go into the working world.

When I move to the UK, wanted to apply for university, but because the education system was slightly different I had to study first English and maths. So, I did my maths and English lessons and have my certificates. When the time come to apply, I found out that I won't be entitle to the student finance support to pay my degree, because I haven't been in the UK for three years. 

In conclusion, If you are planning to moving in, to study in the UK, be aware of the differences in the education system. You will need to inform yourself more about the entry requirements or about the course you are interested in. My mistake before moving was not informing myself enough about the courses and the degree I was interested in to. so, the wait was long but worth it.

3. Making new friends

 Making new friends, It's scary, I know! Moving to a new country without knowing a soul is daunting, most of your old friends and family are back home. Keeping in touch from a distance works better with some of them than others, still is not the same as being in the same town and be able to meet. 

When I moved to the UK, I was terrified, I was concerned about making a good impression, whether the other person will like me, how to keep the conversation going, and so on. The more I thought about it, the scarier it seems. The fear was in my head and I had to acknowledge that. So, what I wish I knew before moving is knowing that is going to be challenging for me and have improved my social skills.

 Now I am going to share with you the tips I found helpful to make new friends or meet new people when I move to the UK:

1. Go to class, learn the language, join a English classes. You will find people with the same struggles as you!
2. Get social, join a sports teams, go to the Gym and talk to strangers. Facebook groups are a good way to make new friends around your area.
3. Don't be hard on yourself. It's important to give yourself plenty of time. Moving to a new city or starting a new job can be daunting enough; leaving your friends and family will probably be one of the toughest things you ever do, so don’t be too hard on yourself. 
4. Don't fear rejection. Not everyone is going to be friendly or welcoming. That’s fine. Not everyone back home was your friend either. It’s okay to meet up with someone every now and again to watch the football or grab coffee; you don’t need to become best friends.
5. Go and volunteer in anything, it is a good way to interact with people and feel good about yourself.

4. How to manage my money

I wish I knew how to save or manage my money better, because I realized that I haven't been in a situation where I had to save money to basically survive or pay some bills for next month. I never had pocket money from my parents or never had any experience in managing money.

So, it was kind of difficult for me the first months that I started having a regular income. Then, with time I started to be more cautious with my finances, now I am happy with how I manage it and save money for emergencies or things that I will need in the future. This are the tips that worked for me and hope that it will work for you too:

1. Understand your finances. You have to ask yourself "Do I spend more than I earn?" "What can I afford to spend?", understand how much is going in and out it is important. 
2. Make a realistic money plan and stick to it. It is the only way you will be able to keep track of you finances, if you want to save.
3. Don't borrow on credit cards or going to your overdraft, what I believe is that if you can't afford to buy clothes on your normal current account, then you shouldn't be able to afford clothes on a credit card. You should only spend what you can afford.
4. Pay off your bills and debts first, when you very first get your money you should take first the important things like bills and debts. Then, with the money left you can treat yourself and spend it on you.
5. If you want something save for it, if you need like a camera or new laptop don't just go and borrow it on a credit card and then worry about it afterwards, just every time you get paid save a small amount for it.
6. Don't buy things you don't need. I think it's important to avoid buying little things like, magazines, clothes that you don't need, coffee and food when you are out and about, etc.
7. Leave money aside for emergencies, you never know when will you need money for an emergency.
8. Track what you are spending each day, write it down on a paper. Check your bank statements regularly, it will help you to know how much money exactly you have left and where did you spend it.
9. Leave your change or cards at home, challenge yourself. if you know you are someone that can't be trust with money or cards in your ballet, then leave the home. Go out without money.

So, that's all I have for you guys today! I hope you guys learn something and thank you for your time. If you want to leave any comments, please do it!! 

See you soon Xx

Lakaa