College life?

i'm a sophomore in high school, and reality hit me hard today when we got a speech about college. i have two years before i graduate, and less than that to actually apply and stuff.





i'm clueless to how college life works, and i have so many questions.


i've been looking at a college in London (so yes, that'd be abroad) for creative writing. it says that would only be three years. i'm just concerned what you could do with a degree or whatever you get from there from three years, and what jobs are available and the money you'd get.





and the fact that it's abroad, i read somewhere (i cant remember what school exactly) that you'd have to complete a year in an american college before you could go. does that apply to all the colleges abroad? and (last one, i swear) how would the visas work if you were a student?


thanks in advance.

College life?
First off school in the UK for US citizens is VERY expensive. About 30,000 a year and higher. You can NOT receive government grants and will be disqualified from most scholarships. You may only use and recieve government loans which you have to pay back. I've looked every where and the only way you can get a scholarship to study in the UK is if the scholarship comes directly from the university you are studying at (In which case it will only cover a couple of thousand tops) or if you choose to get your Bachelor degree in the United States and then go to the UK for masters or graduate studies. But if money is no problem then go ahead.


Make sure you apply the summer BEFORE your senior year because a lot of Universities there like Oxford and Cambridge have their applications due at the beginning of october and sometimes mail is slow. And I've never heard of any international college making you complete a year at an american college before you go and I've looked into a lot of them. So that must be an exception for the college your looking at.


Let's fast forward and say you get accepted to a college in London and you find a way to pay for it. You will have to apply for a student visa. Start filling out the forms before you even get the acceptance letter and send them in as soon as you've notified the college you plan on attending. Government forms take forever to process. As far as working there If you are a US citizen you can't. But there are two exceptions.


1. At least One blood grandparent on either side is a citizen of Great Britain. If this is so then you may get a four year work visa.


2. You have citizenship or dual citizenship in one or more of the following countries. Canada, New Zealand, or Australia. If you are then you are a citizen of the common wealth and entitled to a One year work visa.





It might be wise to stay in the states the first four years and get a practical degree to fall back on like business or something and then go to London for your graduate studies in creative writing. That way you'll get more scholarships and a ton more job oppurtunities after you graduate. Best of luck. If you need to know anything else just ask! :)