I was having my one day per quarter when I wonder what the hell I emigrated for.

Nope I didn't expect to carry on where I left off.

Nope I didn't expect Canada to be like the UK.

Nope I wouldn't want to go back to the UK under any circumstances - I occasionally wear beer goggles, but no rose tinted glasses.

Nope I don't think Canada is a backward country - it's not as socially decayed as the UK, but sometimes it feels like it's trying hard to catch up.

I voluntarilly ripped my family's lives up by the roots, shut my business down and left everything that was familiar behind me - it was a calculated risk and I knew exactly what I was doing.

Apart from a slightly rough start in the job market, I'm now just about caught up with where I was in the UK - another year or two and I'll be there.

Like I said, once a quarter I get one of those days where I wonder what the hell I've done ..... as they say, when you're up to your arse in alligators, it's hard to remember that you're there to drain the swamp.

Anyone's thoughts are welcome in the forum - it's a free and open discussion - everybody has the right to thier own opinion and everyone else has the right not to agree with that opinion.

I don't think most of what gets discussed here will make a big difference to the universe in general, if any of us could make a difference, we wouldn't be wasting time talking about it on a forum .... it's all small stuff, nobody needs to get worked up over the small stuff in life.

Time to go to work and be productive

Yup.

"Don't sweat the petty stuff and don't pet the sweaty stuff" (George Carlin)

This is very true. However a child who wants a university education could be very unhappy if he does not get one because of money.

Try to remember that the children we are discussing here are 5 and 7 years old! Its advance planning not panic mode!

That's so true..."a child who wants a university education could be very unhappy if he/she doesn't get one', especially if the "skills" are there to be successful at university.

We have a little girl (2) and little guy (4) and we have already make financial arrangements for a "trust fund" so that a certain amount of money is deposited each and every month - hopefully by the time they are (if they are) prepared for university the money will be there. Of course, there is NO reason that if they have the "smarts" they could qualify for a scholarship, student financial assistance of whatever.

This is called "advanced planning" for your child's future (no panic mode) - any reputable financial advisor would advise you to prepare for the eventuality of your child wanting a shot of a "higher education" - especially in this day and age.

I have 2 nieces one who finished grade 13 last year and one finishing this year. The school brings in all different types of employers to talk to these kids - and the bottom line is - "in today's world" - employers of high tech or other businesses will not even look at you without at least an undergraduate degree. So imagine the pressure these kids have - and the parents who want the best for their kids.

Now, don't get me wrong.......there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a "skilled labourer" - they are as qualified in their field as as university graduate and if they belong to a union get paid very well - but not all of us have the capability of becoming a skilled labourer - I neither have the talent or ability to do so.

Oh, the skills are there - the head at elementary school already told us to start saving as its unlikely one degree each will be enough.....

Thats where the immigrant trap comes in - not enough to allow saving!

Thats why we asked the questions about scholarships. One would expect the job market to work mainly on merit - lots of people claim it doesnt. The same may apply to scholarships - merit alone may not do it! What will! No reason why we should not advance plan for scholarships too.

Thats why we are planning now. No point waiting until grade 12 to discover money & grades are insufficient.

We are basically trying to figure out if the immigrant trap also hits the children who arrived at a young age.

I made financial arrangements for my eldest and began to make arrangements for the other three younger ones. My [now] ex left with his totty and cashed all the RESP's in - because as the man he was the main account holder and they (the trust holders) did not even bother to check with me. The best laid plans......

Not sure who this post is directed at....but as far as thinking about being up and down the professional ladder before I left.....I had a WRITTEN job offer which was reneged upon when I got here, as the company changed hands between interview in June and arrival in September. I had even confirmed the position in the middle of August by phone and email. The company changed hands between interview in early June and my arrival in September. The new owners did not hire and still do not hire outside their own "community". It was really that simple. I have been here nine years....so no, I am not trying to pick up where I left off! I even got a Canadian degree to improve my scuppered career prospects.

That must have been both very upsetting and frustrating to have both incidences happen - especially after all the advanced planning that you did.

We have a great financial advisor - the 2 trust funds are set up so that the "financial advisor" has to sign off on any money being withdrawn from either accounts. As well, the kids must be 18 and if they are continuing their education must show proof of such, otherwise they have to wait until they are 21.

I can't imagine anything happening to Jim/I either in terms of divorce or death in our future - but our advisor "had been around", laughed and told us that he can't count the number of times he heard that.....and then had dire consequences happen to those people because the unthinkable happened. It took both of us a very long time to get to this point.......believe me!!!!!!

It's all part of living I guess - always expect the unexpected and try to cope with whatever is thrown at us!!!!!

Well, it sounds to me like you/partner have "covered all the bases' and I'm sure your kids will be ever grateful for that if they continue their education.

I can only speak for myself and my nieces. When my husband/I went to university (UBC) (not that long ago) financial aid was really only available to those really in need (it was determined by family income and scholarships were directed towards the incredibly clever kids (not me - that's for sure)!.

Both of my nieces going through the admission process at SFU/UBC -I helped them with their applications - they certainly had the marks for scholarships - but the scholarships were dependent on other things as well - both universities were very committed to "community involvement", marks, athletics, family finances etc. etc.

I have one other question for you though, I don't know if I'm being dense....but are you asking whether even if (using your kids as an example) that even if they qualified in every other way, that the university might use the forbidden word "discrimination" against them because they are the product of immigrant parents? Just asking?

Thats why we asked the questions about scholarships. One would expect the job market to work mainly on merit - lots of people claim it doesnt. The same may apply to scholarships - merit alone may not do it! What will! No reason why we should not advance plan for scholarships too.



Thats why we are planning now. No point waiting until grade 12 to discover money & grades are insufficient.

We are basically trying to figure out if the immigrant trap also hits the children who arrived at a young age. [/QUOTE]

Glaswegian,

I have been here for three years, the first year I felt very homesick, but it does tend to disappear over time. Even now I do occasionally think "what have I done!?" but that's usually when I'm pissed off with my oh.

I've noticed through your posts that you really aren't very happy over here. I think it's important to remember that you have to create your own happiness, if something isn't working for you, don't suffer, change it. Basically everything in your life is something that you have created, if you don't like it, you have the power to re-create it.

When your boss said you weren't assertive enough to move to a more senoir position. Ask him/her in what way they mean and take steps to change, that's if you want to.

I don't think that as native English speakers that we'll have any problems moving up the ranks at work.

On another note, a symptom of culture shock/homesickness is hating the new country/people that you have moved to. It's perfectly natural, but try not to get too bitter, as it will prevent the transition to a state of happiness in the new country.

Good Luck...I hope this helps

Int.

I realised this week I haven't been really happy since I got here - but I think I've finally figured out what to do about it.

I've been a lot happier than I would have been staying in the UK - outside work my quality of life has been great - my work life left was far from perfect.

Like I said, his opinion was in response to my question - the discussion went further into what I should do about it.

Watch this space for developments - if I can crack the Canadian career system I'l start running seminars on how to do it

I guess what we are really asking is whether the children who arrive in Canada are either purposely or accidentally discriminated against in accessing university or scholarships.

The other question would be : other than the obvious money & grades, what will help obtain a university place and a scholarship? Remembering that we have plenty advance planning time. Those of you who have already reached this stage - what else would you do knowing what you now know?

Just to clear up another issue - we are not homesick in Canada! Just looking to get my career back to where it was before we left the UK - going back to the UK to get that is NOT an option.

We have had a few PMs asking if we are heading back to the UK - thanks for your concerns. Just to let everyone know, we are staying in Canada and outside the work issue, life is good.

We shouldn't rely on state scholarships for our kids education as parents in the first place, the whole idea of a scgolarship in the first place, is to help bright pupils in getting into the best colleges.

On the immigrant kids issue, there is a possibility that it might be used against them, but I doubt it. We already know that some jobs require you to be a canadian citizen to get that job in the first place, an some jobs ask for canadian experience ( first hand knowledge ), it all comes down to politics at the end of the day, and most of these scholarships, will go to people that the people giving them know anyway.

This might be something to think about, before having many kids, the cost of education nowadays, how are you going to pay for that on your income? There is also the extracurricular activities to think about, and we all know how much that cost.

Agreed, but if a scholarship is there that they are qualified for then I see no reason not to apply. Plus I wasnt really talking about states one (didnt know such things existed) - I was referring more to the large corporate ones.
Thats all I'm asking for....
I hope not, but it helps to be prepared.
Citizenship will not be an issue as that will be covered shortly and experience I hope is less of an issue for newly graduating kids. The networking comment is more worrying - but knowledge allows planning.
Exactly!

By "state" in my previous post, I was refering to any scholarship that comes from the province or the federal government.