MikeUK

To be fair it really only was failing only one

That's fixed now

As my wife was a high school teacher and very pushy, when they let us down it was brutally apparent what they do for those closer to what they feel is the bottom

Almost Canadian

I am not going to disagree with you that, on a general basis, Brits appear far more "switched on" than their Canadian counterparts.

Maybe it is a competition thing. Who knows?

MikeUK

I don't know... But working where I do now.. it not just Brits, the French, the Germans , the south Americans all see much more motivated

Snowy560

I like the high school my kids are now in quite a lot better than the one my older daughter was in in the UK where they just seemed to get ridiculously over the top about stupid things like the wrong shoe colour etc. The older one moved into Grade 10 here, where was stressful for her, but the school handled it brilliantly I thought and she's done really well (in Grade 12 now so just about to leave). The curriculum is much broader here in the later years (Grades 10-12) which I like.

I wasn't that keen on the elementary school the other daughter went to for a couple of years. I think I did find that school a bit peculiar compared with what my daughter would have been doing in the UK.

And the universities are so much cheaper! Friends back in the UK have kids who are having to take out loans of at least £9,000 a year to even go!

Having said all this: I'm still very homesick. I miss London. Perhaps I feel worse as we're just exchanging on our UK house so this is it or it feels like that. But it was quite difficult renting it out from this distance and difficult to buy somewhere here without selling.

Has anybody experienced feeling unsettled at house selling point as well? I keep hoping the buyers will pull out! And I have no family in the UK to go back to so with the house gone, I feel a bit insecure. Can't go back though because everyone else loves it here. And I've got a Canadian cat now!

Tirytory

That's sad... How long have you been here?

Snowy560

Thanks for asking. I've been here about 3 years. My husband has been here a bit longer as he came before the rest of us. It may be because I am older (than perhaps many people who immigrate) and have found it quite a struggle to get work. My husband has a job (but he works away some of the week) and the kids are in school so they make friends/contacts that way. I do work, but it's very bitty, and some of it's online.

S

Tirytory

It's hard..I feel like I left part of me behind. It's also hard because everyone else is happy here- the others have gained here while I feel like I've lost... My job, my friends

Snowy560

Yes, it is hard. It probably hasn't helped not being able to get work in my field. have retrained, but it's still been a struggle. I have something (p/t) for six months now which is completely different, so we'll see how that goes.

I do miss UK friends, but it's hard to know how much of it is the "grass is always greener on the other side" syndrome. And I worry about stuff like getting older here etc. I also find things have become far more complicated due to being here. Like having to file taxes both in the UK and here, whereas before, I didn't have to file any (does anyone else find this stressful?!).

Actually coming on this forum has helped because you see people are going through the same stuff as you. And thank you for taking the time out to write a reply when I see from your other thread you have extreme issues going on with your application (which I hope gets resolved positively).

S

jamesmc

ach I think the older you are when you come to Canada the worse it is to make friends again we were in our late 40s ,the OHs parents had passed yrs before my parents were all for us going for it!.
As for friends we had lost a number of real 25+yr friends to illness ( one when he was a week away from moving to OZ for a life changing job for life), and being from rural Scotland the choice to jump was made for us.
My OH was a NHS worker for 26yrs and decided not to jump through all the hoops again when in Canada(didn't have a degree etc) so she started work in the local hotel/bar and made some good friends so far,,,,,myself though I am a truck driver (local now) and found it hard to start again to make friends but through work/neighbours/and new Canadians (some from this site) I feel I have some real friends again .. it is hard and at the start very lonely and now if I make a new friend from here or another forum I will make the effort to visit and help them if we can .......jimmy rambling on again

Tirytory

Thank you..it will all work out in the wash. I had to do the two tax return thing, I procrastinate enough over one! I find things are more complicated..I worry that I can't support us if something happened to my husband- he's self employed. There's no pension and I don't think the system helps much if things go belly up for you.

And this forum can be great for knowing people are in the same boat. Sometimes maybe too much. It can make me question too much I think..

Snowy560

Thanks again. I have the same worries as you if something happened to my husband and have not much pension either. Maybe life insurance is a good idea ...

And yes, I think the older you, the more difficult it is to make friends, get a job, all of that.

S

Sorry it's life assurance isn't it?!

babyposer

Thanks for posting this.

Very interesting as I am in Europe and would like to move to Canada.

sliam37

I don't know where you live and if it's an option or not where you are, but don't forget some schools / districts offer the IB program. I'd say it was easily as good as gcses and a levels. Many universities in n. america will count it as a year (ie: only need a 3 year course, not a 4 year course).

paeroa66

or advanced placement i think a lot of schools do that?
the system was way different when i went to school aged 14 in NZ as well and I missed a lot of the subjects but looking back there was a lot of good. Its changing here again back to a 2 year course and exam only and less subjects, first year this year so my son is the test year... hey ho...

Steve_

Not anymore!

Oh well.