pineapple2oo9

Hi,

I'm due to be flying to the states to reside permanently (already have green card and ssn) and while I think i'm relatively well prepared (thanks to reading the forum a lot! and family) i've got some last minute jitters.

My main concern is my degree; i'm about to graduate uni with a BSc in Computer Science, is this equivalent to a US BS? Will I experience any problems because I obtained it in the UK?

I'm off to South Carolina so if anyone has any great last minute tips i'd appreciate them... like a "O I wish i'd taken one of those with me" kind of things!

Thanks

Jenna

mayhemuk

Do you need it? Will you be applying for jobs or do you have one sorted already?
Many people will be confused, if you attended a big name university some may of heard of it.
They'll likely be more interested in supporting exprience.
There are services that do equivelancy checks but I have not used one (Since my line of work did not ask)
My wife used one when we went USA to UK for her degree/teaching credentials though I'm not sure it was worth the drama/cost in the end.

Google shows up some of these
http://www.thedegreepeople.com/forei...ions-faqs.html

Depending on your need I'd not sweat about it until you really need too.

mayhemuk

Oh and pack plenty of Branston/Marmite or whatever you like most because it'll save going cold turkey until you find a local source (And save you buckssss!)

Good Luck!

pineapple2oo9

Thanks for your quick reply. I'm a marmite lover, my dad's the branston man so they'll be in my bag for sure!

Not entirely sure if i'll need to know asap, i'm considering joining the army and I know you can get an elevated rank (E-4) if you have a degree. Having spoke to recruiters before I can't say i'm confident in getting an accurate, timely response to the degree question, and it'd be nice to know to put my mind at ease.

penguinsix

My last minute tip would be several.

Plan a big going away party with friends / family about 24-48 hours BEFORE you actually leave. In fact, tell some of your friends you are leaving a day earlier than you actually depart. Why? Because you'll need that last day to get things in order you might have forgotten. There's almost always something, and if there isn't something, than you can take the day and enjoy something you won't see again for awhile.

Try to get everything packed and ready / shipped a day or two before you leave. I try to live out of a suit case the last day before relocating somewhere. Takes away the desire to 'pack at the last minute'

Keep your bank account open. A devil to reopen if you are not in the UK, and even if you just keep £50 in there it's nice to have.

Be a bit of a tourist. There is always something nearby you 'never saw' because well, you lived there and didn't have time to go see it. Enjoy something that you may have passed over living there.

scbrit

Where in South Carolina are you moving?

pineapple2oo9

Good ideas penguins ty, I am going to take pictures of everything even just regular roads so I can remember exactly what a neighbourhood looks like!

Moving to Columbia, although I did live in Irmo for a while a few years back

Bob

Degree shouldn't be a problem unless you need some pucktard, but any kudos from going to a good uni will bring you nothing over here unless it's OxBridge pretty much.

I wouldn't bother with a degree translation service unless you've been asked specifically as it'll depend on the reasons on who to use, and company might have a service they have in mind already so it'll be a waste of money doing it in advance.

Tips....pack a bottle/can opener in your suitcase so you don't have to go rummaging around for one when you first move over and realise it's in the container when you grab your first beer

pineapple2oo9

Thanks Bob, you're a gem

Toontje

....with screw-on caps!

pineapple2oo9

Got some mates over there so I gave them plenty of pre warning to chill me a beer. They said they'd chill me a crate

It'd be a cruel, cruel joke if they gave me a non screw cap, chilled beer and no implement to open them!
....actually I wouldn't put it pass them I shall buy one of those keyring things lol

Ozzidoc

We had non-screw cap beers yesterday....the tops came off very easily though, with the protection of a tea-towel

notacrime

I've the 'acceptable' list from several different HR specialists in New York and California and it does go deeper than Oxford/Cambridge, but not much. From memory: LSE, KCL, Bristol, Edinburgh, St Andrews. There were others, but only a handful.

When you are putting your resume together it's perfectly acceptable to list out short descriptions of your major coursework from Uni, especially if you don't have much work experience.

Good luck with the move!