closed account1111

The idea of moving to Europe has been floating around in my head for some time. I'm quite dissatisfied with my fellow countrymen here; America seems to be filled with nothing but ignorant, television consuming, droll, and inarticulate morons. There are several factors influencing my want to move to Europe, and most probably to the U.K. since there would not be much of a language barrier, but the main factor is that everywhere I look I see uncultured people.

I'm twenty six and after a short stint of "playing musician" I decided to go back to college to finish getting my art degree. I want to further my skill in art and hopefully make a career out of it. I do plan on going to graduate school as well so I can eventually become a college professor if need be. After obtaining at least my bachelor's degree, I want to make an attempt at living in Europe for at least a year to see if I'd want to move there. I may even consider trying to get into a graduate school there as well. I'll be receiving my bachelor's degree in about a year and a half. I'm curious about a few things, however.

Generally speaking, how welcomed are Americans in the U.K. and possibly France or Germany? Is there anything I need to know aside from acquiring a work or student visa? What is the art scene like in Europe? I know I'll have to work a crappy job or two to get by since work programs may be in place (i.e. Germany requires a certain amount of German applicants to be interviewed before a foreigner can be considered for a job).

I have looked into the matter and I didn't formulate my ideas as naively as some of you may think. I do plan to save up money before I make the venture and I do plan on taking trips out to each country or backpacking through Europe beforehand to see where I would like to go.

I have a growing dislike towards my own country. Besides the reasons I already mentioned, I simply never identified with many people here. I've read hundreds of books, all classical literature, poetry, or good modern writers, I'm highly intelligent, and I have not owned a television in over five or six years. Half the time people think I'm European anyway! I get it often enough, especially by ex-patriots like yourselves because I look strongly German or northern Italian!

I want to be in a place that has a real artistic cultural history, the U.S. simply does not provide that for me. Moreover, I want to get out of this country because I don't agree with what it stands for anymore. I feel my country is in a serious decline and that we are witnessing the time of the fall of America. I want to get out before my country turns to crap. Any suggestions as to how I should scout out places, what I should expect from people, and where I should be looking would be greatly appreciated. Furthermore, if anyone's curious as to the specifics of why I feel the way I do, I'll be more than happy to share my own opinion of my country. Thank you.

nettlebed

You're fucked wherever you go: as long as you see yourself as superior to everyone else you're going to be unhappy.

Sucks to be you...

Sally Redux

I don't think you will have any particular problems with being accepted just because you are American. However you do seem to be setting Europe up on a bit of a pedestal. You are unlikely to be accosted by groups of Aristotelians as you step off the plane.

angelicstar

You'll find the people you've described everywhere in the world. I agree with nettle that you do come off as thinking you're superior to everyone around you (whether or not you mean to do so). I'm American and well-educated, don't spend hours in front of the telly, and I'm not rude. Maybe you're just hanging around the wrong places and people or maybe you just need to change your attitude and see things from a different perspective. There are problems in every country as you'll read in the paper and see on the news. Nowhere is perfect.

MoshiMoshi

I hate to be unpatriotic, and I love Europe, but there really are plenty of uncultured people over there too. Read the Daily Mail online. I don't deny there are incomparable opportunities to experience culture/history/beret-wearing, but don't make it out to be intellectual nirvana.

If you don't mind being seen, to some extent, as a cash cow, this is an excellent idea, especially if you're interested in doing a 1-year Masters. You will be paying high, international student fees, and British universities are glad to get them. I was at grad school with several Americans in England. Experiences varied, but most had a great time -- it's an ideal opportunity to meet other people your own age, travel through Europe in your holidays, and occasionally get some studying done.

Beyond great. Everything from the maddest local art school exhibitions to the big hitter museums. Although I'm sure this is true of most major American cities, too.

I don't know much about the visa situation for Americans, but you might want to double-check if you can even do this.

Never say this. Especially not in England. Unless you're being ironic. Make sure we know you're being ironic.

Yah. There's nothing wrong with going overseas just for the hell of it, or to further your own interests. Don't bother with the hyperbole.

Sally Redux

Just a little aside, 'droll' to me it is a complimentary term, is that different in the US?

MoshiMoshi

'Amy wore a droll little silk-lined cap [...]'

What Katy Did Next, by Susan Coolidge, of Ohio (1886)

I'm sure in all the archaic American children's literature I've read, adorable moppets were constantly wearing droll accessories and making droll faces whilst saying droll things.

And, as far as I remember, Brits are especially droll.

AyePod

Well, if you regularly go off like this...you might not be welcomed! But as a rule, Americans are fine in the UK. But, sorry to burst your bubble, the UK is not filled with aristocratic geniuses like you may have seen on TV. The UK has it's own array of morons and uncultured people, it has it's own crappy reality shows, and a culture even more obsessed with celebrity gossip than the US, if that is possible. You might try going to grad school in the UK, but if you are expecting some sort of academic utopia here, you will be disappointed. I'm British but have lived in both the UK and the US, and there is no difference in intellect. Oh, and droll means pleasant, whimsical, and amusing, no? Someone as 'highly intelligent' as you might want to brush up on their vocab

another bloody yank

I'm an American as well as feel exactly as you do. You should really start a thread over on UK-Yankee.com. It's a forum for Americans who have moved to the UK to be around other cultured, intelligent, articulate people for all the reasons you have outlined in your post. There's no language barrier and the English realise that you must be one of "the good ones" that has taken the initiative to escape the nation of idiots and you are welcomed with open arms as a like minded soul! Just start a thread on UK-Yankee's "Welcome Wagon" forum. In fact, you could probably just cut and past your post above, they'll understand exactly where you're coming from and are very willing to show newbies the ropes.


By the way, one area to look at in particular is "Croydon". It's in the Greater London area and is really the main district for the fine arts and other intellectual and cultural pursuits.

discoviking

Are you saying that Brideshead Revisited is just fiction? Thanks for ruining my morning.......

another bloody yank

Just thought of something else, not too far from Croydon is the village of Pillock. In Pillock is a restaurant/pub called "The Berkshire Hunt". It's kind of a gathering place for people with your same views. You might ask about it when you post on UK Yankee.

AngloDreamer

Ellesmere Port in Merseyside is nice

BrittanyB

I'm an American who came over to the UK to do grad school. It was expensive and you cannot work for more than 20 hours a week, but I loved it. That being said, UK students are no more intelligent or cultured than the American students I hung out with during my undergrad. Chances are, there would be plenty of US students in your Master's programme, I know there were in mine. Living in the UK has been a great experience, but in my experience isn't all that different from the US once you get past the accents and food. They have their intelligent folk and their morons, their liberal and their 'redneck' politicians, just like the USA. I'm not sure where in the US you are from, but if you are in the middle of nowhere and that is the reason for your somewhat angry post, you might look at moving to a culturally rich US city before shelling out the money for a grad programme in the UK.

nun

First off, I definitely recommend living in a foreign country. You'll learn lots of new things and come to appreciate more of how the world works outside of America; I've found the US to be incredibly parochial.

To get things rolling look at the UK govs immigration site.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/

You will definitely find ignorant and obnoxious people wherever you go, the US has no monopoly on those. However, the US does have some knee jerk prejudices that I will be glad to get away from when I return to the UK. The one I hate/love is the reaction I get when people learn that I'm a socialist. American's have no frame of reference for this political theory other than it's bad. I've stopped trying to explain the origins of the British union movement and it's contribution to social justice, The Fabian society or Keir Hardy.

elfman

No - please don't. Seriously.