Gwendolyn Said:

Moving to Birmingham to teach?

We Answered:

Live in a suburb; there are some places around the city centre which are nice, however they tend to be very expensive. Urban Birmingham is basically a patchwork of immigrant ghettos, and run down council estates full of chavs living in 1970s style tower blocks, and Victorian era terraced houses. All of which is connected by a network of alleys and tunnels which are an ideal place to mug somebody. Its a god forsaken place.

Cathy Said:

tourism taught-programme master, birmingham(UCB) or glasgow?SOS!!!?

We Answered:

Firstly I think you should look at whether you want an MSc or an MLitt...the place you live will only be for a few years your degree is for life! If your degree will be awarded by University of Birmingham then you should consider the good reputation that uni has. Apart from that I think you should choose UCB as it is right in the centre of city which means it will be really easy to get to and there are lots of shops etc within walking distance. Birmingham is also a big city with out it being expensive like London! Hope that helps.

Charles Said:

can i relocate as a single parent?

We Answered:

You really need to speak to the father. I understand you want to consider all options but it's a bit pointless moving if he isn't going to want anything to do with you and the baby.
Do you have to tell your employer you are not coming back to work? Can't you just say you are going to stay with the baby's father while you are on maternity leave and intend returning to the area & your job.
If you do make the decision to move, then I suspect the local authority will consider you intentionally homeless. You should be entitled to some form of housing benefit - depending on your savings, maternity pay etc - but it's very doubtful you will get any choice at all when it come to the accommodation. I know that when my cousin was on the housing list they told her that if she was offered 3 homes which she refused, then regardless of why, she would go to the back of the housing list.
If you are going to make a huge move to be nearer your child's father, then perhaps it's time to make a bit more of a commitment, like maybe living together. Otherwise, why not stay where you are, where you know there is a job for you and where you have friends and let him visit the child when he can.

Victoria Said:

Please help me in shortlisting University for MBA in UK.?

We Answered:

I am assuming based on the prices you are an international student? So, any decision you make will be based on the assumption that you are capable of receiving a student visa.

A Tier 4 student visa will, if the condition is granted by the UKBA, allow you to work 20 hours of part-time during classes and 40 hours when classes are not in session. However you are not allowed to access the benefit system in the UK if you are struggling to meet living expenses. Finally a student visa does not count towards the residency requirement for permanent residency or citizenship.

Once you finish your MBA you can apply for a Tier 1 (Post-Study) visa that lasts for 12 months in which you would need to demonstrate that you can earn enough to qualify for a Tier 1. Otherwise if you do not make enough to qualify for Tier 1 then you will meet the requirements for Tier 2. A Tier 2 visa will mean that your employer will have to show that a suitable candidate could not be found from the resident market before you are employed. A Tier 2 visa will greatly reduce your chance of being employed after graduation.

Harriot-watt and Edinburgh University are both in Edinburgh Scotland which means the winters are quite cold and during the winter the days are quite short. Also it means the cost of living is the same.

The remaining universities are in a similar area of England which means cost of living and weather is going to be similar.

In regard to rank and quality of education you are applying to a MBA program it means if the school did not put forward a good program they could not maintain it.

Regarding job prospects the UK is an economic recession and it is predicted that it may not be until 2011 before it ends. This means that job prospects for the next year is going to be difficult and you will be competing with the 2.6 million people out of work for those jobs. Since you are not a UK citizen or a permanent resident you may find as the economic situation improves employers may be reluctant to hire you due to the backlash against foreign workers that has occurred during this downturn.

My feeling you will be happy with any university that you choose.

Geraldine Said:

single and pregnant (will have to quit good job)?

We Answered:

First of all, I wouldn't quit your job or anything until you are sure that he actually wants you to relocate and be with him. I know it's not always ideal to have a nanny or sitter take care of your child at such a young age, but if indeed this man isn't ready for this amount of commitment, keep your job and stay where you are. Once the baby is born you can take care of her for a little while and then continue back to work, just make sure to find a good reliable sitter or nanny before the time comes so you wont have to go through the hassle last minute. Realistically, you can't live as a single parent unemployed for a year, as a single parent you will have to work as hard as ever to support your child, especially if there isn't a father figure in the picture.... unless you're independently wealthy, or have someone else to support you, you can't very well stay at home and take care of your daughter for a year by yourself. How far along are you?... Is it possible that your daughter will be born during a time where you will have time off?... I know as a teacher you get a lot more time off than most of us.

Erica Said:

Choosing MBA of Royal Holloway or Birmingham?

We Answered:

Birmingham is a good university with the whole range of faculties you associate with a university and the city is full of good amenities. Royal Holloway is a college of the University of London, which is an amorphous institution of many different colleges. Both are good places to study, but living in London is expensive, especially near Windsor, and 19 miles out is not exactly very near to the city of London. RH has a few more Chinese on the staff, and that may or may not be relevant to your decision.