British Expatriate Network

I'm out of touch.

Do we in UK have the following, and if so when did we start becoming America. I ask cos I have new friends and am no longer sure of how things are over there.

1. Do we do Halloween trick or treating like they do here? ie, over the top!

2. Do we graduate every child from every year starting in single figure ages?

3. Do we give out Easter eggs at church? Is the Easter bunny a big thing?

4. Are theme parties a big thing at college? Not just kind to kind, hippy to hippy, goth to goth, do we have parties where people have to dress up as per invite.

5. Are students allowed to attend college and work at the same time? (child of the Wilson era here. If you worked for money whilst attending college you weren't taking your studies seriously and got the boot) I don't mean college do i, I mean university, full time study not night school or whatever.

Any help gratefully received. Thankyou in anticipation and all that.



grin grin

I got all excited there, since I've been here for a long time, but it turns out you want help for spmeone who's......

Annie...from what I understand and can remember here goes.

1) You do get a bit of Trick or Treating going on...certainly nowhere near the level it is here. It's not eagerly anticipated from either a child's or commercial point of view as there aren't the bags of treat-size candy or the house and yard decorations for sale everywhere like here. The schools don't tend to have Halloweeen parties and let the smaller kids come in in costume like here. My mum bought a whole load of decorations while she was here one time and does up the front of the porch...she's about the only one that does, though.

2) Graduation doesn't happen until you finish Uni. You have to hire the garb too and the mortar boards are not made of shiny polyester with elastic to hold them onto your head!! Don't even think we have the tassel flipping thing either!

3) I remember getting a Cadbury's Creme Egg at Sunday School, so maybe they do give them out in church. As for the Easter Bunny....the only one I can recall was on an episode of "Vicar of Dibley" where Dawn French dressed up as one. I do miss seeing the big boxed eggs....I used to nip along to Woolies in Hexham and get a truckful of them on Easter Saturday and give them out to the family.

4) No idea.

5) Well, I do know that Mike worked while he was at Uni....had to as there was bugger all grant by that time. I would imagine it's still the same today.



HTH


Debs x smile

I can't answer your questions Annie, I've been here almost as long as you, but we also were not allowed to work during term time whilst at college - only during the holidays.

I've been here a long time too - but I do get the impression that things are changing in the UK for students. My niece and nephew are at Uni -- neither works in term time, but both had High School 'proms' with limo, etc. My under 5 neices trick or treat for candy and dress up, but don't decorate their homes. We had 'theme' parties at uni back in the early 80s......presume they still do?

I see all my kids' friends in jobs as students here -- but then they like to keep cars, which is a major expense. I think it's harder here in terms of needing to maintain GPAs and constant exams, at least harder than it was for me in the UK a quarter of a century ago!

Another observation is that connections/money can play too big a role in getting you into college over hereroll Unless you're royalty in the UK I like to think that doesn't happen.....

Annie, I put your questions on a forum in the midlands. Lets see what responses I get. smile

Thanks Michael, that's very kind of you. I do find these days that I can't recall which is which, whether it's UK or US, with so many things, and I also find that many Americans of my generation simply can't believe how we survived.
I would normally ask the family, but we're non breeders both sides of the pond. lol

First responder from the UK, is "Sandra"

Lets take these one at a time

1. Do we do Halloween trick or treating like they do here? ie, over the top!

As has been answered, it does go on in the UK, but nowhere near the extent that it does here, it tends to be the younger kids up to 10 with parents going Door to Door, i.e. there isn't the staged events like you get over here, at least in Texas anyway.

2. Do we graduate every child from every year starting in single figure ages?

A definite no, there *maybe* something after Secondary school and GCSE's it depends on the school, other than that its after College/Uni. This is a sore point for me right now as my wife wanted to get the "Graduation" pictures we were lucky enough to be given the chance to buy for my Sons Pre-K Yes you read that correctly. Its bad enough they are having a ceremony in two weeks, well OTT, I see a subject brewing here.....

3. Do we give out Easter eggs at church? Is the Easter bunny a big thing?

See question 1, its a "Mileage May Vary deal" I dent think its a big thing over there, more the easter eggs. On a personal note I find it bemusing for such a God Fearing Nation, the US doesn't have any Full On Public Holidays at this time of year.

4. Are theme parties a big thing at college? Not just kind to kind, hippy to hippy, goth to goth, do we have parties where people have to dress up as per invite.

You will get fancy dress parties from time to time, but more its about drinking as much as possible along with other typical college debauchery that goes on.

5. Are students allowed to attend college and work at the same time? (child of the Wilson era here. If you worked for money whilst attending college you weren't taking your studies seriously and got the boot) I don't mean college do i, I mean university, full time study not night school or whatever.

With little to no Grants now, "top-up Fees" and student loans not covering everything, I would say for the majority of UK Students without "Mummy and Daddy" to help working and college is the way of life now! I still kick myself when I think that with one year of college, fees paid and the grant I could have completed my Bachelors (just have a HND) but such is life.

Hope that all helps,

David.