Singapore Kopitiam

How many days will your parents be there for?

My parents will be with me when I settle in as well. I'm thinking during freshers they can just travel around themselves?

It very uncommon for a university student to have their parents accompanied to settle down at a new country...needless to say the said country is S$2k flight away. (assuming you're going to the UK) However, I do have a friend who flew to London with their parents. But that was it, they parted on the 3rd day for their Europe Trip.

Tbh, I wouldn't recommend you to bring your parents along unless they have some kind of plans themselves. Because, really, this is not Kindergarten anymore.

p.s. I was practically "dumbed" by my parents to Penang boarding school when I was young. Indeed, it was bitter, but you'll survive.

Well, umm, I have told them not to but it's in the blood of Asian and our culture.

HAHAHA Same.

But tbh, I also can't deny the fact that they will be able to haul 40kg extra over to England.

I have no idea. My parents were not english educated but my dad do speak average english. But I am still worried especially when Scottish has strong accent and over some health issues...

Sorry, but that's rubbish. If you can't sort out your bank account on your own yet, it's about time you learn it!

If you're going there for the very first time you have too much on your mind to handle -- Like accommodation, settling in, making new friends, starting a new course etc. In any way most (Asian) parents would want to accompany their children and see them for one last time before they go off for 3-5 years. I guess the family unit is closer compared to the Western world and values are different as well.

Oh bro tell me about it!!! I am going scotland too and my parents speak only average english... some more my dad is those kind of people who just eats asian meals.. i am very much prepared for him to start screaming for that (at least 3 days)...

anyway, i've got it sorted out. if my uni is providing shuttle service, i will go with it. then my parents will hire a chauffeur service to their hotel, and then later meet me in my uni to sort out admin matters and accommodations. after that we will go and create a bank account and probably get some necessities. if everything is promptly done in that 3 days, they will fly home (my dad is a bore) and i will start my freshers week, in this way i don't need to worry about attending to them.

then again, it is only 99% confirmed (our plan) and that i need to wait till mf July before i get the orientation week schedule. i hope its not too late to book my flights then...

which uni u going? and when u flying?

Seems like we are both on the same boat. If they are really coming along with me, I planned to make it a holiday for them rather for them to run my errands. But like I mentioned, there are language barriers and health issues.

I think to settle in to the accommodation is not an issue but I do need to find out more on opening a bank account. As for mobile plan, I planned to use giffgaff which provides value for money services!

I'm going to University of Edinburgh but have not firm up my offer yet. Waiting for the agent to negotiate a year off on my behalf.

Planning to fly off either on 7 or 8 Sep and arrive on the next day respectively.

Not true (re: too much on your mind to handle).

I think the point Vikitora is trying to make is that stuff like bank accounts, mobile plans , etc should be done by yourself, and not parents.

Your parents can accompany you overseas to see you off, but I don't think they should do more. You can't rely on them forever - you need to know how to juggle all these by yourself!

*FYI - when I first came to the UK four years ago, I came alone without my parents. Same with some other people in my cohort, and we ended up exploring campus / setting stuff together. Kind of a middle ground between total independence, and parents doing everything.

Your parents are more lively, even now whenever we talk about schedule my dad will be like "serious matters first" he just cant relax unless those things are done. I told them the budget airlines provide great prices for trips and my mum persuading him but to no avail.

I plan to use giffgaff too, and most probably hsbc for bank account (also depends on which brand have atm in my uni) u need your student docs to open a student account btw...

Im going heriot watt, somewhere near u. Already firmed 1st yr entry. Flying on 29 or 30 august.

Well, it's not a small amount of money to study oversea so it's normal to be settling all the important things first.

I would recommend Qantas (Airbus) to London and transfer to Scotland via British Airway (Airbus). I'm looking into around 1.2K SGD for one-way trip. No point paying for Boeing when there is not enough leg room especially if you're tall or coming together with your aging parents. Moreover it's a 16~18hours trip.

Yes, I too, will look into HSBC. You will be waived for telegraphic transfer as shown on http://www.hsbc.com.sg/1/2/hsbcpremier/overseas-education/help

Wow, that's early, when does your school term starts?

Well, it's not a small amount of money to study oversea so it's normal to be settling all the important things first.

I would recommend Qantas (Airbus) to London and transfer to Scotland via British Airway (Airbus). I'm looking into around 1.2K SGD for one-way trip. No point paying for Boeing when there is not enough leg room especially if you're tall or coming together with your aging parents. Moreover it's a 16~18hours trip.

Yes, I too, will look into HSBC. You will be waived for telegraphic transfer as shown on http://www.hsbc.com.sg/1/2/hsbcpremier/overseas-education/help

Wow, that's early, when does your school term starts?

Any current student whose parents have followed you when settling in school?

How/what did you arrange for your parents while you are attending the freshers' week?

Well, umm, I have told them not to but it's in the blood of Asian and our culture.

I'm interested in using HSBC for banking as well.

However, the waived telegraphic transfer only applys if you get a hsbc premier acct right? that means maintaining an average balance of 200k in your acct!

Hear hear! I've been quarrelling with my parents over this. Mother's friends got her enamoured with the INSANE idea that it's wonderful to follow your son to university and help him clean his dorm *facepalm*.

Moreover, for us Singaporean guys, I find it quite ironic that many of our parents couldn't give two hoots when we were thrown to the wolves (conscription is a sad fact of life here) but freak out when we're heading to a foreign university. In no way can adjusting to university life be more difficult turning into a nameless, faceless, robotic infantryman and we all survived that.

U mean 200K pounds?

Try to open an a/c (with hsbc or any bank of yr choice) in UK then, why bank with hsbc in sg?
How much can telegraphic transfer cost u?