Hello!

I’ve seen a few posts praising the US and I can’t deny that I’ve also had a very concrete goal of moving permanently to the US eventually. I’m from the EU so the “reality” that I have of the US comes mainly from the media. With this being said, I’d like the brutally honest opinions of those that experienced the US first-hand, whether you’re American, have always lived in the US and absolutely hate it, or if you moved from the EU to the US and are loving the experience.

  • As expats, I think we’re all running from something from our home country (work conditions, family situations, etc). What made you move to/out of the US?
  • Do you feel your QoL (quality of life) has improved with your move to/out of the US?
    • If so, would you attribute this to working conditions/salary? Or living conditions such as more free time, good pension/retirement, etc
  • Do you plan on going back to your home country? If so, what is the main driver of that decision?

Last, but not least, for those living in the US, do you believe that the pros of having more/better career opportunities (at least for skilled labor/PhD level) in the US outweigh the cons of living there, namely:

  • poor/expensive healthcare
  • extremely high tuition fees for colleges
  • high crime rates (naturally highly dependent on the place you live)
  • small amount of time for maternity leave (I don’t mind the small amount for paternity leave, but in Scandinavian countries mothers can have up to a year of maternity leave which I believe is very beneficial for the kids. I do value countries that value and protect the family structure)
  • … and a general low work-life balance? (This last bullet point is not as important to me as I do like and appreciate the hustle culture of the US which makes effort/skills be more appreciated and compensated)

Thank you all! Apologies in advance if this has been asked multiple times before, but I’d like to condensate different perspectives in a single thread if possible as it might be helpful for others as well! :)

  • OllieOllieOxenfry@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    “extremely high tuition”. It isn’t extremely high. The US college education system is messed up in its own way but to call everything extremely high is wrong. The sticker price isn’t at all real. On the top end, Ivy League colleges are all need blind. And there are many states state colleges that are fairly reasonable (eg university of California, CUNY, SUNY systems). Not to mention the earning potential is a lot higher in the US. The average graduate has more student debt in the UK than in the US, despite colleges being “cheaper” in the UK.

    “short maternity leave” just because the law doesn’t require maternity leave doesn’t mean mothers go back to work one week later. If you want Scandi style 1 or 2 years of leave, you won’t get it.

    These two things are facts though. College is expensive, and our maternity leave is short. Period. It’s not an opinion. It’s data.

    • Thor-Marvel@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      That is true but what I said is also true. Ivy is need blind, basically free if you can’t afford it. Many mothers have 6-12 months of mat leave if you have a good job. Not all, but many do.

      My point being, in the US things can get extremely bad as well as extremely good. In Europe everything is run of the mill. So don’t move from Europe to the US if you aren’t prepared for low lows but high highs.