next »

[drspouse]

I'm a US citizen working in the UK and we're returning to the scene of my postdoc for 8 months sabbatical - large Californian urban area.  mrspouse (UK citizen) will be on a six-month visitor visa which he'll hopefully renew (or he'll have to go home!). It would be similar, I think, if he were on a J2 (spousal version of J1). We don't want to apply for a green card for him at $1000 and we'd probably lose it when we came back to the UK anyway, and it would be hard to prove we're moving back to the US permanently, since we aren't.

He has some ideas about what to do - study at home for a career change, mainly (he was made redundant from his finance job last year, hence the timing of the sabbatical) - but not really knowing the system or what there is to do besides work in ones postdoc lab (I did have a bit of a life when I was there but not a huge one - did my education in the UK) I'm struggling to suggest anything to get him out of the house.

He is allowed to volunteer, or study 17 hours a week.  I'm not sure if it's worth him enrolling for credit in any college courses - or even if he'd be eligible to do that - but perhaps auditing some would work. As far as volunteering goes, I'm not really sure where to look, or what types of things might be available - they probably don't want a Big Brother who is leaving in 8 months, for example, and he's not an accountant (and won't understand the US finance systems anyway). I volunteered elsewhere in the US and remember undergoing fairly intensive training to tutor English and then my tutee stopped showing up and they didn't find me another one which was somewhat disappointing.

I'm guessing that most trailing spouses on sabbaticals either do their own research unpaid if they can't work, or look after the kids (which we don't have!).

[secretweapon]

Get on to Google and search for nonprofits and charities in the area.  Your husband could probably do some kind of internship or volunteer work.  It might be the case that he will have to approach organisations carefully explaining his unusual situation - don't just stick to advertised opportunities.   

[poiuy]

Can he write for trade publications in his field, or any other kind of freelance writing? 
Or some kind of non paying volunteer position or internship in the field he wants to enter? 

Poiuy

[crowie]

I'm wondering why you don't think it's worth him enrolling in any college credit courses?  This could be a good time for him to take a few classes, and it's usually more rewarding to put the work in than to just audit.  If I were him I'd do something like take a language course or a continuing ed course in something I have always wanted to learn about.

[atalanta]

I'm wondering why you don't think it's worth him enrolling in any college credit courses?  This could be a good time for him to take a few classes, and it's usually more rewarding to put the work in than to just audit. 

I'm wondering the same thing. Studying at home for a career change seems unlikely to be fruitful.

One idea: before leaving the UK, he could talk to a couple of headhunters to find out what course of study might improve his employability in his current finance-related field. Six months of courses for credit in the US could help his resume. Just to pull an example out of the air, if he's a tax preparer, maybe he could learn how to solve tax problems (or file taxes) for expatriate Americans living in the UK.

On the other hand, if he really wants a new career, six months of courses for credit would be more useful (and probably more stimulating) than studying at home (which could be depressing, depending on the individual).

Just watch out for the bevy of US undergrads who are bound to find his UK accent entrancing! (kidding) ;-)

[drspouse]

I'm wondering why you don't think it's worth him enrolling in any college credit courses?  This could be a good time for him to take a few classes, and it's usually more rewarding to put the work in than to just audit.  If I were him I'd do something like take a language course or a continuing ed course in something I have always wanted to learn about.

My thinking:
partly I don't understand the system in the US well enough to know whether he'd even be allowed to enroll - especially at the local 4-year-colleges. He doesn't have an UG degree (in his field, there was no need, especially when he started working, as he is Old) or, obviously, a US high school diploma .

partly he wouldn't be able to transfer the credit back here to any study - he does have a vague thought of going back to do an UG degree here but he wouldn't get much beyond a feel for what he likes/doesn't like from study over there, as it would be very unlikely to be accepted here. He's more likely to want to get some technical qualifications which you can study at home.

Language or continuing ed he would definitely consider (I learned Spanish when I was a postdoc by auditing the class, and yes, I did the work!), but if he audited he'd get the same benefit really.

And finally we arrive about 2 days after some semesters start - not a problem for me, in fact the institution I'm visiting doesn't start till later, but we checked it out and he'd miss registration for the community college, for example, and then in the summer he'd also miss about 3 weeks of classes; and my host institution is very high end and I really don't know if he would qualify for taking classes for credit there, or how to find out if he would!

[normative_]

Maybe he should work on his golf game and organise some wine-tasting tours.

But he should also familiarise himself with American finance whilst he's there. A couple of informal study trips might not hurt.

[shrek]

Is there a contact person at your host institution you could ask?
Even community colleges should have on-line kinds of registration, you might look into that. No, the credits may not transfer but I always think learning is learning (and that does stay with you). Lots of students miss the first day of class it's not the end of the world (and he could contact the professor ahead of time).

Sometimes the local universities have informal (short term) courses on various subjects (some just for fun).

Public schools can always use an extra hand if he's interested in that. During school, after school, etc.

I'd sign up for the wine tasting tour!

[normative_]

He doesn't have an UG degree (in his field, there was no need, especially when he started working, as he is Old) or, obviously, a US high school diploma .

O-levels only, or some A-levels?

Actually, if he's been around for a while, then he might be interesting for a research centre that does research in banking and finance, or corporate governance or political economy. Would a  non-stipendiary association be possible? He'd basically be exchanging ideas with the academic staff.

Even as I write this, I'm not convinced it's a good idea.

If I had 8 months off, and I didn't want to golf or drink wine, I might learn how to surf.
And, most realistically, become a house husband. It's not forever.

[drspouse]

He doesn't have an UG degree (in his field, there was no need, especially when he started working, as he is Old) or, obviously, a US high school diploma .

O-levels only, or some A-levels?


If I had 8 months off, and I didn't want to golf or drink wine, I might learn how to surf.
And, most realistically, become a house husband. It's not forever.

He has the regular 3 A levels (taken in 19-umpty-ump), and has started an OU degree but the subject he picked bored him rigid so he would change subject if he went back to that - hence the thought of maybe auditing some classes so he can see the sort of thing that would interest him.

I'm going to write to a friend of ours from my postdoc days whose education was in the US, to ask for an explanation of admissions - or the right person to contact at my host institution for such an explanation!

[castafiore]

Can he work in the UK and telecommute?

[drspouse]

He can't telecommute doing what he does now but he's looking into Virtual-Computing type stuff (like Virtual PAs but for databases).

I've said he can code my data if he likes... I think he's liking the sound of house husband, learning to surf, and learning to cook gourmet low-fat food, writing a blog... But we are making a few more enquiries in my destination R1, and the local CC and pretty sound state college - as I say, it's hard to tell what he's eligible for and we may need to explain his qualifications, but it never hurts to ask.

It's good to know institutions don't mind if you are a little late for the start of the semester - here you might get away with it but you might not, and it wouldn't really be worth risking it unless you'd broken your leg the week before term started! We also don't have much history in the UK of people taking just a few college-level classes and getting credit - you enroll on a degree, or you don't, the OU in fact being the main exception - so it's all new to us.

[macaroon]

I'd check with the admissions office regarding whether or not your spouse is eligible to take classes at your institution.  Some schools have different standards for admitting students who formally enroll as opposed to those who just want to take a class here or there.  The term is "non-matriculating student". 

Nearby public schools, and also the community colleges, also might run educational programs that are not the traditional 4 year degree.  He might even be able to take a 1-year program that leads to a certificate of some sort.  While it might not "transfer" exactly back in the UK, it could look good on the resume.  At many schools, the term that is used to describe these programs is "Continuing Education"

Good luck!

[normative_]

I think he's liking the sound of house husband, learning to surf, and learning to cook gourmet low-fat food, writing a blog...

Well, if he writes a blog, he may want to look at marketing and a book. petite anglaise has been successful and come out with her first of 3 expat books.