Moving to a new town
Shifting to a new town can be a stressful process. TheSite.org tries to make it less so.
It's never easy, shifting town. You're leaving behind familiar surroundings, friends and family, and moving to a much larger, often impersonal or anonymous place. Cities offer many exciting challenges but it's easy to become isolated and despairing if the move doesn't go as expected.
Here's a checklist of all the areas you should think about before shifting town.
Shifting checklist
- Weigh up the pros and cons of shifting. Is it really what you want?
- Talk to any friends, or friends of friends who live there about the good and bad sides of the city.
- Research work opportunities in the area. Talk to relevant agencies in advance and get a feel for the industry.
- Talk to locals about the different areas of the city so you can decide where you would like to live - and could afford to live.
- If you haven't been there much before, visit the city to make sure you like it, and the areas you like. Don't just visit the centre - check out the suburbs and living areas.
- Have some money saved to cover a house deposit and living costs while you're not earning.
- Ask around for possible accommodation openings - word of mouth often brings the best openings.
- Set deadlines for finding work and somewhere to live. Friends can fall out over too many weeks spent on the couch.
- Be persistent when looking for accommodation; it's a jungle out there. If you don't have friends who can put you up, youth hostels offer by-the-night accommodation.
- If you don't know anyone in the new city, joining clubs and teams can be a good way of meeting people.
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