@HighlandHen Yep, I do. It's different for a doctorate. With a PhD you work directly with a few supervisors in person doing research. Unfortunately, I cannot start remotely because I'm using USA federal student loans and they only cover in-person, not distance learning. It's a huge pain in the butt. I did my masters at UHI remotely from the USA, but I self funded for that.
HeatherL
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- 30 Following
- 63 Posts
Soon-to-Be PhD archeology student at UHI Orkney. Interested in funerary and mortuary archaeology. Writer, wife, mom, recovering actor/producer.
@Cyclist @peterbrown Not really. I think they'll ask around for you, but there's not any student accommodation. I'm left up to my own devices.
@peterbrown I'm not sure the Council can help in this situation. I'm not eligible for any kind of benefits or assistance since I'm on a visa. I'm sort of left up to my own devices, which is fine because I don't expect taxpayers to shore me up when housing is a widespread problem. There are certainly people already there who are in worse situations than I am.
I just keep having faith that something will come along. I didn't work this hard for 7 years to get this far only to be stopped now! 🫰
Things I've tried/am trying to find a place in Orkney in the last month:
1. Checking Orkney Merkit Place on FB every day.
2. Applied for 2 places. Nope.
3. Spoke to A LOT of nice locals in FB Messenger. ♥️
4. Asked about living in Thurso and commuting 1/week. UHI wasn't keen.
Things To Know:
1. We need to live on Mainland because visa rules.
2. Short term lets=too expensive.
3. Getting a mortgage right away is HARD for non UK citizens. We do want to buy eventually.
@peterbrown Looks like there's no availability in February. ☹️ Honestly we're trying to avoid the short term let route because we'd have to move every 28 days and it's so expensive, more than we can afford. It's like $2,000-$5,000 a month. I'm also not sure how that would work with enrolling our daughter in school, if we don't have a permanent address.
@fionaorkneynews @LillyHerself Yeah, I tried Orkney Merkit Place on Facebook and I check it daily. Some people are not so nice there, but many of them are.
I've thought about doing an advert in the Orcadian if I get desperate enough. I know a lot of places are found by word of mouth. Being on the other side of the world means I have to keep making noise online and hoping enough people see or know that we're looking.
@runaway_anarchist Sadly, we need to be on Mainland for proximity to the university and archives. Also, I have a teenage daughter and we aren't keen on boarding at KGS, which is what we'd have to do if we lived on some of the other islands.I looked at Rousay but there's nothing available.
@FionaCraig Thank you!
Ooookay, so it's been a few months. Some things have happened.
I was accepted into the PhD program at UHI. My program is supposed to start Feb. 3. I'm trying to find a place to live, which is next to impossible.
So I'm throwing this out into the ether because why not? If anyone has ANY leads on a 2+ bedroom flat or house to let in #Orkney, please let me know! I am desperate! We are financially stable and I'm a mature student. We're not smokers.
Please share with your followers. Thanks!
If you're in Austin I'll be speaking about my dissertation on May 21 at Casa Chapala. Dinner at 6, meeting at 7. Good margaritas and good archaeology! https://www.travisarch.org/
