If you commute to London, where do you live?

[MonstranceClock]

There’s a course I want to do in London when I I finish my degree, but I don’t think I will be affording to live there. If you live in a cheaper are outside of London, where is it and what is your commute like?
The other option is to move to the north of England where they also run the course, but I really can’t hear the accent (i’m Not English native and my brain just can’t process the accent! I feel this may be too much of a challenge.)
Aibu to consider commuting to London from an hour or so away or to try and basically (what feel like) learn a new language!

You might need to rethink options.

You would have a far better quality of life and home up north on a low wage...

Rugby is 50 minutes to Euston

So how are you going to struggling with alien regional accents as a therapist then OP? Or are you going to request BBC accented clients only?

I think you're being precious. Get a grip. I recommend Edinburgh.

Another vote for Hertfordshire, where I am is roughly 25 minutes from Kings Cross & about the same from Cambridge by train

And as for why flats cost 1K in London, that would be because people like yourself are loathe to leave it, hence supply is less than demand

Like myself? I’ve never even been to London, apart from the airport when I flew here. You’re clearly very defensive for some reason.
I know I will have a better quality of life in the north, probably very similar to where I am now. But I already find it hard to make myself understood and to understand others. I said I will consider it, if London is not possible.

There will be many accents in London how are you going to hear accents as a therapist?

How will your children be affected by your long commute?

You can’t base a life choice on one woman that you can not understand. Surely you have watched UK TV with regional accents?

Yes of course I have! I don’t understand them. It’s not any accent, most accents I’m fine with. It think it’s the long vowel sounds and different way they say words. I just don’t hear it. It literally sounds like a other language to me.

So you've never even been to London but you're going to base your decision on some fictionalised vision of what you think people there sound like.
Spoiler: most people in London arent actually from London.

If you are commuting 1.5 hours or something each way, what are the kids doing during that time? You say your husband has given you some money, how far will that go with no income, student fees, housing costs, etc etc. Childcare if they are little?

What is your accent? That uk people won't understand you? This is a pretty diverse country esp in cities, and loads of overseas students if you are studying.

None of my business but finances sound tricky. Have you considered ou?

On the tube and round the streets where I work many people are literally not speaking English!

Are you in uk at mo? You say you've only been to an airport in London, but you plan to move here with your kids? To study?

Have you thought this through.

I’m just asking a out commute times and areas that are suitable. My course and accent really isn’t anything to do with it. I commute for 3 hours a day now, my children go to after school clubs. That isn’t an issue. I’m just looking for the most costs effective way to do it. London is my preference.

OP who is "they"? Are we talking about everyone north of the M25 or just people from North Lancashire? What about Scousers, Geordies, Glaswegians, Brummies? You're making massive generalisations - I grew up in Merseyside and have a general English accent with a flat northern vowels but I'm not difficult to understand.

@MonstranceClock Okay, well look a hate to break it to you but annoyingly literally everywhere within England that is within commuting distance of London is expensive. That's the problem with the south east. You could try some parts of Croydon.

The Preston accent isn't very strong tbh, not like a Geordie or Liverpool accent.

The Preston accent isn't very strong tbh, not like a Geordie or Liverpool accent.

Plus Lancaster Uni is near there and it's full of international students

Although if you can't handle a Nottingham accent, which is fairly light and not at all North, then I think you'll struggle most places in England. London accents vary hugely as well.

I'd go for Cambridge as they're likely to have the most RP accent.

Probably I won’t mix with other students much. I don’t now, and I go to university. I don’t have the time.

If it’s in Cambridge look at Ely, Littleport, Downham Market for cheap rents. Ely to Cambridge is 15 mins on the train, Downham is about 25 mins.

Littleport looks very affordable Thankyou!

I'm confused as to how you will able to be an effective therapist when half the English accents and all of the Scottish accents are unable to be understood.

As others have stated the Preston accent isn’t very strong OP. Maybe go up on the train for the day and see what you think of the city, and the accent, before you rule it out?

What about the schools in those places though.

OP has kids age that they use after school clubs etc.

Will it be easy to find a place for them in cambridge commuter belt?

Op I think you have more pressing problems than accents tbh.

Have you considered ou? They used to be excellent and no reason to think they have changed.

Well that’s none of your concern so don’t worry.