Living in London: My Experience + Tips!

I originally made this for my video production class, but thought I'd post it up on here since I always get asked about how it is living in London as a student. (Keep in mind I've only been living here for a year and a half...these are just the main things that I personally would tell people!)
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[@ivansanders8459]

I've lived in London off and on for decades. Compared with my present base (Wales) London weather is FANTASTICALLY good with possibly only 5% of the rainfall I presently suffer. Whilst I could pass on many tips I will confine to just one, namely food: Londoners are hard workers but immensely LAZY when it comes to finding ways to live cheaply. They simply take it for granted that everything in London is more expensive - accommodation yes, everything else definitely not. Indeed the best bargains to be had are to be found in London! Although I'm personally vegan and big into organic and quality foods I would never shop at a wholefood shop except perhaps for something unusual. The big supermarkets such as Lidl, Tesco, Morrisons etc. will usually supply at close to half the price charged by wholefood stores. Buy from there and LEARN TO COOK. Avoid expensive snacks and treats: Last weekend I was in London with my son and he casually paid £4.00 for a slice of cake off a market stall! I could have made and baked THE ENTIRE CAKE for around £3.00. Finally, eating out - if done prudently - can be incredibly cheap. For example we went to an Indian restaurant and for £6.99 was allowed to eat as much as we liked of the help yourself first course! It was all fabulous quality veggie food. The bargain shops are easily and cheaply accessible wherever you are based. Simply get a contactless debit or credit card and use one of the thousands of immensely cheap regular buses. It's really a GREAT city for anyone smart with their finances.

[@jennifermelody8195]

Just visited London two month ago for vacation.. London can't be describe in words. Visited almost all the historical places and they are free!! it's really worth for any kind vacation you want. Tube is my best transportation -fast, cheap except too crowded at working hours. AMAZING experience I ever had.

[@Magz0771]

I'm moving to London in September and I got really worried about it being too expensive.. This video made me feel so much better about living there ! Great Video and Thanks !!

[@FinlayBrewerLondon]

Don’t judge London until you’ve actually been there! It’s a fantastic city and it will exceed your tourist expectations so much that you would consider moving there.

[@bernardogarciavalencia6578]

I wil be studying abroad for a year in London, starting next fall and your video just made 10x more excited about it!

[@eduard1215]

im going next year.. im so scared :) wher are u from?

[@bernardogarciavalencia6578]

Hey eduard1215 ! I am from Guadalajara, but I study in the US. How about you?

[@eduard1215]

+Bernardo Garcia Valencia soy de Colombia pero he vivido muchos años en Sydney, Australia. En donde vas a estudiar en Londres? :)

[@bernardogarciavalencia6578]

Que bien! Y viajarás a Londres también? Estudiaré en Central Saint Martins,

[@bernardogarciavalencia6578]

y estudias o trabajas en Sydney? +eduard1215

[@Katmulla]

Many of those Tips are True. I have been in Paris, Dubai and London. I lived for 5-years in London. It is the most beautiful city among all ,in my experience. But it is very very expensive.

[@monstahz]

Spent pretty much my whole life living in london so here are some pro tips. 1. learn to walk fast and I mean like usain bolt fast. We are some of the fastest walkers in the world and we are always in a hurry, and trust theres nothing that annoys a londoner more then a slow walker when your in a hurry. 2. Pick your town wisely london is home of some really beautiful towns.... It's also home to some crime filled shit holes. 3. And this is probably the most important GET A LOT OF MONEY! Seriously if your poor in london your gonna struggle and have a hatred to it, but if your wealthy it is the best city in the world.

[@TheFakeyCakeMaker]

+monstahz Well said especially number 1. That's what I said too about point 7, do NOT for the love of God act like a tourist.

[@nozomilin6111]

I'm thinking about applying to a uni in London and i'm from Portland OR too! Thanks for sharing and i can't wait for more contents !

[@idontcare0953]

Coming from Raincouver, I aint scared of no rain. But I'm scared of living in a foreign country 10,000 miles from my family and not knowing a single person. But that's what life's all about I guess :)

[@idontcare0953]

update: it's going great :)

[@kaarl1815]

look on the bright side at least we speak the same language! (helpful if you get lost here ) ;)

[@idontcare0953]

***** yeah, look above, it's going great lol

[@AnnoyingBritishKid]

Its gonna be like that wherever u study. Its part of the fun!

[@Katmulla]

Once you come to London you wont feel to go back home, such a beautiful city London is.

[@tfh1995]

This is awesome, Gabi. You are very talented.

[@dymproductions]

I live in London and watched the video haha. Many of those tips are true I guess. It certainly can get rainy here, but it's been pretty hot recently :) And I never knew about the Citymapper! It's amazing!! Great video

[@etoilesinde]

this video is so nice!! i really liked it, it's great!! thank you!

[@MBD_335]

Why do you guys all think it's cold and rainy in London. If I were to tell you that on annual level of rainfall: London has significantly less than cities like NY, Boston, Toronto, Dallas, Seattle, Atlanta, Sydney, Rio and half the rainfall of Miami.

[@aloolahjaha218]

well you would be lying, London rains 200 days a year

[@MBD_335]

Aloolah Jaha Yeah, well somehow I'm guessing you're not the national consultant for weather statistics of England, so you can claim I'm lying, but you can't argue with black and white figures from numerous online sources.

[@AnnoyingBritishKid]

Then u would be very wrong. Dallas?

[@Katmulla]

Nope buddy, It has got heavy rainfall. been in London for 5-years that is best part of my Life. It Rains Nearly all the Year.

[@MBD_335]

Well I've lived here all my life, the point is the annual level of precipitation is what it is. The figure can be seen in black and white, what ever you think, what I said is fact. www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/phys08a-eng.htm Average yearly rainfall in mm is ~600. This site shows the 2007 rainfall of London compared with Canadian and other world cities.

[@SilverrAnn]

Great video! Appreciate the tips!

[@teijasvlogs]

i have also lived in london so I know it's more than tourists. this video is very useful, so thank you for making:)

[@heartfulXO]

This was helpful! & i love how you used the key words at the start & described it! Its definitely an on the fence decision for a lot of people! What do you use to edit? Really loved this video was laughing at you reading the book covering your head haha thats how i feel on rainy days too

[@HarryMcKenzieTV]

nice advice! thanks for sharing!

[@ib-rw6om]

Love this video a lot ♡

[@TypicallyHuman]

This is a very cute video, good job!

[@paragakluj]

Great video Gabi !!! thanks for the London Review :D :D

[@gabiann]

Thank you so much!! Glad you liked it :)

[@piersonjeanmarc]

Lovely entertaining atmosphere - Great shots and I love the soundtrack as well I am not a native speaker and sometimes I struggled to understand the comments - Lovely video !

[@m.cahill7844]

this video is so great and helpful! :}

[@pantaleimon2697]

this video is fabulous

[@britainluver431]

I'll describe London as MAGNIFICENT. I am hoping to visit in a year or 2.

[@Larry]

I doubt you'll be using that word in two years to describe it :D

[@britainluver431]

Nope that will always be my description of London, because London to me has an atmosphere unlike any other city.

[@Larry]

britainluver431 If atmosphere is the stench of engine grease, car exhausts and burger king, then that's London.

[@gabiann]

Thank you!! Hahah yeah, the budget thing will definitely help for sure! :)

[@Michelle_Schu-blacka]

London is weird. When I'm there I hate it but when I'm not there I can't wait to go back. That said, I have family I stay with when I'm there so when I'm there, it probably just reminds me how much my family annoys me.

[@sharilebo1357]

Adorable and well done!

[@laurachambersdance]

Hey nice video! I just recently moved to London to study and all these thigs you said really are good points. I should probably make a budget too :)

[@gemandblueskies]

Hoping to move in the next few years, this video made me more excited about it!

[@Katmulla]

If you move you will Not Regret, London is the most Beautiful Place. I have been there for 5-years, those are the best years of my Life.

[@dr.sarathurstonreid3819]

Oh my gosh you're so pretty and smart! Cant wait to travel to London with you;D

[@alexwilson7487]

hey, i have a quick question, im a junior in california and i am thinking of moving to london for uni but i can only find "study abroad" programs that last 6-8 months. if you don't mind me asking which Uni do you go to over there? and do you know any unis that offer 4 year progams to american students in london? thanks

[@samibanez8502]

btw totally love this vid!

[@gabiann]

Haha thank you!

[@gabiann]

Thanks Chris!! :)

[@chrisklemens]

hahaha this is great! well done!

[@somaiamohamed9636]

Thank you very much

[@ayzaali]

Such a cute video!

[@elijahparker9952]

I'm from Portland Oregon as well!!!!!! Nice what a small world and yes the rain is not something new. Portlanders know!

[@AnnoyingBritishKid]

Which uni is the american one? Just wondering who is going where. With some luck in the grades department il be at Goldsmiths next year.

[@RatnaMaulidiyah]

nice.. thanks for sharing..

[@knuckledraggers5396]

Gabiblabby where did you get that music from can you tel me please

[@lamineaim5562]

Thanks alot for your fresh video, your adorable accent that i liked alot :) plus you are truely cute

[@ciarawheelis4743]

Meet one direction yasss

[@gracej1390]

I've lived in London my whole life and can say that video is kinda accurate

[@navinsawnani2102]

Great video and effects - what software did you use?

[@tintintin534]

i wanted to go london so much~

[@kendallgrace3434]

I'm from Oregon to and I would love to move there

[@lilatea8089]

Thank u for making the video :)=)

[@bmaldoa]

Hi! Where did you study? I'm thinking about moving to London and study uni there

[@ShannHanlonOfficial]

I have been offered a place at a university in London and I was certain on moving to London, but now i'm not too sure :/

[@Dan-is2qk]

lol. i'm from London. lived here my whole life. still watching this video xD

[@purplefry1752]

I would love to go to college in London. My only worry is money.

[@MsSteub]

you must live in the posh part of London were theirs no gangs or muggings you should talk about the ruff parts of London and don't forget about the pickpockets

[@Jrscuke]

thanks for the video, its really nice!! imgoing to visit but im not sure if i can afford staying there for 2 months... please message me for more info i would like to know some things more!

[@TheMakenzieJade]

Im from oregon to!

[@ELLIOT1311]

Best place in the world

[@VCYT]

most attractions in London are free !!! an there are cheap places to eat if you wander. for I found them.

[@welshpete12]

I think the advice given here is the best I have seen about London. Yes we do get a lot of rain , but not all the time, so do bring summer clothes . If you can please please , get out of the city and see some of Britain . The west country with little villages , are lovely . Mid Wales in the summer is so beautiful . And there are still thatched cottages to see to in some parts of the country too. We love, " the exact opposite of dry " ! :-). Well done !

[@AnnoyingBritishKid]

Warning Americans: dont come to the west country! Its wank. Go to wales.

[@sabrina77769]

Great and informative video! Loved the tips but the edit/quality drives me crazy

[@njkatakiya8227]

your very good

[@AdrianSanDiego619]

nice!

[@williamskinner2732]

It does rain a lot BUT tats why everything's so green.

[@Ron-jk7hc]

The wall in my bedroom, just at the headboard of my bed, has lots of green dots. But it doesnt rain in my bedroom. I've no idea how those green dots get on my wall...

[@felishalay1007]

May I ask what you are studying?

[@brittanyweeks2969]

Thanks for the tips! I hope they help me! I am studying abroad in September in Newcastle and need all of the advice I can get. Any other random tips you'd like to share?

[@AnnoyingBritishKid]

For Newcastle: no matter how cold it is only wear a T Shirt and Jeans. Ul fit right in!

[@user-bq7ci1bo4k]

Where did you study?

[@PageAlexandra]

how do i convince my parents to move us there

[@hello42465]

Hello. So iam going to London to study fashion for a year. I am trying to figure out how much money i will need a month? Can you tell me how much you needed in GBP/usd please. i was thinking $1600usd which is $1200GBP. is this to much or to little?

[@AnnoyingBritishKid]

WE DONT USE EUROS! I encourage studying here. I am going to study in London next year too. But if you're considering living on a different continent look up the country a bit first. To live comfortably ud need about 20,000 a year. But thats cosy. As a students (asuming u get intl halls) ul need less. Google it and look on uni stats (uk uni comparison site) to see the cost of living and average fees. One of my friends is doing fashion too :)

[@AnnoyingBritishKid]

Also im pretty sure theres only a month less of applying so u probably have done all that I said by now

[@Katmulla]

The House Rent is Expensive, but if you share with your Friends then $1850 / £1200 would be Fine for month.

[@someoneLikeAnje]

cool vid! :)

[@Johanna-wk8ef]

Your video is amazing! Are u still in London ?

[@sharday808]

This was a great video! I'm thinking of moving to London for school (I live in California) did your parents pay for you to go there of did you get a scholarship? Forgive me if that sounds too personal but I really want to go and prepare :)

[@gabiann]

Thank you, and no that's not too personal at all! Haha. The school I'm going to gave me a smaller scholarship that was pretty much just based on my GPA from high school, but it's definitely helped since living in London is already pretty expensive! You should definitely come study here though, it's such a great experience and there are plenty of scholarships that you can get if you need them :) hope that helped, feel free to ask if there's anything else you want to know!

[@sharday808]

Gabiblabby13 thank you so much for responding!! but really that sounds easy but I know it's a lot of patience. I also was wondering did you go there your freshman year of college or sophomore year? I read somewhere you can only go during your junior year.

[@gabiann]

sharday808 I'm actually studying there all four years! It's nice because the school i'm going to is an american university, so I think it costs basically the same as it would if I went to another out-of-state school in the US...hahaha sorry if that didn't make sense! Yeah, I think alot of people that go to school in the US typically study abroad their junior year, probably cause thats just when it makes most sense to go. :)

[@sharday808]

Gabiblabby13 thank you for the tips and advice. I'm actually half a sophomore lol I did a year and a semester and took off another semester. do you think i'll be able to apply in fall 2014? I just want to leave for the experience and get away from family lol

[@gabiann]

sharday808 Ha no problem! Yeah, I think you should definitely be able to apply for fall 2014! It'll definitely be a great experience :) Good luck!!

[@HotshotGTar]

London is GREAT ! It is the Mecca of toy soldier collectors only rivaled with maybe Berlin, New York and possibly Chicago. If you are a toy soldier collector , military history buff and just like history period ; you have to go to London. Museums and Theatre are great ! Expensive ; Yes ! The only downside we experienced was finding good food, good places to get good food and food ! England is not noted for its cuisine. I'm sure there are places and good indigenous food but we couldn't find any. The best was oriental restaurants. The worst was in the Pubs. It was frustrating enough to take the tube to Paris and eat which I wish we had done. We even went to a French restaurant one evening and it was horrible too. I don't know what the animosity towards good food is in England but don't expect to eat well while you are there (unless you know something we don't ). The expensive part was the airfare which we might have done better at . If you use the bus and subway systems ; it's relatively cheap to get around. We found an very nice reasonably priced hotel/ bet breakfast like ; not the bit name hotel chains : Nice clean room ; good service, friendly people. All in all it was a fantastic trip. I'd like to live there is it weren't for being almost twice the cost of living as where I live now. It would be an ideal base for exploring the rest of Europe.

[@batman51]

What is this rain thing? Rainfall London: 23", Rainfall Portland 39". Actually, while it is sensible to have an umbrella in your bag, you probably won't need it.

[@martinbegley]

It's by far the most popular misconception. I cycle, so rain days mean added fuckery. They are infrequent. Worst thing about london's climate is the average summers day.

[@laylamarie6087]

thats wat a tube is im use to the subway and i wanna meet One direction too. :)

[@karthikavelusamy5437]

trying to gauge how much you'd need to budget per week as a student just for going out and food?

[@Katmulla]

Minimum £600 pounds per month buddy, which is 60,000 INR.

[@erickamaesevilla484]

I'm from Philippines. I think British people are amazing! :)

[@tammyhey6116]

who is the other voice?

[@skyedefrees656]

IM FROM PORTLAND OREGON TOOOOO........... YAYYYYYYYY :D

[@njkatakiya8227]

do you job in London place help me

[@amybee193]

Compared to Austria (I'm from Austria) London is actually pretty cheap ( 1€ is 0.8£ )

[@sharday808]

*or did you get a scholarship

[@shamims178]

Well, no need to worry about tube at all....just download tube map app on your smartphone...that's it !

[@Verderer]

LONDON.....Saturday 28 June 2014......hey, guess what - it rained in London today! PS: The sun also shone in between the showers. If any foreign visitors to this wonderful and vibrant city are completely spellbound by the beauty of London's many parks and wonder how on earth they can be as green as they really are......well now you know why! But you should also be made aware of the fact that statistically the average annual rainfall in London is LESS than HALF that of New York City, and just ONE third that of New Orleans......and is roughly the same as that of San Francisco. The reason? When it rains in London it is lighter and more drizzly in nature than in those American cities, where the rain falls more intensely and a lot heavier in short periods of time and on considerably fewer days than it does in the UK where, climatically, overall weather patterns are milder, gentler, more equable and less intense...much like the character of the British people! I couldn't resist that one.....

[@trexeater101]

hey, you didn't mention the nightlife or street dangers?

[@AnnoyingBritishKid]

Best parts innit? :D

[@trexeater101]

AnnoyingBritishKid haah yeah man vital shit

[@samibanez8502]

I see you on tumblr

[@princeicio]

You studied in London for 4 years? DAMN IT YOu're lucky!

[@princeicio]

Okay, Boss. Tell me why? Don't just say that :)

[@princeicio]

Screw it I'll go to America

[@5.0_life30]

+Miami Guy Dude, when you say illegal immigrants that can't speak English these are immigrants from where exactly???

[@5.0_life30]

+Miami Guy wow really? Does your government support the illegals in any way? Here in America the U.S. government takes care of illegals like if they were legal. Crazy.

[@princeicio]

I think you're right, Adina. Even though this wasn't our main discussion

[@Clunycluny]

audio is regular 😅

[@musicislife4060]

It is cold and noisy. I hate it yet again I have lived here all my life.

[@mariamastroianni8981]

so did you already meet 1D ? :) great video!

[@gabiann]

Thank you! Hahah unfortunately not yet..I went to their concert back in april though, close enough for now! :)

[@mariamastroianni8981]

Gabiblabby13 great! I'd love to live in london one day, for now I'm visiting for a holiday yeahi:) keep going, I think you'll do it ;)

[@simonhardabi9051]

americans please listhen its not easy to live there the only ways are to get a permanent resident status is having a real important jog or having family there that sponsores you plus if you ever get an european passport you need to know that you are able to live and work anywhere in europe without any problems!

[@tiffanyrodriguez7860]

Meet One Direction on that to do list hahaha

[@TheFakeyCakeMaker]

7 Don't act like you're not a tourist unless you've lived in London your whole life then in that case why are you even watching this video? As a Londoner I asked myself the same thing because I was looking for an authentic video on life in London and this weren't it -so that answers your question and erm...whatever you do when in London for the love of Buckingham Palace and the Westminster Guards please do NOT act like a friggin tourist, tourists are the bane of Londoners lives and piss us off immensely...for you London is a tourist destination for us it's where we work and live!

[@angeliquenavarro263]

So what are you saying, do or don't act like a tourist? Because it sounds like you've said both and it's confusing. I'm from New York City which is also a frequent tourist destination. Yes tourists can be annoying but in a way I embrace the fact that people from all over the world want to visit my beautiful city! Plus tourists help the economy. I wouldn't necessarily categorize them as the bane of our existence either but it can get old walking in midtown and you can't get past someone on the sidewalk because they're taking pictures of the Empire State Building. We see it everyday but others haven't and they're excited, nothing wrong with that 😊 kind regards!

[@TheFakeyCakeMaker]

Angelique Navarro I think I was quoting something out of the video, if you watch it you'd know what I mean. Kind regards.

[@ShanaRevival]

Directioner ?

[@brythonicman3267]

I would prefer to live in an English city

[@nevermind.thebollocks]

4:13 this is A LOT of money ..omg lol

[@neenvelasco3017]

EURO is just not right if you live in London you should know this

[@stevencassidy6982]

To be honest I am glad you were honest about the money. It was expensive hundreds of years ago - its expensive now. Its not gonna change to suit you. The reason is that everyone wants to live there. Just don't come and moan - you don't want to be a whiny american

[@G4KDXlive]

If you want to live in Britain there are lots of places better than London.

[@ELLIOT1311]

G4KDXlive false no where is better than London

[@lindenbeck]

I got a headache when I am listening to your video Maybe you should have think about that there are some none English native speaking people.

[@LightW]

london is expensive... 'shows euros' otherwise nice video :)

[@1979or1979]

Tell people honestly about Englands look and judge culture. Where people are looked and judged with girlfriends, on the train and at work etc.

[@TheFakeyCakeMaker]

+1979or1979 Is that England or your paranoia?

[@Larry]

Sorry, London is a shithole, I live there and do my best to keep out of it as mush as possible.

[@peterday7820]

***** Thanks very MUSH for your advice. I guess you're one of those who, if they were crapping diamonds would complain they were too hard! PS. Change your profile pic. Much too cheerful!

[@Larry]

Peter Day How about you actually go to London before spewing off your rhetoric sarcasm.

[@adamgooding927]

***** If I did like a place I wouldn't live there. You are not a tree, you can relocate.

[@Larry]

Adam Gooding Actually I'm a silver birch. I take offense that you assumed I was a human.

[@michamilka]

+Lord Lannister maybe you neef to live somewhere else to understand the value of what you have. Maybe if you people change your mentality you might enjoy life more.