For many students, their time at university will be the first time they have had to understand how to manage their own money. Sometimes it isn’t as simple as living on the basics to keep your finances in order – you could spend a week spending on only the absolute essentials and still find you’re running low on money by the time your rent is due.

The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings highlight the important role that universities can play in tackling the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 17 SDGs cover a range of global issues, from climate action to gender equality.

You might be interested in studying at a university that is more “sustainable”, but what exactly is a sustainable university? And what does it mean for you as a student? 

Quality education and climate action are two of the highest priority issues for would-be university students, according to research conducted by THE Student.

In a survey taken by 2,000 prospective international students, participants were asked to vote on which of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) they thought were the most important. SDG 4 (quality education) and SDG 13 (climate action) were voted the highest priority SDGs, with 37 per cent and 33 per cent of the votes, respectively.

Higher education is – thankfully – in a moment of transition. After the murder of George Floyd last year and in response to the continued push of the Movement for Black Lives, universities around the world are responding by pledging a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Some are even going so far as to declare themselves “anti-racist universities”, which is a welcome change.

Budgeting is not the most exciting topic, but financial well-being is critical to your overall university experience.

Recent research commissioned by financial education resource Blackbullion found that nearly half of students have considered dropping out of university or deferring by a year because of financial barriers, which has only been exacerbated by Covid-19.

As the American writer Shelby Foote once said: “A university is just a group of buildings gathered around a library.”

Though so much information for most people’s studies is now online, you can’t beat the feeling of sanctuary and calm you get from a good library. Whether you use them for research, reading or just to escape the world for a few hours, libraries are an essential part of the university experience.

When it comes to thriving tech sectors, certain cities and locations spring to mind: London, San Francisco and Tokyo, maybe. 

However, have you considered Mumbai or Frankfurt or the US state of North Carolina? According to a new series of Digital Leader rankings, these are among the top locations for a digital education. 

Sponsored content: created in partnership with the University of Manchester.

It’s an uncertain time for students. Headlines warn us that employment prospects have been diminished by the pandemic, and many graduates who do start work can’t meet their colleagues in person. Meanwhile, the labour market is shifting so rapidly that it’s hard to know what qualifications will be most sought after.

Growing up, being able to understand how infections and diseases can be treated with a simple pill or injection fascinated me. I was keen to understand how this was possible.