Among several options for post-secondary education is community college. But what exactly is a community college? What makes it different to a university? 

Here we explain what a community college is and look at the pros and cons of attending one after high school. 

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

As the end of university approaches, you may be thinking about what you intend to do next. If you are beginning to browse the job listings, it is important to know what a graduate scheme (or grad scheme) is, who offers them, when applications open and how they can benefit you. We have compiled all this information to help you choose between a graduate-scheme and a job.

Sponsored content: created in partnership with the Engineering and Design Institute London.

Traditionally, a typical week in the life of a university student has contained lectures. Regardless of the year, location and subject of study, lectures have been synonymous with degree qualifications. They can be a great way to communicate important information to students, and many people thrive in a lecture environment. But others struggle to absorb information in this way.

Students preparing to attend university have many factors to consider when making their final choice. One of these factors is a city versus campus university. Although both can provide students with a great education and student experience, they can be quite different. 

Below we have broken down these contrasting experiences to help you in your applications. 

Sponsored content: created in partnership with Duolingo.

In any language, it’s rare to speak in a conversation without listening to the other person, or to write a passage of text without reading it. While many standardised English language tests break down questions into reading, writing, listening and speaking, the Duolingo English Test (DET) is structured so that test takers can show how they use these skills in combination. 

Sponsored content: created in partnership with Duolingo.

For years, universities have relied on a handful of long-standing tests to demonstrate students’ English language proficiency. While widely accepted, these tests can be expensive to sit and often require in-person attendance.

The Duolingo English Test (DET) – now accepted by more than 3,500 programmes globally – is disrupting the status quo by offering one of the world’s first high-stakes English proficiency tests online. 

It is currently past 10pm in Dublin, and my anxiety has kept me from writing this piece until now. My anxiety and I have become somewhat friendly enemies over the years, especially since I moved from Austria to study at University College Dublin.

This decision was driven by my ambition and competitiveness. Studying abroad represented my desire to move beyond the expectation that I would stay in Austria my whole life and prove to myself that I could achieve more.

Finding accommodation that is safe, close to campus and affordable is a concern for all students. For international students, an added difficulty is that they often cannot see the accommodation in advance. And, unfortunately, there are those who try to take advantage of this and create accommodation scams. 

I have always wanted to explore the world, meet new people, travel, learn new languages and cultures. During my bachelor’s degree, I spent the summer as a scholar and thesis student in the US to improve my research skills. There I had a valuable experience interacting with many people of different backgrounds and cultures.

I received my undergraduate degree in molecular biology and genetics from TU Dresden in Germany.