Advice

A university agent guides you through the entire process of choosing and applying to university, from helping you with your college application to assisting with visas, travel and accommodation. They can be a great resource for students, especially any international students daunted by all process of applying to university in a different country.

The US secretary of state has announced an exemption to Covid-19 travel restrictions for international students starting from 1 August.

The national interest exemptions (NIEs) will now be extended to international students from all countries with valid F-1 and M-1 visas intending to begin or continue an academic programme commencing 1 August 2021 or later.

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? 

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.

One of the biggest challenges that face university students who are studying virtually is how to make friends and connect with fellow students.

With most classes and social events occurring on Zoom, opportunities to meet new people can be limited. However, making friends isn’t impossible. Here, current international students share ways in which they have made friends through their screens. 

If you’re interested in studying abroad at an English-speaking university or another type of education institution, you will need to demonstrate a level of proficiency in the language. The IELTS Academic test is one of the main ways to do this.

Introduced in 1989, IELTs (or, to give it its full title, the International English Language Testing System) is one of the principal English language proficiency tests for non-native speakers looking to study or work abroad or migrate.

It is offered at more than 1,200 test centres in over 140 countries and territories.

While having lots of choice is no doubt a good thing, having too much choice can often feel overwhelming.

If you’re just starting out on your study-abroad journey and have no idea where to start in choosing a university or even a country, the tips below may help. Two current international students and one prospective international student share how they narrowed down their choices and the ways they researched their universities. 

If you’ve ever looked for university information and advice online, you will have come across student vloggers. With platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, students have increasingly taken it upon themselves to share their university experiences online, covering everything from the best cafes on campus to how to deal with stress and anxiety during a degree course.