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Globally, student debt is rising. According to 2016 data, the average student debt for US graduates is $37,000 for bachelor’s degrees and $57,000 for graduate degrees. Students in the UK are in even greater debt, owing $55,000 (£40,000) for a bachelor’s degree, while in Sweden – where tuition is free – students can owe $20,000 on average upon graduation.

In a moment of optimism several months ago, I signed up to lobby with the Harvard Democrats at the Massachusetts State House. I was reminded of my decision a couple of days before the event by an email detailing my shifts and the bills I had to lobby on behalf of.

On a recent trip to Dublin I decided to visit some of the universities in the city to speak to students about why they chose to study there. 

The students were only too happy to list the things they loved about studying in the city, from the vibrant social life, to the friendliness of the locals, to the ease with which they could explore the rest of Ireland and Europe.

If Bridget Jones were writing this PhD diary, she might begin a review of her first term with an inventory like this:

“Supervisions – six; books read – 37; words written – 25,764 (hurrah!); free glasses of wine drunk – 142 (gah!); hours lost being lazy or procrastinating – oh thousands.”

I didn’t keep track of my first term with such precision but I have been thinking about what went well and not so well in 2017.

As the Christmas break drew closer, I was asked many times by friends what I was doing over the holidays. My plan was to spend a few days in Paris, then head back to Tokyo for two weeks.

Stepping into the unknown, I decided to attend a new college known as Ada, National College for Digital Skills. I was fascinated by the fact that the college specialised in digital skills and it was an opportunity I couldn’t miss. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made.

I am surrounded by a dynamic community of digital thinkers who have similar interests and values.

In theory, the path to a PhD in the arts is simple: study hard as an undergraduate, find a topic that interests you and put together a proposal. When your thesis topic is the “depictions of mental health in decadent literature” or “just images in French new wave cinema”, the path, although strenuous, is neatly set out. If you work hard, the steps are clear and the work you do will be considered fulfilling and worthwhile.

However, there are ways to complicate this.

Whether you love it or hate it, Christmas is nearly upon us and universities around the world have been embracing the festive season with open arms. 

From setting up Christmas trees and decorations, organising seasonal events and capturing beautiful snowy campuses, universities are sharing the Christmas joy across social media. 

Here at Times Higher Education Student, we have scrolled through Instagram and picked some of the most festive posts to help you get into the Christmas spirit.

One thing I don’t think I’ll get used to is the warm weather in Sydney around Christmas time.

For the past two years I have returned to the States so that I can spend the holidays with my family. Considering that I grew up in Midwest America where we definitely don’t have any shortages of white Christmases, it feels rather strange for me to be in a warm place like Sydney around December. For me, there is something a bit unsettling about people singing Let it Snow when it’s getting close to 30ºC out.

There have been many changes in higher education in 2017. The introduction of the teaching excellence framework in the UK sent shock waves through the academy as a number of prestigious universities, including the University of Southampton were rated bronze, with the results no doubt influencing the choices that international students will make when considering which UK university to attend.