Blogs

The apparent elitist nature of Oxbridge and other top universities has again come under scrutiny following the release of new research showing that numbers of black and minority ethnic (BME) and lower socio-economic students at the University of Cambridge remain depressingly low.

It’s a common misconception that designers should be employed in design companies – a misconception that the Design Council is determined to challenge; designers are needed in every organisation and in every industry.

As a design advocate for Google, Mustafa Kurtuldu is charged with championing design to the technology industry and everyone internally at Google.

“Design used to be seen as a bunch of creative people wasting their time,” he says. “But that is not the case any more as some of the most successful businesses are discovering.”

Since beginning a part-time master’s in arts and cultural management at King’s College London last September, I have often been asked what my schedule looks like and if I would recommend it. Although balancing commitments can be challenging, I would definitely advise considering studying part time. Here are some of the benefits:

1. Time to gain professional experience alongside studying

This month, I have been working up to dealing with something that I hate more than anything else – moving.

I’m not moving yet but I’m probably going to need to leave my lovely apartment next year. The third year in the doctor of veterinary medicine programme is at the Camden campus, about 90 minutes west of Sydney. I was planning on staying put and sharing transport but that isn’t looking likely so I’m starting to investigate moving closer.

It's important when you are booking student accommodation that you get a place that meets as many of your needs as possible.

It's always worth checking whether your prospective halls have lifts, provide parking spaces and whether the room has separate quarters for your maid. Now, that last one may sound like a joke, but it was, in fact, a question asked on the student accommodation booking service Student.com.

Eleni Smitham is double-majoring in international studies and Spanish and minoring in health studies at Haverford College, Pennsylvania

“And where will you begin?”

This question, which my two supervisors asked me at the beginning of the month, filled me with dread. It’s a good question, but I had no idea how to answer it. And instead of trying to decide for myself, I would rather they had told me where they thought I should begin. Where do you start a research project that will last three or four years and will culminate in a thesis of something like 90,000 words?

Student accommodation is slowly shaking off its reputation for being grotty and cramped. Gone are the days of tiny, drab rooms, freezing communal bathrooms and kitchens stocked with outdated appliances.

Student halls are becoming more luxurious, with some even boasting their own swimming pools, cinemas and gyms. These are a far cry from the dingy, crumbling establishments that were once a normal feature of student life. 

Ten years ago, I finished my undergraduate studies in international relations in my home country, Mexico.

I’ve been in New York for just over a month now and I'm continuously finding new things that surprise me. 

The heavy workload of each of my classes has meant that sometimes it is difficult to explore the city. It’s easy to be caught up in the bubble of university life but I try to get off campus at least once a week.