Student life

I have been living and studying in Australia for 15 months now, but I am originally from the United States. I grew up in Minnesota where my family were avid outdoors-people. Like classic Minnesotans, summers were spent going on nature expeditions - hiking, fishing, camping - where I developed an appreciation for nature and wildlife.

When I was in Year 10, everyone who had achieved above average exam results was asked to complete a questionnaire. We were not told what the purpose of this questionnaire was, nor what the outcome would be. After the routine requests for name and date of birth, we were asked: “Has anyone in your family ever attended university?”

UK: Applications for Chevening programme are now open

Applications for university scholarships under the Chevening Programme, for courses due to start in August 2018 in the UK, are now open. The Chevening Programme was set up by the UK government to provide scholarships to 1500 students from around the world to study for a master's at a UK university. 

The deadline for applications in 7 November 2017. 

More information can be found here

Once you know which university you will be going to, there will be lots of planning to do. When you’ve secured your place, one of the most important things you will need to organise is your student accommodation for the year (if you haven't already got it sorted).

Gate 86 of Stansted Airport was where my Sutton Trust journey started and now ends. One year ago, I was headed to the US as part of the Sutton Trust US Programme to experience life at a US university. Suitcase in tow and anxiety and excitement at an all time high, I travelled alongside other Scottish Sutton Trust participants.

Almost everyone will tell you to join a society when you go to university. It’s a great way to make friends and either learn a new hobby or continue with a current one. And while you could stick to the mainstream by joining a football or hockey team or getting involved in the theatre or hiking society, don’t be afraid to go a little off-piste. Draw inspiration from these unusual university societies, from the past and present to get you started. They will certainly be a talking point when you return home for the summer. 

Last month, at the tender age of 37, I graduated from Birmingham City University with an MA in online journalism. It may seem a strange concept to attend university later on in life (I’m using the term ‘attend’ loosely as I studied part-time via distance learning) but it’s more common than you might think. I know this because I work at the Open University and see at first hand the importance – and value – of studying at any stage in your life, often while spinning multiple plates.

Two-thirds of university students think that the maintenance loan is not enough to cover their living expenses, new research has found. 

The survey, carried out by student finance website Save the Student, surveyed 2,316 students about their financial situation and the effect that it had on their mental health. Some 66 per cent of the respondents felt that the maintenance loan left them struggling to get by and 50 per cent said that they had experienced mental health issues because of financial concerns. 

After my first term at the University of Oxford, I was invited back to my old sixth-form college in Norfolk to talk to students who were thinking about university applications. Norfolk has a historically low percentage of young people applying for higher education. Trying to convince them that they should try applying to Oxbridge was an uphill battle and I could see why – I had also been there.

My name is Raphaëlle Soffe, and I am a dual British and French citizen. I currently live in Ewloe, a small village in North Wales, and I went to high school in the neighbouring village of Hawarden. In just a few short weeks, I will be cramming four months’ worth of possessions into two suitcases and flying over to Boston to start at Harvard University.