Student life

Like most students, I anticipated results day this year with nerves, dread and an endless reel of possible scenarios in my mind. No matter how well your exams go, there will always be that doubt that maybe they didn’t quite go to plan. 

These days, it couldn’t be easier to receive your results. All you need is wi-fi, a device and your login details. In many ways, this is fantastic, especially if you’ve studied abroad, but it also means that receiving your results is now more impersonal than ever. No human contact needed.

A study into UK student mental health – believed to be the largest of its kind – will be launched this autumn by higher education research specialist Alterline and will be supported by the National Union of Students (NUS).

Twelve university student unions, representing more than 185,000 students, will be taking part in the study to explore the prevalence and range of mental health issues among the student population. 

Our nephew’s graduation ceremony from University of Oregon’s (UO) business school was a master class on US higher education. UO is a public university in the smallish (150,000 population) town of Eugene set in the Willamette valley. It has an undergraduate population of a bit more than 26,000, nearly half of whom come from Oregon although some would like that number to be higher.

I teach a first year undergraduate sociology course at the University of Manchester in which students examine social scientific perspectives on major global challenges such as inequality, climate change, migration, radicalisation and corporate power. 

University is a funny old place. Will there ever be another time in your life when you can make friends just by standing outside your bedroom? Any other place where you can learn to salsa dance and join a Harry Potter society while expanding your knowledge of your favourite subject?

Most people who have been to university or are currently at college would probably agree that studying at university has a steep learning curve. You will learn so many new things while you are there – some useful and some not so useful. 

New research has revealed that Cardiff is the cheapest city in the UK for students to live in. 

The Welsh capital was closely followed by Aberdeen and Durham as the most cost-effective cities for students, according to the latest Natwest Student Living Index.

One of the things that we’re regularly told about the transition from school to university is that we will have to become increasingly independent. Where once we had – or should have had – teachers guiding our learning at every step, we are now encouraged to take responsibility for our own education.

Making the right choice of where to live at university could make the difference between making life long friends or having your cheese stolen from the fridge. 

Although you cannot be sure which of the above you'll end up with before you move in, there are other factors to take into account when choosing your university accommodation such as value, location, and sociability. 

The International Baccalaureate diploma programme is better at encouraging a “global outlook” in students, while A levels give students more “in-depth” expertise, according to the findings of the University Admissions Officers Report 2017.

UK university admissions officers were invited to rate both qualifications on how they develop a range of different qualities in students. The results found that there was a considerable difference in the two study programmes. 

I chose Princeton because I loved books; because I wanted to write a thesis; because I fell in love with the Chancellor Green library when I first visited campus; because I saw the integrity in the university’s commitment to service, and because I thought I wanted to study comparative literature (spoiler: I’m a politics major!). I chose Princeton because I saw passion and curiosity and energy reflected in every aspect of the university.