Study abroad

Staying at university during the Christmas break might seem like a gloomy prospect for international students. Whether we celebrate Christmas or not, being away from home during this festive season can feel lonely.

However, Christmas is also the time of the year when we can relish an empty, peaceful campus for a while. Tired of living in a crowded house? Now you can take a longer shower, try cooking new recipes, turn the music up a little bit louder and dance crazily.

“Have you remembered to pack a towel? What about your dressing gown? The non-stick frying pan I bought you last week?”

The inquisition continued as I sat surrounded by a vast quantity of boxes filled to the brim with everything I was told I would need before I set off on my journey to university.

You may not know many people who have studied in Australia, but its 43 universities are in fact some of the most popular in the world for international students.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, since Melbourne and Sydney are two of the best cities for students, and there are other idyllic locations with world-leading universities elsewhere on the island. The education system and application process is different from other Anglophone countries, so we’ve collected the information that you’ll need each step of the way.

As an international student, there are so many different processes you’ll need to understand and navigate when applying to universities in the United States. Here’s a breakdown of the three most important aspects: admissions, funding and visas.

For international students, completing your UK university application online using the centralised system, Ucas, is usually the easiest part of the process.

However, the problems tend to arise as students embark on the visa process and look at how much their degree at a British university is going to cost them. So how can you be sure that you’re meeting all the requirements set by your chosen institutions, and be certain that you are able to cover all the necessary expenses?

The one activity I didn’t mention in my previous article that I would be doing this summer was Dorm Crew Clean-Up. Reflecting on why I had not mentioned dorm crew, I realised that I was embarrassed by the fact I would be kick-starting my jam-packed summer by sweeping, vacuuming and mopping college dorms. 

China is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to the traditional international student cities of London, New York or Paris. With ambitious plans to significantly increase the number of international students in the country, the Chinese government seems committed to showing a new side of an ancient country.

But what exactly should you expect from going to university in China?

Choosing a university is a big decision. I am from Belarus and I decided to study in Lithuania. I enrolled at Vilnius University as a bachelor’s student and now continue my journey as a master’s student. 

Lithuania is a popular place – if you go to the old town in the evening, you will hear at least five different languages. Many international companies have opened their offices here, such as Booking.com, Google and Nasdaq. 

Spain, South Africa and Singapore have some of the cheapest weekly rates for student accommodation in the world, according to new research. 

Accommodation search engine Student.com found that the lowest rents for students around the world were in Albacete (Spain), Johannesburg (South Africa) and Singapore. In fact, four Spanish cities (Albacete, Murcia, Granada and Alcalá de Henares) are among the top 10 cheapest for weekly rents. 

Three US cities feature in the top 10 (Tallahassee, Athens GA and Columbia MO). Derby in the UK rounds out the top 10. 

The rising rate of student mental health problems is a global issue and needs to be tackled with a "whole university approach", according to a new study.

The Global Student Accommodation Group (GSA), analysed more than 10,000 pages of evidence from more than 280 studies from the UK, Germany, Spain and Australia to understand how student well-being has evolved over the last decade.