United Kingdom

As the American writer Shelby Foote once said: “A university is just a group of buildings gathered around a library.”

Though so much information for most people’s studies is now online, you can’t beat the feeling of sanctuary and calm you get from a good library. Whether you use them for research, reading or just to escape the world for a few hours, libraries are an essential part of the university experience.

Growing up, being able to understand how infections and diseases can be treated with a simple pill or injection fascinated me. I was keen to understand how this was possible.

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the ways university students go about their lives.

Who knew, in early 2020 that the bulk of our learning and socialising would take place on Zoom (did we even know what Zoom was back then?). Or that once dormant hobbies, such as baking and painting, would become so important to our mental health over the past year? Or that it would be normal to spend the majority of your life within the four walls of your home?

The UK officially left the Erasmus+ programme on 1 January 2021. 

Students will be able to apply for the new post-study work visa from 1 July 2021, the UK government has announced. 

The visa is open to international students who successfully complete a degree at undergraduate level or above in the UK and allows them to stay in the country to work or seek work for two years. This is extended to three years for doctoral students. 

School teachers in the UK will determine grades for A-level and GCSE students this summer, the government has announced.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson stated that teachers will be able to use a range of resources such as mock exams, coursework or other work, including essays and in-class tests, completed as part of a pupil’s course.

I couldn’t have imagined what experience I’d have as an international master’s student at Oxford Brookes University. Looking back, it kick-started my passion of incorporating diversity and inclusion in marketing and ultimately led me to start a new company called Equalify Marketing Ltd.

The day arrives when you finally receive news about your application to the University of Cambridge, but sadly it’s not the answer you were hoping for. First of all, don’t beat yourself up over not getting an offer.

I’ve studied at various international schools in the Middle East for the past 15 years, from primary education all the way to A level. I later embarked on the exciting journey to study at the University of Reading in the UK. It’s been a rewarding experience.

Life under the Covid-19 pandemic is hard for everyone, but it is particularly so for many international students who are studying far away from home. As international students studying and working at universities in London, we have found it challenging to be away from home at the moment.