London

The British summer has finally decided to join the party, after much consternation and anxiety from sun-worshippers across the country. The change in weather, of course, also calls for a change in clothing, which means you're going to have to start thinking about making some serious fashion decisions in the coming months.

Before you charge into stores to buy denim hot pants or those breezy summer dresses, we urge you to have a browse through some of these fashion tips for students this year - it'll definitely make a difference to both your comfort and your look!

Metallic Colours

Metallic colours are making a comeback this season. Of course, if you're choosing outfits for evening events, you'll perhaps want to avoid gold and silver and go for the more pastel-metallic colours and materials instead.

Going metallic is a style commitment - those brave enough will dive in at the deep end to achieve this shiny, retro-futuristic look. But if you don't want to go for full-on sixties sci-fi gal, it's still possible to work the trend to your advantage subtly, with a sheer gauze top or maybe a skirt.

Students at universities in London are facing a battle to keep the city's student union after senior academics decided it was to close next year. The University of London Union (or ULU) represents the students from all of the 18 different institutions that make up the University of London, including LSE and UCL. However, facing tougher and tougher cuts, the university's collegiate council decided that from 2014 the individual colleges would cease paying the current £750,000 a year each to ULU.

Social & Political Hub

In its current form, ULU is the largest association of its kind in Europe and is central to the social and political life of 120,000 students in the Bloomsbury area and throughout London. The new plan will maintain the social facilities "including the swimming pool, gym, shops, cafes, bars, venues and the administrative support for intercollegiate sporting events".

However, it is the political side of the union that many fear losing. ULU has traditionally been the hub for student politics and activism, uniting all students across London in events such as the fees protests over the last few years. In the new plans, there will be no elected officers and therefore no student representation.

French student Manuela Constantini is one of the newest members of the ForeignStudents.com writing team. Here she gives a view of her life studying for a degree in Communication Studies at the University of East London.

"I have been observing and analyzing people from my university since last September when I first moved in. It was love at first sight as I was simply amazed by the view from my kitchen window, as I could see the planes taking off and landing from a distance. Planes from London City airport and the DLR did not sound so noisy back then. Maybe I was way too excited to learn in a new environment, explore the city and make new friends.

I moved in to university halls mainly because it was close to my gym, and close to the uni library open 24/7. Other than that, it is in the middle of nowhere, and the simple thought of going food shopping or central is painful. Food shopping is not even a necessity when I compare French food to English food. I don't get the beans on toast concept? No offence. Oh and please do not assume that French food revolves around frog legs and snails. Although my world revolves around French baguettes and pastries.

"Greater London is served by 12 Tube lines, along with the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and an interconnected local train network. Trains generally run between 5am and midnight, Monday to Saturday. Operating hours are reduced on Sunday." (VisitLondon.com)

Bank station was voted as the most hated station by Londoners.

I personally don't agree. Let me explain why.

I live in the East End and therefore have to travel on the DLR pretty much everyday. I have my reasons to complain as the DLR has shut down numerous times on the weekends. So I'd say if I had to complain it would not be about the station, but about the whole line instead. But then again, why always consider the negative aspects of public transport?

Other hated stations include Oxford Circus, Elephant and Castle and King's Cross- the busy ones obviously. The London Underground system can become very crowded at peak times and, therefore, is difficult for those with mobility problems. Sometimes you even have to wait to get on the next train as carriages are packed. But this is LONDON!

The Positives of the Tube

There are positive aspects to the London Underground, which provides many advantages such as the following:

Earlier this week, Bank was voted the most hated tube station in London. Possibly because of the general loathing against bankers- the station is always full of them because of the direct service to London City Airport and Canary Wharf.

But for one Wednesday last week, the busiest station must have been St Paul's. It was there that I met a businessman who was rushing to do business somewhere around Greenwich.

I was waiting for a tube, just coming back from Margaret Thatcher's funeral, when joined by several well dressed gentlemen. One of them, nearing his 50s, approached the traffic warden with a question about the connection to North Greenwich - business interest, obviously.

Later he boarded the train and spent the journey engaged in conversion with a ‘peer'. I only overheard that one word 'peer' while reading paper, business news.

Upon leaving, I left the paper on the seat. The well dressed gentleman took it. I meant to leave it for other travellers to read, I apologized for what might be seen as leaving rubbish.

"That's all right', he said "I'll read it on my next train".

He asked me whereabouts I was from.

"Slovakia", he reacted to my country of origin. "I have a friend from there, Bruno, makes good guns".