London

The latest large-scale student protest took place yesterday. Organised by the National Union of Students (NUS), thousands of students marched through the streets of London to protest about increased tuition fees.

The protest was largely peaceful and ‘good humoured' with only a brief stand-off between police and protestors at Westminster. NUS leader Liam Burns explained the reasons behind the demo:

"Education should open doors, but the government is slamming them shut...The damaging effects of recent changes to education have restricted access for future students and created new barriers for those currently studying."

However, the march didn't go completely to plan for the NUS, who were hoping for 10,000 marchers, rather than the 3,000-4,000 that actually turned up. Things got worse for Liam Burns when he was heckled and had eggs thrown at him whilst he was making his speech. Protestors from more extreme organisations were unhappy with how the NUS leaders had dealt with the increased fees, and invaded the stage before the speech could be finished.

Angelique is originally from the Seychelles and has recently finished studying Law at the University of London. Here she goes through the problem all students face in London- MONEY:  

Struggling not to go broke in London? This is definitely for you!

London is known for being one of the most expensive cities in the world. Many students travel miles away from their homes to study in London only to be faced with this crisis:

"I AM BROKE!"

Erik Redli is a university graduate from Slovakia who is currently living in London. In the second of a two-part article, he looks at the things he initially found most unusual and different about London. You can read part one here.

On Weekdays the City Belongs to Tourists

Once I went for a night out on a Monday. Together with my Mexican roommate, we headed for the local Walkabout (a chain of bars in London). We did not expect many people there, it was a Monday. However, we had to wait in a queue for 45 minutes, such was the crowd.

At the weekend this multiplies as the tourists are joined by the local residents. On a Friday, locals seem to call it a day around 4pm and in the evening you can see them hanging around the pubs and bars. I like the way they rest their glasses of beer on the street lamps while immersed in lively discussions. Some of them blow a lot of money, and once I even found £10 on the street.

Erik Redli is a university graduate from Slovakia who is currently living in London. In the first of a two-part article, he describes five things he initially found unusual and different about London:

London is a city where man can have everything if he is able to take the time and spend the money. It may be paradise for the tourists, but after a few years, some of the permanent residents can start to have second thoughts about the expense and constant waiting, and decide to relocate to the outskirts, or to the countryside.

I have spent 6 months of my life there and could give you a long and boring lecture on the history, customs and politics of this conglomerate of cultures. Instead, I pinned together ten observations- things that I happened to find interesting since I first entered the ‘big world' four years ago. Some of them are peculiar only to London, but most of them can refer to much of the ‘Western World'. In this first part I look at everything from sport to work.

Giacomo Tirelli is an Italian student in his first year at Goldsmiths University in London. Here he explains  why he chose to study in London and why he's learning from the city all the time:

Differences are what make the world a unique place, and it is within these disparities that citizens are likely to learn more about themselves and the people around them. Some cities offer the opportunity to live in this stimulating environment more than others. London is well known for its multiculturalism and its uniqueness.

Here, people willing to broaden their minds are able to share their experiences and backgrounds. In this setting, the ‘others', as the media often relate to them, become ‘us', and the idea of a unity and community develops among people, even if dissimilar from one another. Therefore, religion, skin-colour, ideology, cultural background, sexuality become secondary priorities in choosing your friends.