Student

Amy is an Taiwanese student currently studying at Kingston University in London. She recently won a tour of Scotland as part of a ForeignStudents.com competition, and here she describes her experiences from the trip. 

"Before I headed to Scotland, I knew nothing about the country. All I knew was that I wanted to search for the Loch Ness Monster, Nessie. On my way to Edinburgh, I saw the view from the window was rapidly changing. I could really tell it was a whole new country and it was so different from London.

I have to say that Scotland is very beautiful. One moment that summed it up for me, was being on top of a mountain that overlooked the landscape of the Isle of Skye (below). It was breathtaking. It is unspoilt natural beauty and marvellous mountain splendour. The waterfall, castles and loch were all stunning, especially when the sun came out, reflecting on to the water and the land. I was speechless.

More than 8,000 students' email addresses were accidentally revealed by Student Finance England last night after an administrative error. In a mass email sent out to students due to start university this autumn, the staff inadvertently included an attachment with the email addresses of everyone on their distribution list.

Student Finance England is part of the Student Loans Company- the public body responsible for awarding loans and grants to students starting university. After the blunder, they were quick to apologise, releasing a statement:

"The information was sent in error and only included email addresses, no other personal student data was shared. We have contacted all customers affected to let them know about this issue. The integrity and security of student accounts and the protection of personal information is vital to us and we apologise to all of the students involved."

However, this is not the first time the agency has come in for criticism, as in both 2009 and 2010 thousands of students were forced to start university with little money after their grants and loans were delayed.

Privacy Concerns

The Telegraph newspaper spoke to Nick Pickles, the director of privacy and civil liberties group, Big Brother Watch, who was concerned by this most recent mistake:

Looking for Leeds student accommodation can be a stressful experience, particularly if you're moving away from home for the first time or studying in a new country. However, if you bear a few things in mind on your search, and remember that as a student renter you have the same rights as any other private tenant, you could soon be on your first step to a great year at uni.

The majority of landlords you'll meet will be open and honest about the property you're moving into, but it's still a good idea to be observant when you're being shown round a house or flat. Look for signs of damp, such as dark patches on the walls and flaking paint, as well as indicators of pests like mouse droppings or slug trails. There should be plenty of plug sockets to go around and your landlord should be able to show you a valid Gas Safety Certificate.

Security is also an issue that is often overlooked by students, which is why they are so frequently targeted by burglars. Make sure the windows are all lockable and there is a five-bar mortice lock on each external door - a security grate and burglar alarm are also great assets for keeping out intruders.

As part of India Week, Medicine student Somasundaram Rajasundaram describes their experiences of living and studying at Manipal University in India.

"It was early September of 2009 when I finally received my tickets from the government of Seychelles. I was to leave for India in a week to study Medicine at Manipal University (above). Although I'm of Indian origin, it didn't help much in the initial phase of settling down.

The first thing that hits you in India is the general state of pollution, dust and the suffocating heat. Gradually a tolerance develops, but not without a couple of attacks of the flu.

Studying in India

The workload is immense, straight from day one. It taught me a lot about time management. The Indian education system places a lot of emphasis on raw memory, but thankfully my university also gives equal importance to application of the acquired knowledge. A hands-on approach is the buzzword these days, and for me that meant we actually got to learn human anatomy on a cadaver- something most other medical schools can't afford to put in place. Teaching and lecturers in general are of the highest order, with dedication like no other.

You know those images that appear on your Facebook every now and then? You know, the funny ones of cats doing a dance or a student tricking their drunk friend. Everyone enjoys them right? Well, we've collected some of the best together for your pleasure below, so sit back, relax and enjoy. Which is your favourite?