university

Ever wonder what it feels like to wake up in a completely different universe?
You could find out if you're not too scared to leave your family, friends, pets and house behind.

I knew from the start that moving to London would be difficult, I knew I would experience homesickness being far from my hometown. I also knew that the English culture was somewhat different and that the food would completely disgust me. However, as I have mentioned in previous posts I don't regret this experience at all.

For example, I have learnt how the English educational system works. I did not know that some people here go to Sixth-Form college before they actually go to university. In France you can go to university straight after high school.

Talking about university, I have started to use the library and university facilities and, to be honest with you, it is really helpful when you live on campus, as it tends to be noisy most of the time. So if you, like me, need a ‘silent' environment to study, the library is a must-have on a campus or nearby.

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.

Erik Redli is a university graduate from Slovakia who is currently living in London. Each week he gives his view on the events of the last seven days. This week, he looks at migration policy, binge drinking and feminism.

Free Online Educational Courses

A new craze is sweeping education, with free online educational courses called MOOCS growing in popularity. 

"Many graduates boast about their university degree certificate. But most employers look at your skills and what the prospective employee can bring to the company. If you earn money, no one will dig into where you learnt your skills. Therefore the main asset of education should be the skills and knowledge, not the piece of paper.

I think these online courses hit on the fact that a degree does not automatically stand for knowledge. For example, I completed two courses recently. Although I did not earn the certificates (the maths too difficult for me), I learned a lot of new things that I have already used in my life and job. This makes for a good excuse for the large percentage of students who do not complete their courses. They took what they needed and left the certificates for the academics.

University open days are a great opportunity to get a feel for what a particular institution offers, both in terms of its taught modules and its social life. They can also be overwhelming: there's sometimes so much to see and do at an open day that you're not sure where to start, especially if you haven't decided on what course you're taking yet.

You can usually find out more about what to expect from open days by visiting the university's website, but here are some general tips for getting the most out of a day at your chosen institution:

A free degree may sound like a thing of the past in the UK but that is not the case for the majority of the country's retirees. Research has shown that most of Britain's retirees are eligible for student's loans that they will never have to back, and many are taking advantage of this to study for a degree in later life.

Prudential Insurance group released figures showing that retirees in 2013 will have an average income of £15,300 per year from their pension annuities payments. This means the majority of retired Britons fall considerably short of the £21,000 threshold that must be exceed before student loan repayments are eligible.

With no age limit on tuition fee loans, which are paid directly to the higher education institution that the student is studying at, growing numbers of retirees are choosing to go to university. There is also no requirement on whether the course is taken full time or part time.

There is, however, an age limit of 60 years of age on maintenance loans, which are used to cover everyday costs of living, such as rent and food.