News

Erik's picture

Erik's View: Fizzy Drinks & British Immigration

Erik Redli is a university graduate from Slovakia who is currently living in London. Here he gives his opinion on the British visas and the diet of young people in Britain. 

Visas & Multiculturalism in Britain

"The government had to tighten the visa norms in order to keep away the immigrants who would abuse British hospitality. Unfortunately, such measures will always have some negative effects. Some student visas might have been refused due to discrepancies in documents. A few months ago I had similar problem.

I was asked to submit two forms of ID for my employer. But I do not need two forms of ID, because as an EU citizen I can move freely with my ID card only. However, I have to abide by the fact that the British must be very careful with the legislations and understand that them double checking has nothing to do with me, but instead is there to eradicate illegal immigrants. It was a bit of problem for me, but nationally it fits into the overall policy and makes it work well. Luckily, I managed to sort out the problem by submitting my birth certificate and driving licence.

Guest's picture

Get the Most Out of University Open Days

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:

Foreign Students's picture

King Richard III’s Skeleton Discovered in Car Park

There was some unusual royal news in Britain yesterday, as a 600-year-old skeleton was found to be the remains of King Richard III. The University of Leicester led the project to find the lost bones and eventually narrowed them down to the most royal of settings- a nearby car park.

Richard III became king of England in 1483, but his reign was tumultuous and short-lived, and he was killed in battle just two years later in 1485. The skeleton shows the extent of the injuries that killed him, with 10 in total found, including eight injuries to the skull. On top of that, the spine has also been found to be badly curved, confirming reports from Tudor historians that Richard had a severely hunched back.

On the Trail of Richard's Body

For a team of historians, scientists and archaeologists this marks the successful end to the search for Richard's body that's been going on for years. They started armed simply with the knowledge that he had been buried underneath the church of Greyfriars in the centre of Leicester. After being demolished in the 16th century, the exact location of the church had been forgotten, but the team was able to gradually narrow it down to a probable area.

Guest's picture

Loop Hole Means Retirees on Pension Annuity Incomes get ‘Free’ University

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.

Foreign Students's picture

Why Britain Isn’t So Great?

It has emerged that government ministers are considering taking drastic steps to try and reduce immigration to the UK- a negative advert campaign. The plan would be to emphasise everything that is bad about Britain to try and encourage possible immigrants to stay living in their own countries.

Apparently, in the words of one minister, such a campaign would "correct the impression that the streets here are paved with gold". The measures would be aimed especially at Bulgaria and Romania, where changes in law at the end of this year will allow free immigration from these two new EU countries.

Whilst this is probably just an easy news story and pretty unlikely to ever happen, in true British style it has spawned a whole host of mock advert suggestions. News sources from the Guardian, to the Huffington Post have been asking the British to create their own self-deprecating posters about the bad bits of the UK.

Ranging from the weather, to the drinking culture, and back to the weather, some of them are pretty funny. However, there have also been some genuine adverts over the years playing on this idea.

Below we've gathered a selection of some of the best real and fake adverts questioning the greatness of Britain, all with their tongue very firmly in their cheek:

Syndicate content