Studying at university » Archive
Getting the best from higher education options
Following on from the post entitled ‘Getting a good degree without paying high fees’ this post aims to offer a route through the choices. If you have decided not to go to a traditional university for your undergraduate degree there are two main options going abroad, possibly taking time out to learn the language for a year first or take a part-time or online degree in the UK. In either UK based case it is important to work alongside your studies either in unpaid internships or simply to gain work experience and income to pay for your studies. It is much more difficult to get work once you graduate than it was in the past so an extra language or work experience will be very useful. Work experience in your chosen … Read entire article »
Filed under: Fees, Making a decision, Study abroad, University
Study abroad with Nottingham University in Ningbo China or Malaysia
I recently visited the Nottingham University campus in Ningbo, China. The campus looks and feels just like the Nottingham University campus in Nottingham in England. The university has around 5000 students and 200 academic staff. Only a small percentage of students are from outside China with an even smaller percentage of students from the UK. The Ningbo campus has two clear advantages over studying in the UK, the fees are almost fifty percent lower and it … Read entire article »
Filed under: Making a decision, Study abroad, University
US MIT application process talk part 2 – making a good application
Following on from part one of this series. The focus in part two is on making an application a good application. As mentioned in part one applications to MIT are judged with three criteria in mind. Follow through on ideas, creativity and intelligence (academic and emotional) Evidence in applications must be easy to spot, highly credible and make professor think ‘I would love to work with that student. I can see them fitting in at MIT’. An applicant … Read entire article »
Filed under: Applying, Ivy League, Making a good impression, Study abroad, University, USA
US MIT application process talk part 1 – how applications are processed
I recently attended an interesting talk led by an MIT professor. The talk contained the type of information many top private schools already know and use to help their students get into top universities. The key point from the talk was that students must have excellent academic results and demonstrate a sustained ability to carry through original ideas as successful projects. Only 11% of applicants from the US get into MIT. International applicants are considered separately … Read entire article »
Filed under: Applying, Ivy League, Making a good impression, Study abroad, University, USA
Scholarships to study in China – Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing and many other cities
With UK tuition fees becoming ever more expensive along with the coat of living studying abroad in the US or continental Europe has become increasingly attractive. One of the downsides to studying abroad is that students studying abroad are not eligible for UK student loans, often meaning they need to pay up front for tuition, something only a very small proportion of students can afford. US universities are well known for offering scholarships but sadly most … Read entire article »
Filed under: Applying, Scholarships, Study abroad
How to decide if you want to go to university – part 3 – talking to family
When talking to family members about going to university remember to talk to people who did and did not go to university. The views of your immediate family are most likely the most important but other family members could have a useful perspective worth considering. It can feel a little uncomfortable asking people why they made the decision they did and if they would have made a different decision now they know what they know now, but it is really important to do so. Otherwise the answers you get might not be the whole truth of the decision they would make if they were in your shoes. With your immediate family you may want to discuss options such selecting a university near where you live allowing you to live at home or … Read entire article »
Filed under: Making a decision, University