international students

Here at ForeignStudents.com, we are proud to have been nominated for Best International Student Website in the INTO Web Awards. 

The monthly awards pick out the best things for students on the internet, focussing on a different category each time. It is led by INTO- "a network of university-based study centres, offering new and higher quality standards of preparation for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in the UK, US and China."

ForeignStudents.com is one of 10 sites to be nominated, and there are some brilliant resources for you to have a look at on the list. However, if you like what we do, we'd really appreciate it if you could take a second to vote for us. 

- See the nominees and vote for us here...

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.

In answer to a National Union of Students (NUS) campaign that fought for the rights of international students in the UK, the Home Office has replied with letters to all those who signed the petition. In response to claims that there are "overly harsh conditions on studying in the UK", the Home Office reply argues that "we have a great offer to attract the best international students".

'Give the Home Office the Yellow Card'

It all started in February this year, when the NUS began a campaign headed by International Students Officer Daniel Stevens that encouraged people to ‘Give the Home Office the Yellow Card'. The NUS argued that:

"It is clear that international students are being treated ever more increasingly as a political football... We are showing the Home Office the yellow card - and calling on them to improve their treatment of those students from across the world who choose to study here - in particular by calling on them to work with NUS, UUK and UKBA to establish a code of conduct setting out basic standards in working with international students."

Figures have emerged that show EU students owe the UK government £50 million in unpaid tuition fees. In response, the Student Loans Company (SLC) have taken a hard line, hiring private investigators to track down graduates overseas who still owe money.

Students from Cyprus are the worst offenders, borrowing the most from the government in the last five years, and still owe £15m now.

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said:

"The overwhelming majority of overseas borrowers are honest and want to repay the loans they have received. However all borrowers need to know that they cannot evade their obligation to repay simply by moving overseas. We actively trace those in arrears and will obtain court orders in other jurisdictions to require repayment if necessary."

The majority of those who haven't paid what they owe have moved back abroad after their studies. Once graduates start earning a higher salary than the threshold, they should start repaying their tuition fee loans regardless of where in the world they are living. However, it is those who ignore this that the SLC are now trying to track down.

If you plan to work in the media industries and want to research the market, you have to understand that you need to be skilled and experienced. The sector's skills involve learning about the web and its interactive content. We are all international students here, but if there is one common language that we speak, it has to be the web language.

Don't agree? Look how much time we spend online- and that's including the time we spend on the many social networks. We are constantly online taking pictures or filming and uploading our creative work on the web. We have become skilled in the filming and photography industries. We design blogs on multiple platforms. We've all got production skills and creative talent owing to the Internet. But is that a good thing?

I have got to be critical of the web.

Firstly, the Internet has given us common skills that will make it hard for us to market ourselves when wanting to apply for a work position. Also look at the amount of time we spend on the web. Facebook won't give us our educational degree for posting statuses online. Londoners are also addicted to Twitter and spend countless hours on the social networks even during university times.