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Are you a graduate looking for your first post-university role? If so, you're not alone. Thousands of graduates are currently on the hunt for graduate jobs. This means it certainly makes sense to do everything you can to stand out from the crowd and make you and your skills as appealing as possible to potential employers. Read on to find out about five career tips for recent graduates.

Be flexible

Some graduates have a very fixed idea of what they want to do, while others don't really know. Either way, it helps to be flexible. Many graduates look for London jobs, which is great as there is a wide choice in the capital. However, don't forget to look elsewhere in the country. In fact, the more flexible you're willing to be on location, the better.

Being flexible in what you do can also help. For instance, if you're interested in communications, there are lots of industries where you could look for work. When competition for jobs is so competitive, you can't afford to narrow your search too much.

One of the best things about living in the UK is how quick, easy and cheap it is to get to around Britain and to mainland Europe. For short weekend breaks there are so many options it can be hard to decide where to go. To help you out we are creating a series of guides to places in Europe that are perfect for short holidays. If you have been anywhere exciting in Europe and want to write a short guide, then please get in contact with us. 

At ForeignStudents.com, it is Scotland Week this week, so we thought it would be fitting to do a travel guide to the Scottish capital city. If you like the sound of Edinburgh and want a chance to win a free trip to Scotland, make sure you check out our competition here. It is so easy to enter and it is up to you whether you win or not!

Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is an important literary and cultural centre, and a brilliant choice if you are looking for a weekend away.

As new figures show that university applications for next year are down by 9%, a number of universities reveal they are considering dropping their fees to under £7,500.

Ever since the British government announced that university fees would be capped at £9,000 rather than £3,000 from 2012, experts have been predicting reduced student numbers. This theory has now been proven, with the latest figures from UCAS showing that overall university applications are 9% below last year's level.

However, whilst this headline figure shows a drop in applications overall, overseas applications have actually increased since this time last year. Whilst UK and EU students will be paying far more than previously, non-EU international fees have not significantly increased. This then explains why UK applications have dropped by 12% and international applications are staying strong.

Dropping 2012 Fees

Universities UK have been quick to challenge the figures, with chief executive Nicola Dandridge emphasising that "It's too early to read into these figures at the very start of the applications process". Despite this though, a number of universities are considering dropping their planned fees to attract more students.

A protest at St Paul's Cathedral in London is entering its sixth day, as anti-capitalist activists continue to occupy the surrounding area. Inspired by last month's Occupy Wall Street movement in New York, Londoners started their own Occupy London Stock Exchange movement on Saturday, mirroring similar protests in cities around the world.

Protesting against the global financial system and corporate greed in the City, activists had hoped to occupy Paternoster Square, where the London Stock Exchange is based. However, after police blocked their way, they fell back to the nearby St. Paul's Cathedral square where they pitched around 100 tents.

Their plans soon received a boost on the Sunday morning when the cathedral's canon, Reverend Giles Fraser, announced that he supported their right to protest and that he would not ask for their removal for trespassing. More than that, he even revealed:

"There was a line of police who were kindly trying to protect the cathedral, but I thought that was unnecessary, so we brought them down."

Leaving the home you grew up in, the people you will love forever and experiences to look upon from afar, being an international student is no easy task, perhaps, even more so, when you come from a small island.

Goodbyes are always hard but entering the realm of the unknown is harder. The flight is long but worsened by tears and already missing home but there is the element of excitement, curiosity as to what the future holds. Upon arrival the welcome is not exactly friendly with a fierce immigration officer questioning you to ensure your intentions are really to study here. Once you exit a different world appears before you, no longer the tall palm trees but towering skyscrapers - the land of opportunities all at your fingertips.

"A Different Life to Lead"

A chilly wind, temperatures of 7 degrees, nothing like the 31 degrees and hot sunny days of the Seychelles. No horizon in sight but the nearest thing to the sea is the River Thames. Layer upon layer, soon to wear boots and scarves, is a drastic change to the everyday flip flops and shorts. A different life to lead.