The International Student Blog

The year is coming to a close and the New Year is arriving! To help make it easier to find the information to study abroad, International Student in 2011 made numerous improvements online.

Here are a few things we have done for our international students in 2011:

- iPhone App – This year we introduced our iPhone app. Online viewers can now access International Student from their phones and learn about studying in the USA . Read about each state, learn the college application process, find out about financial aid (including international student loans and scholarships), and much more!

- Increased Facebook Presence – Not only is International Student one of the most popular destinations online, but so is our Facebook page! This year we have reached over 6,000 likes. We also introduced the Scholarship Sunday weekly post, which will help you finance your education overseas!

- Video Contest – This year also featured our 6^th annual International Student Video Contest, and it was bigger than ever! The grand prize this year was $4,000 where viewers could vote on their favorite video. We had more video submissions this year than ever before – and the quality of the submission was amazing. It was difficult to narrow down the list to the twelve finalist, and even harder for our judges to ultimately choose Jonathan Moore as the winner. This contest starts each year in September, so if you want to be the winner in 2012, don’t forget to enter!

- Improved USA School Search – Searching for the right US college or university is now easier with our Concierge Service which provides your information to schools looking for students just like you! We also added our state guide for all 50 states so you can learn about where you want to study in the US. For those of you who are looking for more specific information about a specific field of study such as law, business or engineering, you can now research your interests in the Study Guide section as well.

- Featured School – We also partnered with colleges that are specifically looking for international students like you. Featured School profile includes more in-depth information about the school and also student profiles so you can see what actual international students are saying about the school. You can contact these Featured Schools and request more information from their profile as well.

- Concierge Service Expanded to the UK and Australia – Last year was the launched of our Concierge Service here in the US. Simply by filling out your name, nationality, interests, and contact information this free service helps match you with schools all across the US – and now look for schools in the UK and Australia as well!

- Online Student Fair – This year we also partnered with Hobsons and CollegeWeekLive to offer online college fairs giving you the chance to meet with admission directors from over 80 universities in the US, Canada and Australia. This is a great service allowing you to meet advisors and counselors live, asking any questions you have without the expense of travel.

- Loans for International Students – Our partner at InternationalStudentLoan.com has launched a new loan comparison tool. Specifically designed to provide international and study abroad students with the opportunity to compare loans and lenders, the new system streamlines the process to find and apply for student loans and it is now also available on InternationalStudent.com as well!

We are open to suggestions, so if you have any ideas on what you would like us to see on International Student in 2012, please leave a comment or email us. As always, we are looking to help you with your international education experience. We are looking forward to 2012 and have many new and exciting features coming in 2012, so stay tune!

More and more students are now studying abroad than ever before. If you are considering going on a study abroad program, one of the decision you will have to make is where to go. Some study abroad destinations are more popular than others.

There are many reasons why students choose to go to one country over another. You may choose your host country because it shares the same language or offers a chance to improve a second language, or perhaps it has a good reputation of higher education and safety. Some students choose a location because it offers lower tuition and living cost or just for the fact that it is just a cool place to go!

Listed below are the top 5 destinations that U.S. students decided to study abroad based on the data from the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors report for the year 2008/2009. Whether you want to go to one of these leading destination or break out from the crowd and choose a less travel road to some exotic place, here are the the most popular study abroad destinations:

1. United Kingdom

There is not much surprise here. While the United Kingdom and the United States have cultural differences, being an English speaking country makes the U.K. a top choice for students looking for an easier transition especially for those on their first study abroad experience. London is one of the world most diverse cities and one of the worlds great financial hubs. No wonder why so many people choose to study there. Check out our Study in the UK page on our website for more detail information.

2. Italy

Most of us grew up with a lot of exposure to Italian culture – from Italian food, like pizza and spaghetti to Italian Renaissance like Michelangelo and Donatello. As the heart of the Roman Empire and the Vatican, Italy draws students interested in studying history, religion, art, food and fashion.

3. Spain

Because there are so many Spanish speakers in the United States, knowing how to speak Spanish is a valuable skill. Many students take Spanish classes, and what better way to improve your language skills than to study in a country that is the birth place of the language that is continually used even today.

4. France

French food, French wine, great fashion and Paris, the city of love; France is known for many great things. While just like every country here in the list, there are so much more the country has to offer – not to mention fine arts, food as well as history.

5. China

While the top 4 countries on the list have held its spot in the top 5, the total numbers of students studying there has all decreased slightly from the previous year. China, however, continues to attracts more students each year making into one of the new top 5 destinations!

If you are reading this blog, chances are that you are already open to the idea of studying abroad in another country. You may be excited about the idea of seeing as much of the world as possible that you are having trouble deciding which country you should study in. So to help you decide, here are some things you may want to consider:

Where do you want to live?

During your study abroad, do you want to live in a big city with entertainments, nightlife and shopping? Or, are you looking for a small city with local charm and ancient historical sites? Are you okay with living somewhere cold or hot? This is an important consideration, especially if you don’t like cold weather and you find yourself studying in Scandinavia during the winter time.

Do you want to learn a new language?

If you are learning a new language you will obviously want to study in a country where the primary language is the one you want to learn. For example, if you want to learn Chinese, you can choose main land China, Taiwan or Hong Kong. For Spanish, you can choose Spain and a majority of Latin American countries.

If you are a non-native English speaker and you want to learn English you can narrow down your choice to the 3 primary English speaking region of the world: North America, Europe and Australia/New Zealand. Do you want to attend traditional colleges or universities or are you looking for an ESL school where you work to improve your English?

Looking to the future, what do you want to do?

Think about what your future career goals are. For example, if you want to work in a finance field you may want to study in the area where it is a financial center of the world like New York, London, Hong Kong, or Tokyo. If you love food and wine, why not study culinary arts in France? Research what universities are well regarded in your field of study so you continue to make stride to your future goals!

What is your budget?

Lastly, what is your budget for your study abroad trip? How much money can you contribute yourself and how much can you accumulate from study abroad scholarships and other financial aid? It is important to keep in mind that the cost of studying abroad is more than just the tuition fee and plane ticket. Living expenses can vary greatly depending on where you choose to study abroad. For example, if you decide to study Spanish in Latin America as opposed to Spain you will find that the living costs are much less expensive!

Once you have narrow down the country and the field you want to study in, you can more easily choose a study abroad program.

Studying abroad can be a great experience – you will meet new people, experience new traditions, eat exotic foods and possibly learn a new language. But with these new experiences you may find yourself homesick missing your family, friends, pets, food or even something as simple as your own bed.

When you are homesick you may feel sad, lonely, or even anxious. Depending on the severity, it may be mild or you may experience some physical symptoms like stomachaches or headaches. However, if you feel homesick while studying abroad there are some steps you can take to help you cope:

• Stay active! Fill your time with activities that you enjoy. Do activities with your friends or by yourself like going to the gym, reading a book, doing a puzzle, or playing games.
• Eat well and stay healthy. Eating junk food can make you tired and weak.
• Bring a momento that reminds you of home. It can be anything from a picture of your family to a blanket.
• Call home once in a while. If you’re homesick, calling home to hear your family or your friends’ voice can be comforting. Try to call when you are happy. Calling when you are sad will make them worry -  which may in turn make you more upset in the process.
• Keep a journal. Many people find that writing down their feelings can serve as an outlet. You may look back at a previous entry and realize that it wasn’t such a big deal after all. So if you feel sad again, you will know that it is just a temporary feeling that will pass.
• Make new friends! Being with other people is one of the best ways to start feeling good about your new environment. Even if you don’t know anyone very well yet, consider joining a club or organization. See if there is any opportunity to go grab a bite to eat with other people. Just remember, friendship doesn’t develop overnight, so don’t expect to have a best friend right away.

Home sickness can affect anyone, but if you feel depressed don’t be afraid to talk to someone and ask for help. If you have any tips you would like to share on how to cope with homesickness, please leave a comment!

Back in May 2010, we launched the International Student Concierge Service, designed to match international students with schools all around the USA.

It took the hard work out of searching endlessly online for schools that you might be interested in, and instead allows you to submit your details to the concierge service for us to match you with schools that are actively looking to recruit international students. Once your details are submitted, schools will then directly contact you with details about their program, location and much more!

Due to the huge success of the program, we have now grown the service to include both the UK and Australia. If you are an international student who wants to study in the UK or Australia you can now submit your details and have schools get back in touch with you directly. Our expanding list of schools are waiting to hear from students – so dont waste any time and submit your details to our UK and Australia Concierge Service today!

Study in the UK Concierge Service – http://uk.internationalstudent.com/concierge/

Study in Australia Concierge Service – http://australia.internationalstudent.com/concierge/

As we reported here over the last year, the UK Government has been clamping down on the student visa process for those looking to come into the UK. The new processes that have been brought in were designed to close up holes that the government thought existed and were being exploited by individuals to get into the country.

The greatest concern with these new regulations has been the effect this will have on English Language Schools in the UK, as many of the new laws would prohibit many english learners from entering the country – thus effectively killing off business for thousands of schools. Some of the reforms were challenged by EnglishUK when they won a high court battle to have some of the changes halted. However, it seems the government is pressing ahead with their efforts to reform the visa system in the UK.

The latest move by the government has been to cut the number of student visas they are issuing, which has been attacked by Labour’s Lord Hunt of Kings Heath. He said the policy “undermined” public statements by Trade Minister Lord Green that ministers regard “educational institutions as export earners”. He asked whether the government understood “that this will have a devastating impact on the finances of many of our universities and will do enormous damage to UK interests”.

The Conservatives have hit back at these comments, however, and spokesman Earl Attlee replied: “We are clear that we are not targeting genuine students at universities.” In a previous statement on the changes, Immigration Minister Damian Green has said: “Too many individuals applying to study at below degree level have been coming here to live and work instead. We need to stop this abuse.”

It will be very interesting to see how this all plays out, the government in the UK clearly wants to clamp down on abuse of the system, but how much of this will affect genuine students, or even deter students from looking at the UK as an option?

As we recently reported here on our blog, the number of international students coming into the USA is continuing to rise year on year, with China showing the fastest rate of growth. This is excellent news for the international education sector, which saw a decline in numbers and interest over the last few years as a result of the September 11th terrorist attacks in New York City. But as students are looking to come into the USA, it seems the number of US students looking to study abroad, and fully enroll themselves in a foreign university are increasing.

The UK is one of the main destinations that US students are looking to, and this has been recently highlighted in a Washington Post article. The population of U.S. undergraduates at United Kingdom schools has spiked 30 percent in five years, to 3,560 in the 2008-09 academic year, the most recent figure available from Britain’s Higher Education Statistics Agency.

One of the driving factors in this new trend to fully enroll yourself in a foreign university is cost. To give you an example as highlighted in the recently article, St. Andrews University costs $19,670 for tuition each year, which when compared to schools in the USA which cost $40,000, $50,000 or even higher, its clear why students are choosing the lower cost option. Funding for US students outside the USA is also available and there are foreign enrolled private students loans that students can take out to cover the cost of their education also.

Another driving factor is the growth in social media such as facebook and twitter. Schools can now quickly and easily reach out to students like they could never do before. This coupled with a drive by many UK schools to attend and be present at many high school college recruitment events has meant students can now find and receive information about schools in the UK like never before.

It seems clear there is a strong desire for US students to look elsewhere, and with all the prestige and age that many UK schools have to offer, it is an attractive package schools such as St Andrews, Oxford and Glasgow University can provide.

For more information on studying in the UK, please visit UK InternationalStudent.com where there is a large amount of information, help and advice for students looking to study in the UK.

If you have been sleeping under a rock the past few days, you will not have realized that the 2010 travel video contest winners were announced on Friday, the mark the end of International Education Week. We had some fantastic entries this year, and unfortunately we were not able to show them all on our site – though we do thank all those who managed to get a video to us on time!

Eventually, the judges were pretty much unanimous in their decision that Caitlin Collom and her video “Watch Out Scotland” was the 2010 winner, having written, performed and shot the video all herself – it was certainly one of the most original video entries we have ever received.

All the winners are now posted online on our contest website at:

http://www.internationalstudent.com/contest/

If you would like to embed any of the videos online in your blog or website, please visit our YouTube channel where you will be able to grab the necessary code to add any of the videos to your website:

http://www.youtube.com/user/interntionalstudent

Congratulations to all who submitted videos and we look forward to the blogs over the coming year of our winners adventures!

After reporting earlier this year about the new student visa clampdown that was about to take effect in the UK, and how these new changes were going to threaten most English Schools in the UK, English UK challenged the government over these new regulations and won!

On the 8th July 2010 Mr Justice Foskett, sitting in London, declared the fresh restrictions had been achieved through altering guidelines when there should have been a formal change to the rules, with the matter referred back to Parliament. English UK are now asking that the rules be reverted back to the days prior to March 3rd when students could come to the UK to study English with only basic English language skills.

Tony Milns, chief executive of English UK, said: “This judgment upholds our basic case that the Home Secretary was wrong to introduce a substantive change … without laying that change before Parliament.” English UK estimates the ruling has saved “more than £3,000 jobs and over £600 million a year in foreign earnings”.

For more information on this story please visit the Daily Telegraph original article, and please also visit and support English UK in all their efforts in the UK

http://www.englishuk.com/

The new visa rules that emerged last month for the UK were unveiled Wednesday (10th February 2010) by the home secretary Alan Johnson. There were large concerns that the new proposed rule changes would impact English language schools, as it would increase the level of english required by applicants to a level that would rule out most students who come to the UK to study English.

The new rules to the “Points Based UK Visa System” was partially in response to a scam where older international female students were applying as a student to also bring in their husbands to the UK as dependents, and as such the changes are as follows:

1. Require overseas students to have higher standards of English (the equivalent of just below GCSE),
2. Halving the amount of time students can work each term-time week to 10 hours
3. Banning dependents of anyone studying for less than six months.

The new changes, however, will not only affect English Language Schools as University Vice-Chancellors are also now concerned about this affect on university funding. At the moment international students are a major source of funding for universities in the UK, and these new changes, along with the suspension of visa applications in India due to a recent large surge at the tail end of last year – could see a large drop in the numbers of international students in the UK.

To read the full original article and for more information about the visa changes, please see the Guardian story.

Are you an international student trying to apply to the UK? Or are you concerned by these new regulations – post your comments below and let us know what you think!