How international students can adjust to life on a college campus

“As an international student, that first session is crucial to your academic success”

Whether you’ve sat in a world history class or travelled outside your home country, you probably know that cultures and customs vary greatly around the world. College culture is no exception. For international students going to the US to achieve their higher education goals, adjusting to a new lifestyle and culture can be a shock.

Luckily, there are several ways that international student can adjust to life on a college campus. Here are just a few to get you started so you can start your college experience on the right foot.
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Five Reasons Why Swedes are the World’s Best Non-Native English Speakers

“Swedes are eager to reach people outside of their country, and they benefit economically and linguistically from this”

As Sweden aims to internationalise its higher education sector and attract more foreign talent, one of its advantages is the country’s high English proficiency.

For the fourth time in the past eight years, Sweden ranks number one on the 2018 EF English Proficiency Index . The EF EPI is the largest global study of English skills based on test data from 1.3 million adults who took the EF Standard English Test  in 2017.

Since EF is a Swedish company, we asked 100 of our Swedish colleagues why they think Sweden has been so successful with English language education. Here’s what they told us:
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The UK must engage with businesses to increase the number of UK students studying abroad

“Doubling the number of students studying abroad in three years is an extremely ambitious target, but the UK sector is united in its determination to get there”

The recent Open Doors data revealed that in 2016-17, the number of US bachelor students studying abroad as part of their degree rose by 2.3% to 16%. For those of us in the UK higher education sector, these figures are both enviable and encouraging.

The UK’s Go International: Stand Out campaign to double the per cent of UK undergraduate students studying abroad to 13% is now entering its second year. This year the campaign will focus its efforts on engaging commercial and international partners – following in the footsteps of successful campaigns by the likes of the US and Japan.
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Top tips on how to recruit fully funded students

“If you know of organisations in your market that fund students then get in touch with them, but make sure you have something to offer”

Students who are fully funded by external organisations such as governments agencies or private companies are the gold dust that every international officer or student recruiter is looking for.

Funding overseas study is expensive; there is no question about it. Between tuition fees and living costs to study in the UK alone, the costs can vary between anything from £20,000 to £35,000 or more. Here are some tips on how to find that gold dust for your institution.
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The Changing face of Foundation courses

“Not only are new pathway providers entering the market, but major employers are also chipping away at the foundations of degree programs”

 

The Foundation course has long been an important bridge for international students wishing to enter the UK higher education system.

Traditionally, these foundation courses have been offered by international colleges that are often aligned to one university, indeed many of these international colleges are located on University campuses and there is a seamless link between completion of an international Year 1 or Foundation year and access to a degree program on the same campus.
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What the world has to learn from Singapore’s education system

“There is more than meets the eye in the detailed, strategic outlay of Singapore’s education system”

While governments across the globe engage in discussions about reforms in their respective state education policies, Singapore seems to have gone a step ahead to execute reform actions in its academic establishments.

Singapore evolved from a third world country to becoming one of the top-choices for expats. It has gone from strength to strength ever since its independence and has unsurpassed ratings for the quality of its schools.
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How Swansea University remains internationally ambitious in challenging times

“Internationalisation via strategic partnerships will allow us to extend our global reach whatever the outcome of Brexit”

Since our foundation in 1920, Swansea University has embraced opportunities to think globally, growing and maintaining partnerships that enhance and support our research, teaching and student recruitment ambitions. But to say that universities are operating in uncertain times is no less true for being a cliché.

The numbers of international students entering the UK have been flatlining since 2012 when the government removed the two- year post-study work visa, followed by further changes in 2015, as the government began cutting immigration targets and tightening up rules in a number of areas, including academic progression and savings. At the same time, competition has got tougher as the market has grown in the USA, Canada and Australia, and HEIs in parts of Europe like the Netherlands and Germany have begun teaching courses through the medium of English.
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Popular UK Universities and the Education Courses They Offer

“Making a choice between universities can be tasking, but easier if you know the courses and benefits that each offer”

The United Kingdom is one of the most popular destinations for education. Over 442,000 international students choose to study in the UK every year, with many looking to study at some of the country’s highly ranked universities.

Making a choice between universities can be tasking, but easier if you know the courses and benefits that each offer. Thus, I bring to you a list of some of the top universities in the UK for international students and the fields in which they offer courses of study.
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Why an internship abroad in an emerging economy is more beneficial

“The results are interns with higher levels of confidence and added motivation to make a significant contribution”

An internship abroad is well-accepted as being an advantageous asset on the resumé of students and recent graduates entering an increasingly competitive global job market accompanied with professional and personal development, but shouldn’t we also consider what value the destination of an internship abroad has? 
For example, could it be even more advantageous for students and recent graduates to intern abroad in a fast-paced emerging economy rather than a well-developed economy?  This argument can be broken down into four key points using the feedback and comments we have collated from our alumni who have completed an internship program via Intern Colombia in Colombia, South America.
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Joining new social circles outside your native tongue

“Complications in communication should not in any way deter you from a once in a lifetime opportunity of studying abroad”

 

As we grow older entering new social circles becomes harder to achieve, from fewer opportunities to meet new people to less time to get out socially. Time at university offers a multitude of possibilities to interact with people from all over the country, and indeed, world. But for the students who seek to broaden their mind abroad, there are additional obstacles, not least of all, the language barrier.

So how can students cross-linguistic blocks to enrich their friendship group with culturally diverse inhabitants? Here are a few suggestions based on our experience at William Clarence Education.
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