The UK is actually made up of four separate countries – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. When you arrive in the UK, you’re assured of warm welcome and high levels of personal and academic support. If you are not sure whether you want to head to the UK for higher education, these are the reasons why you should go ahead.

An educational system that speaks for itself

UK education is respected throughout the world for its quality and consistently high standards. UK Universities and colleges provide a research-active environment, with the opportunity to learn from their academic mentors. It allows you to think for yourself and become independent (that’s important). It encourages skills which are in demand, and this is what attracts organizations from all over the globe (that’s important too). The unique quality assurance system that education in the UK gives you ensures accountability in all areas.

A home away from home

The added attraction of the UK is that outside the lecture hall it offers a very varied cultural and social life. It is also a safe and welcoming place for international visitors. Studying here allows you to meet students from all over the world and each student makes a unique contribution to the life of the institution, both academically and culturally.

Value for money

International education is a long-term investment. Considering the quality and international recognition of British qualifications, studying in the UK is excellent value for money. Tuition fees and living expenses are the two important factors to consider when selecting a college/University. These vary from one part of the UK to another. Students are attracted to the south, especially London, although the costs of living in the north are much lower than in the South of England. There are scholarships available for students as well, and it is also worth mentioning that there are many benefits available to international students that can make life in the UK more affordable:

• NUS Discounts

The NUS or National Union of Students allows discounts on behalf of their members which can add upto almost 50% off anything such as books, clothes, stationery, food, travel and entertainment.

• Free Healthcare

All international students staying in the UK for a period of six months or more qualify for free health-care through the National Health Service. Yes, and that means FREE HEALTH SEVICES.

Diversity of choice

A wide range of subjects are on offer in UK. Art and design, business, engineering and law to name a few; other interesting courses like Art history, Pop culture and other literary theory courses are also available. Current environmental issue related courses have also given students more choice to work with.

Earn while you learn

Students are permitted to work part-time during academic terms to support their stay in the UK. Finding a part-time job on campus or off campus is of no major concern as the University’s Student Union and other related departments provide full support to students. This reduces the expenses incurred by International students in a big way.

Once you are admitted to a UK University/College, you can earn about £4 - £5 per hour working a pert-time job. During term-time, you can work for 20 hours per week and during vacation time you can work as a full-time worker - 40 hours per week. So, this amounts to almost £5,500 in a year for people who opt to work. Quite a tidy sum of money considering it’s just part time work.

If these reasons satisfy you then get your bags packed and head for the UK to discover it and unravel its mysteries.

Not sure if the UK is for you? Don’t just take our word for it, visit international student’s UK blog. Here, Stephen (from Australia) tells us of his experiences whilst studying at Leeds University, in the UK.

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It is essential for student writers to maintain a schedule when they are enrolled in a college/university course that involves writing. You should set aside time to research and write everyday, I know it sounds strange but it’ll help, otherwise what generally happens is commotion and drastic things happend when you’re about to submit your paper (it gets worse when it’s your dissertation/thesis!). Far too many students (and I was always one of them) to finish their work the night before submission, making a mess in the presentation of the document and causing numerous ’slip-ups’ in their written material.

Did you ever wonder why your lecturer/professor gives you assignments three months in advance? Its to give you time to pace out your research and writing, make a plan for the particular essay or report and then execute it. Successful writers always plan their schedule before starting to write; most writers do not believe in an outline before the actual writing, but an outline in the form of a list of points to cover, or in fact, a mental image of a finished paper.

Most student writers find it difficult to begin when they are writing for an assignment or a project, and for them, using an outline helps them immensely. Whatever form of outline you take, it will generally have its advantages. It helps you to keep track of what you intend to write and what you are actually writing. It helps you make sure that everything you wanted to write has been covered. Therefore, you can structure your writing material and be more open to changes you wish to make in your writing. When you have a plan at hand, you are aware of what will follow, and this will help you to write more clearly and logically.

If you think you can write an excellent paper at the first shot, then you’re wrong. It is important, especially for student writers to make a rough draft first, and then begin their final written paper. What this does is, it helps writers to actually see their mistakes and finally correct it when the final writing is being done. It lets young writers experiment with language and structure, and gives them confidence to type away, knowing they can re-structure later.

It is also important to recognise and to follow what your professor requires from you when writing your assignment paper. Remember that although every topic question can be researched, developed and written to be formed and produced as a book, what really matters is that you clearly express your ideas concisely. Do not unnecessarily write more to impress your professor and try to show everyone that you know everything about the topic, because you are more likely to make mistakes that way. Stick to what the assignment question requires of you and you will see that it will begin to be appreciated by your professors.

Revise your paper at least twice and check for errors. Every sentence should speak for itself and it should direct readers towards what you want in the end. When you’re done with your first draft, your understanding of your subject will be much greater than it was when you started writing; use this knowledge to clarify and enrich your writing. You’ll also need to proofread your paper thoroughly; this is where you will have to check your grammar and spelling errors as well as the construction of your sentences.

Take a look at a tip in the Supaproofread writing tips section and its 10 tips to proofreading your paper.

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The Internet today, stands as the single most useful place for resources. If you are in front of the computer and logged onto the internet, then you have access to the biggest library, providing you with information about everything. This is the reason why online dictionaries have marched ahead of traditional paper-based ones. Online libraries are predominantly taking the place of libraries in town and city centers, simply because they are easily accessible. Online books and articles are at par with books and printed texts; in a few years time, these will be more accessible than any paper-based material. Daily newspapers and articles are being produced and published online every day. You can pick up grammar and editing techniques, and can even read your favorite books online - everything is just one click away.

Online Resources

Let us take each of these factors and see why the internet is such a useful place for information, and discover the reasons why people rely heavily on online resources. If you are doing any type of work online and that requires a dictionary, it would be quite a waste of time if you have to go back to your desk or bookshelf to look up that unfamilair word in your dictionary, and you wouldn’t want to carry it with you everywhere you go, especially if it is a ‘Webster Monster’. So, the easiest way is to use an online dictionary, which ultimately provides all the information a regular dictionary does. A website like dictionary.com allows you to search multiple dictionaries and references at the same time and shows definitions for multiple senses of a word, and for each sense shows synonyms, related terms, and usage examples. There are websites that even translate words to other languages such as Spanish or German and give the meaning of the word in a specific language. There are other websites that give information on current topics which include, among others, environmental protection, finance, healthcare, information technology, insurance, law, medicine, transportation, and weather.

Libraries such as the American Library Online and the British Council online are fast making way for digital browsing of their libraries. Now you can virtually read through each book sitting in your own home, without having to even go into a library. Libraryspot.com gives you information on all online libraries, which can supply you with further resources on the Internet.

E-Books and Online Publications

E-books are digital forms of an original or new book, such as paperback textbooks you can buy in any local bookstore. As most people are used to browsing online, e-books make for a more convenient read. E-texts can also be found on websites like JSTOR, where you can access articles on various subjects; the irony is that most of these articles aren’t available in print. The only way to read them is online, so this adds hugely to resources that the web offers. The Internet also allows you to read your favorite books and novels; linking you to thousands of articles, magazines, periodicals and enabling media to be produced from writers, film makers, poets, students, and anyone who has access can reference rany resources found.

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I came across a quote attributed to Daniel Boorstin who was Chief Librarian of the US Library of Congress. He used to start writing at 5am. He wrote a couple of books that did reasonably well, The Discoverers and The Creators, what they are about I have no idea.

When asked why he wrote and at such an ungodly hour he replied

“I write to discover what I think, after all, the bars aren’t open that early.”

That struck me for the bar quip but then I started to think about his opening statement - “I write to discover what I think” - and I believe that is very apt.

Even as a non-fiction writer who is producing commercial content designed to help sell and promote clients products and their websites, writing comes from inside and my thought patterns determine very precisely what I produce. Increasingly I find that writing is a journey into the unknown that becomes clearer each time I sit at the keyboard. I’m not trying to be high brow about this so I apologise for the cliche, but it’s true.

Some topics are very interesting and command the attention and your brain, while othes simply pass you by. This is not my point. My point is that my journey into writing has been an unknown from the very beginning and there is so much more to explore. As I write this now, I’m consciously thinking about making each sentence capable of standing on its own feet, the need for punctuation and how to convey my idea without using “this” and “that” and still be clear.

Saying what you mean and meaning what you say in written form is a skill that takes time and effort. As a product of the “comprehensive” education system much more teaching effort was placed into developing my expression rather than developing grammatical skills. The greatest writing discovery I’ve made to date is that one simply cannot express ideas in written form properly unless you get to grips with grammar. This is a revelation that has been acquired after the fact. I’m a professional writer of two years standing with passable, but not good, parsing skills, yet I am making a living and have a clutch of regular clients. I have gained an appreciation of the English language and become somewhat ashamed of my weak grasp of it while being degree educated, A-levelled up and have more O-levels than fingers; something of a damning indictment of modern education methods.

Knowing when to use “there” and “their” should be second nature; however, I see it incorrectly used everyday. I’ve not yet come to terms with picking up on the “who”, “whose” and “whom” rules yet but I will in due course, probably I should make this a topic for one of my posts.

Right now the bar is open and I’m off for a pint, so Mr Boorstin, “Cheers!”

Not sure of where to use an apostrophe - check out Supaproofreads Writing Tips

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I first encountered writers block when I had to deliver a set of twenty 300 word reviews on 2007 model cars sold in America. The word count was not large though I’m no car buff so a little research was in order.

It struck me just how similar car reviews were and it made no difference if the reviews were of different makes and models. There is not a lot you can write about changes from the Aston Martin DB7 to the Cherokee Jeep to the Smart car! Don’t take my word for it, take a look yourself at car reviews and you will see that they are all extremely similar.

Unless you are actually going to take a car out for a spin, you are well and truly stuck with using reviews and writings that already exists for the model. Embellishment is superfluous as you’ll only be embellishing someone else’s embellishment in turn.

My principal asked me how the work was going and I responded “It’s like eating cardboard!” - I really had a problem getting 300 words out for each of the twenty models that I’d been given. I’m a fairly self-disciplined kind of chap and stayed stuck to the keyboard trying to concentrate and get the work bashed out. Honestly, it drove me to distraction and took an age to complete.

Fortunately for me, I rarely come across instances like this. On the rare occasions that it happens I sit back, get up and go for a walk, do the shopping or chase my girlfriend around the house and see if she’ll let me catch her. Anything in fact, than sit there and try to work through this barrier like a runner runs through the pain barrier.

My take on writers block is that it originates in my own mind and not from the subject matter. There is simply no mileage in blaming the topic, so the only variable that is left is yourself. I haven’t tested this hypothesis yet as I’ve not had a car review to write since, but I certainly have come across other topics that have caused my brain to freeze with the numb banality of it all.

Another tool for tackling writers block is to use a writing template which has already been covered in a previous post. Templates remove the need for your brain to be engaged if you just wish to be something of a keybashing automaton. The result may not be very pretty but it will be better than what otherwise remains a blank page on the screen with a deadline approaching.

Find more Writing Tips at Supaproofread

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