INTO Higher Blog

Write for us!

By INTO University Partnerships | Published: May 16, 2013

Interested in writing for the INTO Higher blog? We’re looking for talented guest writers who have something to say to our global audience of international students.

We welcome posts on a range of international student topics – from studying to socialising, culture to careers. And if you’re an expert on something (money saving, shoestring travel, the perfect way to boil an egg…), then all the better.

Current INTO student? We’d love you to write about your experiences. INTO alumni? Share what you’ve learned with students embarking on their own adventure. Read More »

Posted in Employability, Lifestyle skills, Popular culture, Social skills, Student finance, Study Skills | Tagged campus, campus life, college, international student, international student blog, international student blogger, international student bloggers, international students, INTO Higher, into university partnerships, overseas study, pathway programmes, pathway programs, student bloggers wanted, student journalists wanted, student life, student writers wanted, study abroad, study overseas, studying abroad, university, write for our blog, write for us, writers wanted | Leave a comment

5 things you tell yourself to avoid studying

By Deborah Martin | Published: May 14, 2013

The most challenging part of exams isn’t really the studying part. It’s not even the pressure. And it’s certainly not the mysterious cough you always seem to acquire in examination rooms (why does that happen anyway?). The toughest part is procrastination – the impulse to do anything other than open your books.

Here are 5 of the most irritatingly effective study avoidance techniques. Recognise any?:

1. “I have to login to Facebook or else my friends will think I’ve been abducted by aliens”
It’s true – it’s been a whole fifteen minutes since you last updated your Facebook status. Better sort that out or your family will panic and send out the search helicopters. You don’t want people to worry, do you? Read More »

Posted in Study Skills | Tagged 5 things you tell yourself to avoid studying, avoiding procrastination, avoiding studying, college, fight procrastination, how can I motivate myself to study?, I am procrastinating, I can't concentrate on studying, I can't motivate myself to study, international student, international students, INTO Higher, into university partnerships, overcoming procrastination, overseas study, pathway programmes, pathway programs, procrastination, procrastination help, student bloggers wanted, student life, student writers waned, study abroad, study advice, study EFL, study English, study general english, study medicine, study overseas, study tips, studying abroad, university, write for us | Leave a comment

Inside INTO: Q&A with a Marketing Coordinator

By INTO University Partnerships | Published: May 10, 2013

Our Inside INTO blog series aims to introduce you to our team around the world. Today we’re chatting to Lena Abu-Elfailat, Marketing Coordinator at INTO Manchester. Find out about her role, what she loves about Manchester and what made her laugh last week…

1. What’s your role at INTO Manchester?
It’s varied but in a nutshell, I support the recruitment of students through marketing. This includes coordinating marketing activities, managing the centre’s social media channels, travelling to recruitment fairs abroad, and arranging centre tours for prospective students.

2. Can you describe a typical day?
Every day is different. Last week I was catching up with former INTO students on a photo shoot. Today I took a prospective student and his parents on a tour of our centre. Tomorrow, I’ll be greeting education counsellors from around the world at the airport. I haven’t had the same two days since starting here, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Read More »

Posted in Inside INTO, INTO Manchester | Tagged British culture, campus, campus life, college, culture shock, Inside INTO, international student, international students, international students in manchester, INTO Higher, INTO Manchester, into university partnerships, Lena Abu-Elfailat, manchester metropolitan university, manchester university, marketing coordinator, mmu, mu, overseas study, pathway programmes, pathway programs, student life, study abroad, study abroad in manchester, study EFL, study English, study general english, study in England, study in Great Britain, study in manchester, study in the UK, study overseas, studying abroad, studying in the UK, university, university of manchester, write for us | Leave a comment

INTO Web Awards – vote now!

By INTO University Partnerships | Published: May 9, 2013

It’s time for you to vote in the May 2013 INTO Web Awards!

Last month, you voted for Which? University as your favourite student-friendly site. This month, we’ve shortlisted more great sites that we think are fun, inspiring or just plain useful for international students (read all about them below).

Vote for your favourite by Friday, 31st May 2013. Winners will be announced in June…

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Our shortlist

Abroad 101
Abroad 101 is a comprehensive course search and student review site. On it you can find study abroad courses, and get the lowdown from previous students about their experiences. The site features over 7,000 courses, and student ratings are split into handy categories like ‘Housing’, ‘Academics’ and ‘Cost of Living’.
What we like: Each course has a Financial Aid section, meaning you can check for available scholarships. Read More »

Student Money: 6 ways to eat out on a budget

By Deborah Martin | Published: May 3, 2013

Whether it’s Malaysian fare in Florida or Thai cuisine in Manchester, studying abroad won’t be half as much fun if you can’t afford to sample the local food. But how can you dine out like a king and stay within your budget? INTO’s Deborah Martin shares 6 tips on how to be a student “foodie” and still save money….

Student foodie tip 1: Pick the right times to dine out
Lunchtimes, pre-theatre, early in the week – the smart student foodie knows that timing is everything. That fancy restaurant that looks way too expensive for you? Check out its lunchtime set menu – it might be surprisingly affordable. Then head down with your classmates for a special treat.

Posted in Food, Student finance | Tagged 6 ways to eat out on a student budget, budgeting advice for students, campus, campus life, college, dining out on a student budget, frugal foodie, having fun on a student budget, how to dine out cheaply, how to dine out for free, how to eat out on a student budget, how to get discounted meals, international student, international students, INTO Higher, into university partnerships, money advice for students, NUS discounts, overseas study, pathway programmes, pathway programs, restaurant deals for students, restaurant discounts for students, restaurant loyalty cards, saving money on restaurants, snapfax, student budget tips, student budgeting tips, student budgets, student discounts at restaurants, student finance, student finance tips, student foodie, student life, student money, student money tips, study abroad, study EFL, study English, study general english, study overseas, studying abroad, thrifty foodie, university | Leave a comment

INTO Web Awards: April winner announced!

By INTO University Partnerships | Published: April 30, 2013

Congratulations to Which? University, chosen by you as the winner of the April 2013 INTO Web Awards! Many thanks to all of you who voted.

We shortlisted Which? University as we think it’s an excellent free resource for students trying to pick a uni in the UK. The site has loads of useful info including a huge search database of courses, detailed profiles of UK institutions, and a range of handy advice articles.

Which? University online editor Kelly Fenn said: ‘We’re really pleased to have won an INTO web award. Thanks to everyone who voted for us! The website, which is a free and independent service, only launched in September 2012, so we’re still relatively new – but the positive feedback and response we’ve received from students already has been fantastic. Our top priority is to help students make informed decisions about their higher education choices, so it’s brilliant to be recognised as a top student-friendly resource.’

Again, congrats to the hard working team at Which University!

We’ll be announcing our next INTO Web Awards shortlist soon. Nominate your favourite blog or website.

Find out about studying in the UK, US or China with INTO Higher.

Posted in Web Awards | Tagged about uk universities, april web awards, campus, campus life, choosing a uk university, college, free independent advice, how to pick a uk university, I want to study abroad, international student, international students, INTO Higher, into university partnerships, INTO web awards, into web awards winner, kelly fenn, overseas study, pathway programmes, pathway programs, picking a uk university, student blog awards, student life, student web awards, study abroad, study EFL, study English, study general english, study in England, study in Great Britain, Study in London, study in the UK, study medicine, study overseas, studying abroad, studying in the UK, uk university league tables, university, which university should i study at in the uk?, which? university, winner of april into web awards | Leave a comment

INTO Book Month: 6 smart tips for saving money on textbooks

By Danielle Colyer | Published: April 26, 2013

It’s Book Month on the INTO Higher blog, so we’ve asked guest expert, David Ellis of Student Money Saver, to share some thrifty tips on how to find cheap textbooks…

David: They’re too much money and harder to shake than the annoying guy who sits next to you in seminars: textbooks are the least exciting and most necessary student expense. Though yours might spend the majority of the year as well-written doorstops, they’re worth it for those few pages that will save your exam from complete disaster. But that’s no reason to go broke over them. Here are 6 tips for saving money on books:

1. Be picky about your reading list
Never, ever buy everything on the recommended reading list – you simply won’t have time to absorb them all. You’ll often find a large crossover between texts, so try to find the book with the most complete information. Also, much is made by lecturers of needing a specific edition but it’s not always necessary – often you’re paying for little more than a couple of extra sentences (and topping up the coffers of the lecturer who wrote the thing in the first place!). The previous edition will be much less expensive while usually offering almost all of the same content.

Money saving tip: Foyles offer 10% off in-store for those who have a free Foyles Student Card. Waterstones give a 10% discount for online orders over £25 (for those signed up with UniDays). Read More »

Posted in Book Month, Student finance | Tagged borrow textbooks, campus, campus life, cheap text books, cheap textbooks, Chinese student, college, david ellis, e-books, free textbooks, how to buy cheap textbooks, how to find cheap textbooks, how to save money on textbooks, international student, international students, INTO book month, INTO Higher, into university partnerships, overseas study, pathway programmes, pathway programs, rent textbooks, second hand textbooks, secondhand textbooks, Smart tips for saving money on textbooks, student budgeting tips, student discounts on textbooks, student finance tips, student life, student money saver, student money tips, study abroad, study EFL, study English, study general english, study medicine, study overseas, studying abroad, swap textbooks., university, where can I buy cheap textbooks, where can I find cheap textbooks, where can i rent textbooks, where can i sell my textbooks, where can i swap textbooks | Leave a comment

INTO Success: The bubble tea shop entrepreneur

By INTO University Partnerships | Published: April 25, 2013

INTO Success is our new blog series showcasing the achievements of INTO graduates. They’re a talented bunch with plenty of advice to share with you – prepare to be inspired.

And who better to provide that inspiration than Ryan Wen? Ryan, an INTO UEA graduate from China, has recently opened Bliiz, the first bubble tea and frozen yoghurt shop in Norwich. INTO’s Rachel Watkins caught up with him for an interview…

Name: Wen Yang (Ryan)
Nationality: Chinese
INTO course: Graduate Diploma in Political, Social and International Studies
Degree programme: BA Film and Television Studies, University of East Anglia

Why did you decide to open the first bubble tea shop in Norwich?
I like making drinks, it’s what I’m really into. I also wanted to see whether I could manage a business. It’s been exciting, I’ve made all the decisions myself and created the recipes.

How did you get started?
The development stage took four months – I did market research, wrote a business plan, found a location and had the interior designed. Then I developed the recipes – that was the fun part as I got to be really creative.

What do you do in a typical day?
As well as the day-to-day management of Bliiz, I also have to negotiate with suppliers, develop new marketing strategies, and update the Facebook and Twitter accounts.