Travel blog by web-hotels.com

The thought of studying abroad may seem unrealisable – but in fact, there are numerous fantastic opportunities out there, waiting for you to become involved. How you go about this is simple – read on to find out. 

Study abroad is suitable for anyone. Regardless of your area of interest, location and availability, there are so many courses on offer that your programme can be tailored to your needs. These programmes give you the chance to open up your perspectives with life-changing experiences. 

There are so many websites, programmes, organisations and locations offering opportunities for study abroad that it can be hard to know where to begin. There are several decisions you need to make to get started: firstly, where you want to study, secondly what you want to study, and thirdly for how long. Your budget also need to be taken into consideration.

Location

When you choose your destination for study abroad, consider somewhere that offers more than a lively tourist industry. Think about places with a rich cultural heritage, sites of historical or modern economic, social or cultural significance. Your chosen destination should appeal to your field of interest, be applicable to your career choice or course of study, and most of all give you something lasting to come away with – this may be enhanced language skills, accumulated study credits, or simply broadened horizons. 

The many fantastic study abroad locations available range from New Zealand, for those after conservation or ecology courses, to Morocco, for Arabic classes, to India, for a vibrant cultural experience in a growing technical economy, to London, Paris, Rome and many more. There are schools in which to study abroad all over the world – some closer to home than others. Often, you can choose a multi-country programme, rather than remain in one location. 

Subject

For some, the choice of subject will be determined by their current course. This does not need to be the case, however. Many study abroad programmes take on students who do not major in that particular field, so not only can you improve and develop your knowledge of your own specialist field, you can add complementary disciplines that you may not otherwise have the chance to explore.

Subject and destination are fairly closely linked, in that some places are more relevant for particular subjects than others. Often one city or country has all sorts of experiences on offer: one example is New York, where you can get involved with programmes ranging from business and economics to art history and curating. Look at the local institutions – universities, language schools, architecture, museums etc – and be guided by the existing infrastructure to orientate yourself among the myriad of courses and providers. 

Length of study and budget

Deciding how long to study abroad for should fit in with your current course, and be long enough to ensure you derive a real benefit from going abroad in the first place. If your location is a considerable distance away, a longer period may be justified. All sorts of lengths of courses can be found to suit all kinds of agendas. Sometimes you may want to split your study abroad between different places for different amounts of time: anything is possible.

A less attractive but nonetheless important consideration is your budget. Often, going to study abroad with your university on a transfer programme is a cheaper option. Booking early can secure considerable discounts. Where you stay makes a difference: big cities will be more expensive than elsewhere, and the living costs of London, Paris and New York in particular are not trivial. 

Getting out there

Study abroad is an eye-opening and rewarding experience that makes you globally engaged and supplies you with lifelong skills. Not only this, but it is affordable, with a diverse and individual range of locations and subjects to choose from, and easy to access, thanks to a whole host of providers, online and off. Your passage is eased every step of the way – these companies help you with visa applications, accommodation, travel and much else besides. 

This article was supplied by the University of East Anglia International Summer School - one of the UK’s top 20 universities and a world top 150. For more advice about studying in the UK, visit The British Council website.

If you’re looking to study at an international summer school, you will be spoilt for choice by the number available around the world. Here are a few tips to choosing the right one for you.

1. How well regarded is the school? You should be able to find reviews of your prospective international summer school online. Better still, you may know people who have studied there. Word of mouth is often the best recommendation there is, but be certain to do your research too.

2. What courses do they offer? Make sure that the school offers the right course for you. Since you will be spending time and money on your education, don’t be tempted to compromise. The choice you make will differ depending on whether the main purpose of your visit is to learn a language or study a subject in the context of a different culture.

3. Are teachers well-qualified, and is the school accredited by a wider body? These are usually a good indication of the standards of teaching you will receive. Although there may be international summer schools that offer excellent study programmes with no formal accreditation, without direct experience of them it is impossible to be certain whether they will be worth the investment of a summer abroad.

4. Is it a well-established school? How long has the school been running? Older schools will have had more time to build a reputation, attracting higher-calibre teachers and allowing them to refine their courses and teaching methods. Newer schools may be perfectly good, but may not have had time to prove themselves.

5. What tests and qualifications do they offer? The purpose of studying at an international summer school is often to enhance your employability and future educational prospects, as well as to broaden your cultural horizons. It’s therefore important that the school offers qualifications that will be recognised and respected by the institutions you want to progress to.

6. How safe is it? This is something you will be able to gauge by reading reviews about the school and finding out about the city in which it is based, but also by talking to the school’s leaders and reading about their safety policies on their website. Do they have a code of conduct for students, and policies about alcohol, drugs and smoking, for example? The intended culture of the school should be fairly evident from such statements.

7. What cultural opportunities are there? You are not just going abroad to study. Visiting an international summer school is a chance to engage with a completely different culture. Some of the most sought-after schools are in attractive locations that offer cultural highlights – whether artistic, intellectual, architectural, natural or a combination.

8. What other opportunities does the school offer? Similarly, does the school offer wider opportunities than your course? Many international summer schools will provide programmes of sport, music, travel and so on.

9. Is there good student support? What facilities does the school offer for students who are struggling, either with their studies or personally? You should be able to find out fairly easily from their website or by asking the school. Are there counsellors, or other staff who take on a similar role to ensure the students’ well-being? Is there someone to contact in the event of an emergency? Or does the school see its duties as starting and stopping at the door of the classroom, leaving students to their own devices the rest of the time?

10. How much does it cost? Lastly, how much will you need to pay to spend the summer at your chosen international summer school? Although cost shouldn’t be the only factor in your decision, it might be a major one. If you are on a restricted budget, make sure you are not compromising too far on any other criteria. Spending a summer at home is better than a bad experience abroad.

This article was supplied by the University of East Anglia International Summer School - one of the UK’s top 20 universities and a world top 150. For more advice about studying in the UK, visit The British Council website.

London is renowned for its West End productions, some of which have run for many years. There are a number of theatres in London and many of these launch new productions each year.

There are several ways to buy tickets for any of the musicals available in 2012. This can be by phone to the Theatre Box Office, via online booking agencies, or as part of a package holiday as an optional extra.

Be sure to purchase tickets from reputable agencies, which should be members of STAR (The Society of Ticket Agencies and Retailers) or The Ticket Agents Association. Agencies will charge a booking fee on top of the ticket price.

There are many discounted theatre tickets available from agencies, or if you are prepared to go in person and queue, it is possible to buy last minute tickets for shows that day from the non-profit Leicester Square ticket booth. Do not be tempted by the offer of tickets for popular or sold out shows from touts on the street. Many of these may be counterfeit and are often exorbitantly priced.

Backbeat at the Duke of York Theatre runs until February 2012. It tells the story of The Beatles, from a small time band to the international success they became. Many of the old classic rock and roll songs are featured such as ‘Twist and Shout’, ‘Money’ and ‘Long Tall Sally’.

American Idiot at The Hammersmith Apollo Theatre is about three men who have been friends since childhood. They are trying to work out the meaning of the world post 9/11. Music for the production is by Green Day and the lyrics are by the author Billie Joe Armstrong. The show runs from December 4th until December 9th 2012.

Midnight Tango opens on January 20th 2012 at the Aldwych Theatre, running until March 31st. Created by Strictly Come Dancing Stars Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace, it is set in downtown Buenos Aires and features the Tango, with all its sensual elegance. For those who love Latin dancing, it will be a must see show.

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre will host ‘Ragtime’ from May 18th to early September 2012. Based on a book by Terrance McNally, it features the relationship between three different families. It is said to be a tale of hope and transformation. The music is by Stephen Flaherty and the lyrics by Lynn Ahrens.

The Novello Theatre is due to stage ‘Mamma Mia’. It is the emotional tale of a mother and daughter on the night before the daughter’s wedding. Featuring the well loved music and lyrics of Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, with some of the songs sung by Stig Anderson, the production is due to run from 6th of September 2012 until April 2013.

American tap dancer Jerry Travers is set to star in Top Hat, his first West End production. With music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, it will appeal to old and young alike. The film has been adapted for the stage at the Aldwych Theatre from April 19th 2012 and due to run until January 2013.

The iconic sixties songs of Roy Orbison, Eddie Cochrane, Billy Fury, Chuck Berry and The Shadows feature in the production set to run at the Playhouse Theatre from the 7th of January 2012. Dreamboats & Petticoats; the Musical has been put together by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran. Bookings are available up to November 24th 2012.

The stage version of another classic, ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, is based the tale of a star from the silent movies. Don Lockwood has it all, until the advent of the ‘Talkies’, which change Hollywood forever. The Palace Theatre Production will start on the 4th February 2012 and they are taking bookings up to 29th September 2012.

The Adelphi Theatre will be hosting a production of Sweeney Todd – The Demon of Fleet Street, from March 10th until September 22nd 2012. Sweeney Todd has been falsely imprisoned and on his release, goes on a mission of justice and retribution. Adapted for the stage by Christopher Bond, the music and lyrics are by Stephen Sondheim.

The Young Vic Theatre will present a musical play called The Suit from May 21st 2012 to June 16th 2012. Based on the book by Can Themba with music by Frank Krwczyk, it is set in 1950, Sophiatown and is about how a cuckolded husband deals with his wife’s infidelity.

Make the most of a city break in London in 2012 by watching one or more of these memorable West End Productions.