international student

With the availability of low-interest loans and rewards credit cards like this, financial aid and government-sponsored scholarships, studying abroad is now becoming more of a rite of passage for American students rather than a luxury! There are several hundred of study programs worldwide, but the top ranked ranked schools are found within the European continent. Among all of these, the most popular are found in the United Kingdom.

If you've been thinking about taking a semester to experience life outside of the United States, why not consider a program in the UK?

If your mind's made up, and you're set to go, here's a list of the three most popular programs in the UK.

University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is the crown jewel of the UK's higher education system. Not only is it one of the most popular universities for international students, but it's also ranked as one of the best universities in the world. Within its 800-year-old buildings, visiting students can focus on several world-renowned research programmes, making this the perfect college for students that want to develop their skills in the sciences.

While people in London are all complaining about the weather, I am back home living in the sunniest part of France. I wanted to make a list of things that have changed since I got back home for the summer.

1) The food: I have been complaining about the food in London, maybe because I missed French bread so much. Comparing French food to English food was not really a hard thing to do for me. I have to admit that being a French person living in England is hard with the larger choice of chocolates and Ben & Jerries' ice cream, as well as the existence of Nando's restaurants were not going to keep me alive. Especially since I was trying to be healthy.

2) The weather: The sun is a natural source of vitamins, and I do not know how English people or people living in the UK survive. The bad weather puts me in such a bad mood and the lack of natural vitamins is not healthy.

French student Manuela Constantini is one of the newest members of the ForeignStudents.com writing team. Here she gives a view of her life studying for a degree in Communication Studies at the University of East London.

"I have been observing and analyzing people from my university since last September when I first moved in. It was love at first sight as I was simply amazed by the view from my kitchen window, as I could see the planes taking off and landing from a distance. Planes from London City airport and the DLR did not sound so noisy back then. Maybe I was way too excited to learn in a new environment, explore the city and make new friends.

I moved in to university halls mainly because it was close to my gym, and close to the uni library open 24/7. Other than that, it is in the middle of nowhere, and the simple thought of going food shopping or central is painful. Food shopping is not even a necessity when I compare French food to English food. I don't get the beans on toast concept? No offence. Oh and please do not assume that French food revolves around frog legs and snails. Although my world revolves around French baguettes and pastries.

The UK's education sector is extremely welcoming to foreign students, with universities and colleges across the country boasting a healthy proportion of students from overseas. Whether students are looking to come to the UK to study for the first time, or are looking to continue with current or previous studies, there is a wide variety of options open to those from overseas. Here, we take a look at a small number of these options, looking at both academic and vocational opportunities.

Law conversion courses

The choice to work on a law conversion course is a popular one for graduates. While not everybody is keen to enter the world of law at undergraduate level, it often appears as a far more attractive option post-graduation.

The great news is that students are accepted on to law conversion courses from a variety of subjects. Typically the candidate will have experience of study in an area which exemplifies a strong grasp of the English language and good argumentative skills. Evidence of elective courses in legal matters will be to your advantage but will by no means be seen as necessary.

I am not going to lie, sometimes I feel homesick even if I am not so far away from where I came from. And when I do feel homesick, I ring my mum; I mean it is only a two-hour flight. I miss the sun, the essence of citrus fruits and nature that floats in the air. I miss French bread too. But London, London... I can't even find the right words to describe this city.

London is more of a visual, artistic city. It is a multicultural city where many languages are mixed up. I rarely hear English, in fact I hear French everywhere I go. And whenever I go out somewhere people always tell me that I am the first French person they've ever met in London. Now that's impossible! Cultures have taken over the city and meander in the famous branded stores, the most popular streets, the coffee shops, pubs and clubs. International people have even taken over the gym I go to. The only language that we have in common is English. Oh, and the graffiti too!

London is amazing- I came here to improve my English speaking and writing skills, but to be honest, I have learned about many other cultures, and I now know a few words in several languages. London is an encyclopedia and a history manual all in one.