3 reasons Luton’s a great place to learn

When overseas students are considering UK universities, options in Oxford, Cambridge, London or Edinburgh often top their wish-lists.

The attractions of these cities and their iconic institutions are fairly obvious - but course fees can be high and costs of living prohibitive.

But all is not lost, because there are several outstanding outlying towns with good higher education offerings and decent student living standards - Luton in Bedfordshire being a prominent example.

So if you're prepared to study slightly off the beaten track, here are three reasons Luton's a great place to learn.

1.   University of Bedfordshire

When you're investing in a university course, you'll naturally seek a good ROI from a reputable organisation.

And international students studying at the University of Bedfordshire benefit from a convenient town centre campus with a seven-storey library, sports therapy and science laboratories, state-of-the-art gym and industry-standard TV studio.

But depending on course choice, you might be based in neighbouring campuses in Bedford, Milton Keynes, Aylesbury or Putteridge Bury - all of which have their own distinctive charms.

The university's integrated international bachelor's degree courses feature a foundation year that prepares overseas students with a firm grasp of their chosen subject and helps polish English language skills if necessary.

And there's also an international pre-master's programme that's a route to popular MSc and LLM business courses.

2.   Transport

It's important to know that you can travel around town safely and reliably - and that you'll be able to go home during holidays without too much trouble.

Public transport in the town is decent - buses run to all areas at most times of the day. And there's an innovative car club scheme where local authority electric vehicles can be hired by the hour.

You can also drive in the UK with a foreign license for 12 months, after which you'll have to apply to exchange your license.

And a fast train to London takes an hour, but international air travel is on offer too - convenient parking at Luton Airport and a selection of shops and restaurants make it the perfect place to set off on direct flights to most European destinations.

So all things considered, the town's an easy place to get around.

3.   Student life

Studying in Britain is a brilliant blend of hard work and blow-outs where you can let your hair down and relax.

And lively student living in Luton might include memorable nights out in the town's eclectic bars, clubs and restaurants or a day spent socialising at the famous Galaxy Leisure Complex with its 11 cinema screens and bingo hall.

But the fun doesn't stop there - Luton's Bedfordshire's premier spot for retail therapy, with high street favourites like Marks and Spencer and bargains galore at The Luton Market.

Finally, if you're a football fan, it's also home to Luton Town FC - one way to make friends quickly is to pop along to as many home matches as possible.

So there are three reasons Luton's a great place to learn - get your uni application prepared as soon as possible.

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