Written by Sabrina Collier and Mathilde Frot

This week, to put it mildly, could have been better. Scary, negative and troubling news stories have dominated the newspapers and TV broadcasts, so much so that you'd be forgiven for not being sure which stories deserve your attention the most. To help clear things up, here's our rundown of the most important stories to be worried about this week.

Reasons to be really concerned

London attacked Sadly, we can’t ignore the horrific events in London on Wednesday, where a lone attacker drove a car through crowds on pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before attempting to gain entrance to the Palace of Westminster. Five people (including the attacker) lost their lives, including policeman Keith Palmer. Several students were caught up in the attack, including four from a university in Lancashire. Read the latest updates on the BBC here.

London ISIS attack: Vigil held at Trafalgar square, solemn crowd remembers victims

Read @ANI_news storyhttps://t.co/Nv2oTm0ZTH pic.twitter.com/fnshd7YmG7

— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) March 24, 2017

Syria air-strike On Wednesday, a US-led coalition air strike in Syria killed at least 30 civilians in a school in the town of Mansoura, near ISIS-held Raqqa. The attack took place less than a week after 49 people died in a mosque in the village of Al-Jinah in Western Aleppo.  Both incidents sparked off fears the White House’s newly-reviewed drone strike policy has made it easier for the US to launch attacks which kill innocent bystanders.

Reasons to be nervous

Brexit Yep, it’s actually happening. Prime Minister Theresa May has set a date for the UK to trigger Article 50 (the formal notification that a country is choosing to shoot itself in the foot leave the European Union) – Wednesday 29^th March. Unfortunately, no one remembered to tell Scotland. Catch up with the latest Brexit drama here, or find out how Brexit might affect you in this article. 

An actual video of Theresa May preparing to trigger Article 50. pic.twitter.com/MLdAWScmDQ

— Adam Hurley (@ATMH1994) March 20, 2017

NHS in crisis Almost 2,700 nurses with EU nationality resigned from the NHS last year. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) says this shocking fall in numbers is likely caused by the government’s failure to reassure EU nationals on their future. This is pretty bad news for the nursing workforce in the UK, with a slump in applications from English students after NHS bursaries were scrapped, and a total of 24,000 nursing vacancies to fill across the country. 

Laptop ban The US and the UK have introduced bans on large electronic devices (e.g. laptops and tablets) on direct inbound flights from certain countries in the Middle East and Africa. Phones and medical devices are not included, but that hasn't stopped thousands of travellers from being annoyed. Find out more at the BBC.

Arab airlines don't only have great service they also have humor. #Laptopban. First a great response from @emirates now @RoyalJordanian pic.twitter.com/qXkOQgok0o

— بثينة العزابي (@Boutaina) March 23, 2017

LGBTQ+ YouTube videos If you noticed the #YouTubeIsOverParty hashtag trending on Twitter on Sunday March 19, this is why. YouTube has been widely criticized after it emerged videos with LGBTQ+ content was being filtered in restricted mode. YouTube eventually responded with this tweet, saying: “We are so proud to represent LGBTQ+ voices on our platform – they’re a key part of what YouTube is all about. … “LGBTQ+ videos are available in restricted mode, but videos that discuss more sensitive issues may not be.”

Me coming out of my weekend solitude and getting caught up on the Youtube LGBTQ restrictions drama. pic.twitter.com/0ESvwQFjub

— mamrie hart (@mametown) March 20, 2017

France’s presidential saga Yet another French politician has been mired in scandal over a “fake job” row. France’s interior minister Bruno le Roux has stepped down, after admitting to paying his two daughters a sum of €55,000 of public money over a period of seven year for working as parliamentary assistants over the school holidays. Also, on Thursday, Fillon made serious allegations against the French president François Hollande on live television, calling on judges to investigate meddling by Hollande.

Reasons to be cautiously optimistic

Trump <3 Russia On Monday, FBI Director James Comey denied Trump’s bizarre wiretapping allegations and confirmed for the very first time that an investigation into a collusion between Putin and the Trump campaign has been ongoing since last July. Elsewhere, in a brazen attempt to make Trump's claims he was wiretapped by Obama seem more credible, Republican Devin Nunes held a surprise press conference on Wednesday to announce that intelligence agencies incidentally collected communications about members of the Trump campaign while spying on foreign nationals. Despite Nunes attempting to make this seem more scandalous, everything was in fact entirely legal and pressure on Trump remains greater than ever.

via GIPHY

CNN’s hot leak Staying with Trump, it’s been two months since Buzzfeed’s publication of the unverified, infamous golden showers dossier, but the endless stream of Trump leaks has been near-constant. On Wednesday night, CNN reported they had information suggesting associates of Trump have communicated with the Russians to damage Hillary’s campaign. The White House and FBI declined to comment, but were the FBI to find conclusive intelligence, Trump would potentially face impeachment. Read more about why finding conclusive evidence may prove difficult here.

Reasons to be happy

14-year-old lecturer While most of us even struggle to get offered an interview, 14-year-old math whizz Yasha Asley has somehow secured a part-time lecturing job at the University of Leicester… Yasha went straight to university after primary school and scored an A in math for his A levels when he was eight. Well, that’s made us feel stupid. Thank you Yasha. 

via GIPHY

Move to Japan International student enrolment in Japan is continuing to grow, with a target set of having 300,000 international students by 2020. It also seems like Japan is an increasingly attractive place to stay and work, with a record number of foreign graduates finding employment in 2015. Want to join them? Check out our guide to studying in Japan.

Welcome to Japan, the local time is... tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/07H3OSH9n0

— The Simpsons (@Simpsons_tweets) April 14, 2016

Rise of Canada There’s good news for Canadian universities, with many reporting a large increase in applications from international students – for example, the University of Waterloo reported undergraduate international applications are up by 25% and graduate international applications have increased by 41%. South of the Canadian border, the 'Trump Effect' is causing problems, with 39% of US universities reporting a drop in applications from international students.  Leigh-Ellen Keating, who directs international services for Brock University in Ontario, told Inside Higher Ed: “Mr. Trump, he’s not bad for our recruitment strategy.”

via GIPHY

Reasons to wish you were this kid

Who wouldn't want to be this cocksure and confident? Life goals.

(Lead image: FBI (Flickr))

Released earlier this month, the 2017 QS World University Rankings by Subject are a fantastic way of finding out which universities are the best in the world for your chosen area of study. Rolling with the times, QS has introduced four new subject areas this year, making these the most comprehensive rankings yet. 

Anatomy and Physiology, Hospitality and Leisure Management, Sports-related Subjects and Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies have all been ranked for 2017, with courses at UK and USA universities dominating the league tables for each of these subjects.

If one of these subjects interests you, here’s where you should be looking to study.

Anatomy and Physiology 

The UK'S prestigious Oxford University, one of the oldest universities in the world, is the top dog for Anatomy and Physiology studies.  A range of undergraduate courses including pre-clinical Medicine and Biomedical Sciences are on offer, and you’ll become part of Oxford’s cutting-edge Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics exploring “the frontiers of biology”.

You’ll need to be an exceptional student to get a place on one of Oxford’s courses, but it’s well worth the blood sweat and tears, as you’ll be rubbing shoulders with some of the best scientific brains on the planet.  Your third year will culminate in a laboratory-based research project and the opportunity for tutorials with practicing scientists.

Hospitality and Leisure Management

Coming out on top for Hospitality and Leisure Management is the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Studying here will mean you’ll be just a stone’s throw away from the famous Las Vegas strip, with a glittering assortment of hotels and entertainment complexes right on your doorstep. Exactly what you want and need if you’re planning on making it big in the hospitality industry!

If you study for a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management at UNLV, you’ll get the opportunity to specialize in a niche area to suit your own particular career aspirations. So, whether you want to focus on Gaming Management, Meetings and Events, Restaurants or even PGA Golf Management, there’s a course that should appeal to you.

Sports-related Subjects

The UK’s Loughborough University is joint-top of the table for sports-related subjects, and offers a variety of courses ranging from Sport and Exercise Psychology to Sport Science with Management.

If you study at Loughborough you’ll be lucky enough to experience the university’s state of the art £8M sports development which houses an eye-watering array of facilities.  Here you’ll find everything from specialist laboratories and climatic chambers to a 50-meter swimming pool, water-based hockey pitch and athletics centre.

As if that wasn’t enough proof that Loughborough is a first-class choice for sports studies, you might be interested to know that Loughborough alumni won an outstanding 12 medals (5 of which were gold) at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies

Another win for an American university, and this time Harvard takes the crown.  The university’s Divinity School offers degree programs in both Divinity and Theology, and aims to “advance understanding of religion and to educate leaders for a religiously complex world”. 

In the unsettled world we live in, Harvard Professor Laura S. Nasrallah sums up the importance of religious-based studies nicely, saying that “everyone’s noticing that religious discourse is actually alive and well, and violently affecting politics. There’s a new urgency to learning about and discussing religion”.

Another stand-out feature of studying at Harvard Divinity School is their focus on a vibrant social life which encourages lively debate and spiritual practice.  Harvard is undeniably the place to be if you want to be surrounded by enquiring minds and a strong community.

Emily Valentine writes for Inspiring Interns, a graduate recruitment agency which specializes in sourcing candidates for internships and giving out graduate careers advice. To browse their graduate jobs, visit their website.

Image credits: Oxford image (Hugo Pardo Kuklinski: Flickr), Las Vegas image (Bob Dass: Flickr), Harvard image (Niklas Tenhaef)

Click here to discover scholarships to study at the top 10 universities for politics in 2019, or view the full 2019 table here.

If you’re thinking of establishing a career in politics or international relations, you may be wondering which university is for you. The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017 can help, featuring a ranking of the world’s top political science schools.

You can click here to find out how the ranking is compiled, and view the full interactive ranking table here.

Top universities for politics & international studies in the US & Canada 

The US has a large presence in the political science ranking, with 45 institutions featured in the ranking, including 16 in the top 50. Outside the five US universities in the top 10 (above), other leading entrants include  Georgetown University (11^th), the University of Chicago (13^th), the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) (14^th) and Johns Hopkins University (16^th).

Canada hosts 12 more of the world’s top political schools, including four new entries this year. Its three highest ranked universities for politics and international studies are the University of Toronto (ranked 12^th, up 12 places from last year), McGill University (34^th) and the University of British Colombia (37^th).

Top universities for politics & international studies in Europe

The UK has 31 top universities for politics, 18 of which are in the top 100. Outside the three UK institutions in the top 10, other leading universities include King’s College London (KCL) (32^nd), the University of Essex (36^th) and SOAS – School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (39^th).

Looking at the rest of Europe, Germany offers nine of the world’s top political science schools, including Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in the top 50. Italy meanwhile has seven top universities for politics, including two in the top 100. Belgium’s six entrants include two with top-100 positions, one of which is KU Leuven.

The Netherlands is the next-best represented country in Europe with five top political science schools, including Leiden University and the University of Amsterdam in the top 50. Sweden and Switzerland offer four top universities each, with Switzerland’s ETH Zurich featured in the top 50.

Elsewhere, France, Denmark, Norway, Ireland and Russia are each home to three top universities for politics and international studies. Of these five nations, France has one institution in the top 10 (above), while two of Denmark’s entrants are in the top 50 – the University of Copenhagen (25^th) and Aarhus University (47^th). Two of Russia’s representatives are in the top 100.

Finally, Spain has two top political science schools, while Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary and Poland have one each. Of these, Hungary’s Central European University achieves the highest rank (=42^nd).

Top universities for politics & international studies in Australia & New Zealand

Australia has 10 top universities for politics and international studies, including seven in the top 100. Joining Australian National University (ANU) in the top 50 are the University of Sydney (23^rd) and the University of Melbourne (38^th).

New Zealand claims three of the world’s top political science schools, with the University of Auckland the highest ranked of these at 51-100.

Top universities for politics & international studies in Asia

South Korea is home to the largest number of top universities for politics in Asia with eight institutions featured this year, including two in the top 50 - Seoul National University (SNU) (29^th) and Korea University (=42^nd).

Next up is Japan with seven entrants, four of which are in the top 100 for politics and international studies, led by the University of Tokyo at joint 17^th. 

China offers five more top political schools, including three in the top 50: Peking University, Fudan University and Tsinghua University, while Hong Kong also performs well – all of its three top universities for politics are in the top 100, led by the University of Hong Kong at 31^st.

Singapore and Taiwan each have two institutions featured, including one each in the top 50: Singapore has the National University of Singapore (NUS) (15^th) while Taiwan is home to National Taiwan University (NTU) (49^th).

Lastly, India is home to one top political science school:  Jawaharlal Nehru University, ranked 101-150.

Top universities for politics & international studies in Latin America

Of the nine top political science schools in Latin America, four are found in Brazil, including the highest ranked in both the region and the country: Universidade de São Paulo (51-100).

Colombia has two entries, led by Universidad de Los Andes Colombia at 101-150, while Mexico’s sole entrant, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) is also placed 101-150.

Argentina and Chile also each have one school featured in the ranking, both placed 101-150: Universidad de Buenos Aires from Argentina and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile from Chile.

Top universities for politics & international studies in Africa & the Middle East

Heading to the Middle East, Turkey is home to three top political science schools, including Bilkent University (151-200).

Lastly, South Africa offers three entrants in the politics ranking, including the University of Cape Town and the University of Witwatersrand, both ranked 101-150.

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Written by Anna Gevorgyan

Your first moments at university in a fast-paced city can be terrifying, especially if you come from somewhere far smaller and less diverse. That feeling of nervousness and uncertainty is even greater when you’re a mature student though. You’ve left a secure job behind you and plunged into a new life, but all you can think about to start with is whether you can buy a return ticket home.

I remember the moment when I first walked into my room in halls in central London, an environment that felt a world away from what I was used to at home. However, with time, I came to realize that the mature student experience would be one of the most fun times of my life. Here’s why:

1. You relish the chance to be back in an academic environment

To start with, you’ll probably have occasional panic attacks and doubt whether you should have quit your job and returned to academic life, but over time you’ll realize being back at uni is one of the best experiences in your life.

One of the benefits of being a mature student is you feel more relaxed than your academic peers who are younger, and also have a clearer motivation to guide you in your studies (hopefully). Even if you have no idea what you will do after you’ve finished your degree, take comfort in the fact you’ve been through many situations in your life already and survived.

2. Your extra life experience is both your friend and your enemy

As a mature student, you benefit from a range of experiences which you can carry forward into your new academic life. These experiences can help you a lot, but they also create certain blocks that can entrench your thinking and attitudes.

A valuable tip I received from a friend back home before I started uni was: “Pack an open mind, stop comparing and start observing.” By doing this, I discovered a lot more and learned how to be more resilient.

3. You’re able to understand lectures in a different way

There will be times when you will cry secretly about not understanding a single idea of a professor. It’s normal, so don’t panic. You’ll find a way to deal with it. Those moments occur far less frequently than the times when you will actually understand what your lectures are about because you’re able to apply what’s being taught to reality. It might be because you’ve already worked on a similar project in your working life, or for a particular employer. Whatever the reason, you’ll be far better-equipped than many of your course mates.  

4. You’re really good at bonding with your professors and tutors

In contrast to your younger and greener peers, you’ll notice that you bond with your professors and tutors much more easily. It helps that you can talk with them about various concepts in both theory and in practice, and also relate their teaching to your working life.

5. You forgot how amazing student discounts can be

Being a student means having access to a load of discounts and promotions you haven’t been able to claim for ages. London, for example, offers a great range of discounts for students on food, drink, and shopping. You can even claim discounts on transportation, with a student Oyster card, or 16-25 Railcard.

It’s not just London though. No matter where you study, you’ll probably be able to benefit from student discounts for theater, cinema and opera tickets as well as other cultural events. Depending on your circumstances, you may also get a discount rate for a mature student loan, be eligible for mature student funding or some form of tax exemption due to being a student.

6. You’re much better at organizing your time than everyone else

When I was in London, I quickly realized there was a lot, sometimes even too much, going on. Being able to prioritize things was crucial, and is much easier when you’ve already learned to value your time and pick and choose events that will be of interest to you.

Of course, that doesn’t mean your interests might not get refined, with newer exciting ones appearing on your list. Even so, you’re probably well-placed to realize reading a book by the riverside could be a better way to spend your time than an all-night party in your dorm.

7. You’re the King/Queen of networking

Coming to uni with a little bit of extra life experience makes networking and building relationships with people so much easier. Your campus will offer hundreds of events every term for you to potentially get involved in, as well as countless societies and clubs. Some of these may even be exclusively for mature students. After a few weeks, you’ll be stunned how much wider your network of friends and contacts has grown.

8. You’re able to get a really good part-time job

Working while studying is an increasingly popular option, especially in money-draining London. As a mature student, you’re able to work many “serious” jobs that other students don’t have the experience for. If you need some extra money, consider applying for jobs that require extra responsibility. I was able to land a role as an invigilator for another university’s finals and also work in event coordination for an educational company, two roles that are a massive change from the usual bartender/waiter jobs most students have to settle for.

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Lecture image: Nick Case-Leng (Flickr); Reading image: David Morgan (Flickr)

Find out which cities were ranked the most expensive in the world in 2019 here.

Looking for somewhere cheap to study? Singapore probably isn’t the place for you then, as the Asian city has been ranked the most expensive city in the world to live in for the fourth consecutive year, according to the results of The Economist's Worldwide Cost of Living Survey 2017.

Singapore pips Hong Kong into first place, and is one of five Asian cities in the top 10. Ranked third, Zurich is the most expensive city in Europe (with fellow Swiss city Geneva also in the top 10). New York is the only US city to be included.

Although Asia dominates the top of the table, Oceania and Brazil are the areas of the world which saw the sharpest rise in the relative cost of living this year – for example, New Zealand’s capital Wellington has shot up 26 places to joint 16^th.

Two Japanese cities are in the top 10 most expensive, a fact which can be explained by the renewed strength of the Yen. Conversely, UK cities London and Manchester have fallen significantly from last year’s ranking, due to the fall in the British Pound’s value. London is at its lowest position for 20 years, while Manchester has dropped 25 places to rank 51^st.

At the other end of the scale, the least expensive city of the 133 considered by The Economist is Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, followed by Nigeria’s largest city, Lagos.

It should also be noted that three Indian cities appear in the top 10 for affordability – suggesting India could be a good choice for travelers and students on a budget. A few European cities are also featured in the global top 10 most affordable – Ukraine’s capital Kiev, and Romanian capital Bucharest.

Comparing rankings: The Economist vs QS

The Economist’s survey results differ from the Affordability ranking of cities published earlier this year in the QS Best Student Cities index, in which Stockholm was ranked as the most expensive city out of the 125 considered. By contrast, Stockholm is only the joint 44^th most expensive city, according to The Economist.

There are some areas of agreement between the two rankings, however – for example, New York is the second most expensive city in the Best Student Cities and the ninth most expensive in The Economist’s ranking.

The discrepancies between the QS Best Student Cities and The Economist’s Worldwide Cost of Living Survey can largely be explained by the differences in the methodology used. The Economist compares the cost of 160 items, including food costs, fuel costs, and salaries, whereas the Best Student Cities index considers tuition fees and general costs of living. As a result, the QS Best Student Cities ranking is arguably more closely related to student expenses. Although there are interesting things students can learn from The Economist’s ranking, it is focused more on expatriates.   

You can read a detailed explanation of how the Affordability category of the Best Student Cities index is calculated here.

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Click here to find out what scholarships you could get to study at the top 10 dental schools in 2019, or click here to view the full table. 

The QS World University Rankings by Subject includes a ranking showcasing just over 50 of the world’s top dentistry schools, based on a methodology which assesses academic reputation and other factors.

Read on for an overview of the world’s top dental schools, or click here for the full interactive ranking table.

Top dental schools in the US & Canada 

The US boasts 14 representatives in the dental school ranking, including six institutions in the top 15. Outside the two in the top 10 above, these are: New York University (NYU) (11^th), the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (12^th) and the University of Washington (14^th), while the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Pennsylvania both improve their positions to share 15^th place for dentistry this year.  

Meanwhile two more of the world’s top 50 dental schools can be found in Canada: the University of British Columbia (23^rd) and the University of Toronto (48^th).

Top dental schools in Europe

Of the 19 top dental schools in Europe, six are in the UK. As well as two in the top 10, other UK institutions featured include the University of Birmingham (19^th) and the University of Manchester (24^th). 

Also with two dental schools in the global top 10 is Sweden, which has another entrant in the top 50: Malmo University (ranked 35^th). Staying in the Nordic region, Denmark has two entrants, including Aarhus University (17^th), while Norway and Finland have one representative each.

The Netherlands has two top dental schools, including Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA) in the top 10 (a new entrant this year) as well as Radboud University Nijmegen at joint 41^st.

Switzerland has two entrants in the dental school ranking, both of which are in the top 30: the University of Bern (22^nd) and the University of Zurich (=29^th).

The other European nations featured in the global top 50 for dentistry are Belgium and Spain, with Belgium’s KU Leuven boasting a top 10 position.

Top dental schools in Latin America

While Latin America features less prominently in the dental school ranking, Brazil is an important exception, hosting three top universities for dentistry – the Universidade  de São Paulo in 18^th, followed by Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp) (27^th) and Universidade Estadual Paulista “Julio de Mesquita Filho” (=33^rd).

Top dental schools in Asia

Hong Kong’s sole entrant, the University of Hong Kong (HKU), continues to rank first in the world for dentistry, and is joined in the top 10 by Japan’s Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), which climbed from sixth to third this year.  Japan’s other entrant, Osaka University, also improved its position this year, climbing 12 places to rank 26^th in the world for dentistry.

Meanwhile China has three entrants in the dental school ranking, led by Peking University  at 13^th place. South Korea has two, including Seoul National University (SNU) at 25^th, and Taiwan has one: National Taiwan University (NTU) (=50^th).

Top dental schools in Australia & New Zealand

Australia is home to three of the world’s top universities for dentistry. These are the University of Melbourne (28^th), the University of Adelaide (31^st) and the University of Sydney (=41^st).

Neighboring New Zealand is home to one top dental school ranked among the world’s best - the University of Otago, ranked joint 29^th.

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Sponsored by EDHEC

Is money (or lack thereof) the only thing keeping you from applying to a postgraduate course in France? If, like most young people starting out, you haven’t got the funds to self-finance your postgraduate studies abroad in France, all is not lost, so don’t bid adieu to your dream grade school just yet.

Provided you’re motivated and organized, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to cover the costs of grad school in France, thanks to the many funding options at your disposal (including grants, scholarships, benefits, loans etc.), but you need to know where to look.

Here are seven of the best ways to pay for grad school in France – courtesy of the world-leading French business school, EDHEC.

1. Contact us to apply for an Eiffel Scholarship 

The Eiffel Scholarship program, run by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is intended for deserving international students studying for a master’s degree at French schools.

To be eligible, you would need to be under the age of 30, hold a non-French citizenship (even dual), and complete your studies in France.

Applications are accepted from October 10 to January 6 every year, though universities usually stop accepting applications about a month prior to the January deadline, so they have enough time to process them. Results are announced on March 20.

2. Contact us to apply for an EDHEC Scholarship

Not all French schools offer scholarships to international students, but EDHEC does. In an effort to recruit the world’s brightest minds, the globally-renowned business school offers scholarships to international students on the basis of academic merit and financial need, covering between 20% and 40% of tuition fees. Deadlines for scholarships range between March 31 and June 30. Contact us to find out more about each scholarship and download your own copy of their financial aid form here.

3. Save on rent, thanks to the CROUS

The CROUS, a regional organization that offers bursaries, halls of residence and advice on most student matters is a great resource for information about affordable student housing, jobs and deals in France. If you’re looking to stay in a residence hall or a logement en ville (private housing), CROUS should also be able to help you with helpful tips and rental listings in your city here.

4. Receive housing benefits from the French government

All students at French universities are eligible for housing benefits, including international citizens – though the exact sum varies depending on your rent and income. To apply, you would need to have an address in France, be enrolled onto a student health insurance plan and have opened your own French bank account. Read a brochure in English here.

5. Work on campus through an assistantship

Whichever university you choose, it should, like EDHEC, be able to offer you an admin or research assistantship on top of your loan or scholarship. One of the main draws of these flexible schemes is that they only require you to clock in a few hours’ worth of work each week, but they do tend to fill up pretty quickly, so don’t miss out. EDHEC offers remunerated admin and research assistantships.

6. Search for grants and scholarships online on CampusBourses

It’s highly recommended that you search for postgraduate grants and scholarships which you may be eligible for on the website CampusBourses. At the time of writing, 292 grants were listed on the website, including ones offered through the Erasmus program, foreign governments, research bodies and international organizations. Depending on your nationality and subject, you may be eligible for at least one of them, so don’t miss out.

7. If all else fails, take out a student loan

Prodigy Finance supports international EDHEC students on an MBA or MSc course with loans of up to US$15,000, with monthly repayments lasting for a period of seven to 10 years, starting within six months after graduation. Find out more about EDHEC’s Prodigy Finance student loans here.

To discuss funding options at EDHEC, contact their admission manager here.  Download a program brochure here! 

The last couple of years may have seen the internet over-run with trolls, but 2016 showed good things can happen online too, thanks to the rising use of social media as a legit platform for identity politics. Nothing was more inspiring to see than the rise in depression and anxiety memes and the community that developed around them.

With people from all walks of life, even cisgender males like Zayn Malik and Ryan Reynolds, finally feeling comfortable enough to talk about their harrowing experience of addiction, anxiety or anorexia, mental health literacy has become the order of the day.

Social media users have taken to sharing candid and relatable tales about their mental ailments in a bid to normalize mental illness. Empowering hashtags like #GrowingUpWithAnxiety or #HighFiveForAnxiety have been born, fostering a sense of camaraderie and community spirit. Here are a few of the most accurate anxiety memes to get you chuckling (and crying)…

1. You try to rationalize your anxiety

#GrowingUpWithAnxiety
Anxiety: "What if this happens?"
Self: "But it won't."
Anxiety: "But what if it does?"
Self: pic.twitter.com/Vfj2kbgWy6

— abby (@AbbyKimb) July 1, 2016

You can’t reason with it. There’s no getting around the inevitable cul-de-sac: “This worst-case scenario I’ve concocted in bed at 2AM because I couldn’t sleep is improbable, yes, but, by God, it’s not impossible.”

 2. Anxiety + depression = a double whammy of feelings 

when you're happy for a moment but then the existential depression kicks unexpectedly pic.twitter.com/Ys8y09u0EL

— lionel nietzsche (@hateshaliek) December 18, 2016

Anxiety often triggers depression, and in some cases vice versa. When you feel anxious, you worry about potential problems that may arise and often start “othering”, which makes you feel bad. This can then translate into depression.  

3. We need to talk about FaceTime and phone call-induced panic attacks

#GrowingUpWithAnxiety

Person: Can I call you?
Me: pic.twitter.com/kIc5AgE3rB

— ᴸᴶG. #Valmani (@laurencuddlesx) December 11, 2016

Very few things justify a call. Unless you’ve found a graduate job, text. Always text.

4. When you realize you can never not be anxious 

#growingupwithanxiety when your anxiety goes away and having no anxiety gives you anxiety pic.twitter.com/9q1tnbFxOW

— yeosin (@moanfalloutboy) December 20, 2016

The anxiety of being deliciously anxiety-free for a brief interval goes an insidious step beyond being anxious of being anxious. It suggests that you’ve lived with anxiety for such a long time that you’ve actually internalized it.

5. *Looks up the words serotonin, happiness, joy*

#GrowingUpWithSocialAnxiety "stop assuming what everyone else is thinking" pic.twitter.com/9493oURpGX

— anxiety squad (@anxietysquadx) September 23, 2016

Woz dat? Joy? Companionship?

6. “So tell me about your day”

4-year-old girl in Ohio gets caught by wind gust when trying to open front door. Her mom says "she's perfectly okay" https://t.co/mTIruBpoSc pic.twitter.com/RvZvNZDzxi

— ABC News (@ABC) March 9, 2017

When you finally open up about your feelings and Storm Stella hits your confidant to the ground.

7. So accurate it hurts

Catastrophic thinking – or ruminating about worst case scenarios – is very easy to slip into and difficult to notice or rein in, but it can overwhelm you. A good way to combat it is to set aside a time in the day or week to worry. Rather than let it invade your daily routine, concentrate it into a 5-10 minute slot. In most cases, you’ll find your worries are actually pretty fixable.                 

8. Aw, fam…

You shouldn’t have. No really. *sings Hello Darkness my Old Friend*

9. When a friend asks: “Why don’t you just get a hobby to relax?”

The trouble with anxiety is that people don’t get it. Some people seem to think anxiety is just an excuse to get out of doing things, while others mistake it for pressure. Occasional worry isn’t quite the same thing as generalized anxiety disorder – a debilitating mental illness that can take over your life and stop you from performing basic tasks.

10. Pretty much

"why can't you just chill out?"
me:#growingupwithanxiety pic.twitter.com/AsStrAsccy

— kailee (@kaileewhy) December 3, 2016

Feeling overwhelmed? Find your nearest crisis service here and download Mind’s helpful PDF about anxiety and panic attacks.   

Click here to discover the 10 most improved universities for accounting in 2018, or click here for the full table.

Released annually, the QS World University Rankings by Subject includes a ranking of the top 200 universities in the field of accounting and finance. If this is a course you might be interested in studying, read on for a summary of the top universities for accounting and finance in each world region, or click here for the full interactive ranking table.

Top universities for accounting & finance in the US and Canada

The US claims more than a quarter of the 200 positions in the accounting and finance ranking (53 in all), including seven spots in the top 10 above. As well as these, 10 more US universities feature in the global top 50 for accounting and finance, including Columbia University (13^th), Yale University (=14^th),  University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) (16^th) and Princeton University (22^nd).

Canada is home to 10 of the world’s top universities for accounting and finance, including the University of Toronto (=28^th) and the University of British Colombia (=34^th) in the top 40, and four more schools in the top 100.

Top universities for accounting & finance in Europe

The UK is represented 27 times in the accounting and finance ranking, 14 of which are in the top 100. Outside the three in the top 10 above, other leading UK entries include London Business School (12^th), the University of Manchester (19^th), the University of Warwick (32^nd), Imperial College London (38^th) and the University of Edinburgh (48^th).

Outside the UK, a further 43 top accounting and finance schools are found in Europe. The Netherlands, Germany and Spain have six entries each, with Spain’s Universidad de Navarra the highest ranked at 50^th. Half of the Netherlands’ entries are in the top 100, including Erasmus University Rotterdam.

France is another strong destination for studying accounting and finance, with five entrants including INSEAD and HEC Paris both ranked in the top 50.

Switzerland and Italy each offer four representatives, with the Swiss ETH Zurich and the University of St Gallen in the top 100, while Italy’s Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi is ranked 33^rd.

Six more top accounting and finance schools are found in the Nordic Countries, with Denmark’s Copenhagen Business School (40^th) and Stockholm School of Economics (51-100) the highest-ranked.

Finally, Austria, Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Russia have one entrant in the accounting and finance ranking each, with Belgium’s Katholieke Universiteit Leuven the highest-ranked of these at 51-100.

Top universities for accounting & finance in Australia & New Zealand

Australia boasts 17 entries in the accounting and finance ranking, including 10 in the top 100, led by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) at 11^th. Other high ranking Aussie universities include the University of Melbourne (=14th), the University of Sydney (20th), Australian National University (ANU) (=23rd) and Monash University (=26th).

New Zealand claims seven more of the world’s top universities for accounting and finance, led by the University of Auckland at 37^th place, while Victoria University of Wellington joins it in the top 100.

Top universities for accounting & finance in Asia

An impressive 39 top accounting and finance schools are found in the Asian region, eight of which are found in China. China’s highest ranked institutions for this subject are Peking University and Tsinghua University, both ranked in the top 50.

South Korea offers seven more of the world’s top universities for accounting and finance, again with two in the global top 50: Seoul National University and Korea University.

Japan, Hong Kong and Malaysia each have five representatives in the accounting and finance ranking. All of Hong Kong’s featured universities are in the top 100, led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) at 17^th place. Meanwhile Japan’s highest-ranked institution for this subject is the University of Tokyo (47^th). Malaysia’s is Universiti Malaya (UM) at 101-150.

Taiwan is home to four more top accounting and finance schools, led by National Taiwan University (NTU) at 51-100, while Singapore’s three entrants include the high-ranking National University of Singapore (NUS) (18^th) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) (21^st). Finally, Thailand and Indonesia also feature in the ranking with one entrant each.

Top universities for accounting and finance elsewhere in the world

Latin America is home to three more of the world’s top accounting and finance schools, with Brazil, Chile and Mexico each claiming one entrant in the ranking. Ranked 51-100 for this subject are Chile’s Universidad de Chile and Brazil’s Universidade de São Paulo, while Mexico’s Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM) is ranked 101-150.

And, finally in Africa, South Africa has one university in this year’s ranking, the University of Pretoria, which is ranked 151-200.

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