About Campus Life
A UK student guide to study skills, careers, money, university life and admissions.
Campus Life is a UK-focused guide for students. It covers what comes up between applying to university and starting a career: how to study well, how to pay for it, how to settle in, and what to do next.
Most of it is written for undergraduates, with plenty for postgraduates, international students, applicants and mature students returning to study.
What we cover#
- Academic Skills: essay structure, Harvard, APA and Vancouver referencing, literature reviews, dissertations, revision plans, note-taking and beating procrastination.
- Careers: CVs and cover letters, interview and assessment centre preparation, graduate schemes, internships, placement years, LinkedIn and salary negotiation.
- Money: how student loan repayment works, what university really costs, overdrafts, council tax exemption, tenancy agreements and budgeting.
- Student Life: freshers week, making friends, living with flatmates, societies, homesickness and where to find mental health support.
- Mature Students: studying later in life, including funding, childcare and fitting part-time study around work.
- Admissions: UCAS personal statements, Clearing, student visas, arriving as an international student and whether a master's is worth it.
- Mental Health: starting with exam anxiety.
Tools#
The Tools menu has four calculators and a selector: one for student loan repayments under Plan 1, 2, 4 or 5 (with or without a Postgraduate Loan), one for your monthly expenses, one for splitting the bills in a shared house, and one for your GPA. The UCAT university selector compares your UCAT score with the published cut-offs of UK medical and dental schools.
Facts and figures#
Student finance, visa and tenancy rules change, often every year. Where an article depends on a figure such as a repayment threshold, a fee or a deadline, we point to the official source (GOV.UK, UCAS, the Student Loans Company or the university itself) and say which year it applies to. If you spot something out of date or wrong, tell us through the contact page.
What this is not#
Campus Life is general information, not personal advice. Your loan, visa, tenancy or health situation depends on your circumstances, so check with your university, Student Finance or a qualified professional before acting. If you are struggling, your university's wellbeing service or your GP is the place to start, and in an emergency call 999.