How to ride out the Year of the Fire Horse
The Horse is one of the most dynamic and spirited signs of the Chinese twelve-year zodiac cycle. People born in Horse years are often described as energetic, expressive, and highly independent. This year, the accompanying element is Fire, representing passion, creativity, and transformation. A Fire Horse year is seen as especially bold, with a strong […]
Making the Most of School Visits
“Am I choosing the best fit of school for my child”? For any parent, this can be a tricky question and decision-making process overwhelming. Stephanie Cheah, founder of the BESSA Schools Show, says that campus visits are essential to finding that right school and shares some tips about how to approach the visit. You have […]
Some Good Reads for Young Adults
Foster by Claire KeeganA quietly powerful novella about a young girl sent by her troubled family to live with distant relatives on a farm. Through their quiet care, she begins to thrive—and in turn, helps them heal. In just a few pages, Keegan captures the power of kindness, connection, and quiet transformation. On Savage Shores by Caroline […]
A Home Away From Home
An international student’s perspective of the boarding house experience by Juliette D. For international students like me, this phrase is synonymous with the feeling of living in a boarding house with entire oceans between us and our families. When I first started boarding at 13, I was both overwhelmed by the unfamiliar environment, and struck […]
Ideas for a productive summer break
(that won’t break the bank!) We’ve noticed that the market in summer courses run by universities for teenagers has grown enormously in recent years. Another trend is for students to publish academic papers through paid online research services. These activities can be interesting, but they are also expensive and don’t necessarily help a student’s university […]
Heads up if you’re a UK University 2026 applicant
Personal statements are changing. UCAS, the UK’s centralised application portal, has introduced changes to this component for the 2026 entry cycle. The personal statement is usually the only opportunity for applicants to distinguish themselves and share their personal insights. The original 4,000-character, 47-line freeform essay is being replaced with a new “scaffolded” format with three […]
Adapting Education For The Smartphone Epidemic
Shortened attention spans, prolonged screentime, and worsening mental health – these issues are increasingly discussed as the result of our collective ‘smartphone problem’. We have seen unwanted impacts creep up on fully grown adults well into the later stages of life, which begs the question: how does smartphone usage impact children, teens and young adults […]
Seeing Past the Glossy Brochure
In-person visits are a must for prospective parents to distinguish between a school’s marketed image and the actual educational reality. Read our top 5 tips on how to uncover the real deal when you step on campus. Top Tip #1Visit on a typical school day to see beyond the marketing materials. Discover the true spirit […]
A Guide to Academic Competitions
In today’s highly competitive applications to the world’s best universities, standing out from the crowd is a must. Students often do this through work experience, volunteering or research projects, but engaging in academic competitions or Olympiads is a powerful way to demonstrate academic ambition, curiosity, and excellence. These competitions provide a unique platform for students […]
Musings about Artificial Intelligence in Education
Although we are no longer grappling with test kits and quarantine, educators and schools continue to face an endless barrage of new challenges. In the last 12 months, artificial intelligence, and in particular chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, has taken the education world by storm. Chatbots, for the unacquainted, are trained from big data inputs […]