As a teacher of 10 years, I never would have believed that I’d find myself camping out in the back of a van during the week. But here I am, parking in the darkened coastal coverts, relying on my wits to lead my class by day and my wife’s delicious packed meals by night. Looking back, I wonder if I would still have taken the leap if I knew then what I know now. I have all that I require, with two four-season sleeping bags, two goose-down duvets, a blanket, and a woolly hat. My routine is established, working from 7:30 in the morning until 8:30 at night, relying on…

Minimalism is an easy "ism" to understand and reference in casual conversation, with the term often used humorously. For instance, if someone asks for your opinion on the portions of an exclusive restaurant, you might reply saying, "It was too minimalist for my liking," implying that the servings were too small. Similarly, a student who can’t afford furniture could refer to their home as minimalist, while a colleague who does the bare minimum at work might have a minimalist approach. But what does minimalism entail, particularly when it comes to art? Many individuals associate it with avant-garde modern art: the infamous stack of bricks that the Tate bought for a…

Stacey James is an example that even the best policies may not always work out. As a student at East Brighton College of Media Arts (Comart), which was established six years ago with the "Fresh Start" policy, she was among the last pupils to take exams there before it closed down. The government’s promise to scrap failing schools and create something better was aimed at helping pupils like her. However, Comart’s closure last week proved otherwise. Sandra James, Stacey’s mother, is disappointed that Comart had to shut down. It had educated three out of four of her children under different names and management, such as Marina High and Stanley Deason…

Nobody knew how many Greek children had dimpled cheeks until recently when detailed information was uncovered. A team led by Athena Pentzos-DaPonte from Aristotle University in Thessaloniki conducted a study where they counted the dimples of 14,141 male and female Greek children and adolescents while they smiled and did not smile. The count took place in 1980, and 25 years later, the scientists published their report in the International Journal of Anthropology. The results showed that approximately 13% of Greek children had noticeable cheek dimples while location-wise, left and right-dimpled children were equally common. Additionally, only 3.5% of youngsters had dimples in both cheeks. Pentzos-DaPonte and her colleagues also found…

At Guardian Students, our goal is to offer a platform for diverse voices of students and youth. The Blogging Students section enables students to discuss anything from feminist societies in schools to the effects of spiked drinks. While we appreciate that not everyone is a natural-born writer, we recognize that they have something valuable to say. We have launched Students Express, a new avenue for showcasing your work on the Guardian. We are seeking submissions that range from various themes and plan to feature the best ones in galleries and articles on the Guardian website. Our call this week is for spoken word videos on the theme of "heat." You…

At the moment, full-time home students are required to pay £9,250 per year in fees, while part-time students are required to pay £1,542 per 20-credit module. International students, on the other hand, are required to pay a sum ranging from £13,500 to £25,000 per year. To stay updated on any changes that may occur, visit bcu.ac.uk/fees-costs-and-scholarships. If you’re a home student who has obtained results that either meet or exceed the published entry requirements, you’ll be entitled to receive the Meet or Beat scholarship. This scholarship rewards eligible students with a payout of £1,000. The BCU-Santander Widening Participation Bursary is another type of financial support that’s geared towards undergraduate students…

Jordan Harry decided to pursue a BTec level 3 extended diploma in sports science at West Suffolk College instead of taking A-levels after obtaining eight GCSEs. With a triple distinction*, which is recognized as three A* A-levels equivalent, he is currently getting ready to pursue his degree in sport and social sciences at the University of Bath. Harry chose this path as it is the most feasible route for him to enter sports marketing or sports management career. For him, the level 3 extended diploma is a practical option as it offers coursework that focuses on acquiring practical skills—ranging from performing arts to animal management to engineering. Harry believes that…

Ministers have privately raised concerns about a lack of 6,000 public buses needed to transport children to school in England for the autumn term and have called on coach companies to help fill the gap. The pandemic has led to reduced services from bus companies in rural areas due to low passenger numbers, while social distancing measures have resulted in lower capacity on public transport. Fears have been raised that a significant portion of the 750,000 children who use public buses to travel to school will be unable to reach classrooms. Councils have responded by providing extra children-only buses. However, this may not be sufficient, and some fear significant transport…

This week marks the end of a seven-year hiatus as the results of the sixth and final Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) are due to be announced. The fate of academic careers and university finances hangs in the balance. For the higher education sector, Thursday’s announcement is as important as election night results, where careers can be made or lost overnight. The RAE has also been accused of causing misery for academics and distorting research and university life. In addition to revealing the quality of British research, the results will determine how a no-strings public funding of over £1.5 billion will be allocated to universities each year from 2009. A new…

With high aspirations, I commenced my studies at Cambridge, desiring to change the world. My goal was to rewrite the Iraqi Constitution. From the beginning of my law degree, I had expressed my ambitions to Mrs. Padfield, my professor. After eight weeks, the term came to a conclusion, and Mrs. Padfield and I spoke once again. She inquired about my progress regarding the rewriting of the Constitution. I responded with resignation that nothing had been achieved, but I was now one step closer to a nervous breakdown and a caffeine addiction. At the outset, I had visions of the paradigm college experience- making new friends, finding camaraderie and romance, as…