If you choose to study in an English-speaking country, you might turn your attention to the States and Canada. With top universities and colleges, high-ranking departments and a reputation for first-class lectures, it’s easy to see why. Inevitably, rising tuition fees and living costs in the UK have boosted the trend to go to North America for many students - either for full-time study or a year abroad. Although studying across the pond is not exactly chump change, with many colleges in the US charging upwards of $30,000 in private institutions and Canada marginally cheaper at $25,000 for international students, it is still an appealing option for many. Aside from the fact financial help is available through grants and bursaries and the bureaucratic paperwork studying abroad may entail, over 9,000 UK students decided to make the switch. The big question is: where should you study, Columbia, UCLA and Harvard or McGill, British Columbia or Trent? Read on to find out what are the pros and cons to each country and what they could offer you.

Although preparing your year abroad back home may seem like a lot of faff, paperwork and what not, but the prospect of going to France and dealing with all of that, all over again and in - aaargh - French can leave you with a bit of a headache. Filling out forms, no speaking the bureaucratic lingo and no knowledge of protocol. This is where this article comes in: what to watch out for, how to get the most out of your money and what you can sign up to. Read on to find out more: