In England’s seaside burg of Lancashire, overlooking the Irish Sea lies the gorgeous city of Blackpool. This place has long been one of the most popular tourist locations in not only England but in all of Europe. It is still the United Kingdom’s most popular coastal destination and the city still depends on tourism as the backbone of its economy. A trip to Blackpool will quickly remind you of that, upon bearing witness to the fantastically fun diversions scattered around the quaint burg.

While many of the yearly visitors to Blackpool come from surrounding areas like Glasgow, Blackpool still is a major draw to a worldwide audience. There are more hotels in Blackpool than in the entire country of Portugal and the astonishing Pleasure Beach is a must-see for anybody who loves massive roller coasters and similar theme park attractions. The “Pepsi Max Big One”, for instance, is one of the world’s largest wooden coasters and has one of the highest freefalls in all of Europe. Pleasure Beach used to be free but, sadly, recent lean years have forced the town of Blackpool to start charging admission to the historically important attraction.

Like many seaside towns with an economy steeped in fun, Blackpool has a sizable and strong gay population. Ever since the first gay pride parade in 2006, Blackpool has been considered North England’s gay capital but Blackpool’s friendliness to gays dates back to the 1940s when gay clubs and bars began popping up around the city proper. Blackpool’s apparent tolerance of others is admirable, although an interesting tidbit surrounding Blackpool’s tenuous relationship to Rock music is well-known to fans of the Rolling Stones. In 1964, when performing in Blackpool, the Rolling Stones angered the crowd by simulating sexual acts. A riot broke out as a result and the Stones were banned from ever performing in Blackpool again. In 2008, the ban was lifted but this story is evidence that Blackpool does seem to draw the line somewhere!

Blackpool, while still being a huge tourist draw, is slightly less popular than it was in its heyday. Millions still visit Blackpool every year but the total amount of tourists is millions less each year than the year before. The city has recently attempted to reinvent itself as a casino town in the same vein as Atlantic City or Reno but the British Government has thus far denied these attempts. Since being forced to charge admission to the historic Pleasure Beach, the city seems to be in a perpetual landslide toward irrelevance. Citizens of Blackpool scoff at this assumption, though, and cite that the city has always had periods of waxing and waning. Besides, one can hardly fear for the future of the city when it is still the most visited coastal town in all of England!

There are many reasons students choose to study in UK, rather than other places.

Reason #1: Fees

This has to be a major factor for any student or parent when deciding a university to study abroad. International students pay fees up to three times more than the native students. Saddening, yes. On looking under the covers, I found that it is because international students haven’t paid anything towards the UK government i.e. tax, while the native students/parents are paying tax each year. The 60% expenses of the universities come from international students.

United Kingdom is relatively cheaper than its other counterparts. A 4 year course in USA might cost anywhere around $30,000-$40,000 while in UK, a 4 year course will range from12,000-18,000 ($19,800-$29,700). Below is average fees comparison between United States and United Kingdom.

United Kingdom
• Private 4 years course: anywhere around £12,000-£18,000
• Private 3 years course: anywhere around £10,000-£16,000

Reason #2 Living Expenses

United Kingdom

Living expenses in UK will range from £5000-£6000 annually depending on you.

• Annual Rent: This will be around £2400-£2500 depending on the university. The university where I applied for animation (Bournemouth, Teesside and Herts), I was offered the above figures and some even went as low as 1900.
• Yum! Yum! (per month): Dah! Learn cooking. If you are going to buy your food it will cost you from £100-£120.
• Telephone/Internet (per month): This will cost you anywhere from 15-20. Don’t make too many long distance calls.
• Laundry (per month): This should cost you from £20-£25.

Reason #3: Time-saving Degrees

Many degrees (MA, to be exact) can be completed within a year or maximum two years. People studying arts can opt for these time saving degrees and spend a year or two working in the industry rather than in college in USA. As they say, what you learn in three months in the industry is huge as compared to what you learn in a university.

Reason #4: Work Opportunities

A international student studying in UK is allowed to work up to 20 hours in a week during his university period and fulltime after graduating. This is a great way to repay if you have taken a student loan or even saving for family or yourself. But before starting any job, please consult your international coordinator as there are few universities that don’t allow students to work during their university period.

Reason #5: Multicultural

United Kingdom is a growing destination for international students. There were over 330,000 international students during 2005-2006 school year. The top countries sending students to UK are:

China 50,755
India 19,205
Greece 17,675
Republic of Ireland 16,790
USA 14,755
Germany 13,265
France 12,455
Malaysia 11,450
Nigeria 9,605
Hong Kong 9,445