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Bandar Seri Begawan - World-class universities, gorgeous landscapes, buildings and places steeped in history, and many others. It isn't surprising that the latest i-graduate survey reported that the UK is now the most attractive study destination in the world.

According to UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions System), the central organisation responsible for managing applications into higher education courses in the UK, the year 2007 saw a total of 534,495 prospective international students from all over the world applying to enter universities in the UK. Out of this number, 802 applicants were from Brunei. What is it about the UK that makes it stand out? We tackle this question by looking at both the academic as well as, social and cultural aspects.

The academic life

Choices galore: In a recent report in Times Online -What's it like for international students at

university in the UK? - Dominic Scott, the chief executive of the UK Council for International Student'Affairs stated that a big strength of the UK higher education system is the enormous variety of institutions. With more than 132 universities and other institutions of higher education in the UK, students are indeed spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a course and institution that meet their needs.

Work/clogs ssnireis ities : Roasting renowned universities hacked by centuries of tradition, the quality of universities is also another contributing factor to why thousands flock to the UK annually. This is supported by a key finding in the i-graduate international Student Barometer conducted last year, which concluded that two-thirds of international students choose a university rather than a country first.

A UK education is synonymous with quality and excellence. Standards of excellence practised by older and highly recognisable names like Oxford and Cambridge, have also been emulated by the many other UK universities and colleges. The QS World University Rankings 2007 by Times Higher Education, saw 19 UK universities in its top 100 list, with four making it into the top 10. When the top 100 universities were further ranked,by subject areas - arts and humanities, engineering, life sciences and biomedicine, natural sciences, social sciences, and technology and IT, at least two within the top 10 in each subject area were UK institutions.

Based on these statistics, it is easy to see how studying in these institutions can be a great selling point on your résumé in the future. Graduating last year with an MA in Gifted Education from Brunel University, Bruneian Chong Yun Onn shared, "Studying in the UK was definitely a memorable experience. The course offered met my expectations as we had quality lectures administered by qualified lecturers."

Scholarships: Scholarships are an ideal form of student aid that provides opportunities to promising and highly motivated students. The next question is how to get them. Preparation is key in clinching a scholarship. The earlier the search for a scholarship begins, the higher the probability of attaining one is. There are a variety of scholarships and loans available for Bruneian students wishing to study in the UK. There are also scholarships given by local government bodies such as the Brunei Ministry of Education, which offers an extensive range of scholarships, covering almost all subject areas. For more information, please visit www.moe.gov.bn

Bustling with sights to see, museums and art galleries to visit, and international events like the Wimbledon to attend, the UK provides a healthy balance between study and play. In London the more popular attractions are ones such as the famous Madame Tussauds, the Tower of London, Big Ben, Hyde Park, among countless others.

Outside of London, many other beautiful or interesting places also warrant a visit. For history lovers, there is the iconic Stonehenge. Lovers of literature will be enchanted by Stratford-upon-Avon, the hometown of William Shakespeare; and for those who are curious as to how the royals live, numerous castles such as Windsor Castle beckon.

Bruneian, Noor Amalinie Haji Sulaiman, a Chevening Scholar and recent graduate from Cardiff University, related that her most memorable experience while travelling was when she went into rural Wales. "An Iraqi scholar and I met oe iked primary student in You 5 who asked many intellectual questions that were normally asked by college-going students. It was indeed an eye-opening experience," she shared.

For those who are thinking: "Travelling means incurring a lot of expenses!" Fret not. Chong shared these helpful bits of advice: "Travelling on a shoestring budget is not difficult at all. Instead of using the train (which is very expensive), the feasible alternative is booking early on budget coaches like Megabus. Accommodation and food usually take up most of the travel budget. I usually stayed at youth hostels and shopped for food at supermarkets to cut down on travel costs."

With a reported 330,000 international students (year 2005/2006) in UK universities, a random walk on the street will bring you face to face with a huge jumble of races and ethnicities. The UK experience will see you discovering and learning about the many different traditions, being exposed to all genres of music, experiencing all kinds of celebrations, listening to a myriad of accents, and meeting people from all over the world.

Chong enthused, "My UK experience has definitely developed my academic and career pathway. On top of that, I have also made lots of friends from other countries (who gave me free accommodation in their countries) like Greece, Cyprus, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, France and Italy."

Thinking of getting a UK education? We provide you with tips on applying and preparing yourself for the UK in our next instalment of Study in the UK - Getting ready for the UK.

For further information on education in the UK, visit www.educationuk.org.my or email cecile.dasal@fco.gov.uk. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin