goobino asked: What's UCL like? I'm trying to decide between there and Berkeley but I honestly can't decide

I’m probably quite biased as I go to UCL. But it’s a very nice campus in Bloomsbury, a really quiet area. It’s very central and only a short walk from Oxford Street. We have really nice buildings and good facilities. The university can be different for you depending on what department you’re in though. Some departments are very laidback, others very strict. UCL in general is very strict with attendance. And it can sometimes come across as a bit stuffy and pretentious to other people. It’s also nice that it’s a campus university in a big city, everything’s in one place. Staff are generally very helpful and nice, but again depends on your dept. I guess like many other universities your social life revolves around your hall. I was in intercollegiate, so didn’t mix with many UCL students. I guess sometimes you can feel quite segregated from social life revolving around university stuff. But if you joined societies and went to the union, I’m sure you’d feel very part of it.

Hope this helps!

rachelveronica asked: Whats your opinion on the expense of being a student in London? I've always wanted to study at UCL but I'm worried the living costs would just make me have a miserable time there..

I don’t think it’s that bad. You receive a larger student loan than the rest of the country which helps a lot. It’s expensive in terms of travel, flat prices, etc. But in my first year I definitely didn’t have trouble. I could walk to UCL from halls very easily, so never had to spend money on travel. Halls also have everything covered in terms of prices, so it was quite cheap there too. I guess the only thing would be going out that is a lot more expensive. Drink prices and club entries are a lot more than the rest of the country. So people in London tend to drink a lot more before going out, but people do that at other universities too! Basically if you have the loan you’ll be ok. Also UCL do grants and bursaries too, which helps a lot with money! As long as you don’t spend all your money on booze and entry to clubs in Mayfair, you’ll be ok. You shouldn’t let it stop you.

Celebrity spot of the day: Gwyneth Paltrow outside my favourite cafe near my flat!

She was out for a stroll in Belsize Park.

thediaryofandrew asked: Hi there. Can I ask you for some advice? I've received an offer for a place at SOAS and I'm actually really looking forward to coming to London. However, I've found lots of negative comments towards the university lately. I thought it's one of the best universities in the UK, or is it not? Do you know something about it?

It’s definitely one of the best universities in the country, that’s for sure in terms of league tables. And I know students do get pushed there. I had quite a few friends at SOAS in my intercollegiate hall, and they were always working all the time, getting firsts and they were smart people. So it didn’t seem like a bad place!

I think with SOAS it has a bit of reputation for being quite (I don’t know how to put it any other way) hippie-ish. And also lots of people haven’t heard of it. But in London people will have.

Don’t listen to people saying negative things if it’s in terms of league tables, etc. If they offer courses you want to do, it’s a place you want to go to, then go for it!

go-fetch asked: Hi! I can't link you to my post in an ask, but I think my my last post on my Tumblr would be of interest/benefit to your followers. It's a free seminar about finding your career path after university :)

Thanks. :)