Believe it or not – we had quite a debate at Nerdify reviews when we had to choose only seven of the most unusual universities worldwide where the international students can get a prestigious degree. We have intentionally chosen the entries that may be not so famous for the masses, yet they represent a great opportunity to travel and learn about unique world cultures. Isn’t it just great to study in the middle of a beautiful forest or to join a university with a laboratory that shapes the future? Of course, it is up to you to decide! Just remember that great life opportunities for international students with amazing scholarships and exchange programs are worth checking out!

Universidad de Los Andes, Colombia.

If your future degree deals with Latin America, Conflict Resolution, Tourism, Business Management or Spanish language, there is no better fit than joining Uniandes. A unique university campus located in the middle of Bogota’s historical center, surrounded by the beautiful mountains, open-air terraces, modern gym, labs, computers, classes, and probably the most delicious food ever! Join this wonderful world even for a week and you won’t regret the choice!

University of Houston, USA.

As one of the best public research universities in the United States, it offers innovative and unusual programs like Master of Science in Foresight. What it means in practice is that one learns how to shape the future and share the ideas to make a positive change. If you have heard about how professional futurists work, this may sound close to you. If not, however, you can join this amazing program to see how major businesses all over the world follow the influencers and listen to motivational resources on a daily basis.

The Evergreen State College, USA.

While this institution may be virtually unknown to the general public, it offers one of the most unique degrees and departments that deal with somatic studies. In most of our nerdify review posts, we aim to connect education, healthcare, psychology, and arts to explain the way things work. Just the same way, somatic studies course invites both American and international students to learn about mindfulness and the vital connections of mind and body that is so crucial in the digital age.

La Trobe University For Molecular Science, Australia.

Based in Melbourne, this unique university is an institute that researches applied sciences, quantum mechanics, the molecular sciences, and architecture of the future. While it sounds complex and only suitable for the geeks, we at nerdify reviews can prove you otherwise because this amazing university offers a 3D modeling course and an opportunity to learn about how all the SFX in Hollywood movies are made!

The Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Ranging from Computer Sciences, Programming, School of Art, and Design & Media, this particular university fascinates with the great scenery that reminds of a Sci-Fi movie scene. Joining the campus feels like a trip to the future where a student is allowed to shape the way everything looks and functions. The ideas and innovations are implemented right on the spot, so you are free to test your knowledge in practice. It is truly an experience to remember! So, if you are a geek like us or an aspiring inventor, give it a try!

OCAD University, Canada.

A great place for international students to learn art and design. As Canada’s largest and oldest school for all things Arts, it offers unique courses for those who want to try something different and learn mostly with the help of team presentations, participation in the world’s exhibitions or the fashion shows. Of course, some assignments will have to be written, yet it takes a free form where a student has to show dedication and passion for the subject.

University of Helsinki, Finland.

As we shape our Nerdify reviews, we always turn to scientific publications and look for universities that offer a great research base. One of them is the University of Helsinki, which serves more than 17.000 international students and produces around 10.000 publications a year. Yet, what makes it unique is a great location. This is where the past and the present meet as the Gothic, Neoclassical, and Countryside styles mix with the present and high-tech architecture. Then, there is a Senate Square with its Modernist approach that is worth the entry place alone. If you are up for research and getting your works published, look no further!

Language Courses & Scholarships

If the idea of studying abroad sounds frightening to you, do not be! There are always great language courses for foreign students and, in some cases, entire courses are taught in English. Moreover, there are special scholarships and accommodation help programs that must be studied before you decide on the program that fits your objectives.

Howdy, pals! Even though you may think that your time management skills in college are good enough, Nerdify reminds you that there are still some helpful tips and tricks. 

They will help you upgrade your knowledge and see how you can make your college life much easier and fun.  One of the reasons why your time management skills upgrade can be essential is because you may want to add more to your schedule and get involved in all the fun activities, yet there seems to be never enough time to do it all! Let us see how you can act as an engineer of your own time and resources in a little bit unusual way!

1. Learn to study in blocks!                                                                                           

The trick here is to approach the different study scenarios where you try different time passages or the time-blocks for your college assignments and the times of leisure. This way you can see how much time you may need to get focused in a proper way! While 30-40 minutes time blocks are ideal for studying before you take some rest, you may still need to make them either shorter or longer to see what fits you best. Remember that you have to take the breaks and switch from subject to subject to have a clear mind before you continue with the same or a completely new task. You can take a walk and have a cuppa before you continue with the studies.

The difference in such approach is your being aware of how much time you are going to spend as you study. You do not have to fear that there are hours and hours of studies ahead before you can finally have some rest! Give yourself some credit and remember that you deserve something for a change. Such an approach will not only keep you organized but will help you to divide your homework assignments by the level of importance and complexity as you form your time blocks. Start with the easy tasks first, so you may get an idea of how much time you may need. This way you can also plan the times of leisure for the day ahead when you are the one in control of your plans with all the classes getting in the way!  

2. Do not underestimate college help resources!

Most students spend the majority of their free time by trying to understand how to start with a homework assignment and how to approach an unknown writing format. Of course, there are countless questions that you try to look up online, yet it does not seem clear or your college professor has a different idea about certain rules. You can definitely save some precious time by turning to the writing help center at college and talking to your professor if you are unsure of a something. It does not make you any less smart if you take some time to speak of your concerns instead of acting cool and trying to find solutions on your own.

There are additional study groups and the special support classes almost at every college that will help you to get a guidance and assistance with the most challenging classes. If there are debates, conferences, social work, and laboratory experiments, make sure that you join the fellow students and stay as active as you can. This way you help to make your name known to others as your social network of friends starts to grow. Smart students will start to notice you and share their knowledge. Professor will see that you are a dedicated student who walks an extra mile to study. It will not only improve your chances for a scholarship and financial aid but will also help you to receive timely help!

3. Join College Study Groups!

Sometimes all your free time may be ruined by a single college class that you are struggling with! Even though you may do well in the rest of your classes, failing to understand a subject or follow professor’s speech in your English class or in Quantum Physics is a great challenge! Still, there is a trick that helps you to address the problem professionally – the college study groups. What these study groups offer is a unique advantage to focus on a single subject in a special way where you receive tutoring to cover the curriculum in a faster way. As you join the study group, you can research and ask questions without embarrassment as it is exactly why you are there. In order to help you through the class, you are offered a topic to work at, so you can collaborate with a fellow student on a group task. They call it an enhanced learning because you learn to share and work together starting from the class lecture notes to exploring additional subjects to help you understand the class in a deeper way. In a certain sense, it is like a free tutoring opportunity where you can finally liven up your study sessions and save some time that you spend trying to understand a complex assignment!

4. A Daily Schedule Approach!

While it may sound boring to you, it does help to challenge and upgrade your current time-management skills in college! A daily schedule approach will not only motivate you as a student but help you to manage your time in a more efficient way. Here is how it works:

• Make a list of your daily tasks that you have to complete!
• Write the next list with two columns of more important and less important tasks.
• Mark the tasks that are urgent and should be done with one color.
• Mark the tasks that can wait with the other color.
• Place a checkmark next to each task as you get it complete.
• Try to write down an approximate time that you have spent on each task.
• Make an additional list of all the fun things that you may want to do, so you can add it to your primary schedule!

As you try to work with a daily schedule of your college tasks, share it with your roommate and the fellow students, so you can see how it can be adjusted and what helpful techniques you may learn! Keep the daily schedule always by your side, so you can keep organized and focused!

5. Work at your soft skills!

Your personal development and growth of time management skills depend on the presence of soft skills. What it means, in reality, is your ability to be independent, adhere to strong ethics, and work at your communication skills. You have to stay patient and unbiased as you choose your sources and the books as you study. Setting the goals and trying to be flexible, you have to work at your character and coordinate what you have to learn with your true passions. The way how you approach your college life with all the studies and fun is a reflection of how well you can do in a future career. This work and experience have already started, so one has to be strong and seek for inspiration inside!

Some Nerdy tips and time management observations!

• Always have a time buffer because the days at college somehow go faster than you expect!
• Take advantage of the days and times when you feel creative and inspired. When you feel like working and know that you can do more, make sure that you do your best!
• Focus on one task at a time because even though you may be able to multitask, your brain easily becomes exhausted!
• Limit and challenge yourself with the deadlines because it keeps you more productive. If you have less time to get the task done, you work extra hard.
• Even though you may have flexible college deadlines, make sure not to procrastinate!
• Brainstorm the ideas and alternative solutions as you get stuck with your homework!
• Try to schedule the important tasks and meetings early in the day because the most challenging time is when you try to get ready for the actual task!
• Get rid of the most disturbing tasks first, so you can feel better about the rest of the items on your list!
• Always take notes and do not think that you can remember everything out there! Write it down and use it as a personal reference to turn to! It really helps to save some time!
• Do not forget to have fun and spend some time for yourself!

A kind reminder from Nerdify: your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow. Take care and practice time management!