Living abroad and far from home can lead you to uncomfortable homesick feelings that, if not controlled, can bring you down. Remember that such a period in your life could be a unique and enriching experience if you stay in a positive mood. Let´s go through some tips to be happy while living abroad:

• Explore your new country

Find out the best touristic spots within your new country and make plans to discover them as soon as you can. Make plans to explore these hotspots once or twice each week. It really doesn´t matter if you do them on your own, as you can take this time to learn to know yourself better. Learn as well about the culture and the history of the country to understand your new environment better.

• Take a break from Skype and Social Media

Thank God for technology and that it allows us to keep connected with our family and friends back home but please, do not spend 2 hours daily chatting on Skype or snooping around what your friends are doing in your home country though Facebook or Instagram. Leave technology aside every now and then to actually live your new life.

After summer holiday expenses, back-to-school seems an inescapable nightmare for our wallets. This spending represents an average of $634.78, according to the National Retail Federation. A pretty high amount distributed in: school fees, materials, uniforms, school meals, transport and a never-ending list depending on the purchasing power of the families.

These are some saving tips for back-to-school expenses:

• Recycle

Reuse materials from last year, friends and family. Keep everything that can be recycled and avoid buying unnecessary new stuff. There are libraries where you can exchange schoolbooks or buy second-hand ones. The web is also a good source for second-hand clothes and books, try Amazon and Ebay. Many schools run second-hand uniform sales at the beginning of the term, this is a great opportunity to save some cash!

• Bargain-hunt

Most of the stores are launching promotions and discounts on back-to-school items these days. Be alert and take advantages of this, avoid specialized stores, which are usually more expensive and opt for supermarket´s own brands.

If you have just landed in UK and your next mission is to get a new job, the first thing you need to find out is if the companies in your sector will require your recognized qualifications: your bachelor, high school degree, any specialized course etc…If after the proper research within the companies of your sector you find out that this is the case; you must be ready and know the best way to do so.

Health, education, architecture and engineering are normally sectors which will definitively require recognizing your qualifications even though this may vary depending on the company.

The State-owned company UK NARIC (National Academic Recognition Information Centre) is probably the best option in order to process your paperwork. They will assist you by giving information about your specific qualifications not belonging to UK.

There are 3 types of Visa that you can apply for studying in one the countries with the best education of the world:

1) Short-term visa:

- To do a short course in UK: English language course or a small research for your degree back home.

- You must be a citizen outside de Economic European Area and Switzerland.

If this is your situation you must as well have been offered a place on a course and have accepted it, you should also have enough money to support yourself without working or relatives or friends must be able to both support and house you. Additionally, make sure that you can pay for your return ticket.

If you are under 18, you need to have a permission granted by your parents or guardian and have made arrangements for your travel and stay. You can apply for it up to 3 months before your arrival and will get a response within 3 weeks. Bear in mind that you cannot study at a State school, work, extend this visa, bring family members nor receive public funds. A 6 months short-term visa has a fee of £85 and an 11 month visa £182.