Maria Sowter

Online Content Editor for non-profit volunteering NGO Frontier, passionate about travel, culture and digital media

Many people question an 'appropriate' time to take a gap year, often worrying that they've missed the opportunity or that that they are unable to commit to a full year. There is however, no right or wrong time to take a gap year, and no traditional length of time to travel for.

Josie Miller

First-year undergraduate studying French at the University of Edinburgh

As an eternally optimistic and hopeful person (ha), I will take any opportunity to find the silver lining in any situation (ha), and so it struck me the other day that I do actually have a 'favourite thing about the Summer exam season'. Are you ready? It's procrastination.

Daley James Francis

Writer. Terrence Malick meets Terrance and Phillip.

University in this country has become something that we take for granted. It shouldn't be a privilege just for the rich - that wasn't my point - but a privilege for the people who were going to give their degree 110% knowing that when they came out, they needed to earn good money in order to pay off the debts they've accumulated.

Rachel Hosie

French and German student at the University of Bristol; writer for studentbeans.com; online editor for Bristol University’s student paper, Epigram; blogger and avid cake baker

You lie awake at night, tossing and turning, unable to think of anything else. You try to do some work during the day to take your mind off it all, but it's no use. You can't concentrate, so instead you end up exploring the area around your would-be office on Google Streetview.

Owen Burek

Editor-in-chief at Save the Student. Educating students about money.

It's exam season, so I'll forgive you for not wanting to think too much about the stresses of moving out right now. The start of a great summer might feel like a lifetime away, but really it's not too far on the horizon, and there's a lot you need to think about and prepare for.

Sarah Woolley

Freelance writer

Feminism still feels like someone rescuing me from the patriarchy so that I may be told what to do by 'sisters' who need to get their opinions out of my knickers. The banning of jelly wrestling would bother me less if I didn't think it was symptomatic of a feminism that will fight for your right to choose until it no longer trusts you with that right.

Beth Saward

Student, University of East Anglia

Abercrombie and Fitch have been catapulted into the social media recently with Robin Lewis' revelations that the CEO of the company, Mike Jefferies, doesn't want larger people buying his products.

Freya Bromley

Archaeology student and online journalist

Youth unemployment is a tragic reality whatever the circumstance, but there is something especially unsavoury about young people who have been sold on the graduate life ideal, only to end up without a job and in debt. The mismarketing of higher education is one of the least commented-upon scandals of our time.

Martina Milburn

Chief Executive of The Prince’s Trust

With youth unemployment just under a million, young people are turning their hand to gardening, graphic design, baking and beauty therapy to escape the dole queue and kick-start their careers. For many young people, the transformation from unemployed to entrepreneur is life changing; giving them back the skills, confidence and motivation that being out of work has taken away.

Hugh Bassett

Student currently living in Hammersmith

It was revealed yesterday, that in the incredible Amanda Berry case, where three women were held captive in an Ohio house for nearly ten years, the man who heard their cries and sparked the police investigation, neighbour Charles Ramsey, was in the middle of a tasty Maccy D's.

Harry Lambert

Organised the 'Future of British Journalism', bringing together national editors and the top papers in the UK

On April 17 Nouse brought together the top student papers in the UK for a unique meeting. The Future of British Journalism gathered 140 student journalists from over 40 papers, with everyone from Bristol and UCL to Oxford and Edinburgh attending.

Aisling Gallagher

Student at Queen's University Belfast and the current NUS-USI Women's Officer

Throughout the UK, our students' unions democratic structures are being attacked, more often by their university rather than their elected student officers. It's time to tell QUBSU that they can't simply ignore the rules.

Holly Gomez

2013 Young Human Rights Reporter of the Year

Like all the other entrants in the Young Human Rights Reporter of the Year award, I have been moved to use my voice to highlight the plight of others less fortunate than myself and I appreciate how fortunate I am to be allowed to do so.

Elizabeth Turner

Conservation Biology and Ecology Student at University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus

The feeling that I can't shake is that she has been alienated by feminism and the stigma that surrounds it. I am happy to admit to being a feminist, because I have my own personal interpretation of its meaning. Obviously feminism stands for the freedom to choose, and choosing to be one should be included in that.

Melanie Kendry

English Teacher, Tutor and Writer

My son said he was afraid of getting the answers wrong because he wanted to impress me. He'd tense up and breathe faster when we started practising the times tables. The solution came by accident. I asked him to answer 'smoothly', not fast, gave him a big hug and told him we need to make mistakes to learn.

Eve Betts

Journalism student, blogger and writer for Forge Press, Liberty Belle Magazine and CarpaMusica

The past few weeks have actually been very exciting. Lauren, Will and I have been made editors of our university newspaper; a slightly stressful procedure which involved standing in front of 100 students and saying as convincingly as possible, that we really are the best of the bestest best people for the role.