The earliest records are of the Neanderthal people about 230,000 years ago. However, proper civilization did not start until 12,000 years ago. A lot of remains of the Bronze Age and the Stone Age are still present to this date which includes popular structures like the Stonehenge and Avebury.

The Britons were the main inhabitants of England in the Iron Age and were part of the Celtic race. The origin of the English people began with invasion from the Anglo-Saxon civilization after the liberation of England from the Roman civilization, gone several centuries of occupation. The Old-English language was introduced by the Anglo-Saxon people, which provided the basis of the British language.

A large portion of the current state of England was once occupied by the Norsemen in the 9th century. The official Kingdom of England emerged as a sovereign state in the 10th century. England saw great civil war and anarchy in 10th- 12th century. The anarchy came to an end when Richard I made England a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire. The kingdom regained its sovereignty in the 14th century after being made a vassal of the Holy See for more than 100 years.

England united with Scotland in the 18th century after conquering Whales in the 12th century and formed the Kingdom of Great Britain which colonized and conquered a large portion of the world to form the great empire of Britain. This empire became the largest empire in the world and then was decolonized in the 20th century to form several independent states.

However, due to the colonization of most parts of the world, English language and system of English law is still a part of major constitutions of the world. At present, England is one of the most advanced countries in the world. England also had a very important role in the world war, as an ally of the United States of America.

The industrial revolution also brought a great change in the Kingdom of England. Much of the workforce was replaced by the usage of steam engines and other machinery which created serious threat for the labor force of England. Education was also promoted to a great extent in this era and ever since, England has become one of the most prestigious places of education.

England has been around since the dawn of humanity and has seen much wear and tear throughout the history. England had been under occupation several times but emerged as the ultimate empire in the 18th century. Even though the empire is no more, it has lasting effects on the colonies it created. England joined the European Economic Community in 1973 which transformed into European Union in 1993. This is just a brief history of England.

Throughout my travels across the world and back, I always find myself coming back to England. This beautiful and culturally rich country offers some of the most fascinating sights and experiences. It’s easy to see why it is such a popular travel destination for students involved in a study abroad in England program. No matter what you wish to achieve on your trip, study abroad programs in England, or even the Ireland study abroad program, is an opportunity that should not be missed.

The once proud British Empire was, and in some instances, is still the greatest hub of cultural influence in the world. True, the British may not hold some of the same influences it once did, but it is still one of the best places to visit when looking to drown yourself in cultural education. No English city defines this feeling more than the cosmopolitan city of London. You can almost feel it coming alive beneath your feet and breathing with sophistication, culture and art as you study abroad in England.

However, during your time in at in the various study abroad programs in England, you’ll want to experience the country outside of London. What’s a trip to the British Isle without getting the full feel of England? The best place to start is Cornwall. This beautiful town offers some of the most spectacular views of sea cliffs you’ll find anywhere in the world.

One place you won’t want to miss is the town of Bath. This northern town is famous for its ancient Roman bathhouses, where you can still visit today. Try not to miss the home of Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon or the family gravesite at the Holy Trinity Church. Were you aware that the world’s largest Gothic cathedral is located in York?

As you make your way from town to town, be sure to visit the southern parts of the country and try to see as many little, old English towns as you can scattered across the gorgeous countryside. You’ll see sights out of old movies and novels from old stone cottages with thatched roofs to alleys of cobblestone. It’s almost surreal and everything you would imagine the English countryside to be.

A study abroad in England or Ireland study abroad program is definitely an adventure worth signing up for. With so much to see, you’ll find it difficult to fully complete your exploration in one semester. Most find that it is necessary to come back for a vacation later on to fully enjoy all that England has to offer.

So far, the impact of the recession has not really been felt by people who have kept their jobs. This is the case particularly for professionals and others who in the past would be described as ‘comfortably off’. This group represent a large section of British society that finds itself described as occupants of a mythical place called Middle England. However, as the Government looks for ways to balance the books, inevitably they will take more money from those who have it, rather than those who don’t. So Middle England look out! As the back bone of the tax paying, law abiding majority; you are the easiest source of revenue.

Since rechristened the ‘squeezed middle’ by the Labour Party, even those disinterested in politics have been watching with increasing alarm the gathering storm of Coalition benefit cuts and tax rises.

The combination of the removal of Child Benefit for households with one earner on 40% tax will be compounded by moves to lower the threshold for those who benefit from Tax Credits. However the real crunch will come in 2012 for families with children who are entering university for the first time. They will be hit by the planned tripling of university tuition fees.

Middle England realises how important a good education is to ensure it’s offspring achieve the best start in the world of work. This is now juxtaposed by the knowledge of just how damaging a large debt can be for their children’s future quality of life. For parents who have worked diligently to build up their savings to support sons and daughters through university, this hike in tuition fees has come as a bombshell.

Up until recently student debt was viewed as a necessary evil. However the modest loans and low interest rates made this acceptable. Now the proposed fees are close to three times higher, this has created a future tax nightmare for graduates. Causing more alarm, even among those who see £9000 per annum fees as inevitable, are the close to commercial rates of interest to be charged on those student loans. Parents are particularly aggrieved that their sons and daughters will be faced with a heavy debt burden, at the very time in their lives when they might be trying to set up homes of their own.

Although the final details have yet to be published, there is more than a suggestion that the Government are also looking at ways to penalise early repayment of these loans. Therefore, with its unavoidable interest charge, for the graduate, this will become a massive financial penalty for achieving future success. The political ramifications of this have yet to be fully understood, however the clock is counting down toward implementation. Many parents are already looking for ways to meet these tuition fees themselves to avoid a bleak financial future for their children.

Teenagers contemplating their university options are mindful of the potential weight of debt they would carry around their necks. They either need to be lucky enough to come from families that have the means to pay, or poor enough to qualify for a combination of benefits and bursaries to escape the majority of fees. Those students from England stuck in the middle may decide it simply is not worth going on to university. With minimum student living expenses of about £6000 per annum, when added to £9000 tuition fees each year, will mean a student will accumulate £45,000 of debt in just 3 years. When taking future interest payments into account, this could mean paying off nearer £50,000 over time.

Imagine a young couple who met at university and subsequently worked to achieve reasonably paid employment after a few years. They could easily have debt liabilities of close to £100,000 between them. That is ghastly and will add nothing to the willingness of mortgage providers to lend them enough to buy a home of their own. Many parents will have sacrificed a lot to enable their children to go to university. To see them subsequently struggle to even get on the property ladder, will engender deep resentment.

Indeed many hard working parents will openly question whether they should do anything to encourage their children to think about university, given the potential size of the financial millstone this will create for them. Will a full time university education prove to be only a luxury enjoyed by the rich and a means tested benefit for the poor? The children of the ‘squeezed middle’ being left to battle their way up the corporate ladder with the Open University offering one of the few debt free routes to a degree.

For the majority of children from Middle England who have recently commenced studying A levels, there are new risks that they will now need to assess regarding their future education. Unless they are very bright, with straight A’s to secure a place at a flagship institution, is there much point even thinking about university? However much fun student life might be, will the value they gain from an Arts degree at ‘Anywhere University’ be worth incurring so much debt?

The reaction of parents still digesting the ramifications of the new fee charging regime are as yet unknown. Many could be deciding to postpone retirement to work for several years yet to pay for their children to get through university relatively debt free. The need for more income will see many more dusting off their CV’s as well as demands for students to find better work to pay their way.

For parents, keeping their jobs and a second income coming in to get two children through University may become much more important. Inevitably contingency plans will need to be considered and Unemployment Insurance or Income Protection Insurance paying £1000 per month, if one of the parents is unable to work due to accident sickness or unemployment, could offer an answer. This insurance would guarantee the monthly income that many Middle England parents will soon see as essential for them to afford to pay for their child’s university education.

Dennis Haggerty, Marketing Manager of protection insurance specialist i:protect commented, “We see university fees creating a large and unexpected hole in the budgets of many families who simply cannot contemplate their children leaving university in so much debt. This in turn will create a demand for our product from a section of the market that hitherto could cope by taking money from their own savings if they were out of work. Now finding £15,000 per annum for each son or daughter at University, in addition to their usual household expenses, will drive the search for alternative sources of funding. For example, one of our policies with premiums of just £10 per week would pay £15,000 in benefits if the policyholder was unable to work for a year”

The lifetime habit of Middle England to support it’s children through university will be placed under severe strain. However, for the benefit of their children’s future, provided they are in work, most will ‘bite the bullet’ and pay as much as they can. More parents than ever may need to agree to pay the full cost of tuition fees for their offspring, just to convince them to take advantage of a university education. Otherwise many potential university students may refuse to go in fear of the financial consequences of their decision.

Helping to mitigate risk of lost earnings for parents contemplating paying these tuition fees ‘up front’ is worth consideration. Those same parents will soon be attending university open days for their sons and daughters to weigh up their options for future education. It would be nice to have the confidence that a minimum guaranteed income would be received, even if one of the parents were out of work for some time. Unemployment Protection or Income Protection Insurance does offer a viable ‘plan b’ in an uncertain job market.