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Comment: The Virtual World Conference is the shape of things to come

On 15 September, the Open University, in collaboration with the Serious Games Institute, will host a 24-hour conference. Opening in Hong Kong, the focus will shift to Europe as the eastern evening meets the UK morning, handing over at our sundown for a final eight hours on the US western coast. Despite crossing many time zones during the day, conference chairs and delegates will meet at a single location, and never have to leave the comfort of their own armchairs.

Make the most of your social life

Feel the noise

Living at home: the pros and cons

Is it a good idea to live chez mum and dad while you are studying?

Seven of the best: student cookbooks

From Pasta to Pancakes: The Ultimate Student Cookbook by Tiffany Goodall, Quadrille, £9.99Goodall’s book is bright and colourful, albeit slightly cluttered, but packed with fun recipes and cooking tips for students. The comic book-style layout is great for first-time chefs as it allows you to compare cooking stages with the pictures. The cookbook’s wide range of simple food ideas for student-sized budgets makes this a must-have read for culinary amateurs. Goodall’s inclusion of meal ideas for groups, birthday cakes and roast dinners makes it a perfect practical introduction to cooking.

Inside Student Life

Interview with... Mylo: The musician and record producer looks back

The musician and record producer recalls uni life

Star prices: students convene on the campus at Teesside University in Middlesbrough, where they pay on average �41.47 a week, which works out at the lowest in the country for those attending university

Reduce your rent by heading northwards

If accommodation costs are putting you off a course, look at a different region

Your student accommodation questions answered

Whether you are getting ready to start university in the autumn, planning to move on from halls or preparing for your final year, searching for a place to live is an exciting but potentially stressful time

Tasty idea It is possible to eat sensibly without spending a lot

Fitting a healthy lifestyle in with socialising and studying

Overcome a weighty issue by eating well and exercising

If illness strikes, what do you do as two years' work threatens to go up in smoke?

Double denim: the ultimate sin?

Double denim used to be the stuff of nightmares. Stonewash jeans with a denim jacket? So 80s, and so... well, wrong. But the look was championed by the likes of Chloe and Ralph Lauren at the spring/summer shows, and the high street has been quick to pick up on the trend.

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