We have welcomed four new Peer Advisors to the Global Mobility Office for 2024/25! The Peer Advisors are here to help you, whether you’re an incoming student studying with us at King’s for a semester or a year, or whether you are a King’s student thinking about or planning on going abroad as part of your degree!
You can make an appointment with Maria during her Semester 1 office hours on Tuesdays from 11am-1pm.
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Hi everyone, my name is Maria and I’m currently in my final year studying Biomedical Science. I had the amazing opportunity to study for a year at The University of Melbourne, Australia, and am incredibly excited to be one of your Peer Advisors this year!
I was born and raised in London and decided to go to KCL as I wanted to experience university life in the city I grew up in, and explore more of what London has to offer. I also loved that I could go home and visit my family as much as I wanted to as well! However, I’ve always loved to travel and knew I wanted experience living in another country, so when the opportunity for study abroad became possible I knew I had to take the chance and throw myself into something I’d never done before. Having never been to Australia and not knowing anyone there, it was definitely a stab in the dark but one I hoped would pay off. Safe to say it definitely did!
Having gone from living at most an hour away from my family, to being on the other side of the world, it was definitely a massive change but one I knew I needed. Now having completed my year abroad and looking back at my time in Australia, I’m so glad I took the chance to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity, as it genuinely was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever undertaken!
The thing I loved most about Melbourne was the genuine friendly community there which made me feel so welcome from the moment I arrived. I had the chance to partake
in some amazing activities such as joining the surf club, which I knew was a must try when visiting Australia! It was so fun to have the chance to study modules that were outside of my degree too, such as street art and Indonesian gamelan. Melbourne itself has incredible markets, bars and restaurants, and is renowned for its incredible coffee! It also has easy access to The Great Ocean Road which is a paradise of beaches and coastal attractions.
For those of you who are undertaking your study abroad in London, I am so excited for you to experience all of its charms and immerse yourself in all that London has to offer. Studying at King’s allows you to have central London on your doorstep, so I would definitely try to make the most of it if you can! If you’re into plays and musicals I would definitely recommend checking out the West End which always has incredible shows for you to see, with many offering student discounts! I would also recommend checking out Camden Market, Primrose Hill, South Bank and Hay’s Galleria as some of my favorite spots in London. Also, if you have the chance, try walking from Guy’s Campus to Strand Campus as you can walk the whole distance along the Thames. It is one of my favourite walks as you get to see some of London’s main attractions along the way like St Paul’s Cathedral and Big Ben. Warning it takes around an hour though so be prepared!
I really can’t wait to start meeting you all, share some study abroad experiences, hear about your travel plans, and hopefully offer some advice that can help you along the way!