Tag: Travel

Posted on

Jon Ainsworth, Global Summer Exchange 2019 – Shanghai

What do you study at King’s?

MSc Emerging Economies and International Development.

Where did your Global Summer Experience take place?

Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China.

What course did you take and why?

China’s Policy on Climate Change, Energy and Environment because of the unique interdisciplinary nature of the course on offer.

How did receiving the Global Summer Exchange Award shape your experience?

Being a self-funded part-time student, I have often found it difficult to attend activities outside of class due to time and money constraints. The award contributed to paying for pretty much the entire cost of my return tickets, which of course was a massive help. As the airfare was accounted for, I was able to stay in the country for longer and go to the largest skatepark in the world (SMP Shanghai) to fulfill the dream I have had for many years of riding the masterpiece.

How was the application process?

The application process was straight forward as the initial application was submitted to King’s and then I was nominated to apply to Jiao Tong. The Global Mobility Team go above and beyond to support your application at the host university as the team have a wealth of experience in dealing with global applications.

What were the highlights of your Global Summer Experience?

The opportunity to study alongside a group of like minded cosmopolitan individuals from such a diverse array of fields including environmental science, geography and economics definitely made the in-class discussions a lot more interesting as there was an assimilation of knowledge from the hard and social sciences taking place throughout the course. It was very refreshing to grasp some engineering concepts and solutions to the environmental problems we are facing today. Additionally, the wisdom of Dr. Junhua Zhang made the experience unforgettable.

What was the biggest challenge you encountered during your Global Summer Experience?

The biggest challenge I encountered was a problem with my accommodation situation. I booked a place on AirBnB, which FYI is blocked on China’s firewall, to later be told by Jiao Tong that I must report to the local police station details of my whereabouts for the duration of my stay within 24 hours (a requirement when staying off campus). This is a statutory requirement when on a student visa that I was unaware of and subsequently led to a very nerve-wracking day of tracking down landlords, signing document and contemplating my fear of spending the rest of my days in Chinese detention if this wasn’t boxed off. Luckily, I was able to get the documents to the relevant authorities in time. The lesson was learnt. Ignorance is no excuse; you must respect the laws of the land you are in and conform to any bureaucracy or formalities expected of a visitor. I made this mistake so you as the reader does not have to!

Any other surprises?

Prior to departure I was aware of the mobile payment giants such as WeChat and Alipay, but I completely underestimated their usage among the population. It soon became apparent that QR codes are ubiquitous to the core function of the modern Chinese economy as they are used for things ranging from payments, to unlocking a motorbike and even when you sign up to WeChat you will get your own personalised QR code for new friends to scan, rendering any prior language miscommunication obsolete as you can now communicate through the comfort of a translating app.

Do you have any advice for those thinking of applying?

Go for it. If you are curious, open-minded and intrigued to learn Chinese ways of thinking and problem solving, you should not hold back. It was an experience that has inspired me greatly and it will continue to do so for the rest of my life. If you are not so interested in academia, China also has incredible rice and bakery treats.

Posted on

Broadening Horizons and My Time at the University of Sydney – Lily-Maria Baraclan-Smith

When applying for universities in Year 13, something I took into consideration was the chance I could get to spend some time during my degree abroad, as I knew at that point I was not going to take a gap year and travel, like a lot of my peers. For BA History, King’s students have the opportunity to spend their second semester of their second year abroad, but upon my move to London, I wasn’t so sure anymore that I wanted to move away, because I was enjoying the city so much. I applied for study abroad rather randomly a week or so before the deadline with no real expectations that I was going to be accepted, but I thought that it was worth a shot. I applied for universities in Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, Hong Kong, and Singapore, as I knew that this would be one of the best chances for me to travel further than Europe. Although the University of Sydney was my second choice when applying for study abroad, after my experiences there I am very happy that that is where I was allocated to go.

Once I was accepted, I had the panic of thinking: how am I going to afford flights to Sydney and back? Is it going to be too difficult being that far away for such a long period of time? (I had never traveled abroad alone before this!). After weeks of weighing up the pros and cons, I decided to accept my place at the USyd, as this was a once in a lifetime opportunity that, frankly, I would be stupid to miss out on.

The Broadening Horizons Award is a fantastic funding opportunity awarded by King’s for students who are looking to embark on an overseas experience, whether this be for part of their degree or other short-term placements. I was awarded £400, which put my nerves about not being able to afford this opportunity at ease, as I put this money towards my flights to Sydney and back. Being from a single-parent, working-class background, I know without this award, it would have been difficult for me to fund such an experience. Once my flights, visa, and health insurance were all sorted out, the excitement (and nerves!) began to kick in.

I arrived in Sydney on 15 February, and the only real shock that I experienced was that of the weather. After months of snow and single-digit degree weather up North during Christmas and New Year, the immediate heat when stepping out of the airport was shocking, but it was not something that I was at all angry about (every Brit loves the sunshine, don’t they?).

Australian culture was easy to settle into, as I didn’t find it to be that different from British culture; the warm weather called for constant trips to beer gardens and the various beaches in Sydney – the relaxed atmosphere of Sydney called for a well-needed break from the hustle and bustle of life in London. I also did not find university life to be that different than what I have experienced at King’s, though it was different to experience university as an international student. It was almost like experiencing freshers again as there was constant events and nights out organised for international students – trips to Manly, party cruises on Sydney Harbour, and the constant barbies on the roof of our student accommodation were all definitely highlights of my time away.

Overall, despite the fears and nerves I experienced before going to Sydney, I am incredibly glad to have had this opportunity as it was definitely one of the best experiences of my life. Australia is such a beautiful country, that perhaps without the Broadening Horizons Award I would never had been able to visit. Even USyd’s campus is incredible, and I often found myself having to stop and pinch myself in between lectures because I couldn’t believe I was actually in Australia.

Though I admit that it is rather cliché to study abroad and come back feeling like a ‘changed’ person – but this is definitely true. Travelling alone and being on the other side of the world for such a long period of time gave me a new sense of independence, and my time abroad gave me a lot of new friends from all around the world, who I hope will be friends for life. There is a big, wide world out there, and I have learnt that fears and anxieties surrounding new experiences cannot (and will not!) hold me back from doing things I want to do.

Posted on

How Many Chuggas Before Choo Choo?: Travelling America by Train – Victoria Baines

Following the end of my course at UC Berkeley, my visa allowed me a month-long grace period to leave the USA. I knew immediately that I wanted to take advantage of that month to travel. All my friends were either going home or travelling with parents meaning I would have a happy few weeks of exploring America by myself. However, on my limited budget, getting a flight every few days would be impossible, and being unable to drive, a road trip was obviously out of the question. So, to the shock of all my American friends, I decided to travel by train.

Continue reading “How Many Chuggas Before Choo Choo?: Travelling America by Train – Victoria Baines”