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Top tips for studying online with King’s Summer Programmes

TOP TIP 1. Turn on your camera and feel the classroom vibes 

As everything goes online amidst these unprecedented times, many are undoubtedly stuck at home with various opportunities being put on hold. However, it does not mean that all doors to a wonderful summer are closed. Imagine forging friendships with many people around the world, learning unique cultures and lifestyles, and delving deeper into subject matters you are interested in, despite the raging pandemic. I was fortunate to realise my dream summer at King’s Summer Pre-University Programme because the pandemic did not stop King’s College London to give opportunities for students across the globe to engage in interactive lessons and discussions conducted by KCL lecturers themselves. 

TOP TIP 2. Put your virtual hands up during discussion because all inputs matter! 

Being an aspiring law student, my Pre-University Law programme at King’s College London has sparked my interest in law even further. Although, all of my classmates came from different countries around the world with different time zones, we were able to bond over our interest in the legal studies, specifically the English Law. Initially, I signed up for the course because of my curiosity of the English legal system which laid the foundation of most Southeast Asian law. Nevertheless, over the course of 2 weeks, the programme has quenched my thirst for knowledge not only about the English legal system shared by my lecturers but also the jurisprudence in other countries like Sweden, Canada, and Hong Kong from my classmates. Besides that I was also able to hone my critical thinking skills as we provided various perspectives in various discussions during the course like the effectiveness of jury trials, examination of the discharge of contracts, and the determination of qualified and absolute rights.  

TOP TIP 3. Write your notes from each lesson tidily  

TOP TIP 4. Join The Summer Society and meet a like-minded group of people

TOP TIP 5. Don’t miss out the chance on sharing stories with your new friends 

Summer Programmes at King’s have irrefutably given me a plethora of learning opportunities but eventually it was up to students to take the bold step to make the most of the programme.  

Francisca Renata Wijaya, Pre-University Summer School Online, Law, 2021

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Bitcoin, eBay and more – International Commercial Law on King’s Undergraduate Summer School

Raise your hand if you’ve ever waited for what feels like YEARS for a package from abroad. I know I have. That, my friends, is International Commercial Law (ICL) in action! 

So too, is bitcoin and even the shipment and supply of medical supplies and vaccines during COVID. These are just some of the interesting aspects of international commercial law I learnt during my time on King’s Undergraduate Summer School. Whilst I initially thought commercial law was big boats carrying containers (it kind of is…a small part of it), it is definitely NOT the only purpose of ICL.   

One thing I found interesting was that from increasing globalisation, to helping resolve disputes, without it, life as we know it today would not be the same. The sheer fact that in a society where we are (almost surgically) glued to our phones, one click or tap on eBay, sends commercial law into action! 

Update: still waiting for that package… 

Another interesting and very valuable role I learnt ICL has, is in the context of COVID. Given vaccines are made in labs only in certain countries, how is it that we get them into our arms? If you said, international commercial law, you’re right! The licencing and transportation of vaccines could not be possible without ICL. Hint: it would be a logistical nightmare akin to a New Year’s sale at your favourite shop! 

Oh, just got a text saying my package isn’t coming……..just as I’d thought.  

I could go on and on about ICL, but finding out for yourself through this course on King’s Undergraduate Summer Programme is way more fun! Maybe you might get a scholarship, who knows! With amazing tutors like Ms Ana Luísa Soares Peres, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the course and learn something that may even spark interest in a career you hadn’t previously thought of! 

With that, I bid you farewell and wish you good luck on your journey at King’s. 

Jelena Glavinic , King’s Undergraduate Summer School, International Commercial Law 2021

  

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Studying Business Management at King’s Pre-University Online Summer School

I studied Business Management during King’s Pre-University Online Summer School in 2021. The Summer School is divided into two major parts: Global challenge and your chosen subject’s program. I chose business management because I am planning to study it at university. After following the detailed steps of applying and writing a personal statement, I was able to attend the Business management program.  

Student engagement

The program is delicately planned to maximise student engagement. Before the start of teaching, there was a welcoming event followed by an introduction process. This quickly helped me to feel involved despite the programme taking place online. The content in my business management program was engrossing and helped me to learn a lot about how to start up a business. During the first week, we focused on creating your business idea, establishing your market, developing your strategy, financial forecasting, start-up capital, marketing plan, growth strategy, supply chain, business culture and HR.  

Intellectually stimulating 

The teaching throughout the course was intellectually stimulating as well as engaging and fun. One example of this was when the tutor told interesting stories related to the subject matter to help the lesson to become livelier and more relatable. After each lesson, we had the chance to apply what we learned in class. During this process, I was able to learn a lot about finance and marketing. For instance, we needed to apply market sizing principles to find suitable funding requests for our business. As a result of all this accumulation of knowledge, our team was slowly building on and refining our final project. The final product is to produce a business presentation in groups that will attract investors. I believe my teammates coped smoothly throughout the whole program. Although we did not know each other before the session, after being dividing into teams, we exchanged our contact details and became friends. This was all inspired by our excitement to share our ideas for starting a business.  

During the global challenge session, we worked as a team to find evidence and resources regarding the cause and impact of food insecurity. I was amazed by the level of teamwork and fascinated by the capacity of human beings to work towards a common goal. Our team decided to complete a presentation on climate change. To produce the final product, we researched and gathered information both during lesson time and outside class hours to find resources such as the stakeholders, the impacts, and the potential solutions.  

Student ambassadors

The programme also includes meeting student ambassadors. This is especially useful for students who want to apply to King’s College London because it provided me with a more complete picture of life at King’s. By the end of the programme, I gained more valuable skills, enriched my academic knowledge, and learned details about the UCAS application.  

Personally, I’m extremely glad that I was able to attend my first university summer school program at King’s College London. This course has helped me develop as a person both inside and outside of the classroom. 

 – Emily Wu, Pre-University Summer School 2021

King’s Pre-University Summer School returns to campus for 2022 find out more online here.

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Four Things That Surprised Me About King’s Undergraduate Summer School

As someone with no background in law, I knew I was wading into the deep end when I registered for a module in international commercial law from King’s College London. I ended up being more than pleased with my experience. Here’s what surprised me:  

My classmates were from everywhere. 

I knew I wouldn’t be the only international student, but I didn’t realize just how global the programme would be. A few of my classmates were in the UK, but my module included students from multiple continents. Since many had studied law in different countries, we got to hear fascinating perspectives about how the law and legal professions differ across borders.

The level of my fellow students was super impressive. 

 The module I took was very challenging, but it was made easier by having committed and smart students to work alongside. Discussions during live teaching were always stimulating and clarifying. Students from many different points in their academic careers were all able to contribute substantively. 

The level of the instructors was amazing. 

My course tutors were eminently qualified in their field, both as practitioners and scholars. Rather than only teaching standard texts, as instructors of introductory courses often do, the tutors shared their expertise in their own specialties. We got to learn about cutting-edge research into emerging problems, such as regulation of blockchain currency in international finance. 

The tutors and summer team were able to use online learning technology very effectively. 

While it would have been amazing to study in person in London, I was surprised by how well the online platform worked. It was easy to navigate and kept all course materials organised. Even if the Undergraduate Summer School returns to in-person learning, I expect that the summer team’s ability to facilitate online learning will continue to benefit students. 

I felt nervous going into this programme, but my experience left me with no regrets. I wholeheartedly encourage prospective students to choose Summer @ King’s. 

– Matthew Waterman, Undergraduate Online Summer School 2021

King’s Summer Programmes will return for Summer 2022, find out more and register your interest on our website.

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Riya’s Summer at King’s

The day before summer school, I wandered the hectic streets of London dreaming about what the next three weeks would be like. I already knew I was in love with the beautiful and vibrant city, but my uncertainty of the new people and schooling left my stomach in butterflies. I was hesitant but excited for this new journey I was about to embark on. As soon as I walked through the school’s doors, all my worries were put to rest. I realised that students from all around the world came to King’s College London for the adventure of a lifetime, just like me. I met people from England, China, Russia, Australia, India, Germany, etc. and little did I know they would be my friends for a lifetime. Learning and experiencing everyone’s cultures had to have been one of the most exciting parts of my journey. Before this, I never had the opportunity of getting close with so many people from so many different countries, but King’s easily let that happen for me.

As I am a pre-medical student studying Microbiology and Immunology in the U.S, I decided to take Anatomy and Physiology to further my studies in the sciences. As expected, most of my classes in the States involved in depth learning about microorganisms, diseases, and the immune system. On the other hand, King’s offered Anatomy and Physiology which allowed me to have a broader perspective of the human body and its functions. Learning from this perspective encouraged me even further into in my career in medicine. Participating in dissections and practicals really allowed me to have a hands-on experience and take my traditional classroom learning a step further.
My experience at King’s College London has truly been unforgettable. The three weeks that I was there truly felt like three days! Living in London and meeting such inspirational friends and professors was incredible and I am forever thankful for this opportunity!

Riya Kumar

 

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Rana’s Summer at King’s

A week after being back from London, all I can say is wow. Those three weeks are the most memorable weeks of my life! The trip was jam-packed with so many activities, events, great food, and of course studying. Although I’m Canadian and am used to diverse communities, London has exceeded all my expectations. I am a firm believer that London has a special charm to it that lures you back!

King’s College London is such an amazing university that really gave me insight to what I want my future to look like through showing me what higher education looks like in the UK and inspiring me to work hard to continue my studies abroad. The location, resources, and amazing professors really made a difference in my experience overall! Taking this summer class has allowed me to meet phenomenal people that I am lucky to call friends that could last a lifetime!

Now that I’m back home, I’m constantly looking at the pictures, I’m reminded of all the amazing experiences like going to Sky Garden, or the King’s organised Greenwich trip, going to Oxford, visiting all the London monuments like the London Eye, Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, and Regents Park. This will certainly not be the last time I go to London to study. King’s and London, I’ll be back!

Rana Hassan

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Lieke’s summer at King’s

Not knowing what to expect and both nervous and excited, I boarded the train which would take me to London from the Netherlands. Only a few hours later, I arrived in the heart of London. This was the beginning of an amazing and very valuable experience. In the following three weeks, I would experience joy, stress, happiness, sadness, and amazement, and I would feel so grateful for being able to study in such a vibrant city.

During my time in London I met so many different people from all over the world, each with their own story and personality, but they were all such beautiful human beings. I loved discussing the differences between our cultures, and I am thankful for being able to explore London with them. From visiting Greenwich to participating in a pub quiz, joining the Harry Potter walking tour, having dinner at Camden Market, going to Portobello Road Market, and feeling like a typical tourist when posing in front of the Houses of Parliament or on Millennium Bridge, it has all been amazing and I hope to be able to stay in touch with as many of these new friends as possible.

However, making many new friends from all over the world is just one aspect of the King’s College Summer School Programme. The Summer School also helps you to become more independent. A few years ago, I visited London with my family, but this was a totally different experience compared to studying in London for three weeks this summer. When I was visiting London with my family, my parents were usually the ones trying to figure out how to get from one highlight to the other, but when I was studying in London this summer, I had to figure this out all by myself. The first time I had to use the London Underground, I was very confused, but it didn’t take a long time before I was able to use the Underground without feeling completely lost, especially if I had to change tube lines. Of course, taking care of the laundry on your own and going grocery shopping by yourself may seem quite difficult if your parents usually take care of these things for you, but it soon becomes easier once you’ve done these things a couple of times.

Definitely the most challenging part of the Summer School was finding a balance between studying and exploring the city. This was something I was especially struggling with during the first week of the Summer School. After class, I would usually meet up with friends to go to an new area of London, but as I had a test by the end of every week, I usually felt very stressed when I realised I only had a small amount of time left to prepare. Therefore, my advice to prospective Summer School students would be: explore London as much as you can, but definitely don’t forget to study regularly and to do your homework in order to not fall behind, because good time management will definitely help to reduce your stress levels.

All in all, studying in London has been one of the best experiences of my entire life and I would definitely recommend everyone to study abroad for a few weeks during the summer, since this will – without a doubt – be an experience you’ll cherish forever.

Lieke Gol

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Pei’s summer at King’s

Summer at King’s has been a truly remarkable experience for me. I have never studied out of my own country before, hence, this really allowed me to immerse myself into a totally different academic culture. From the start, I had intended to study literature in London as I felt that the city was brimming with literary resources and history. What made me choose King’s College was the variety of unique courses and the availability of information on them. These helped me to decide whether I was truly interested in committing to the course over my summer holiday.

The course I chose was Wonderland: 100 Years of Children’s literature, which caught my eye due to the diverse range of interesting topics covered. I loved how the course did not shy away from discussing controversial topics such as Psychoanalysis of the author and Gender Theory. In class, everyone was supportive and encouraging, despite being from different backgrounds and countries. I felt comfortable enough to speak up in class as I knew that others would not laugh at me but instead build on my answers.

However, Summer School at King’s was not only about studying, I managed to attend lots of events and make a lot of new friends there too! We had lots of fun exploring the city together, everything was only a walk away since King’s was located conveniently in the heart of London! The school even arranged fun social events for us such as the Harry Potter Walking Tour and the trip to Greenwich.

 

I loved the fact that there were so many Galleries and Theatres around. We could literally pop into theatres for matinee performances right after class. It was a bonus being able to use the Student Discount to get tickets for many ticketed activities around London.

 

Truthfully, I had gone over without much expectations on meeting new friends. I was afraid that people would end up being too cliquey. I ended up being proved wrong as everyone that I met there was so warm and welcoming. Even the locals in London were very friendly! Every interaction I had in King’s ended in a new friendship. Words cannot express how happy and thankful I am to have been given such a wonderful opportunity to meet so many different people and expand my view of the world!

 

 

Pei Wen

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Laura’s summer at King’s

At the beginning of 2019, I started thinking about my summer vacation. I wondered: ‘what could I do that would both be interesting and fun whilst travelling abroad?’ After endlessly scrolling through Web pages, I decided that King’s summer programme would be the perfect fit. The application process was straightforward, and since it is a prestigious and world- renowned university, I patiently waited for the admissions results.
Taking a strong interest in the legislation, I attended undergraduate-level law classes.

Throughout the two weeks, I was able to learn a lot in a short time. Apart from having lectures in the morning, we visited the Royal Courts of Justice as a group and took part in mock trials, thus we really experienced working as a barrister for a few hours. Furthermore, guest speakers having different projects gave us insight into their work. Not only did I meet peers sharing the same interest, I also engaged in group activities with students from other modules. For instance, I got to discuss with people whose career paths seemed completely different to mine and who came from a variety of cultures. The entrepreneurship challenge and free time until curfew played a key role in building an international network.

I would recommend the residential option, since I am still in touch with people from all around the world, with whom I experienced a preview of life at university. Considering that King’s campus is located in the centre of London, we took advantage of our evenings to wander around the city. Even though walking five miles at once seemed reasonable (we just stopped for pictures), we realised in the morning that we would not get through the two weeks that way. On the bright side, I can now work out which route to take by looking at the tube map without looking like a moron.  Moreover, being far from home gave me a feeling of independence and I am looking forward to going to university. The experience was truly enriching, rewarding and empowering and I believe that anyone can benefit from it!

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Katarina’s summer at King’s

 

I remember walking in on my first day, not knowing anyone and thinking to myself, “This is going to be a long two weeks”. Little did I know that 12 days later, I would be crying with my friends not wanting to say goodbye. All the people that I got to know, and the countless memories built at King’s are truly irreplaceable.
The Pre-University Psychology course at King’s was one of the most inspiring and fun experiences of my life. Not only did I learn an extensive amount about topics that greatly interest me, but I was able to explore what university life is like in one of the liveliest cities in the world. Our campus was located less than 10 minutes from the “must sees” that London has to offer, and a beautiful walk along the Thames. This convenience was best experienced when my friends and I would go get a truffle burger for lunch by the river between our two daily seminars. After a total of up to 6 and a half hours of lectures and educational activities per day, we had around 4 hours (until our curfew!) to explore London and its vibrant and diverse culture. However, soon that free time was shortened by essay writing, testing out how to do laundry, and trying to stay fit from all those burgers. Yet, to me, this was one of the most influential aspects of the summer course: realising what university life might be like, and that, contrary to what mom says, you can wash black and white clothes in the same washing machine.


I think I speak on behalf of all my friends that I met during those two weeks when I say that every moment at King’s was an unforgettable one. From making long-lasting friendships and exploring London to having the opportunity to talk with inspiring professors, this course was one that teaches you to be more independent, confident, and ready to tackle the challenges that life brings. Looking back now, there is nothing  that I would change about the course, except maybe making it double as long.

Katarina Krajnovic – Pre-University Summer School