Category: Summer School alumni

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King’s summer experience

Wondering how the summer school experience is? In today’s post our students share their experience with you.

Undergraduate Summer School students 

‘It’s my first time to be abroad. At first, I was a little bit nervous. But the amazing view of London, the kindness of everyone nearby helped me a lot and I love King’s now!’ – Lina Zha

‘King’s not only provided me with a fantastic international study programme, which broadened both my knowledge and interest in international law. They also provided a fantastic and unique environment to meet and get to know people from all regions of the world, helping not only make friends and networks but to appreciate different cultures and different learning styles. The friends I’ve made will stay friends forever – and the skills and knowledge taught will be used in both further study and in the workforce. I would strongly recommend King’s college summer school for everyone.’ – Melia, Australia

‘King’s Summer School is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not only do you get to live in one of the most vibrant cities in the world, with countless events taking place daily, but you also get to experience studying at one of the best universities in the world. It is, overall, an experience worth postponing your regular summer holidays over, as you will have the best holidays possible and will definitely dread leaving London at the end.‘ – Aikaterini, Greece

Pre-University Summer School students

‘King’s college summer school was a completely unique experience which gave me an unparalleled insight into university life. Each lecture was stimulating and exciting and I would highly recommend the experience. I took part in the medicine course which informed me further on student life as a medic and on the career as a whole. This will help me significantly when it comes to applying to universities in future.’ – Elena, UK

‘An excellent way to get to know new cultures, with excellent people, expert teachers, interesting courses and legendary ambassadors. Really recommend it! ‘ – Juan Llorens, Spain

The applications are closing on 10th June, if you want to join us this summer please submit your application here. If you have already applied, we will see you soon.

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My summer at King’s: Nia Sam

When choosing what to do during my last summer of high school, I knew that I wanted to do something that was meaningful and not just spend it as I had done previously – unwinding on vacation for eight weeks. At first, I wasn’t too sure how I exactly wanted to spend it, but I did know that I wanted to spend my summer doing something that would enhance my abilities academically before entering into my last year of my IB.

I moved from London to Singapore five years ago and I saw the summer programme as an opportunity to revisit my home country alone, and have a chance to experience what it was like to live in London again five years later, but this time as a student.

What made King’s College London’s Summer School different was that it was all about giving students the experience of an undergraduate course of their choice, but also the experience as a university student living in London. I chose the Business Management course as it the subject I want to study in university, so I felt like this was an opportunity for me to ensure that it was everything I had expected.

When I first arrived at my accommodation, I was greeted by so many other eager students that I instantly began to make friends (many of whom I am still close with today) and began to feel a lot more comfortable than I initially expected.

The university offers you two weeks filled with undergraduate-level content, with varying teaching styles. We had lectures in the morning followed by seminar sessions in the afternoon, and within the two weeks, each course had two different course-specific excursions. We had the freedom to hang out at our own leisure, as long as we adhered to the curfew, which was a great aspect of the summer school because it offered students a lot of independence to make their own decisions. The closing event party was held at the Bush House roof terrace, which had a panoramic view of Central London. After singing at the talent show, I had the opportunity to perform again at the closing event party which I really enjoyed, as music is one of my passions.

Attending the programme gave me the chance to experience what studying at university felt like, but more specifically what it is like to study at King’s. I feel a lot more prepared to go to university in 2019 and reassured me that I am choosing the right course. It offered me both an ample amount of academic and social opportunities to participate in.

I would recommend it to anyone, whether you plan to study in the UK or are still unsure as to which courses you wish to study when you eventually go to university. King’s will offer you a fantastic experience both academically and socially.

My summer at King’s College London was by far the best summer experience I have ever had.

Nia Sam

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My Summer at King’s: Margherita Feleppa

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King’s College London Summer School offers a wide variety of modules. This past summer I took part in the Criminology and Criminal Justice module.

During the course we learned the core elements of crime starting from its understanding and moving on to analysing the major crime categories and finally discussing the criminal justice system. The course was organised in a interactive way: it was the tutor and the students – sometimes in groups- who held the lecture. It was very surprising to see how interactive participation can make the lecture not only more interesting, but also more efficient in terms of learning outcomes.

In this course I gained a comparative perspective of crime control and punishment in different countries. I believe that this is crucial for someone that –like me- is a law student, because in law courses the study of criminal law usually neglects a comparative view as it tends to focus on national law only. Moreover, as this course gives a solid understanding of criminology, it is also a tool that law students can use in order to better integrate and understand the criminal law and the criminal justice system.pre-uni (2)

As part of the course, we also went to some field trips. For example, we visited the Criminal Court and the Police Museum. These experiences helped us better understand the main issues in sentencing and policing.

Furthermore, the city of London was a very inspiring environment as it provides students – especially law students- with the possibility to visit the legal area, including the Royal Courts of Justice all within a very short walking distance from the campus. Not to mention the beautiful Maughan Library that was just the perfect place to study and meet other students.

pre-uni (4)Living in London for three weeks also meant living in a multicultural and vibrant city and King’s social programme combined city tours and events with the possibility of meeting new people. This is how I got to know most of the friends I made especially my Instahunt group.

It was culturally and personally enriching to meet students from different backgrounds and share this experience with them. Like myself, most of my friends were living in the student dorms and this made our friendship even stronger. Every day we walked together from the dorm to the campus and we shared meals, field trips and class projects.

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By sharing those every day little things, I have learned a lot from my friends in terms of culture and diversity. In our friends group there are people that come from different countries, cultures, studies but we all shared something: our summer experience at King’s. Our connection was so special that I also met some of my friends after the programme came to an end and I still keep in touch with all of them!

I made the most of this summer both on a professional and personal level and I am really thankful for this experience.

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My Summer at King’s: Vedika Kedia

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King’s College London Summer School is an appropriate opportunity for someone like me looking to discover, International Relations (IR). The course curriculum involves introducing basic concepts of power, democracy in IR and evolves to further nuanced study of the failed states, conflict regions and role of institutions like the United Nations. What made the course even more palpable were the class discussions, role-plays and other class activities. It gives an in-depth understanding of the perspectives of different stakeholders. Keats portal offers an access to a wide range of online material to further analyse any topic of interest. It significantly aids the course of study particularly during assignments.

The diversity within the classroom also fuelled the discussions. My peers belonged to various disciplines like History, Law, Journalism, Commerce and Mathematics. Through the short tenure of the course, we explored the concepts taught through the lenses of different stakeholders. The complexity of policy making in IR was evident through role-plays. In a scenario where groups have high stakes it is difficult to arrive at a consensus. In addition, being in India, we also discussed the impact of different policies on India and its take.

I comprehended the significance of evaluating the contextual variables. On doing so, I understood the uniqueness of each conflict and realised the futility of one–size-fits-all policies. I also learnt the importance of studying the history of a particular group or nation to assess its current position. History forms an important part of IR as many policies are framed keeping the nation’s past experiences in mind.

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The module has equipped me better to read between the lines. Knowing the IR theories, I can now better analyse the motives behind different IR policies and try to understand its impact. I came across new friends and a reliable guide in form of my professor.

Our Professor guided us vehemently throughout our course. She was always available on mail or in person to clear our queries promptly. At no point neither KCL nor the professor took the module in low intensity which clearly shows their high commitments level. This course was treated at par with any module during the usual graduate term in London. There could be many reasons to sway away, being it just a summer school, a short non – graduating course, geographically far away from main London campus and moreover no student opting for credit transfers. But it was all professionalism at work.

In a nutshell, I would describe the King’s College London, Delhi Summer School to be a memorable intrinsic didactic experience.

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My Summer at King’s: Avantika Banerjee

berlin blog oneI was a part of the 2016 King’s College London India Summer School, where I took  Strategic Management. Even though it was a two-week program the amount of knowledge shared was tremendous.

The classes were full of discussions which brought new ideas and thoughts to the surface. The methodology was quite interesting. On our very first day, we were divided into groups of fives, which made discussions more comprehensive. Each day we talked about important issues and how to solve real-life problems in businesses using various tools and theories. The Summer School was a platform where I actually started to think critically and analytically. I also got an opportunity to work on my communication and presentation skills.

What also made the class interesting, was the diversity that it offered. My peers were not only from all over the country but also from across the world. This broadened the scope of our discussions since we all gained a perspective on global issues from our peers. Our professor was really helpful and was never restricted to just the course at hand. She told us about life at King’s and especially what the college and the city have to offer.

berlin blog one (1)The cherry on the top was the 5th anniversary of the Summer School. All the students were invited to the event at British Council, New Delhi. This was a golden opportunity for us since we got a chance to meet people at King’s in person. I got a chance to speak with Tayyeb Shah, Deputy Vice President (Global Business Development) . In the midst of a very interesting conversation that I had with him, I happened to share my interests in Data Sciences and IoT. He guided me to get in touch with Professor Mischa Dohler at King’s to gain a clear understanding of the field and see how I could translate my interests into ambitions.

My belief that professors at Kings were the most supportive was further strengthened when I got all the guidance that I needed. I got to know King’s much better and eventually fell in love with it! And so, here I am. At King’s. Pursuing Masters in Data Sciences. It really has been quite an interesting ride since June’16!

 

 

 

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My Summer at King’s: Louise Peart

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Summer soon came around and before I knew it I was in a car headed to London to start my two weeks at the King’s College London Pre-University Summer School. Although not wanting to admit it, I was absolutely terrified- the thought of being thrown into a university-style course with complete strangers and expected to socialise filled me with anxiety, and I soon started to question precisely what I had let myself in for. What if nobody talked to me? How will I understand the content of a medicine course when I’ve only just taken my GCSEs? And, most importantly, what if there’s no WiFi?

These thoughts were immediately swept out of my mind the moment I walked into the Stamford Street apartments. I was greeted by ambassadors in orange t-shirts who welcomed me with huge smiles, and helped me take my luggage to my flat. They took the time to speak to my family and assured them (and myself) that I would be fine. After spending some time unpacking, I decided to take the plunge and knocked on the door of my neighbouring room. We managed to skip the awkward small talk and in fact learnt that I had visited her hometown in the US just two summers ago. We now Snapchat every day and are constantly having discussions of our reunion.

Without sounding cliché, the next two weeks were, without question, the best two weeks of my life. Coming from a small school I rarely have a chance to meet people my age from such an international background, but by the end of my time at King’s I had formed special bonds with friends from all across the globe. This gave me a taste of what studying at such an internationally renowned university would be like, and it is something that I cannot wait to be apart of. Academically, the course provided a very stimulating introduction into Medicine, through lectures, seminars and clinical skills sessions. At the beginning of my two weeks I was unsure whether medicine was for me, however now I am almost certain that I want to become a doctor.

I would whole-heartedly recommend this course to anyone who wants to make the most out of their summer, and spend two weeks exploring London- which I have come to adore. The hardest part was saying goodbye to my new friends, who almost felt like family, however I left with the confidence of knowing what I want to study, where, and perhaps most importantly, a set of friends for life.

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Undergraduate Summer School Students- What’s Next?

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Many congratulations and thank you to those of you who attended the King’s College London Undergraduate Summer School this year! This blog post is to update you on the next steps and what to expect over the next few months.

August
Examiners will have begun marking your work, and if you have met the minimum attendance you will be sent an official Record of Agreed Results (a transcript of your grades). To make sure this is sent to the right place please check that your home address is listed correctly on your Student Records account. If not, please log into your record online and edit the address by Sunday 27 August.

September
You should be able to see your assessment results on KEATS by the very end of this month.

October
Record of Agreed Results (a transcript of your grades) sent to your registered postal address by the end of October. You will be sent one copy of your transcript from King’s to the address you have supplied us in your original application. If you would prefer for this to be sent directly to your home institution please ensure this information has been updated fully in your King’s student record. You can visit our e-store via the King’s website if you need to purchase additional copies of your transcript.

November
If you are interested in coming back to King’s – the 2018 Summer School programme will be available to view online from the beginning of November.

We hope you have enjoyed your Summer School experience and we hope to see you again in the future.

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My Summer in Berlin with King’s- Maxine Yu

Untitled designThis summer I was lucky enough to go to the amazing Berlin with King’s. It was an experience packed with excitement, fun and wonder. Every day was filled with activities that brought us closer to the history, culture and the people of Berlin.

I particularly enjoyed the bike tour around the city, although I had somehow managed to crash a stationary bike, we were taken on a journey of Berlin’s most iconic buildings and structures. The relaxing feeling of the wind blowing in my hair and the slightly panicked feeling of biking on the opposite side of the road, combined with astonishing views was what made it a unique and special experience for me.

Of course it wasn’t just the places we saw that made this trip such an experience, it was also the wonderful people that we met. Journalist and Editor, Gerd Appenzeller that told us about the reconstruction of Berlin, Integration Commissioner, Katharine Niewiedzial whom spoke to us about Berlin’s migration policy and Berlin’s most popular blogger, Mary Schweppes and her adorable dog that discussed Berlin as a European centre for the worlds young.

Not only did we get to learn about Berlin but we got to fully experience it, the food was delicious and it really brought us closer to Berlin as well as to each other. Whether it was the cutest bagel cafe, the sausages in the street stalls, or waiting in line for 2 hours for the world’s best kebab, some of my fondest memories were when we were relaxing and having fun as a group.

From the funny traffic lights to the unforgettable memorials, my favourite moment was when we were walking down the East Side Gallery at sunset, admiring at all the skillful street art. Watching the blazing sunset by the river, and taking a thousand pictures with everyone, it was a perfect last night in Berlin.

I had made some unbreakable friendships, travelled in time, from before World War II to modern day Germany, and made memories that I will cherish and never forget.

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An Interview With Instagram Competition Winner Adrian Moftakhari

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Adrian Moftakhari was a student at this year’s Undergraduate Summer School and was the winner of our ‘Summer at King’s’ Instagram competition.

So please tell us a little bit about yourself.

How could I define myself… ? mmh well that’s a good way to start this interview! I would simply say that I’m Adrian, a Swiss/Iranian bloke studying law, dancing tango and painting soon to be masterpieces when my nose isn’t buried deep into textbooks… I’m also a big fan of beers and coffees (especially when the company’s good!) astronomy and theatre. As a Swiss guy, I love skiing, cheese, chocolate and great watches (how typical…), but I can only afford the first ones haha!

This year I’ll be turning 22 and should have the first part of my studies in the pocket: the Bachelor’s degree. I’ve done all my studies in Switzerland so far, except for a couple of months Down Under to learn English when I was 17 (if you haven’t been there yet… you’re really missing on something pretty sweet!); I do hope I’ll be studying abroad again soon, it’s always a great adventure.

You’ve studied at King’s College London on the Undergraduate Summer School. What made you decide to pick King’s and the module you studied?

I’ve known King’s College London for a couple of years already, a friend of mine was studying there at The Dickson Poon School of Law and I have to say that it was really tempting. At the time I didn’t have the grades to get into King’s, I didn’t work hard enough in college. So I’ve always wanted to give it a try later on. My current school, the University of Geneva, offered its students scholarships for a couple of summer schools around the world; this included King’s, so what better way to finally try it?

What brought me to King’s in the first place is its marvellous reputation around the globe as a Law School as well as its location- the heart of London,  a city I’ve been fascinated with for a long time. So this Summer School gave me the chance to 1) study at King’s for a while, 2) live in London for three weeks and be able to see what it’s like (oh and it’s awesome by the way), 3) acquire some valuable knowledge on a specific subject.

This subject was “International Commercial Law”, as for now I haven’t had any class on the subject back in Geneva, so it was a great way to discover that branch of law. I wanted to know how international commerce was legally covered and I think that this class gave me a pretty wide and complete overview on the matter. I’ve broaden up my legal knowledge a little bit and I now know that it might just be something I’m interested in for my future. Those kind of classes let you discover things you might just not have the possibility to back home or back to your university, so it really was something good for me I think as I’ve always been interested in the matter.

What have been the best parts of studying at King’s this summer?

There was no BEST PART, I can’t choose anything as everything had value in its own intricate way. Of course I met great people there, made heaps of new friends and some of which I’m still in contact with every day. Sad thing is they all live pretty far, but it’s not that bad as I have a place to crash wherever I go now. I think meeting people is one of the core aspect of a summer school, if you don’t do so you’re definitely missing something, because they are what is left when you go back home and will always give you a big heart-warming feeling linked to your souvenirs.

But it has also been a time for me to walk around by myself, to take the time to get lost in London, immerse myself in the different cultures of the city and breathe in all it had to offer. Actually, definitely not all, there’s so much to do all the time, this city is alive and moving fast, very fast. Coffee shops have been a daily routine, check out the Fleet Street Press Coffee (on your right to the way to the Maughan Library) as I’m a big fan of flat whites, always a sweet way to start the day.

London is a town of culture, which means that you have to go see some shows and visit a couple of museums at least, so I’ve done that. But if you know some locals they’ll bring you to the “tourist free” spots of town and that’s where you finally get to see some real London, from the little bagel places to the hidden parks and the best spot for a sunset over the Thames… there’s plenty of things to do outside of the official guide. So yeah… so many great parts came with this summer school, and that’s without mentioning the actual studying and all the partying.

What will you take from your experience here at King’s back to your home institution?

This class has given me an opportunity to get a little extra experience in my curriculum vitae as well as general knowledge on the matter of commercial law. It was not easy even if we did not go too far in the subject, so much had to be covered. But now I know what it is about and will be able to continue my studies with a better understanding of what I want to do in the future. There is so much fields of law you can specialize into, and it’s all very broad, so you’d better know what you want early because studying it will take you a couple of years. So now I know a little bit more, my choices will be taken a little bit more enlightened.

What have you been up to since leaving King’s?

Since I’m back I’ve taken a week off with a visiting friend, but otherwise I was doing an internship in a law office in Lausanne. It’s now over and I have about a month left until the classes start again so I think I’ll allow myself some time away from the studies as I think I’ve done enough for one summer!

For those students considering studying at King’s for the summer in the future what advice would you give them?

Choose a course that suits you and that will actually bring you something in your future, all classes seem interesting but do some research before on who is teaching you and what it really is all about. But in the end, you’d better take some extra days before and especially after the classes so that you can have more time to spend for a last party or museum tour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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An Interview With Author & Alumni Kudrat Dutta Chaudhary

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Kudrat Dutta Chaudhary studied on King’s College London’s Undergraduate Summer School in 2014 and has been extremely busy ever since. On top of studying Law, Kudrat had written for a number of magazines and newspapers and in July her debut novel Laiza: Sometimes the End Is Only a Beginning was released.

You studied International Relations and Criminology and Criminal Justice at King’s College London’s summer school, how did you find your experience?

My experience at the King’s College London’s Summer School was a life changing one and is something that I cherish to date and would continue to do so for all times to come. I thoroughly enjoyed both the courses that I’d undertaken, which were International Relations and Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Studying International Relations with such a demanding module strengthened my intellectual faculties and gave me an expert insight regarding understanding complex International situations to find reasonable and fair solutions. On the other hand the subject matter and teaching of Criminology and Criminal Justice helped me grasp issues that plague our society and how they can be dealt with effectively. Apart from academic learnings, I’d also want to highlight that the sort of holistic and diverse environment that the summer school provided me with to interact with students from all across the globe was definitely an experience of a lifetime.

Overall, after the completion of the summer school I found myself way richer in terms of knowledge and insight; something that I feel has made me evolve and wise in every way.

Apart from writing your novel, what else have you been working on since your time at King’s has ended?

I studied at The King’s College London Summer School in the year 2014 and ever since then two years have passed and these have been the busiest two years of my life.

Apart from comprehensively working on my debut novel, I undertook an Accreditation course in Mediation from the Australian Disputes Centre, Sydney in 2015. The completion of the course made me an accredited International Mediator which also means that currently I happen to be one of the youngest mediators of the world. Owing to this, I was bestowed with an opportunity to intern with Holman Webb Lawyers, Sydney in 2015 which was definitely a brilliant experience and a very augmenting one.

Then I got selected to intern at the Ministry of External Affairs, India in September 2015 wherein all my learnings from the course of International Relations came in handy. Then in March 2016, I interned as a Judicial Clerk at the Punjab and Haryana High Court which too was a very fulfilling experience not only as a Law student but also as human being who believes in social justice.

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Your novel Laiza- Sometimes the end is only a beginning, was released in July, can you provide us with a brief summary on what the book is about?

LAIZA- Sometimes the End is only a beginning is a fiction novel based in real time, of about 95,000 words approximately expressing all the emotions and dilemmas on a wide spectrum of feelings. It is deep, engaging and intriguing. Laiza represents the plight of a million women who may fall, get injured, but never back down.

It is a story that would introduce the world to the dark side of disasters; it’s a story that would inspire every reader to fight in life, no matter what. It’s a story that needs to be heard. The main themes of the book are Feminism, hope, human trafficking, Indo-Nepal relations, Nepali culture and self discovery.

Did your travels to London and your study at King’s inspire your writing in any way?

I personally feel that we are all a culmination of the experiences we have and the travels we make! So my travels to London would continue to be a part of my being and personality forever, irrespective of the fact that they’re mentioned in my writings or not.

Moving on to the inspiration I sought from my study at King’s. Issues of Feminism and Human Trafficking along with Indo-Nepal relations which are the main themes of my book are basically figments of International Relations. The book is very intense and hence it runs on a consistent background of Indo-Nepal relations and how they affected my protagonist’s life. Every detail about their ups and downs in the year 2015 has been mentioned in the book and analysis of true events to include them in my story was definitely the pedestal wherein study of International Relations helped.

Apart from this, I personally believe that I am a very positive person and for me the toughest aspect of writing ‘Laiza’ was to characterise antagonists! I believe I could do so along with providing every antagonist a back story as to why they became what they became because of being a Criminology student.

So to be very honest, I haven’t used my study and travels to London in the most direct ways to write the book, but they certainly have helped me at various points to twist, turn and knit the story with no loopholes so left to be plugged in the end.

For those student’s at King’s who are budding novelists what one piece of advice would you like to give them?

If you want to write and that’s what you’ve been wanting to do ever since, then START NOW. As Hemingway says, the first draft of everything is bad, so don’t let that dampen you, instead seek inspiration and go on to liberate not just yourself but also the one whose life would change after he/she experiences your work.

And please, don’t ever let anyone tell you that you aren’t worth it, Because you certainly are. Most importantly Free yourself from your own limitations before anything else.

You can now buy Laiza: Sometimes the End Is Only a Beginning on Amazon. And if you wish to contact Kudrat please so send her an email:kudratduttachaudhary@gmail.com