Category: Summer School alumni

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My Summer School experience: Vhairi

Studying at our Summer School can be your gateway into studying full-time at King’s. That is exactly what happened Vhairi Motherwell. Read more below…

Vhairi Motherwell chats about her time at King’s

‘The King’s College London Summer School made my summer of 2011 one of the best summer’s of my life. I originally chose to attend the London in Film course to experience studying at King’s as I wanted to study there full time. I have now completed my first year of BA Film Studies, and I know that my experiences at the Summer School played a major part in me wanting to stay for 3 more years.

The London in Film course addressed the history of film in London in three sections: ‘Victorian London’, ‘London at War’ and ‘Modern London’. As it was a three-week course, we studied each topic for a week and progressed in a linear fashion, making it easier to understand the change the city went through.

In the ‘Victorian London’ week, we were shown one-minute long street scenes of Westminster and Blackfriars Bridge, while studying early cinema techniques in magic lantern slides and zoetropes. We also saw films that were set in Victorian London but made later. These films included well-know characters such as Sherlock Holmes and Sweeney Todd, as well as Jack the Ripper – I think this was my favourite week! ‘London at War’ brought propaganda and the Blitz into view, as well as films released after 1945 that still commented (in some way) on the war itself. The last week, ‘Modern London’, concerned the “swinging sixties”, allowing us to watch Alfie (Lewis Gilbert, 1966) and revel in the sexual awakening of the city. In each week we watched at least one documentary (or street scene) that was able to put the fictional films into perspective. Watching films made outwith the period we were examining, also allowed us to see the difference between the reality of the time and how it was represented in later years.

London in Film, not only taught me about major stages in London’s cinematic and social history, but also allowed me to experience a London beyond simple tourism. As well as trips to the British Museum, Imperial War Museum and the Museum of London to put the films into context, we also went for walks around relevant parts of the city. For ‘Victorian London’ we took a stroll down Fleet Street, (the fictional location of Sweeney Todd’s Pie Shop) and wandered into the picturesque area of Temple. The next week we visited St. Bride’s Church, another hidden beauty, further along Fleet Street. These “hidden gems” are ones that I would never have seen or found on my own, and they remain some of my favourite parts of London.

Aside from the course, the Summer School itself had a lot to offer, including a bus tour when I first arrived, pub quiz at the end and various parties and events in between. The Strand Campus is so central that everything seems close, so after class is finished it is easy to saunter into Covent Garden and make the most of being in London. I made friends from all over the world and, honestly, I could not have had a better summer.’

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My Summer School experience: Danny Persia

In the summer of 2012, Danny Persia spent three weeks in London as a Fulbright Scholar on the King’s Summer School. Below he speaks about his experiences…

”Will competition overshadow the transformation of a community?  What will be left out when the Olympic experience is “translated” by the media to nations across the globe?’  These were two central questions I had when applying to a US-UK Fulbright Summer Institute at King’s College London, focused on the 2012 Olympic Games.  I was drawn to the Summer School because of how King’s College works across “traditional disciplinary boundaries” and holds research to an “international standard.” Motivated to learn more about the UK, and to see how a country that shares a language approaches meaning in its own way, I soon set out for three of the most incredible weeks of my life.

Where to begin! Living in the Stamford Street apartments, I walked with my classmates to King’s every morning across the Waterloo Bridge.  We lived in Central London, near Parliament and the London Eye, in the heart of the city, with a stunning view by night.  We ventured out to Brixton Market, to Camden and even to Oxford and Stonehenge, embracing the culture of not only London, but of the entire UK.

As the Olympics progressed, I became more and more intrigued by the regeneration of London’s East End and the Olympic ambition to “Inspire a Generation.” I think the King’s Summer School embraces that very mission.  Enrolled in Jason Luger’s course, “The Olympic City: Global Games, Local Impact,” I was taught to analyze the Olympic bid and the transformation of London through a critical lens.  Studying alongside students from around the world, I was able to use London as a living laboratory, blending in-class discussions with my own experiences on the streets.

The Opening Ceremony showcased a country proud of its culture—Mr. Bean, James
Bond parachuting with the Queen from a helicopter, and thousands of people singing “Hey Jude,” not to mention the Parade of Nations, which marked the diversity of the Games. Watching the ceremony with King’s students from nearby Victoria Park, with fireworks overhead, was certainly a highlight of our trip.

Sometimes the unexpected moments stay with us the longest.  I remember walking through Piccadilly Circus one night with the other Fulbright students, not knowing where we were going, just listening to the city, finding the hidden side streets and stumbling upon our first British pub.  I remember the afternoon when I struck up a conversation with a woman from Germany.  We started sharing our stories of how we had arrived at the Olympics, and she offered me a ticket to the Olympic Stadium for Athletics the following day.  And I remember sitting in the German fan section that next day, admiring the Olympic flame, cheering for the UK, the US, and Germany!

Reflecting back on my experience, it’s incredible how much London has impacted me.  The city, the people, King’s College and the US-UK Fulbright Commission—all have left a mark on how I listen to stories and how I see our world as I continue to travel, ask questions and learn about different cultures.

I’m proud to say that I’m a King’s Summer School alumnus.  And as I continue to pursue my undergraduate degree at Denison University in the coming months, I will certainly hold my experience at King’s, and with Fulbright, near.’

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My Summer School experience: Polina

Hi! My name is Polina and I’m going to tell you about my experience in King’s Summer School, British Monarchy course.

My first impression was the hall of residence – Stamford Street apartments. I really enjoyed staying there – close to the campus, close to the library, and close to the underground. The whole building was really tidy, and I was particularly touched by tea and sugar, available in the kitchen (I arrived late at night).

The course itself was fantastic. We visited several museums and Buckingham Palace. I am really grateful to Mr. Luke Blaxill – our tutor – for creating a friendly atmosphere in class and for encouraging us to analyze all the information we received and to express our ideas freely.

I made a lot of new friends during my three-week stay. It was great to study together with so many nice people. I started to miss them already in Heathrow on my way back home.
What struck me with particular amazement was the Maughan Library. I found there a lot of very useful materials for my essay. No wonder, actually, it is so large that I sometimes I had to use a map.

Last but not least. I’m not a native speaker, and I’m usually afraid to miss something important. So my favourite activity was to approach different people asking questions, usually the same one for several times. I’m really grateful to all people working in Strand Campus, Maughan Library and Stamford Street apartments for being so helpful and so patient.

And I really miss my walks around London! 🙂

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My Summer School experience: Laura

Last summer I had the opportunity of a lifetime, participating in the second session of the King’s College London Summer School. Living in Central London, engaging in a hands on course, learning more about the UK, and meeting students from all over the world truly made my experience enriching, eye-opening, educational, and fun!

I was afforded the opportunity to participate in the Summer School through the US-UK Fulbright Commission King’s College London Summer Institute. My course of study was “The Olympic City: Global Games, Local Impact,” taught by Jason Luger.

Jason did a fantastic job of making classes engaging, allowing for student participation and interaction as well as frequent trips around London. We not only studied the Olympic impacts in the classroom, but also were able to witness them first hand; we visited venue sites, toured the Olympic bid city of Manchester, and observed key events such as the torch relay.

This successful integration of classroom and hands on study allowed my classmates and me to fully immerse ourselves in and appreciate our studies.

 

Furthermore, it provided me with a wealth of Olympic related information which I am now utilizing in my current education. As an Industrial Labour Relations major at Cornell University, I am hoping to examine the effect of the Olympics on a host city’s domestic labour market, as part of a course’s final research paper.

Of course, academics were only one portion of what made my experience at King’s so fantastic. Having never been to the UK before, I enjoyed the site-seeing and cultural experiences I was able to participate in. Living in the Stamford Street apartments provided easy access to all the exciting attractions Central London has to offer, such as the London Eye, Parliament, Big Ben, and Piccadilly Circus. However, in addition to participating in touristy activities, spending three weeks in London allowed me to explore the country more thoroughly.

I visited museums and travelled to Oxford, Stonehenge and Windsor and around the less
touristy areas of London. I frequented local markets, tasted new cuisines, and gained a better understanding of the intricacies of European life and culture.

However, studying at King’s not only afforded me an opportunity to experience London life, but also to learn more about the world in general. My classmates hailed from countless different countries in Europe, Asia, and North America, facilitating the rare opportunity of getting to know people from completely different backgrounds and learn about their lives. I left King’s with several new friends from all over the globe, expanding and significantly diversifying my personal network.

In hindsight, I cannot imagine any way I would have preferred to spend my summer. It has now been six months since my trip, and I am left with new friends, a huge knowledge base in my Olympic course of study, a better appreciation for European history and culture, a plan to spend a semester abroad in the UK, and the memories of a lifetime. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss my morning walk to class across Waterloo Bridge, and I am eternally grateful to the Fulbright Commission and King’s College London Summer School for enabling me to have the best three weeks of my life!

Fulbright Scholars show their stripes at the London Olympic Games

 

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My Summer School experience: Melissa

Every few weeks our blog will hear from former students who came to our Summer School. This week is Melissa, who attended Summer School not once but twice! Read what she has to say below…

‘The Summer School at King’s College London is the opportunity of a lifetime.  King’s reputation is second to none, complemented with the perfect location in central London. I was fortunate enough to participate in King’s Summer School for two summers, and both were amazing.

The first summer I took Shakespeare in London.  Coming from the United States, I was interested in seeing how different studying Shakespeare was in a city that had so many resources available to supplement the course. Visiting museums and theatres to watch a number of plays exceeded my expectations and brought an element to the study of Shakespeare that is not available anywhere else; it truly brought the content to life much more than sitting in a classroom and reading the plays from a book.

I returned the following summer to King’s Summer School to study Introduction to Human Resource Management.  Once again, King’s added a practical element, taking field trips to Harrods and Abercrombie & Fitch, which are quite distinct from stores in the United States.  I really enjoyed learning the theory in the classroom and then going out and seeing a practical application.

While spending time and learning in the classroom is important, the outside learning really sets King’s apart from other academic programmes.  Getting to meet people from so many different countries and learning about so many cultures that were different from mine was very interesting.  We also had Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays off from class, giving us time to explore London and other parts of Europe.  I loved taking tours to Stonehenge, Canterbury, Dover, and Paris over the weekends.

Whether you’re looking to get university credit at one of the top institutions in the world, meet people from all over the globe, or just simply live in one of the best cities in the world, King’s Summer School is definitely the place to be for an unforgettable summer!’

And you can watch a video of Melissa talking about her experiences here.

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Welcome to the King’s Summer School blog!

Welcome to the new King’s Summer School blog. We hope that the blog will be a great place for you to learn more about the Summer School, the courses we offer, and the university that we are part of. We also plan to tell you loads about life in London and how to make the most out of your time here if you decide to study with us this summer.

Each week the blog will have a new post, new tutors telling us more about their courses, Summer School alumni reminiscing on their time in London and King’s, and news and advice directly from the Summer School team. remember you can always find us on our website, Twitter and Facebook.

But why attend a Summer School in the first place? 

Attending a Summer School is a fantastic way to broaden your academic outlook, learn in a new environment and gain credit towards your university study. The Summer School at King’s offers all these things and more, and also gives you the chance to study in a world-leading university in the one of the world’s most dynamic cities. Not only to our Summer School students benefit from learning from leading academics, they also form friendships and contacts for life. Why not listen to Summer School alumni Melissa’s student profile to see why she decided to study with us.

Why should I choose King’s?

The King’s College London Summer School is a high quality and intensive academic programme open to students from around the world. We offer university-level summer courses which use a fresh approach to the study of traditional academic subjects.

Located in the very heart of London, accommodation and classes are next to many of the great cultural, social and entertainment attractions which London  has to offer. We even offer a lively social programme to complement the academic programme with events offered both on and off campus, including boat trips along the Thames, trips to Bath and Oxford, and the Warner Bros. Studio Tour to experience some Harry Potter magic! All this helps our students make the most of their time in London, both academically and culturally.

How can I learn more? 

Well this blog is a great way to start! For information on what courses are scheduled to run this Summer, details on fees, accommodation and our social programme, can all be found on our website. Please note that as we get closer to the summer, more and more details will be confirmed, so make sure to check back regularly! We also have our Facebook and Twitter pages, and if you have a particular question that cannot be answered, please email us at summerschool@kcl.ac.uk.

Until next week!

Summer School team x