Category: Testimonial

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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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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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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

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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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A taste of University life

Applying for university can be a daunting task. It helps to be well informed about your options by speaking with your career adviser, attending university open days and chatting with current university students about their experience.

If you want to take it a step further and discover what the life of a university student in London is really like, our Pre-University Summer School is for you. Designed for high school students in their final 2 years of study, it lets you study a subject at Undergraduate level for two weeks. So, if you’re unsure about what you want to study after high school, why not ‘try before you buy?’ It is also an opportunity to meet students from around the world and add studying at a globally-renowned and research-led university to your CV or resume.

Our Pre-University Programme Manager, Mina Chakmagi, agrees that the benefits of the programme go beyond the classroom.  

‘I love seeing just how much students gain from the Pre-University Summer School. It’s not only a chance to get a taster of their chosen subject at undergraduate level – a lot of the feedback I’ve received from students is about increased levels of confidence, independence, improved team-working and presentation skills and cultural awareness. These are all important skills to be able to draw on when making the transition from high school to further study and future careers. I would encourage anyone considering such a programme to apply and see for themselves what an enriching and fun experience it is.’

But don’t just take our word for it, here’s what Nina from the USA who studied The Human Body with us in summer 2018 had to say;

“This was one of the most memorable experiences of my life; the two weeks were filled with unforgettable explorations of London, friendships that will undoubtedly last a life time, and opportunities for learning both in and out of the classroom. Our professor was very knowledgeable and encouraged a classroom environment in which any questions and discussions were welcome. I entered the program with an interest in medicine, and after taking the class I could not be more certain that pursuing a medical career is the right path for me. London feels like a second home now, and I remain in touch with the brilliant people I met there. As I begin the application process to university, I realise how much King’s prepared me for future academic endeavours, and I am so glad that I participated in the programme.”

Want to know more about our summer school? Visit our website for detailed information. If you have any questions, please get in touch with us at summer@kcl.ac.uk.

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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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From Kenya to London

Everybody knows how challenging combining studying and working is, as much as it is a great opportunity to get work experience and lay practical foundations for your future job. Emmanuel Mamadi’s academic career in Kenya was a successful combination of both.

Having been awarded an African Leadership Summer Scholarship at King’s College London, Emmanuel has just graduated and celebrated his achievement in the best way by travelling abroad for the first time from his hometown in Kenya – proof that hard work can pay off.

The African Leadership Summer Scholarship programme offers students from King’s select African partners the opportunity to study on the King’s Summer School in London on courses on Conflict, Security and Leadership. The scholarship programme supports the work of the African Leadership Centre (ALC) at King’s which aims to inform and influence policy change both in Africa and at a global level. The ALC runs ground-breaking Master’s programmes and a highly competitive Fellowship programme that allows those involved to work and study on several continents. This year saw seven students from Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa attend the summer scholarship programme.

Emmanuel’s scholarship included, alongside the fully funded attendance of an intensive King’s Undergraduate Summer School module, workshops on leadership, security and peace issues.

We have spoken to him to hear more about his experience.

What was your first experience of the city? London is a beautiful and astonishing city which never gets old. It was so exciting to experience London with all its cultural diversity and different dynamics. The people here are friendly and interacting with many of them is an invigorating experience. I used to just imagine what it would be like here and this being my first time to travel out of my country… it was ecstatic.

Did you face any challenges? Well, I love challenges and with all the excitement of a whole new experience I took everything positively. However, the culture shock stunned me with most people here having more private space than I am used to. It wasn’t really much of a challenge but a learning experience.

What’s been your favourite thing about London so far? The diversity stands out for me. It’s my favourite feature of London.

What did you make of the academic experience? Yes, a conversation with King’s African Leadership Centre director, Professor Funmi Olonisakin; visiting London Bridge, the London Eye, being in Whitehall and Trafalgar Square. I have yet so much more to explore.

The session with Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, the lead of the United Nations Refugee Agency in Britain, was also an eye opener. The course lessons at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) gave me new thoughts and inspired my sense of analysis and critical thinking. In a nut shell, my experience was fascinating and a learning curve.

Was there anything that amazed you? Professor Jack Spence from the War Studies department at King’s College London would tell you that a picture, i.e. art, simplifies and history complicates. Well, my time at King’s has been a time of memories made of both pictures and history. Having the chance to experience learning in an environment occupied by diversity, knowledge and skill has made me come out feeling exhilarating about studies. The experience of interacting with different professors, tutors, staff and students from the globe has built me holistically; not only in the academic sphere but life skills as well.

Can you describe London in three words? Diverse, euphoric & amazing!

 

 

 

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My King’s Experience- Anaelle Prioux

My name is Anaelle, but everyone calls me Ana. This year I was lucky enough to experience King’s College and the beautiful city of London. The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about my experience at King’s is the international environment. It would have been easier for me to stick with people from my country- France, but King’s has students from over 100 different nationalities, so I wanted to take advantage of having a multicultural university experience.

My closest friends were from Hong Kong, Singapore and Ireland. They’ve taught me how to make dumplings and speak rudimental Irish. It’s honestly a lot of fun to be around students from different cultures and it’s made my time at King’s a lot more enjoyable.

Another important aspect is that this international culture is also present in the academic life. When studying at King’s, you get professors and seminar leaders from all over the world who specialise in interesting disciplines and are able to teach you new perspectives. In the History department, there are a lot of non-Eurocentric modules about post-colonial Africa, early modern China and the African heritage of Latin American cultures.

So, what makes studying at King’s a good experience? The location of it’s main campuses. Waterloo, Strand and London Bridge are all in the heart of London, in bustling areas that are also close to major monuments and attractions. It helps with discovering the city, especially if you’re new to London like me! Trafalgar Square, the West End and the National Gallery are all around the corner from Strand and Waterloo. From Guy’s campus, you can easily pop to the Tate Modern, the Shard and my favourite- Borough Market with all the amazing food options it offers (I highly recommend Ethiopian Flavours and Luminary Bakery).

The last point I’d like to mention is the variety and quality of non-academic activities organised by King’s College London Student Union (KCLSU). King’s Sports runs a great programme called BeActive and organises sport sessions in badminton, yoga, football, basketball, running (and a lot of other activities). It’s been a really good way for me to stay fit without the commitment of a formal sports team!