Tag: pre-university

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All you need to know about London

Public transport
Getting around London can seem really daunting at first, but don’t worry, you’ll soon get used to it. The first thing you should do when you get here, is purchase an Oyster card (unless you are a Pre-University Summer School residential student). This works on a pay-as-you-go basis, so all you need to do is top up at a machine (in a tube or train station) or online, when your balance is running low. Another way to pay for travel is to use a contactless card, which costs the same amount as using an Oyster. This means you have the added benefit of not having to worry about topping it up!

Both Oysters and Contactless cards are really simple to use on public transport. On the tube, trains and DLR, make sure you ‘touch in’ on the yellow reader at the start of your journey and ‘touch out’ at the end of your journey. If you’re taking the bus or the tram, you will only need to ‘touch in’ on the yellow reader once when you board. Also make sure you download a mobile app such ‘Citymapper’, as it is really useful for working out a route between two places.

Coffee and Culture
London is bursting with cool, quirky coffee shops and cafes, and some of the following parts of town are a great place to start: Neal’s Yard in Covent Garden, Pop Brixton, Brixton Village, Hoxton and Shoreditch. If you’re looking for other ways to spend your free time, head to Peckham, specifically Rye Lane for a unique and trendy part of London that is far off the beaten (and touristy) track! There’s also Richmond Park in South West London, a beautiful expanse of green space which is only 35 minutes from Waterloo on the train. The Southbank Centre, Somerset House and The Store Studios are all in walking distance of the Strand Campus and often have exhibitions and events on during the summer. 

Sight-seeing
Don’t forget about all of London’s famous sights. Just walking across Waterloo Bridge will give you an amazing panoramic view of some of them, but make sure you explore them properly. The London Eye, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Shard, London Bridge, The Tower of London and Tower Bridge are all close to two of King’s campuses – the Strand Campus and Guy’s Campus. Other unmissable sights in London include Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, The Houses of Parliament, Hyde Park and Regent’s Park.

Download the King’s Mobile app if you are already enrolled on the Pre-University Summer School and the Undergraduate Summer School. This app will provide information about summer accommodation, social and sports activities, advice and tips on your stay in London, as well as FAQs. To download the app, click here.

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Before you arrive checklist

In a month’s time, some of you will be en route to one of the most exciting cities in the world – London! For some of you this might be the first time in the UK and for others you might have visited the city already before. Whether you are joining us for the Pre-University Summer School or the Undergraduate Summer School, we hope you find the below information useful.

After you enrol on the Pre-University Summer School or the Undergraduate Summer School, you can download the King’s mobile app. This app will provide you with information about summer accommodation, social and sports activities, advice and tips on your stay in London, as well as FAQs.

For those students arriving to London by plane, there are several different options that you can choose from to get to King’s. In this blog post we’ve provided you with details on how to travel into the city from the main London airports using trains, coaches and the underground.

Getting around London can be confusing at times. The Transport for London (TfL) network is huge and is comprised of the London Underground (colloquially known as the ‘Tube’), buses, trains, river transport, trams and even a cable car. We found this light-hearted, useful guide to using the London Underground, which you might find helpful.

Most Londoners get what is known as an Oyster card as this is cheaper than buying single tickets for every journey. You can use this by topping it up with money and paying for journeys individually or, if you’re travelling around London regularly (i.e. you’re using public transport most days) then you can buy a weekly, monthly or annual travelcard and upload it to your Oyster card.

Oyster cards work on most forms of London transport, though fares are higher for riverboat services and the Emirates cable car. They should also work on local train services within the London area. Many people cycle in London, and you can now hire what the locals call ‘Boris Bikes’ for a small fee. You need to be careful if you cycle in London that you take safety precautions and ensure that your bicycle is secure.

Classes for the summer school are either the morning or afternoon, leaving you with free evenings and weekends to take part in our exciting social and sports programme or explore the city on your own.

There is a whole host of things to see, do and eat whilst in London. Tune in to our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram each week for tips on where to get the best coffee in the city,  free places to visit in the city and where to grab a cheap eat around London.

For more pre-arrival information for the Pre-University Summer School click here, and for more pre-arrival information for the Undergraduate Summer School click here .

 

 

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All about the Law

Deciding what course to take at university is no easy task. That’s why studying a Pre-University Taster course in Law may help students with their decision-making process.

Most students will choose law because they are interested in pursuing a career in the legal profession. Law is a demanding course and training places for solicitors and barristers are highly competitive and limited. However, for those with the right aptitudes and motivation, the rewards of a legal career can be great, both in terms of salary levels and personal development. Unfortunately, getting into the legal profession is very challenging; so many students do need to consider other options.

Happily, not only will a law degree provide you with access to a variety of legal careers, it will also give you an excellent springboard into a wide range of other professions. More than half of all the graduate jobs do not require any particular degree and a good Law degree will allow you to present plenty of important skills to future employers.

Through your analysis of case studies and other work on this course, you will become highly skilled in researching and assimilating large amounts of information and complex data. These are important skills in a vast range of professions in commerce and industry. You will develop very strong oral and written communications skills, which are needed by all employers these days. You will learn to approach tasks in a clear, reasoned and logical way, and you will become an effective problem solver.

This course will run in from 6 – 9 August 2018. For more information, please check our website, or email us at summer@kcl.ac.uk.

 

 

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The Human Body

Anatomy and human physiology degrees are for those who are fascinated by the science of medicine. The Pre-University Summer School is offering a new course this year called the Human Body where you can learn about the structure of the body and how it functions.

You will gain an understanding of the cause, diagnosis and treatment of different diseases, and how they affect different parts of the body. You will also learn how these systems adapt to the different characteristics of hostile environments, such as temperature extremes, mountain altitudes, airplane cabins, space microgravity conditions, and future habitats on the Moon and Mars.

At the end of this course, you will walk away with excellent knowledge of how the body works, and relevant knowledge to support future study in the field of biomedical and life sciences.

The course will be running in both session one (9 – 20 July 2018) and session two (23 July – 3 August 2018). The application deadline is 15 May 2018, and early application is advised. For more information, please check our website.

When you enrolled on the Pre-University Summer School , you can download the King’s mobile app which provides information about summer accommodation, social and sports activities, advice and tips on your stay in London, as well as FAQs. This app will help you in your student journey and will allow you to have offline access to all pre-arrival information.

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Understanding the human mind

The Pre-University Summer School is a unique academic and social experience designed for high school students who are enrolled in their final two years of study. If you are interested in Psychology and related subjects, you can study a summer school course where youwill be encouraged to adopt problem-based learning to see how insights from research can be applied to real world issues. With the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience being one of the world’s leading centres for interdisciplinary research in psychiatry and psychology, this programme can provide you with a valuable insight into this field of study.

Whatever career you pursue, a background in psychology will enhance your employability. Studying psychology can…

…help you understand yourself and other people by learning about aspects of human behaviour that will help you in daily life, including your interactions with others, your learning and memory performance, your ability to cope with pressure and your understanding of the causes of psychological disorders.

…complement other learning by combining Psychology with other subject areas. Many subject areas in arts and social sciences, benefit from an understanding of human behaviour, be it social interaction, language and communication, human motivation and emotion, or the process of decision-making. Moreover, knowledge about brain function and behaviour is of considerable benefit to students studying other science degrees.

…develop sound analytical skills through the application of scientific method. Psychology is a science. The defining feature of any science is the objective approach that is used to advance our knowledge. In psychology we use this scientific approach to learn about behaviour and mental life. Psychology provides an excellent training in analytical thinking and scientific research methods that are applicable to a broad range of careers.

A testimonial from a previous psychology student, Francesca Giombini, who expresses her thoughts on the programme- “I loved spending my summer at Kings and would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone. These two weeks went above and beyond my expectations both academically and socially!”

The course will be running in both session one (9 – 20 July 2018) and session two (23 July – 3 August 2018). The application deadline is 15 May 2018, and early application is advised. For more information, please check our website.

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Kick-start your Future in Science and Technology

Science and Technology are closely linked aspects of society, and the developments in both of these fields are essential for the overall progress of humankind.

Science comprises a wide variety of fields ranging from chemistry to relatively advanced fields like space exploration, human genetics, and cloning. Scientific study attempts to explore and understand the physical world and tries to analyse the occurrences in nature and gain more knowledge through experimentation.

On the other hand, the importance of technology lies in its manifold benefits to society. The advancement in this field has revolutionised human life. It has provided an impetus to the computer and the telecommunication industry. The developments in communication technology have made the world a smaller place. The Internet serving as an excellent communication platform has made the world flat.

The Pre-University Summer School offers a course in Science and Technology to prepare students who are considering an undergraduate degree in science, engineering or related subjects. Led by academics from King’s Natural and Mathematical Sciences faculty, students will study fundamentals of chemistry, physics and engineering to build their theoretical and experimental understanding of each discipline in the modern world.

The programme will run from 9 to 20 July 2018 and the application deadline is 15 May 2018.

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King’s Summer Scholarships

Given our partnership with UNHCR, King’s Summer Programmes is proud to be offering ten tuition fee scholarships to forced migrants from the UK and around the globe. These scholarships are for students wishing to study on any one of the following programmes: 2018 Undergraduate School, 2018 Pre-University Summer School, 2018 Pre-University Taster.

The term `forced migrant` is used as an umbrella term for the following immigration backgrounds:

  • Asylum seeker is someone who has lodged an application for protection on the basis of the Refugee Convention or Article 3 of the ECHR.
  • Refugee is a former asylum seeker person who has been granted refuge in a country other than their home country. They have been able to prove that if they are returned home, they will be prosecuted because of their race, religion, nationality, social group or political opinion.
  • Humanitarian Protection is given to people, if sent back, would face punishment due to a previously not mentioned case.
  • Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Child status is given in unique cases for children arriving to the country separated from their parents, for a limited period of time, usually until they turn 17.5.
  • Limited Leave to Remain (previously Discretionary Leave to Remain) is given for applicants with unique cases to remain in the UK for a limited period of time
  • Long Residence Status can be granted in case of demonstrating continuous residency in the UK for several years (sufficient length depends on age).

According to UNHCR statistics, only 1% of eligible refugees have access to higher education, compared to 36% of global youth. Higher education is a priority for UNHCR and forms an integral part of their protection and solutions mandate. The King’s Summer School is pleased to be involved in this partnership and welcome students to apply.

The deadline for this scholarship is 1 April 2018.  All scholarship applicants need to apply for the programme in the usual way and must fulfill our standard academic criteria. For information on how to apply for this scholarship please read the guidelines here. Good luck!

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New Summer Programme- University Futures: Skills in leadership and innovation

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New to the King’s College London Summer Programmes Team portfolio for 2018 is University Futures: Skills in leadership and innovation conference.

Running from 1- 7 July 2018, this programme will be led by King’s College London’s Entrepreneurship Institute. This stimulating programme, aimed at high school students aged 14 and 15 years olds, will explore themes of innovation and leadership through a series of lectures, seminars and group work activities. More information about the academic content can be found on this webpage.

University Futures is a fully residential programme and all students will be housed in our Stamford Street Apartments. Every night there will be social activities for all students to take part in, including a treasure hunt along London’s South Bank, a trip to Covent Garden, a boat party on the Thames and a theatre trip.

You can apply online and you have until 15 May 2018 to submit an application to the programme. More information about the programme and how to apply can be found here. Good luck with your application and we hope to see you in July.

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Applications now open: Pre-University Taster 2018

pre-uni (6)We’ve now launched our Pre-University Taster programme for 2018.

Our Pre-University Taster is a chance to explore a subject at undergraduate level, whilst studying at one of the world’s top universities.

The programme will run from 6-9 August 2018. Choose from a range of study areas including Business Management, History and Literature, Law, Science and new for 2018 is Engineering.

You can submit an application now and you will have until 31 May 2018 to apply to the programmes. This year we are offering 10 tuition fee scholarships for students wishing to study on the 2018 Pre-University Taster programme. These scholarships will cover the tuition fee of £300 and the deadline to apply is 1 April 2018. If you would like more information about this and details on how to apply please visit our Summer@King’s Scholarships page.

Accommodation is also available to those wishing to study on the Pre-University Taster programme. Upon receiving an offer you can purchase your accommodation from the King’s College London e-store.

If you have a question concerning an application that you have submitted please email the admissions team through your King’s Apply account. If you have a question about accommodation, the e-store or any other aspect of the programme you may also find the answer to your query on our website. Alternatively you can contact us by email at summer@kcl.ac.uk or call the office during opening hours.

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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.