From London to Hong Kong

We flew from London to Hong Kong to bring a unique teaching experience to students at our hosting school, Singapore International School (Hong Kong). Here are some highlights of an inspiring week.

Students were introduced to the British way of teaching and they explored a range of subject areas, such as Biomedical Sciences, Business Management, Chemistry, Law, Politics and Engineering.

It was a great opportunity for them to have an international experience in their own country, and some of the students got excited with the idea of studying abroad in the future.

Professors returned fully inspired by the bright and motivated students that they met and came back with good memories.

Students attended special sessions on the British university application process delivered by our deputy director, Ian Fielding.

For more information on our pre-university summer programmes, please check our website.

(Summer) Time of your life

Summer has started in London and the temperatures this week are reaching 29 degrees. The Undergraduate Summer School will start next week and everyone in our team is working hard to make sure that you will have an unforgettable experience at King’s. By now, you probably have mixed feelings; excitement, worry, enthusiasm and a lot of other emotions. Some of you are travelling alone, some are coming from far away and some are leaving your countries for the first time. But you are not alone, we can guarantee that most of your fellow students are feeling the same way and you will see that once you get here and meet them.

This is a fantastic opportunity to learn from the academics of one of the top universities in the world, expand your knowledge in the subject area that you have chosen and experience the British education system. It is also a chance to explore London, meet people from other countries, get exposed to other cultures and get out of your comfort zone.

Studying abroad is a way to get inspired and to think about what you would like to do in the future. Most people who experienced studying or living abroad are likely to repeat the experience. It can have an impact on your future and certainly in your outlook on the world.

Remember that not everyone has this opportunity; to meet people from other backgrounds, cultures and countries, so make the most out of it!

Why not to take the first step to meet someone? If at any point you feel lonely, insecure or scared just get in touch with someone in our team and we will be here for you.

Now review your packing checklist, do some research about your subject and get ready to fly in to London.

Pre-University fun times checklist

The countdown has started! In less than a month, you will be in London having an unforgettable life experience on the Pre-University Summer School. Having the chance to be taught by King’s College London academics is a fantastic opportunity, and you should make the most out of it. London has so much to offer that we recommend you to make a list of the main attractions that you want to see when you are not busy with classes and studies. And don’t worry, London Eye, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, South Bank and the West End (an area of Central and West London where the main theatres are concentrated) are just around the corner from our campuses.

To help you prepare for your social experience, we have 20 tickets available for the musical comedy, Aladdin. Based on the Disney movie, it has been running in the West End since 2011 to raving reviews.

The dates and times of the show are:

  • 16 July 2018 at 7.30pm – suitable for session one students (9 – 20 July)
  • 31 July 2018 at 7.30pm – suitable for session two students (23 July – 3 August)

For further information and to book tickets, please click here.

We are also arranging day trips to the picturesque city of Oxford on Saturday 14 July and Saturday 28 July. These are fully escorted and guided tours on a private luxury coach. The day includes a walking tour of the historic city centre and what is considered a favourite tradition amongst students – punting along the river. For further information and to book tickets, please click here.

There is also the new Arcade Garden at Bush House, which is part of the Strand Campus, with free creative wellbeing workshops, including watercolour painting, mindful movement, garden workshops, breathful chanting and fragrance making. It is a perfect place for you relax, study and have a break. For further information about the workshops, please click here.

Now is the time to start making your check-list and booking everything you need before arriving, so you don’t need worry about anything apart from your studies and experience. Please visit our website for more social activities.

Undergraduate Social ‘n Sports

So, you have accepted your offer to join the King’s Undergraduate Summer School, and you now probably have an idea of what you are going to study, where you are going to live and how much your workload will be. This is the perfect moment to start thinking about how to spend your free time. You probably want to go sightseeing or attend a musical or have some fish and chips.

We have put together the below social activities that you can enjoy during the Undergraduate Summer School programme.

Oxford and Windsor Day Trip

Oxford is known for its beautiful canal, pedestrianised central business district and fascinating architecture. In Windsor, you can visit the largest and oldest inhabited castle in the world and the Queen’s favourite weekend home.

For further information and to book tickets, please visit the links below:

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Trips

To celebrate some of the greatest works of William Shakespeare we will be offering our students the opportunity to attend a performance at The Globe Theatre where Shakespeare’s plays are performed like they were in his time.

Session one students can attend a live performance of Hamlet (10 July 2018 at 7:30pm), and  Session two students can attend Othello (1 August 2018 at 7:30pm).

Harry Potter Studio Tour

Step across the threshold of the Great Hall, walk down Diagon Alley, visit Number 4 Privet Drive, board the night bus, and take a photo on Hagrid’s Motorbike.

For further information and to book tickets, please visit the links below:

  • Session one : 7 July 2018 – Tour 1 at 10:45am, or Tour 2 at 11:15am
  • Session two: 28 July 2018 – Tour 1 at 10:45am, or Tour 2 at 11:15am

Gym Membership and BeActive

King’s Sport and King’s Summer Programmes are delighted to be offering gym membership packages to summer students. Membership includes full access to the fitness equipment and access to a variety of group fitness classes such as yoga, pilates and spinning (booking required). Here is an example timetable. If you wish to purchase a gym membership, please do so via the e-store.

In addition to this, A BeActive programme is available to all students, which consists of:

  • Weekly Table Tennis sessions
  • Weekly GoodGym Run – a chance to work out and volunteer in the community at the same time
  • Bi-Weekly Rave Runs

We look forward to seeing you this summer and hope you are also excited to be joining us on the King’s Undergraduate Summer School!

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.

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.

Culture, Literature, Art, Film and More!

What better way to explore the vibrant city of London than to take a summer course highlighting its role in the arts, literature, media and film. Here is an overview of the culture modules offered by the King’s Undergraduate Summer School;

London & Film
This course is intended to introduce you to some significant debates within British film studies through a focus on London as a cinematic city, the divergent spaces of London, and capital’s relationship to film genres. Films that are screened across this module will explore both the tribulations of fictional Londoners, but also focus on its real-life inhabitants that have dually shaped and contributed to London’s own big-screen history.

Media, Gender & Culture   
Taught by the Department of Culture, Media and Creative Industries, this module is intended to give you the opportunity to undertake specialist learning in media, gender and contemporary culture. Taking full advantage of our location in central London, the class will visit many of the capital’s foremost cultural institutes and you will have the opportunity to meet with insiders from the media and cultural industries.

Museum of London: Curating the City
This module looks at the social, economic, and political history of London in the twentieth century by closely examining the various collections held at and the varied types of work carried out by museum curators. It is taught onsite at the Department of English and at the Museum of London with supervised access to museum artefacts and resources.

Wonderland: 100 Years of Children’s Literature
This course is intended to give you the opportunity, as an undergraduate student studying English Literature and/or History, to explore 100 years of children’s literature. The module will be taught by the Department of English, and will include a strong creative component where you will be given the chance to devise, and perform, your own children’s stories.

Jane Austen’s England 
This module examines Jane Austen’s life and work within the context of her time and in relation to her contemporaries. It will also explore Austen’s place within literary history, as well as locating her work and her world in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries by comparing and contrasting the original texts with TV and film adaptations, sequels and textual transformations at the hands of modern directors and writers.

Literature in the City   
This module will examine the relationship between urban space and narrative representation in three European cities: London, Dublin, and Berlin.Students will be encouraged to use a combination of political, social, and literary theory to navigate literal and figurative cityscapes, through class discussion, short assignments, and exercises in urban rambling.

Theatrical London 
This module will be taught by the Department of English, and will examine London’s diverse and vibrant scene from its historic development to contemporary performance in the city and through this examination introduces theories and vocabulary used to analyse actors, audiences and architecture, the key components of theatre making.

Session one of the King’s Undergraduate Summer School runs from 2 – 20 July 2018 and session two runs from 23 July to 10 August 2018. All applications must be submitted online by 31 May 2018. More information about the academic content can be found on this webpage. All the best with your application and we hope to see you in London this summer.

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.

King’s & Stemettes Inspiring A New Generation of Women in STEM

Summer Programmes is proud to announce a collaboration with Stemettes, an award-winning social enterprise focused on providing confidence, inspiration and guidance for young women looking to pursue subjects and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Female representation in STEM fields is low worldwide. In the UK, only 21% of the STEM workforce is female, and stereotypes about gender differences in STEM fields become entrenched in girls’ minds by the age of six.

To inspire girls in the UK and Ireland to dive into STEM, Stemettes was co-founded by Anne-Marie Imafidon in 2013, and since then over 17,000 girls have attended their events, and 95% of those girls have reported an increased interest in STEM fields thereafter. Although they’ve already had a significant impact in bringing more girls into STEM, they have aimed to reach two million more by 2025, and to see a STEM workforce with greater female representation.

Building on the Women in STEM initiative at King’s and our belief that girls and young women should be encouraged to pursue degrees and careers in STEM, we are delighted to be offering 10 tuition-fee scholarships this summer to enthusiastic and motivated students nominated through Stemettes. These students will ensure that 50% of our intake for the Engineering course is female. The course is part of our Pre-University Taster programme which is designed to prepare high school students for university life and offers a variety of subjects in addition to engineering such as law, politics, history and literature and science. It willrun from 6-9 August 2018 and applications will close end of May 2018.

For more information on Stemettes visit their webpage. In addition, further details about our Pre-University Taster can be found here.

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.