Kings College London, usually known as KCL, is one of the UK’s top twenty universities. This post will provide an overview of the university, followed by a short talk by an alumni master’s student about her experience at the university during the pandemic’s peak.
Kings College London (KCL)
Kings College London is located in the heart of London. Its five campuses, Denmark Hill, St Thomas’, Strand, Waterloo, and Guys, give students convenient access to one of the world’s most connected and vibrant cities. King’s is notably well-known for its research in the humanities, law, sciences, and social sciences, as well as international affairs.
Postgraduate Options
Students at King’s College London enjoy a wide range of postgraduate choices. You may learn more about what they have to offer by visiting their website.
Isabella Valente: My Experience At Kings College London
Why did you decide to study at Kings College London?
I decided to study at King’s as I know it’s a great university for studying History. I thought it would also be a good university to go to since I was moving back to London.
The Department
What’s your course and how is the workload and support provided?
My course was World History & Cultures. I found the jump from an undergraduate to a postgraduate degree worse than the jump from A-levels to university. The workload was a lot, and expectations were higher with my masters. I think I found the course challenging due to completing it from my bedroom as everything was online due to COVID. Had I been on campus I would have also had a support system from lecturers and peers. As everything was online there was little support or communication from both students and lectures. With assignments, there was guidance from certain lecturers, but from others there was little.
I only had one seminar in person, unfortunately. However, when the library had fewer restrictions I tried to go as much as possible. I would commute to campus, spend my allotted library time usually researching and reading for assignments.
Characterise your department?
I would characterise the history department as traditional.
Costs
We are all aware that pursuing a masters degree may be costly. Why do you think this is the case? What steps can make higher education more accessible to young adults?
The majority of young people have always been unable to access higher education due to a wide gap. Higher education costs should be cut, especially for master’s degrees. Since everything was online during the pandemic, I felt like I wasn’t getting my money’s worth because I only attended a few in-person lectures and seminars. The issue seems to be widespread at most universities. The price of a degree should be determined by the individual. They could, for example, be charged according to how frequently they use the facilities and how much education they receive rather than paying a lump sum.
Final Thoughts
What are your final opinions on your master’s degree, and what advice do you have for new and prospective students interested in studying your course?
While I enjoyed my master’s degree at KCL, I found it difficult due to a lack of support at the time. My only regret is that I wish I had spent more time researching for my master’s degree. One that would be more useful to me in the future since I wasn’t sure what was the greatest decision for me. I believe I should have done something better suited to what I intended to do in the future. I’m still considering what I want to do next.
Research history courses to see what perspectives they offer and if they only teach from the western perspective. Think about what you want to do with your master’s degree. If it helps you get into a PhD program or leads to future employment opportunities, then that’s fantastic. It is also great to pursue a master’s degree if you are passionate about the subject like I was. Make sure you have a plan for what you want to accomplish next.
We hope this post has given you an idea of what it’s like to pursue a master’s degree at Kings College London.
