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UCL Year 12 Summer Schools 2022

By Lauren Sandhu, on 17 February 2022

Year 12 students at UCL summer schoolApplications are now open for our free Year 12 Sutton Trust Summer Schools.

This year we will be running our summer schools both online and in person (at UCL) during July and August 2022 in partnership with The Sutton Trust.

We will begin by delivering an exciting mix of online sessions over the first two days of the summer school. Then, we will welcome you to UCL the next week for a range of sessions with UCL staff and students.

You can expect to learn more about your chosen subject, take part in social activities and stay overnight in university accommodation.

This summer we are running summer schools n the following subjects:

  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Biosciences
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Economics
  • Fine Art
  • Geography
  • History
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Laws
  • Maths and Computer Science
  • Natural Sciences
  • Physics
  • Psychology and Education

Applications are open until Wednesday 9 March 2022.Year 12 students at UCL Summer School

Would you like to find out more about our Year 12 summer schools before submitting your application? Read about the experiences of people, from across the UK, who attended our summer schools in 2020.

In 2020 we ran our summer schools online-only and this year they will be happening both online and at UCL but you will still learn more about what previous attendees enjoyed the most via the below blog posts.

Sarah – Natural Sciences Summer School 

Natalia – Languages and Cultures Summer School 

Lena – English Summer School 

 

 

Top 10 most photo-worthy spots in London

By UCL Faculty of Arts & Humanities, on 13 August 2021

London is full of fantastic sights no matter where you go. If a trip to London is in the cards for you this summer, you might be interested in a few ideas below.

1. Tower Bridge – This striking bridge is often confused with London Bridge. Hot tip, for best photos of Tower Bridge, stand on London Bridge!

2. British Library – The home of the Magna Carta, The British Library are sharing the most awe-inspiring items in their collection. Free to attend, but tickets must be booked beforehand.

3. Natural History Museum – Free to visit, but bookings must be made beforehand. Don’t forget to look up when you enter – a 25-metre blue whale skeleton is suspended in the air above!

4. Sky Garden – London’s highest public garden! Get the best free views of London from above. Free to enter, bookings must be made in advance.

5. Notting Hill – Did you visit London if you don’t have a photo of the pastel-coloured houses? Make sure you take a stroll down Portobello Road Market – Saturday is the busiest day.

6. St Pancras International – Located a stone’s throw from the British Library and UCL. You might recognise the train station as the exterior of King’s Cross Station in Harry Potter!

7. Grant Museum – Jar of Moles. Does that pique your interest? How about Quagga Skeleton, or Dodo Bones? The Grant Museum of Zoology has something for everyone to explore. Free to visit but tickets must be booked.

8. Greenwich Park – This beautiful park is the home to the Prime Meridian Line – separating east from west.

9. Olympic Park – Get into Olympic fever in East London and take a stroll around the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic venues.

10. Woburn Walk – Walk too quickly and you might just miss it! Woburn Walk is a quaint street that looks like it came right out of the Georgian era! This beautiful pocket has been used as a filming location for many films, most recently Cruella.

5 Ways to Make the Most of your Summer

By UCL Faculty of Arts & Humanities, on 27 July 2021

It’s been a challenging year for all of us, but now summer is here and the school year over! Why not take a break from Netflix and try a few new things this summer? Karen (our Acting Access Manager, and former teacher) has shared five ways to make the most of the warmer months, which will also help prepare you for your return to school in the autumn.

1. Keep reading

Now is the perfect time to read for pleasure and to lose yourself in a new, imaginary world. There is no better way to spend a lazy summer day than with a good book. Plus this will help get you ready for all the reading you have ahead of you, whether you’ll be studying for your GCSEs or moving up to sixth form next year. Of course, you can read whatever you like this summer; you might prefer to read magazines, newspapers or comics rather than books.

2. Keep writing

The best way to get better at writing is to keep writing. So, write anything! For example, you might want to write a journal, make notes on the books you read this summer (see above) or do some creative writing such as writing a story. You might even want to learn calligraphy (the fancy writing that you see on wedding invitations) or just improve your handwriting in general.

3. Start a creative project

This is the time to do all those things that you don’t normally have time to do. How about creating a family album with all those photos that you have on your computer or phone? Or you could draw your family tree. Why not create some art that you can put up in your home somewhere or learn to knit, sew or crochet? The possibilities are endless.

4. Cook something

Maybe you could make dinner for the family once a week, or make lunch every day. Maybe you could learn a new recipe or two to impress everyone. Or perhaps you could bake a cake or make some picnic food that you can enjoy outdoors with some friends. If you already have good skills in the kitchen, then maybe you can invent your own recipe – this could be as simple as thinking of a new sandwich filling that people may not have tried before.

5. Spend time outdoors

After so many months spent indoors, now is the time to get out and about! You can go out walking and cycling or you can play sports outdoors. Use your garden or any green space near you to race against your friends, or create an obstacle course or play football, handball etc. If you are able to travel, then maybe you can visit a beauty spot in your area so that you can spend some time outdoors in a new environment, but remember to keep socially distanced.

Whatever you decide to do, we hope that you will have fun this summer. You deserve it!

Being a commuter student at UCL

By Lauren Sandhu, on 30 October 2020

Did you know that over a quarter of UCL students commute into university from their family, guardian’s or own homes? We have launched some new guidance and information for commuter students on our website. Tonika is going into her third year at UCL studying Psychology and today she tells us about her experience of being a student who commutes into UCL to study.

How do you get to UCL?

I travel to university from South London via the Northern Line tube

What was your first year like?

My first year, particularly the first term, I tried to ensure I attended as many events as possible even though I was a commuter. I attended various Freshers events and joined a few societies which, if possible, I highly recommend as it helps you feel more a part of the university community. By the second term it became more difficult to continue attending society events due to university deadlines and various other commitments. However, by this point I also felt more comfortable having to travel to campus and nearby, which I genuinely believe was because I had made a conscious effort to try different events in the first term.

What would you want an incoming commuter student to know?

I would want incoming students to know that they have no need to worry. It can absolutely be a daunting experience but take comfort in knowing that everyone will be feeling the same whether they are commuting or live a two-minute walk from main campus. You may feel as though you are missing out but there are so many opportunities for you to get to know people whether they are on your course, in a society, meet in a café, or happen to sit in the same area as you in the library. Even if you have days where your transport journey has not gone to plan, do not let this cloud the fact that for the majority of the time it should run smoothly and will not detract from your overall university experience if you make the effort.

What does a typical day look like for you?

My days largely vary based on what time my lecture starts however, I always aim to leave the house about 1 hour 20 minutes before the start of the lecture. I have a 5-minute walk to the tube, and I am generally able to get a seat unless it is rush hour. My journey is about 45 minutes and in that time I usually do some required or extra reading for previous lectures or read over revision notes. Having completed the lecture it really varies, some days I will take out the required books from the library and complete my notes there or in the Bedford Way cubicles, my seminar may be that day, I may attend a society event, or my friends and I may choose to do something else other than work. Most days however I try to avoid rush hour on the way home which is just a personal preference.

What are the challenges and benefits of commuting?

Benefits of commuting;

  • You can save money, so there will be fewer financial worries throughout your university years.
  • University is still a big change but if you are commuting from your family home at least that is one constant.
  • It can mean you have your family around you for emotional or mental support when things become stressful.
  • If you are commuting from a shared home with friends, then hopefully this means you already know them well so there may be less issues than there would be at halls of residence e.g. issues with noise.
  • It can allow you to get to know and explore other areas of London.

Challenges of commuting;

  • You may find travel is expensive especially if you are also paying rent. I would suggest looking into what deals are available and which would best suit you whether that is a 16-25 Railcard, an 18+ Student Oyster or any other discounts. I also suggest making a note of your outgoing spending for travel and general spending.
  • Travelling for long periods of time can be tiring. I would suggest ensuring you have planned the day out in advance, so know what you will be doing and how long you will be away from home. This way you can pack your bag accordingly to include things like lunch. I also highly recommend using the time productively to complete any reading, do some revision, read over work, or even complete some work if possible.
  • Struggles with rush hour. Firstly, ensure you keep your belongings in a safe place and not on show, but also try to note which carriages or areas of the transport tend to have less people in and then stand or sit there. If your transport comes frequently, I would also suggest letting most of the crowd get onto the first tube, bus etc and then getting onto the second one. Again, if possible, I think trying to get some work done would be beneficial but of course be mindful of your surroundings.
  • A further challenge to commuting may concern worries that you made a wrong choice commuting. I think it is important to remind yourself of the reason why you chose to commute, whether it is financial reasons, wanting to stay with your family etc. As long as you are proactive you will still have a great experience of meeting new people, developing new friendships, discovering new cafes or museums, experiencing the great teaching and all that UCL has to offer.