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Is Kings College London not a good school?

Reply 40

Gabrielxucram

8

TSR kids are as reliable as Fox News or CNN... King's, specially for my course, is one of the top unis in the UK...

Reply 41

sellerofdreams

13

Original post by MashiePotatoes

In my country, KCL is a really excellent school... like the OP, I'm getting very nervous about the school. I'm very very very excited to study in London coming from a foreign country and I'm giving up a lot just to study Law in Kings. I'm even giving up my local places (which are sufficient to get into the best law firms in my country) and gonna take a student loan and be riddled in debt just to go Kings. Am I making a bad choice? I'm feeling a little sad now haha.

It has an excellent international reputation and is a very good university. Definitely UK top 10. Congratulations on getting in.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 42

teresa19

10

is it good for history?

Reply 43

AakankshaS

3

Original post by MashiePotatoes

Thanks Luthervan :smile:

I'm very very excited to attend school there! Any Kings people wanna make friends I'm all up for it :smile:

Hey I'm probably going to Kings for law too! I'd love to make friends! :biggrin:

Reply 44

mm14

11

Original post by Gabrielxucram

TSR kids are as reliable as Fox News or CNN... King's, specially for my course, is one of the top unis in the UK...

Excellently put, would rep but TSR won't let me

Reply 45

DK123

Original post by Origami Bullets

It's a very good university - Russell Group, research intensive, competitive entry, good reputation... You've got nothing to worry about.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Is it good with employers? Do employers regard this school highly? If a job applicant had king College on his resume, would this sit well with an employer?

Reply 46

Copperknickers

15

Original post by DK123

Is it good with employers? Do employers regard this school highly? If a job applicant had king College on his resume, would this sit well with an employer?

Depends on the employer. It's not the same as having 'Oxford' or 'Cambridge', but it's better than 'Manchester' or 'Hull'.

Reply 47

queen-bee

19

I loved my time at KCL. Would recommend

Reply 48

Copperknickers

15

Original post by LutherVan

KCL is 4th in London. 6th if you decide to consider that Oxbridge students also compete primarily in London.

And here it entirely depends on the subject. Imperial only does science, business etc, and LSE only does politics, economics (and law). So in reality for most arts and humanities subjects KCL is only competing with UCL and is therefore 2nd in London. And KCL includes things like the institutions of psychiatry and the institute of Hellenic Studies, which make it better than anywhere else in the UK for those specific subjects.

But even for things like Law and Politics where KCL is outdone by its competitors, it is rapidly improving and has some pretty major advantages, so again in specific subject areas like war studies (the world-leading department of its type) and constitution studies (KCL's library includes much of the corpus of the old Public Record Office) it is more than a match for UCL or LSE. But KCL falls down in things like medicine, economics, and many of the more common humanities and science subjects such as English and Maths, which LSE, UCL and Imperial obviously dominate.

So the answer to the thread is, KCL is a very good all-rounder university with a handful of excellent departments, rather than an all-round excellent university like UCL, or an excellent specialised university like LSE, SOAS or Imperial.

Reply 49

Origami Bullets

19

Original post by DK123

Is it good with employers? Do employers regard this school highly? If a job applicant had king College on his resume, would this sit well with an employer?

7th in the UK and 43rd in the world, according to employers, is far from shabby https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/global-employability-university-ranking-2015-results

Reply 50

Stychomythia

13

Original post by Schrödingers Cat

No but you clearly go to kings so your view is bias and invalid

So as you don't go to King's you are objective? Opinions are, by their nature, subjective; evidence, by implication, less so.

Reply 51

aisha0107

Hi, I am from India. I have applied for the MSc in Financial Mathematics course at LSE, UCL, Kings and Imperial. As of now, I have an offer from kings. What kind of employment opportunities are there for post grads from King's College, London from this course

Reply 52

username2948416

7

King's is a good university. Much of it appeal is down to where it is...which is the dirty, scruffy part of the Strand. To attend, you should live in London or its close environs. The halls can be lonely. The building is ugly and dirty. The homeless seem to use it for sleeping and urinating. The foyer is dated. They is a general lack of self-respect governing the place. The lecture theatres are typical of any ageing University. The quad looks like an old Victorian work house, and there is a an easy mistake to be made in thinking that Somerset House is part of it. It isn't. It is an arts centre, food hall and an art college. The rear of the college looks like a disused cinema. Many new students feel depressed and overwhelmed by where it is and what it looks like. This place is not an Oxford college! Life as a London student can be horribly expensive, and this is true of King's students. If you had to visit the place a few times a year it would be fine. Having to go there most days is depressing and bankrupting. You constantly have that feeling of 'London dirty'. Many complain about being and feeling neglected by the place. A friend of mine lectured there and was glad to see the back of the place as the IT was constantly going down, and that he was shunted about throughout the building. He also had to live and commute in from a flat in Ballam. . It was not a founding Russell Group university but has recently joined. Good work is undertaken there by those refused by Imperial, Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, Exeter, Southampton, Bristol etc. Unless you are London-centric, it is a difficult place to deal with. A good university, but think hard before applying. Every decent university expects 3 A grades. You can get into King's with less, though London based applicants appear to be favoured.

Reply 53

Mash239

10

Original post by binkyboobosh

King's is a good university. Much of it appeal is down to where it is...which is the dirty, scruffy part of the Strand. To attend, you should live in London or its close environs. The halls can be lonely. The building is ugly and dirty. The homeless seem to use it for sleeping and urinating. The foyer is dated. They is a general lack of self-respect governing the place. The lecture theatres are typical of any ageing University. The quad looks like an old Victorian work house, and there is a an easy mistake to be made in thinking that Somerset House is part of it. It isn't. It is an arts centre, food hall and an art college. The rear of the college looks like a disused cinema. Many new students feel depressed and overwhelmed by where it is and what it looks like. This place is not an Oxford college! Life as a London student can be horribly expensive, and this is true of King's students. If you had to visit the place a few times a year it would be fine. Having to go there most days is depressing and bankrupting. You constantly have that feeling of 'London dirty'. Many complain about being and feeling neglected by the place. A friend of mine lectured there and was glad to see the back of the place as the IT was constantly going down, and that he was shunted about throughout the building. He also had to live and commute in from a flat in Ballam. . It was not a founding Russell Group university but has recently joined. Good work is undertaken there by those refused by Imperial, Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, Exeter, Southampton, Bristol etc. Unless you are London-centric, it is a difficult place to deal with. A good university, but think hard before applying. Every decent university expects 3 A grades. You can get into King's with less, though London based applicants appear to be favoured.

I am a current KCL student and very much disagree with this. Firstly, it depends on what your course is. Different courses go to different buildings for teaching. Science courses are mainly at Guy's campus which looks like a decent campus. Some teaching is done at the Waterloo campus which looks like any other building. Not pretty, not ugly. Just another building. The inside is just normal. The Strand Campus again looks like any other building but in the King's building (part of Strand Campus), it looks decently pretty. We have a gorgeous Chapel and decent architecture within. Law students are favoured as Law is kinda the pride of KCL so we do have teaching in Somerset House itself in our 2nd and 3rd years. KCL will never look like a university in other parts of the UK or maybe other parts of London (I don't know what other London unis look like) so just imagine a typical London building.

I don't really understand what the 'scruffy part of Strand' is. KCL's main campus on the Strand is located between the Royal Courts of Justice and the main high street of Strand. It is also located beside the iconic Somerset House and is a 5-10 minute walk from Covent Garden. If KCL is located in the dirty, scruffy part of strand, so are the Royal Courts, the Lyceum Theatre (where the Lion King is held) and Somerset House (a landmark)... which is really unlikely. London in general is dirtier simply because it is an extremely populated city. In my opinion it isn't filthy to the point where it becomes unliveable but you know, we all have different standards.

I don't really know what kind of life he is living but our Cafeteria food is of a good portion and costs 4.50 max a meal. There are plenty of food along the Strand in the range of 5-6 pounds as well. If you live in London and choose to cook for yourself, you probably will spend no more than 40 quid a week on food. I don't see how that is bankrupting. Rent, on the other hand, is extremely expensive in London. That is not a KCL-specific fact. It applies to any London uni you live at. You can get cheaper accomodations outside of Zone 1 (see below for other things to think about)

The homeless sleep where they want at night, at any building - they are homeless. There are homeless people sleeping outside the renowned Coutts Bank just down the street as well. The streets are they home and if they are comfortable in finding refuge outside KCL buildings at night, that's fine for us. Otherwise, the homeless are not usually seen at KCL campuses in the day, probably because students are less generous with money.

I think you should distinguish life as an academic/visiting professor and life as a student. I think it is quite sad if visiting academics are treated that way. Yes, there are the occasional down times but lectures don't stop just because there are IT issues. Every organisation will inevitably have IT issues. Secondly, I don't know why as an academic his friend will be shunned but I assure you that people in KCL is very friendly and KCL is very very strong in advocating its campuses as safe spaces, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race etc. so feel free to be who you are where you want. There is a great network of support from senior students, academics as well as other staff and KCL has the most number of student groups and sports to choose from. New students often feel disappointed that their classes aren't held in Somerset House but no one is 'overwhelmed' or 'depressed' over that. You have to be a really sensitive prick to have your university life affected so greatly that you have a slightly less appealing building to have your classes in.

In conclusion, the reason why I would study in London is firstly the prestige of the universities. Secondly, just being in Central London, you get to experience the city and touristy vibe wherever you go. There are PLENTY of things to do around before and after school, alone or with your friends. Tourist attractions are just a stone's throw away and the Thames is nearby so it is refreshing to take a walk there once in awhile. If you're not into all that, or you think the city vibe is too busy for you, you might want to reconsider studying at KCL or elsewhere in London. If you do decide to study in London, rent is expensive. However, just remember that even if you move out, you might be paying a significant amount on transport anyway. i.e. Staying in Zone 3 for 135 quid a week + 35 quid a week of transport vs Staying 10 min walk from school for 180 quid a week. The 10 pound difference for some convenience might not be too bad a thing! So think about it. Otherwise, good school, good teaching, admin isn't the best, I personally love living in the city and I love my school culture and vibe. Come for an open day during the summer to see it for yourself, or we have daily campus tours if you are keen :smile:

Reply 54

Stychomythia

13

I invite everyone on this thread to contrast the rather snarky, and certainly very generalised and vague, criticisms of King's with the (mostly) articulate and certainly more specific and perceptive comments of current students.

Have I weighted my own comments? Of course; but those are still fair criteria for readers to use.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 55

Mash239

10

OH and I was reading the comments from page 1... I actually commented on this post last year saying that I was scared (if you want to check out my comment, go to page 2)! So guys... haha I was swayed by so many comments before coming here but now, I feel very privileged to be in KCL. I just feel this sense of pride when I talk to potentially employers, friends and strangers and when I mention my school, they go 'wow!'. I gave up a lot to come here and yes it has been financially difficult for me so far but completely worth it.

So if you want a realistic (and objective) perspective about KCL, just compare my comments from last year and now! :smile:

Also, all the best to current and future UCAS applicants. Just remember, every university has its pros and cons. I enjoy KCL based on certain aspects and I wouldn't trade my place for a place in oxbridge now simply because I love studying and living in Central London. Pick universities that you want, or that you feel comfortable with, NOT just for the name. My friends in Manchester, Leeds and Bristol etc. are having the time of their lives. They don't brood about not getting into a top 10 UK university, they even mock me because they get (apparently) better food at a cheaper price! (I'd have to go there to find out for myself :P) Point is, ultimately, it is what you make out of your education; you choose your friends, mods, extra-curriculars... The name of the uni would just be a bonus; it doesn't determine your future and definitely not make you any less as a person :smile:

Reply 56

Luke7456

20

As others have said Kings is one of the best universities in the world in the top 25.

However they are not world class for every subject for example they are not brilliant for maths. Even then though they are not bad, for the subject but there are many better options.

You can always research your specific subjects in regards to Kings.

I think a lot of people sometimes get carried away.

Cambridge and Oxford are the very best Universities we have in the UK obviously you should always want one of these two, but not everyone can get the grades for that and even then the majority get rejected. Its silly to say you didn't go to a good university if you can't get into Oxbridge even if your brilliant you can be rejected.

UCL and Imperial are by most accounts the two next best ranked 7th and 9th on world rankings.
In all seriousness if your going to one of the top ten universities in the world you really can't knock that, and it is silly to criticize that. Again though getting offers is not easy.
Some people argue LSE should be in this category too well not according to most rankings and reports/info I have read however LSE are certainly up their in the right subject areas and are world class in their own right just not quite in this category.

then we have Edinburgh who score 19th kings who score 21st Manchester who score 29th and LSE who score 37th. That is going to get bites because many people will argue that LSE is definitely better then Manchester. Not sure on that one debatable but they are both very good universities.

Then we Have Bristol 41st Warwick 51st
although this can be misleading because Warwick are really strong for maths for example. However in all seriousness again if your looking at a university that is ranked in the top 50 in the world this is still very good. Nothing to be ashamed of here at all.

Then Glasgow 63rd Durham 74th Nottingham 75th and St Andrews 77th.

Just look at this category though All these universities are world class and world renowned. Its a tough fight at the top lots of competition. Nottingham and Durham definitely have the Wow factor. Same goes for Glasgow and St Andrews really very respect universities and no shame here either.
Also of Note St Andrews is the UKs highest ranked None RG university and beats a lot of our RGS.

Finally we have Birmingham 82nd Sheffield 84th Southampton 87th and Leeds 93rd.

here we can see the standard starts to drop these are perfectly respectable universities and no shame at all in going to any of these but they don't compete with the others I have mentioned I guess that is why they rank lower.

Once you start going below the top 100 in the world though the standards drop fast.

generally I would say though top 100 is perfectly acceptable.

so to recap
top 10 Cambridge Oxford, UCL Imperial.. Absolutely fantastic you should be utterly delighted with this can't have any complaints at all
Top 30 Edinburgh Kings Manchester.. okay its not World top ten but seriously you should still be utterly delighted with this, very very good
Top 60 LSE Bristol Warwick.. this is still very good and you can definitely be proud of this.
Top 77 Durham, Nottingham, St Andrews... these are all good universities nothing to be ashamed of here.
Top 100 Birmingham, Sheffield Southampton and Leeds.. Okay so at this point you have lost the wow factor nothing to boast of as such but certainly nothing to be ashamed of. This is satisfactory standards.

below Top 100 well at this point you should seriously be questioning if university is for you, and if it is worth going. However some universities outside the top 100 are still very strong in certain Areas and worth going to for these subjects. Also some universities have excellent placement schemes or career centers and can be worth while because they can really help you in finding decent work.

Once you drop down below the top 300 in the world though your just in a swamp of weakness and unless your university is world class in your specific subject area their is nothing to boast about.

Kings are in the second Category Basically outside of top ten in the world you really can't do any better then Kings, in this country. if your going to say Top ten or nothing that is slightly silly.

Reply 57

cambio wechsel

20

Original post by Luke7456

below Top 100 [in the world] well at this point you should seriously be questioning if university is for you, and if it is worth going.

preposterous.

Reply 58

Luke7456

20

Original post by cambio wechsel

preposterous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i80qaETtw8

this is the University of Cape Town, this is the standard we have when you start to dip down the tables.

They are ranked 191st in the world.

If you want to get your education here then suit yourself I have better standards.

Reply 59

cambio wechsel

20

Original post by Luke7456

this is the University of Cape Town, this is the standard we have when you start to dip down the tables.

They are ranked 191st in the world.

If you want to get your education here then suit yourself I have better standards.

Dear God, when calling your claim preposterous I had thought you meant 'only' that a university both in the United Kingdom and outside the global top 100 was not worth the candle. Are we to understand that you mean all universties worldwide excepting those 100?

Is Kings College London not a good school?

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