ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳

Hi everyone! My name is Nitya Nair. I am currently a junior studying Economics and Political Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I attended the ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Summer School programme in 2024, attending all 3 sessions, for a total of 9 weeks of classes. Through this, I was able to reap many benefits, both from the programme itself, and the fact that I stayed for multiple sessions.

Staying for multiple sessions allowed me the opportunity to really see and explore the city of London. It even inspired me to consider moving there in the future. I was given the time to thoroughly get to know different places and neighbourhoods around the city, and even nine weeks felt like it was too short to say that I know London intricately. However, I can confidently say that I feel familiar with the city, and have my own opinions on the best restaurants, things to do, and dessert shops (shout-out to Udderlicious in Covent Garden!), spending less time at the beginning of each session learning how to get around and be comfortable in my new surroundings. I was also given more time (specifically more weekends) to balance both exploring London and traveling to other places in the UK. The workload of the ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Summer School classes can get a little intense sometimes, so having the extra weekends, especially between sessions, really gave me the opportunity to travel guilt-free. I even got to go to Paris one weekend and watch the Olympics!

Staying at ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Summer School for multiple sessions also gives you numerous opportunities to network and grow professionally. I was given the opportunity to explore courses that related to both of my majors at a highly ranked international university, alongside highly accomplished faculty. I also got the chance to keep in touch with them even after a course was over simply because I was still in London, allowing me to stand out and keep a professional contact that can provide me with advice and help in the future. Additionally, the applications of the concepts that I learned in those classes helped me in my current degree and later summer courses, keeping me ahead of the game while still earning credit both at home and abroad. There was also no pressure to fit the wide variety of events that the ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Summer School offers into one session. This allowed me to take full advantage of both the Spark: Professional Skills events that offer long-term applicable skills, and the social events to meet students with similar interests from all over the world.

Finally, participating in multiple ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Summer School sessions gave me so many opportunities to meet and stay in touch with such a wide variety of people that I’m lucky enough to call my friends, even today. The time spent with other students that stay for multiple sessions allows you to build deeper friendships and stay in touch even after the summer. In fact, I just got off the phone with one of my friends that I met in London! Each time the sessions changed, I had a new set of friends that had different hobbies and interests that I was able to explore. For example, I spent a lot of my evenings in Session 2 trying new restaurants and taking late night walks in Westminster (an activity I’d highly recommend with a group of friends; they offered me a breath-taking view of the city that I hadn’t seen in the three weeks prior). However, my roommate from back home actually joined me for Session 3, so that session for me was marked by familiarity and comfort, and we often spent our free time traveling with all the new people we met; that’s actually how we ended up at the Olympics!

If you’re considering applying to the ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Summer School programme for multiple sessions (or even just one), I have some tips that might help make this process easier. Even if you’re not sure yet, I would definitely apply early! The earlier you apply, the higher your chances are to get accepted into the course(s) you want, as well as the accommodation choice you want. I stayed in High Holborn, which offers very close proximity to campus (you can walk there in about 10 minutes), as well as restaurants, cafes, tube lines, and Covent Garden, an outdoor shopping venue. You also get free breakfast every morning, which definitely saved me on more than a few days where I opted to sleep in. I would also recommend taking full advantage of the different events offered, especially if you decide to go for just one session; each one has a different purpose, and you’ll get the opportunity to meet so many different students and faculty members, as well as build useful skills for the future, such as CV building and networking. And finally (but most importantly), enjoy your time there! It’s completely expected and understandable to be overwhelmed in a new place with classes that move as quickly as they do in the summer programme, but it truly is such an amazing opportunity to grow and flourish personally, as well as explore such a beautiful city.

 

This blog was written by one of our 2024 Student Ambassadors, who are here to share their stories and help you understand the summer school experience at ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳.