What’s it really like to study at King’s? Inside King’s: Student Voices cuts through the prospectus-speak to bring you honest answers from current students navigating life, work, and study in London.

In this week’s post, Yazid, a postgraduate Engineering with Management student, opens up about the highs and hurdles of studying in the capital, from managing self-study without tutorial solutions to adjusting to London’s cost of living, navigating job rejections, and learning how to put himself out there socially.

 

 

1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

Hi! My name is Yazid and I’m currently pursuing an MSc in Engineering with Management at King’s College London. Before this, I completed my undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Surrey. I’m originally from India but was brought up in Abu Dhabi.

 

 

2. What drew you to King’s, and what has your experience been like so far?

What initially drew me to King’s was its strong academic reputation and global ranking. People around me spoke highly of the university, and I saw it as a great place to pursue a postgraduate degree.  My experience so far has been mixed but valuable. Academically, King’s offers solid teaching and a wide range of resources, but some aspects, like the lack of tutorial solutions or recordings, made self-study harder than expected. On the other hand, being in London and studying at a university with such diversity has helped me grow, both academically and personally.

 

 

3. What’s one challenge you’ve faced at university, and how did you overcome it?

One major challenge I faced at King’s was the lack of accessible support materials for tutorials. Unlike my undergraduate experience at Surrey, where tutorials were recorded and came with detailed solutions, at King’s, many tutorial sessions weren’t recorded, and solutions were either not uploaded or lacked sufficient explanation. That made it really difficult to study independently, especially if I missed a session due to illness.

To cope, I started forming informal study groups with friends. We’d get on calls, share our ideas, and try to work through problems together. In a way, that helped reinforce my learning and build community, but it was still frustrating not knowing whether we were getting the answers right. The absence of official solutions meant we were always second-guessing ourselves. I think King’s could improve a lot just by providing answer keys, even without full explanations, so students can check their understanding. Still, making friends and collaborating with others was how I managed to stay afloat.

 

 

4. What resources or opportunities at King’s have made a difference for you?

One thing I really appreciated was how smooth the visa process was. I was applying during my undergraduate exam season, which was already stressful, but the support I got from King’s made a big difference. I had quick responses to my emails and clear instructions on what documents to submit, which made the whole process much less overwhelming.

Beyond that, I found it helpful that King’s systems make it easy to contact lecturers, you can check their room numbers or office locations on KEATS, which simplifies communication. KEATS also has past exam papers, though I do wish lecturers mentioned it more often, as it’s not widely advertised. Unfortunately, even those past papers often don’t come with solutions, which continues to be a big limitation for self-study. I’ve also heard from peers that the CV Checker tool is really useful, although I didn’t use it myself because I had something similar during my undergraduate studies.

 

 

5. How do you manage the cost of living in London?

Living in London has definitely been more expensive compared to my time in Surrey. For context, my first-year accommodation in Surrey cost around £165 per week, but in London, that jumped to about £320 per week. That shift meant I had to make significant changes to my lifestyle.

I started cutting costs by cooking my own meals rather than eating out or ordering in. Back in Surrey, I used to rely on takeaways more often out of convenience, but in London, that just wasn’t sustainable. I also began choosing more budget-friendly social activities, like staying in with friends or finding free events.

The good thing is, most students in London are in the same boat. Everyone’s trying to save where they can, so I never felt left out or excluded from plans. In fact, the shared experience of budgeting actually helped build connections, we were all navigating the same challenges together.

 

 

6. Have you found a good network or community? How can new students build meaningful connections?

Building a network at King’s has been more challenging than it was during my undergrad at Surrey. Surrey is a campus-based university in a small town where everything is within a 20-minute walk. That kind of setup made it really easy to bump into people, grab lunch between classes, or study together, all of which helped friendships form naturally.

King’s, on the other hand, is spread out across London. You often need to take the Tube to get to other campuses, and your friends might live or study far from you. Meeting people casually during the day isn’t as easy. Even in accommodation, students are often on different schedules or from different faculties, so spontaneous interactions happen less often.

That said, I did find meaningful friendships through seminars, activities, and my accommodation, but it took more effort. One thing that really helped was organising study sessions on Microsoft Teams during exam season. Over time, we integrated our day-to-day routines, going to uni together, cooking meals, or just hanging out.

To new students, I’d say: you have to put yourself out there, even if it’s uncomfortable at first. I struggled with social confidence, especially at the start, and often avoided events because they felt intimidating. But eventually, I realised that I genuinely wanted to connect with people and that pushed me to take small steps outside my comfort zone and I would highly recommend it.

 

 

7. What do you wish someone had told you before starting university?

I wish someone had told me to register for the Freshers’ Fair at King’s early. I left it a bit late, just a few days before, and by the time I tried to get tickets, it was already sold out. I even went to the venue hoping there’d be a chance to get in, but unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.

Missing the Freshers’ Fair meant I couldn’t explore societies in person or get a real feel for them. Of course, you can still look them up online, but that’s not the same as seeing how they operate, meeting the committee members, or getting a sense of their vibe face-to-face. In my undergrad at Surrey, there were multiple fairs, one in September and another in January, so even if you missed one, you had a second chance. King’s only had one main event, so missing it really limited those early social opportunities.

So if you’re new to King’s: plan ahead. Freshers’ Fair is a great way to plug into the community and discover things you wouldn’t otherwise know about. Don’t wait till the last minute like I did.

 

 

9. What advice would you give students starting at King’s?

There’s a lot I could say, but I’ll break it down into academics, social life, and jobs, because those are the big three.

Academically, my biggest piece of advice is to start early. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you have loads of time, especially at the beginning of term, but trust me, it catches up fast. Procrastination makes everything harder than it needs to be. Even if it’s just small bits of work or revision, doing things early lifts a huge burden off your shoulders later. Also, try to build relationships with your lecturers and make use of the academic resources available, things like past papers, workshops, and study support.

Socially, get out of your comfort zone. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive or intimidating, start small. Invite someone over to watch a movie, study in a group, or go to a society taster session. Integrate your day-to-day life with your friends, go to class together, hang out in common areas, cook together. That’s how real friendships form. It was hard for me at first because I wasn’t super confident socially, but once I pushed myself a little, everything got easier. And remember, everyone else is figuring it out too.

When it comes to jobs, my main advice is to seek help early and often. King’s Careers & Employability has job counsellors, CV workshops, LinkedIn sessions, and more, and they do make a difference. Talk to someone if you’re not sure what you want to do, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Also, as an international student, be prepared for challenges around sponsorship. I’ve been rejected from roles just because I need a visa, which was tough. But you have to keep going. Apply widely, stay motivated, and give each application your full effort. Don’t cut corners, tailor your CV, do your research, and treat every opportunity like it matters.

 

 

Stay tuned for next week’s post, where we speak to Aneira, a final-year Law student, about discovering opportunities beyond the lecture hall, from student-led initiatives to extracurriculars and how getting involved shaped her King’s experience.