Pasit, Judge, Kongkathip is a BASc Integrated Innovation student of Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. He joined our 14-week London College of Fashion Study Abroad Fashion Business Semester.
How was studying abroad in London?
Studying abroad in London has been amazing. In my opinion, London is a very special city. It’s one of the greatest cities in the world, not because I think it is perfect but because of its vibrancy, mix of styles, cultures, and creativity. I would say the activity I enjoyed the most during my time in London was going to football games as I am a big Liverpool fan. Watching premier league games in the stadium was amazing and I believe I witnessed the greatest football match of my life at Anfield, when Liverpool beat Manchester United 7-0. Apart from football I also enjoyed walking around different areas of the city and exploring different restaurants and food markets as I love cooking. I didn’t find living abroad hard, although I still had to adapt. Overall, it was great and far beyond what I could have imagined.
What is your favourite thing about the city?
Honestly, I would say my favourite thing about the city was its structure. Older buildings are well preserved in a way that you still get the history in its exterior but also have a modern interior design. My favourite building in London is probably a bit of an unpopular opinion, but Selfridges was the place I visited the most during my stay in London. Public transportation is also another thing that I liked. It made my weekend trip possible and accessible with its convenience of it and affordability. I was able to visit many cities in the UK, like Brighton, Liverpool, Manchester, Bath, Bicester, and even places in Scotland.
What is your favourite memory of studying abroad?
My favourite memory of studying abroad is the time I cooked for my friends at my flat after a long day of working towards the end of the semester. I think it is going to be one of the things I miss the most, as I don’t know if I will have the opportunity to see them all together again. Another thing was travelling around Europe with my buddy, who was the best travel partner ever.
What did you enjoy about your classes?
I really liked the professors in almost all of the classes I participated in. The class's content is very well designed to encourage students to learn more and be active in class. If I’m to be more specific, then the thing I enjoyed the most was having conversations with my professors about the lessons, life, or just anything. I found that these conversations made me really happy and also made me a better person somehow.
Can you tell us about a project you were particularly excited about?
A lot of the projects I worked on excited me, but if I had to choose one it would be my fashion entrepreneurship project with Professor Alison Lowe. This was a solo project, so I spent a lot of time and put a lot of effort into it. It was also the most intriguing to me, as I thought it was relevant to real life implications and if done properly could become an actual business.
Why did you choose UAL Study Abroad?
To be honest, I preferred the UK above any other country to begin with and I had the opportunity to live in London for about a month during my summer holidays. I really like the Londoner’s lifestyle, which I found fascinating although it rains a bit too much sometimes. Then my home university introduced me to the UAL studying abroad program, which one of my friends had already been on and described as “one of the best experiences in her life”. When I thought about all the factors, I decided UAL was the best choice for me and I am really glad to have made that decision.
How do you think your study abroad experience will help you with your future endeavours?
I have learnt a lot from my experience studying abroad, both in terms of university and it terms of culture. The classes I took at LCF taught me skills I can use in real work environments and showed me what career paths were available to me. Whereas, on the culture front, the experience shaped me into a more responsible person which will pave the way to my self-development.
What is the most valuable thing you learnt from the experience?
The most valuable thing I have learnt from this experience is how capable I am on my own as I strive to become a better person every day. It also taught me the essence of live both in a positive and negative way, which helped me understand life more.
Is there anything you want to share with future study abroad students/ future applicants?
I would like to give people who want to join a study abroad course a heads up: this isn’t a long holiday in London. Please be prepared to take in the full experience and pay attention to the classes you will be taking as that knowledge is valuable. However, don’t limit yourself to just studying and keeping to yourself. Explore the city and the country while you are there, try new things, visit new places, but remember to manage your time. You do not want to get caught at the end of the semester trying to do everything because you didn’t give yourself enough time to finish your projects. Trust me I’ve seen a lot of people suffer and a lot of people enjoying their life to the fullest.
Would you recommend the experience at UAL?
Most definitely! I don’t think you will be able to get the same experience from anywhere else around the world. I think you will hear this from Marianna in your first session, but 14 weeks will fly by super quickly but the memories you get here will last a lifetime.
