The other day, one of my classmates came up to me with a rather interesting question. He was wondering whether student bloggers were able to say bad things or criticize Imperial in any way.
And the truth is that yes, we can. I guess we simply don’t do it because we want to spread positivity within our readers. However, he made me realize it was time to share our not-so-pink reality. After all, prospective students need to know what they are getting themselves into.
The downside of Imperial’s internationality
Although diversity is one of the qualities we are most proud of, it does drag along a small issue: background inequality. Every single first-year class is composed of students coming from a wide variety of scholar systems, each of them with different curricula.
This means that, like me, you can find yourself surrounded by colleagues who may have already learnt most of the math’s content, while it all sounds ground-breaking to you. It can be frustrating, especially when teachers assume that you do have the knowledge you don´t.
“Did you know I scored this and did all that?”
Hey, you, who was the top of your class, who was famous not only for your intelligence but for having participated in loads of activities. Yes you, you are not the top guy/girl anymore. Imperial has 10,000 students like you. Becoming “another one” is almost inevitable, unless you work very hard to shine among the rest.
Deadlines, deadlines and deadlines
Being a student implies much more than attending lectures, it also implies coursework, group projects, revision… in other words, a LOT of work.
Be ready to spend more time studying that you have ever done and to work for your longest shifts ever.
The Golden Three
I am certain that you have come across this triangle when scrolling through social media. It is made up of the three most desired things of a student: social life, sleep and good grades. To combine the three of them is almost impossible unless you are a master in self-organization (you can check my blog on how to be productive, wink wink)
Oh London, what a marvellous place!
London, capital of Britain, the city that never sleeps, filled with theatres, museums… All of these are true, just like TFL breakdowns, bad weather and expensiveness.
You may have made yourself home over your time at Imperial but denying that you sometimes wish to be in a tropical island would be lying to yourself.
I believe that my ranting should stop now, or else I will scare everyone away. As much I truly believe in everything I had written above, I also believe in the good things that being an Imperial student have. From having friends from all over the world to daily life lessons on humility, perseverance and self-improvement. Studying here is tough, but so will your adulthood be. I am glad I get to be trained by the people here.
