Bianca Khor

Summer has arrived! Now what?

Bianca Khor

MSc Management

As the city of London (hopefully) begins to warm up as the long-awaited summer holidays draw closer and closer, it comes with no surprise that some of us, despite feeling very much relieved after barely making it through a year of deadlines and exams, would feel lost and empty as to how their now empty schedule can be filled.

Whilst the often-popular definition of a productive summer break would be trying to win an internship at a firm or laboratory (bonus points if it is “prestigious”) – whether it is for the sake of trying to secure a “better” future, or simply to have a prettier-looking CV – I reckon there are so many other options that we tend to overlook.

Flying Solo

Bianca Khor

MSc Management

They always said that my university days are meant to be the best moments of my life back then, and I held on to that belief throughout my years in high school and college because it gave me one simple yet powerful thing – hope. Though the catch was that they never really warned me about the initial shock that I might experience once I landed at London Heathrow Airport for the first time.

Put simply, I was told:

“You are on your own now. Take care and be smart about it.”

Fly away home

I would say that I am in a relatively privileged position where living with my family at home meant that I was occasionally spared from certain household duties.

Managing My Management Degree

Bianca Khor

MSc Management

In case you are new to this space – hi, I’m Bianca. In the final term of my MSc Management degree at the point of writing. The workload’s tough (would even dare say it has been way more intense than my Biochemistry degree), and you can imagine me as a swan paddling hard beneath the waters to stay afloat whilst trying my absolute best to appear like everything’s going fine on the surface.

Nah I’m joking. I can be more of a sinking ship at times.

But as much as how hectic and messy my life probably sounds like, I thought of sharing a little bit about how I try to introduce order (and calm) amid the chaos.

How Gratitude Journaling Reminds Me About the Simple Joys in Life

Bianca Khor

MSc Management

I tried to start a diary at least five times in my life.

I can’t quite remember why, but I’m willing to bet that it was most probably because I drew a lot of inspiration from the Diary of Anne Frank. They all failed, miserably, in the sense that I tend to either (1) forget to write a paragraph after a week or two since getting started, or (2) I’m just a perfectionist and I often find myself cringing at my own work ten minutes after writing.

That clearly went well.

But if I were to look back at those years after spending some time “growing up”, I guess the mistake I (again, probably) have made is that I was trying to write a diary not exactly for myself, and therefore, it became hard for me to sustain that habit over a long period of time.

3 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Starting University

Bianca Khor

MSc Management

I might be a little early with this article since we are still ages away from the start of a new academic year, though I reckon it might be something worth talking about since I’ve been receiving a lot of questions on my UniBuddy account asking me this exact question. So, here are three things that I would have loved if my 18-year-old self to have understood prior to attending Imperial for my undergraduate degree.

It’s really not that difficult

There may have been a chance where movies, TV series, social media, memes, or “dramatic” people have given you the impression that a typical university student is one who is constantly overworked, stressed out, and struggling to understand the course material.

**Hustle Culture Is Trembling**

Bianca Khor

MSc Management

Sounds familiar?

Ever heard of “the hustle”? Maybe you could try picturing this…

You wake up at 6.30 am despite feeling both mentally and physically exhausted from a long hard yesterday. You check your email for work updates on your phone before (and even after) brushing your teeth and getting dressed. You then rush over your breakfast (if a single cup of expresso counts as one) and head straight over to your university campus, where you spend the entire day working through lectures, revising intensely in between classes, followed by drowning yourself in extracurricular activities that you are participating in for the sake of having something that looks good on your CV.

The Curse of The Last-Paper Syndrome

Bianca Khor

MSc Management

Warning: The following actions documented below have been performed by a “professional exam taker”. Please do not try this at home. Viewer discretion advised.

Glossary

Last paper syndrome: “A phenomenon wherein you know that you still have your last test tomorrow but your brain is already in vacation mode and you cannot concentrate on studying.” (Source: Reddit)

Date: A random Thursday in April

It is 3.06 pm at the point of writing. I… have my final exam to sit for tomorrow at 1 pm sharp, but there’s one funny little problem – I am doing the complete opposite of what I am supposed to be doing right now.

A Quick Tip on How You Could Deal with Bad Grades

Bianca Khor

MSc Management

Yea, it hurts

I’m fairly confident that we’ve all been there at some point during our lives.

You check your exam grades on Blackboard (the virtual learning environment that Imperial uses) or finally got your graded coursework back from your lecturer, and it’s right there – a grade that is way below your standard of excellence.

You reflect on the time you’ve spent working or preparing for this. It was clear – you’ve poured in your heart and soul. An immediate sadness follows suit, and your mind gets clouded with a similar train of thoughts – wait, how? How did all of this go so wrong?

Me (Shamelessly) Hyping Up Hyde Park

Bianca Khor

MSc Management

I’m the kind of person who occasionally needs to have a break from the hustle and bustle of the large metropolis that I study in. And if you happen to be that kind of person as well, I will definitely recommend you to visit Hyde Park whenever you find yourself studying or just simply visiting London. In other words, just go if you ever get the chance!

But before doing that, I’ll have to warn you – if you are not careful, a quick and casual walk in the park could very accidentally become a three-hour afternoon stroll! In fact, this might even be an understatement.

The Subtle Art of Not Comparing Yourself

Bianca Khor

MSc Management

Studying at a place like Imperial can definitely challenge you mentally.

You would most probably meet some of the brightest and smartest people who have never received anything below a First-Class grade and/or have been awarded the Dean’s list every single year without fail. Alternatively, you may have come across young company founders who are basically entrepreneurial geniuses. Or perhaps, the person who is sitting next to you during lectures could be the President of a large student society or someone holding multiple job offers from prestigious firms.

And the list goes on.

My best guess is that you would have most likely heard about the importance of not comparing yourself with others.

Learn more about life at Imperial

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