Guest Blogger

London food recommendations for students

Written by Priyal (India), MSc Business Analytics and AI (Online)

As a student, you don’t always want to spend £20–£30 on a full meal, especially when the portions can be too big to finish or you simply want something quick without ordering a takeaway. I started finding places where I could get something filling, usually for under £15, that was easy to grab while studying or travelling around London.

These are some of my favourite, budget-friendly finds that I’d recommend trying:

1. Start with a Chinatown food crawl

If there’s one part of London where I could probably create an entire food crawl without ever having a proper meal, it’s Chinatown.

How I live on £550 a month as a student living in London

Written by Alexandra (Indonesia), BSc Medical Biosciences (BMB) graduate and MSc Reproductive and Developmental Biology

I think it’s so important that we talk more openly about budgeting and finances. Money is a topic our society often shies away from, but when you move to London as a student, staying silent about costs only makes things harder. I really think that talking openly about real numbers helps all of us navigate living alone for the first time and take control of our budgeting.

Personally, I’ve capped my budget at a maximum of £550 per month (excluding rent and utility bills). Find out how I balance the costs of living in London as a student while still having fun, and my top tips for keeping costs low:

The Day-to-Day Living Budget Breakdown (£550/month maximum)

Phone and subscriptions: £12.99 per month

  • VOXI Mobile deal (£10/month): I pay £10 a month for my data plan, which includes unlimited social media (so scrolling Instagram/WhatsApp doesn’t eat my data) and a 60GB data allowance.

Fun things to do in London on a student budget

Written by Priyal (India), MSc Business Analytics and AI (Online)

Living in London as a student doesn’t have to mean spending a lot, some of the best stuff here doesn’t cost anything, and the paid stuff is usually a lot cheaper than people assume, especially with student discounts.

The best way I’ve found to do London on a student budget is to save the money for the things I genuinely want to try, and fill the rest of my weekends with everything the city lets you do for free.

Here are some of the activities that I’ve tried and tested as a student in London, and would 100% recommend to my friends:

1.

How to find the right PhD supervisor

Written by Judy, PhD Civil Engineering

“Finding a PhD supervisor is not only about choosing someone with a strong academic reputation. It is also about understanding yourself, researching carefully and finding someone whose work and supervision style fit the PhD journey you want to build.” 

When I applied for my PhD, finding the right research supervisor was one of the most important parts of the process. A supervisor can shape your research direction, academic training and overall PhD experience for the next few years, so it’s worth taking the time to do your research and search for the right supervisor properly. 

Tips for avoiding burnout as a student

Written by Shayma, PhD Genomic Medicine

Burnout can creep up on you quietly. One moment you’re keeping up with lectures, deadlines and social plans, and the next you are overwhelmed, exhausted and disconnected from the things you once enjoyed. As a student at Imperial College London, learning how to manage your wellbeing is just as important as doing well academically.

Here are some of my top tips for avoiding burnout and some support resources available to help you along the way.

1. Rest is productive, not optional!

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that rest is something you “earn” after finishing everything on your to-do list. 

Why should I study at Imperial?

Written by Alexandra (Indonesia), BSc Medical Biosciences (BMB) graduate and MSc Reproductive and Developmental Biology

I chose to study at Imperial because it’s a world-leading university for STEMB, and the BSc Medical Biosciences (BMB) course immediately stood out to me for its innovative teaching style involving interactive learning environments.

Here are three more reasons why I chose to study in the UK and at Imperial:

1. The undergraduate application process through UCAS is straightforward

One of the reasons I initially applied to study in the UK was how simple and easy the undergraduate application process is compared with many other countries.

Alumni advice: how to apply to Imperial as a postgraduate student

Written by Danchen (China), MSc Advanced Computational Methods for Aeronautics Flow Management Fluid Structure Interaction graduate

Applying to and going to Imperial is a dream come true for many ambitious students worldwide. As an alumnus and someone who successfully got an offer at Imperial, here’s my step-by-step guide to smoothly navigating the application process.

Step 1: Choose your course wisely – personal match matters more than acceptance rate 

First and foremost, selecting the right subject and course lays the foundation for a strong application. Imperial is transparent and releases acceptance rates for each course every year. While you can refer to this data in your decision-making process, I’d advise you not to fixate on it.

What is student life like on Silwood Park Campus?

Written by Clarence (Singapore), MSc Living Planet with Ecology, Evolution and Conservation

When most Imperial students think of Silwood Park, they imagine a luscious, mysterious and green campus filled with animals and plants that are not often seen in the likes of our other campuses such as South Kensington or White City. In many ways, they’re right – and every image pictured of Silwood Park is true!

As a representative of this less well-known community at Imperial, I’d like to bring to light the student life, activities and community found at our natural parkland campus in Ascot, Berkshire.

An introduction to Silwood Park

Silwood Park is Imperial’s outdoor laboratory, covering 77 hectares of land and comprising habitats such as freshwater streams, lakes, an “ancient” forest and open grasslands.

How to find internships and graduate roles in the UK as an international student

Written by Priyal (India), MSc Business Analytics and AI (Online)

I’m an international student in my MSc in Business Analytics and AI at Imperial, currently applying for sponsored graduate roles and figuring out, in real time, what actually works.

My story of applying for jobs starts a bit earlier, in my second year of my undergraduate degree at another university in the UK, where I applied for a placement year, got interviews, but no offers. I graduated without an internship or a placement, told myself it was a problem with my approach to applications, and it wasn’t until I was here, deep into the process, that the penny finally dropped: most hiring managers had already formed a mental shortlist of people with internship experience, and I wasn’t on it.

Pre-arrival checklist for starting at Imperial

Written by Judy, PhD Civil Engineering

Moving to London to start university is a thrilling milestone, but those final one to six weeks before boarding your flight can feel a little overwhelming – I know that feeling all too well.

I first moved from China to London to complete my undergraduate degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial. After heading across the Atlantic to New York University for my Master’s, I found myself drawn right back to Imperial, where I am now in the second year of my PhD in the very same department!

Having made this transition multiple times, I’ve learned that landing smoothly isn’t about packing everything you own – it’s about getting a few key essentials in order before you arrive.

Learn more about life at Imperial

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