Louis Kueh

Former blog contributor

Course: Electronic and Information Engineering

From: Malaysia

Top 5 things about Amsterdam

Electronic and Information Engineering

I visited Amsterdam this easter, during the week where it was an intense 29 degrees pretty much everywhere in Europe.  Though the iconic city is mostly known for its liberal drug use and prostitutes there is much to do even if you are not there for its special activities. For students in the European Union, it’s pretty much a free pass to travel during holidays. Be sure to check if your passport is valid for the country, or if you need to get a visa.

The Scenery

Amsterdam is full of small islands, connecting each one through multiple bridges. This makes for some incredibly stunning views, just simply walk anywhere with the iconic houses on either side.

Hungry in South Kensington?

Electronic and Information Engineering

Many students are tired of the renowned library cafe and the free baked potatoes you can get with yoyo points. However, there’s plenty of options nearby that will definitely satisfy the most innate hunger.

For Lunch:

  • Bosphorus Kebab: The most amazing kebabs in the world for a cheap price too! (6 – 8 pounds per meal)
  • Go(Vietnamese): 8 pounds for the lunch deal. Best things are the chargrilled lemongrass chicken or the curry
  • Dozo(Japanese): Usually quite full, but the lunch deals range from (8-10 pounds)
  • Pret – sandwiches, hot-food ( 4- 7 pounds)
  • Wasabi – (6 – 9 pounds)

For dinner: 

  • Honest burgers: Fries are amazing ( 8-12 pounds) – simply one of the best burgers
  • Oriental canteen(Asian): (6 – 10 pounds) – south-east Asian cuisine
  • Jia(Chinese): (10-12 pounds) – this one has dumplings and stuff

Usually, for lunch, it’s either Go or Dozo.

2 for 1 cinema tickets in LONDON?

Electronic and Information Engineering

Just thought I would share this tip that’s been saving me 40 pounds – checkout meerkat movies.

It requires you to buy insurance from compare the market.com (Google it/checkout a guide) but the caveat is that you can actually buy the cheapest insurance (roughly 1 pound) – 1 day in the UK without cars. There’s plenty of guides out there and I’d suggest you check them out. Its completely legal and free, and you may have seen it in cinemas anyway.

It works for the popular cinemas (tried and tested personally) such as VUE, Odeon, Cineworld, etc, and for that 1 pound you’ll get 2 tickets for the price of 1 (usually comes around to 5 pounds each person for a standard 2D).

LinkedIn – just how useful is it?

Electronic and Information Engineering

Most people have an incredible facebook account. 500+ friends, tons of photos and videos. However, I’ve stopped using Facebook as a social media platform – there are many reasons why but I won’t go into them here. That said, Facebook is definitely good for communicating with everyone, but beyond I just feel aimlessly scrolling through the posts on Facebook just isn’t healthy.

Instead, I’ve started using LinkedIn and have never looked back since. Students are worried about getting internships. Most of us are anyway. Do not underestimate the power of LinkedIn here. I’ve gotten a fully fledged summer internship at one the largest banks in the world through a simple message from a recruiter, and almost 20 messages flooding my inbox throughout the year.

TeachFirst Insight Programme

Electronic and Information Engineering

You may have seen a company called TeachFirst around Imperial during the year. They are a charity that helps schools combat educational inequality due to different backgrounds, (i.e. children from homes with lesser financial background). So why am I talking about them?

For students, they offer 2 programs, an insight program and a graduate scheme. Last April, I got into their insight scheme which consisted of 2 weeks:

  • One week training
  • One week placement in a school

This was, without doubt, one of the greatest experiences of my life. I understand that many at Imperial/elsewhere look down upon teaching, but hear me out. 

The International Experience

Electronic and Information Engineering

For many of us international students, coming overseas is definitely a daunting experience – leaving all you’ve known and loved only to arrive somewhere you know nothing of. Compounded by the fact that we are apparently adults because we have graduated high school, the sense of protection and belonging is no longer there. We are all very much on our own.

Personally, I was very lost when starting the first year at university – arriving at a new place knowing no one. However, since then I’ve grown incredibly through friendships, failures and successes. I’ve become the president of the table tennis club, managed to secure some internships and met my girlfriend in the testosterone-filled world that is Imperial.

Learn more about life at Imperial

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