Blog posts

How did I end up at the WISE Conference 2019?

MSc Science Communication

There are many aspects of the science communication course at Imperial that make it so enjoyable, but perhaps the freedom we are given is the most rewarding part. In our assessments we are given an element of free choice in what we centre our arguments around, which allows for a great deal of creativity and expression. One of the most daunting free choices I’ve had to make in the last few months has been the topic for my dissertation.

The parameters were simply ‘choose anything that is related to science communication’. Having studied this area for the last 8 months I can confidently say that there is a lot that could be explored.

Harvard Med Placement

MBBS Medicine

Instagram: @malamawkin

In my final year as an Imperial Med Student I have been super fortunate to have the opportunity to join the Harvard/Boston Children’s Hospital Innovation and Digital Accelerator Team here in Boston. I was linked up to this placement by researchers at Imperial, and so far it has been fantastic!

I am working as a Digital Health intern looking at how we can use #bigdata to enhance healthcare delivery, especially when related to infectious diseases and health inequalities. I have also been looking at the differences in implementation of digital health strategies here in comparison to the UK.

It is worth

MEng Aeronautical Engineering

There is nothing wrong about giving yourself a break. Lately, I’ve been thinking that we shouldn’t get angry with ourselves after realising we’ve spent time without apparently getting profit out of it.

Five minutes ago, I was forcing myself to “one last mechanics past paper before dinner”, while I was having a crazy headache.

After attempting the first question and failing greatly I told myself that this didn’t make any sense. It was evident that I could not concentrate anymore and that I should stop studying.

I now lay down in bed and stare at the window. It is 8 pm and it is still bright.

A Little Bit Of Happiness

MSc Science Communication

At such a busy time of year, scrolling through the news doesn’t always seem to make things better. A 2018 study reported that over half of Americans find that the news causes them stress, anxiety, fatigue and sleep loss. Although it is important to stay informed, particularly on news stories that require urgent and collective action, sometimes a bit of good news is what we need.

This inspired Emily Coxhead to create ‘The Happy Newspaper’, an online and print publication to ‘share positive news and wonderful people’. Her newspapers are released quarterly and can be delivered or picked up in several locations across the UK.

The so-called Spring “break”

MEng Aeronautical Engineering

Universities have a wide range of students, each of them with their own personality and opinions. However, there’s one thing in common among them all, something that all of us look forward to and that is spring “break”. The quotation marks on the word “break” are, by no means, a typo, but a way of expressing the sweet and sour flavour of such a time. The Cambridge Dictionary describes break as a time away from work or your regular activity, or a holiday. It will be appropriate to say that our spring break could be described using half of this definition.

Should I stay or should I go?

Mathematics of Planet Earth

As I’m approaching the end of my PhD, not only do I have to decide what jobs I’m going to apply for, but also if I want to stay in London or move to another city. I thought I’d share my list of pros and cons in case some of you never lived in London and are trying to decide if you’d enjoy studying here. 

+Theatres! No place in the world apart from London and NYC has such a big offer of theatre plays. At any given day you can choose between dozens of musicals, dramas, comedies etc., often rather affordable, if you know where to look. 

how NOT to revise

MBBS/BSc Medicine

I’d love to say I’ve spent all of my easter break revising super efficiently for my exams, but sadly this is not the case. I’ve spent way too much time ‘relaxing’ and was lucky enough to spend a couple of days in Paris. The second year of my course, medicine, is rumoured to be the hardest year of them all. Not necessarily because the content is particularly tricky, but because of the timing. Second year so far has been a whirlwind, and now we’ve got three summative exams in the space of five days in early May.

This blog post was never going to be me telling you how to revise for your exams in medical school- I’m simply not qualified to give advice on studying, (especially advice I can’t even stick to) as it truly is very subjective and depends on your own learning style and what works best for you.

Is it really Challenging?

Mathematics and Statistics

The number one question I hear about studying at Imperial

In short, yes. But of course studying here isn’t easy, but if you’re at Imperial now or are thinking of coming here than you probably already know that and can handle the challenge! (If it was easy then everyone would be able to do it) After speaking to countless perspective students and my friends at other universities, this is often the first question I’m asked about what it’s like to study at Imperial. I have often struggled to answer this question succinctly as it has many different aspects to it. There’s of course the academic side, but the also the concept of work-life balance and having a social life.

How I came to write a radio drama…

MSc Science Communication

The transition from studying a degree in Maths and Physics to a Masters in Science Communication was a much welcomed change for me. Not only was I fed up of the multitude of exams in my undergraduate course, but I was also craving the chance to be more creative. Thankfully the last six months studying science communication have not disappointed.

Kick-starting the creativity

In the spring term I chose to study a module called Narrative, which dissected the techniques that authors use to produce compelling texts. The assignment for this module gave us a chance to produce a short story of our own, incorporating the theory we had spent the last few weeks learning about.

A Short Guide on Understanding Brexit

MEng Aeronautical Engineering

According to the statistics section of our College’s website, 64% of Imperial students are not UK citizens, meaning that Brexit will affect most of us one way or another. But what is it? Should international students care about Brexit? Should UK students? Although there aren’t conclusive answers to these questions, hopefully, this short guide will be of help when trying to understand Brexit.

What is Brexit? Brexit is the combination of the words “Britain” and “exit” and it means the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

Types of Brexit Although Brexit involves many negotiations regarding different aspects, it is usually divided into two: • Hard Brexit: UK would break all economic agreements with the EU, i.e.

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