Blog posts

5 essential skills I’ve learned from studying Materials Science and Engineering

by Anjali Devadasan

To give you an insight into the fascinating world of Materials Science and Engineering, here are 5 essential skills we apply during the course:

Innovation

What is true innovation? It’s when you take action and implement your brilliant ideas. During the Design Study project in the first year, we had the opportunity to innovate. Once we gained the foundation abilities involving engineering drawings, SOLIDWORKS, and Arduino in the autumn term, we were introduced to the brief: ideate, design, test, and fabricate a working rheometer. Many of us had no idea what a rheometer was (a machine that measures viscosity).

Student Representative – how to apply and why you should do it

MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Last year, when I first applied for the position of the Year Wellbeing Representative (‘rep’ for short), I only had a vague idea of what it involves, and there was a lot that I had to learn in the process. Yet here I am, having decided to stand and been elected for the second time as a Wellbeing Rep. If running for the Academic or Wellbeing Student Rep is something that has crossed your mind, read on to learn more about my experience as a rep, what kind of skills you can gain, and what you actually do in this role.

The successes and challenges of my work placement

MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Having just finished my placement, I have a lot of thoughts on what met my expectations and where I could do better during that time. As part of my Electrical and Electronic Engineering degree, I had an opportunity to do a six-month internship over the last term of my third year and the summer. Now that I’m going into my fourth and final year of study, I can fully recognise just how much it has shaped my career goals.

Let me give you a bit more context before I dive into the details. I did the placement in software engineering, so not quite in the same field as my area of study.

Reflecting on my Materials Research Project

Written by Chukwudike Ukeje, a taught postgraduate student in the Department of Materials.

Chukwudike recently completed a year studying for an MSc in Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, which included a research project at the White City campus. In this post, he shares more about his research project, using our new facilities and solving hypotheses in the lab. In this post, he shares more about his research project, using our new facilities and solving hypotheses in the lab.

My MSc research was in the functional materials research area, where I carried out a project on the topic “Development of Barium Calcium Zirconium Titanite (BCZT) thin films for applications in capacitive thermoelectric converters”. 

A PhD Student’s Experience of Studying a MRes Molecular Engineering

Written by Fei Gao, an alumnus from the cohort of Class 2020 at Molecular Engineering MRes, and now a PhD student in the department of Chemistry.

I was facing the uncertainty of what I would do after graduating with my undergraduate degree. Before the pandemic, my plan was straightforward – pursuing a master’s degree and then start looking for a PhD position. The breakout of COVID-19 interrupted my plans, I had no idea where my life would be. Luckily, I received two university offers! One offer was from the Molecular Engineering MRes from Imperial College London and the other offer was an MSc course from another university based in London.

Summer Ball 2022

Yee Tong Siow

MEng Mechanical Engineering

Having been in Imperial for four years, I’ve never previously attended Summer Ball before. It doesn’t help that the event had to be cancelled two years in a row due to the pandemic. Back in my first year, I decided not to attend Summer Ball as ticket prices were quite high, and being a fresher, I was more conscious about my expenses and decided that I have many more years to head to the ball if I were to change my mind. As I was living right opposite the college, I distinctly remember seeing a bunch of people with suits and dresses strolling across Exhibition Road, ready for a night to celebrate the end of the academic year.

First In Person STEM Ambassador Workshop

Yee Tong Siow

MEng Mechanical Engineering

During the start of the pandemic, I like most other students, started going about finding new hobbies and new events to keep myself occupied while being confined in my own room. Some people decided to join new clubs and societies, while some decide to pick up a new skill. I found an advertisement from the college regarding joining their Recruitment and Outreach Student Ambassador team. This stuck out for me as part of the job scope focused on working with students from ages 6-18 to capture their interest and help develop their passion for studying STEM. As I have previously tutored peers and students back when I was studying for my A-Levels, I always enjoyed finding different methods to break down complex topics into fun and engaging ways to help people understand them better.

How To Enjoy West End Musicals With A Budget

Yee Tong Siow

MEng Mechanical Engineering

One of the biggest highlights in London is its abundance of musicals and shows in the West End. From classics such as The Phantom of the Opera to new musicals such as Dear Evan Hansen, everyone is certain to find something that they can enjoy. However, musical tickets can get pretty pricey too, and as a student on a budget, it can sometimes be hard to enjoy these privileges. I hope to use this blog to show some tricks and insights on how to get cheaper show tickets!

  1. Buy tickets for preview shows Preview periods often last between a week and a month depending on the size of the production.

What I’ve Learned In My Four Years in Mechanical Engineering

Yee Tong Siow

MEng Mechanical Engineering

My perception of Mechanical Engineering has changed so much from before entering University, and after finishing my final paper of the course. A huge part of my inspiration to study Mechanical Engineering came from my father, who works in the manufacturing industry producing and delivering boiler plants. However, coming to Imperial has opened up my mind to so much more, regardless of it being content within my course, or experiences gained elsewhere.

What did I learn in the course? 

Some expectations were aligned with what I thought University life would be like. Lectures are still mostly delivered in lecture theatres, and we definitely have more group work and assignments compared to A-Levels.

What makes a degree in Materials Science so great?

Written by Sulayman Hussain, second-year Materials Science

I first came across Materials Science in my sixth form at a guest lecture discussing Formula One cars. Why is it that some materials will deform lots under force, like a carbon fibre chassis, and others remain rigid? Why do we use nickel single crystals in the fiery core of a jet engine and aluminium alloys elsewhere? And what is the process of digging rocks out of the earth and transforming them into these high-performance structures?

As is often the case, having been exposed to Materials Science once, I started seeing them everywhere. It seemed like every week; Materials scientists made a breakthrough.

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