Blog posts

Catching Some Waves

Yee Tong Siow

MEng Mechanical Engineering

Easter break is a huge blessing for Imperial students, allowing us to take a big sigh after submitting a series of weekly coursework. With the weather getting warmer and the flowers blooming again, many students tend to use this opportunity to enjoy the pleasant weather, even if it means just revising for their exams while basking under the sun in Hyde Park. This year, we are blessed with a few weeks of sunny days in London throughout the week of April. With this, I felt recharged to not just catch up on my studies but felt my adventurous spirit take hold again too.

Five skills I’ve learned during the Environmental Data Science and Machine Learning MSc

Raluca Gaina, current student and student representative for MSc Environmental Data Science and Machine Learning (Department of Earth Science and Engineering)

As a current student in the recently launched MSc in Environmental Data Science and Machine Learning, I’ve been asked many questions about what I’m learning in the programme and how I will use this knowledge throughout my career path (my aim is to work in the industry and apply data science and machine learning to climate-related topics). Whether you decide to do a PhD or whether you decide to work in the field, here are the top five skills I’ve learned while doing this course!

3 practical tips to maintain a healthy balance at university

MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Have you ever felt really overwhelmed by the amount of work you need to do at university? Stressing over completing projects, catching up on lectures, and hours-long exam revision can be very taxing and leave little time for anything non-academic. Believe me, we’ve all been there. Any Imperial student will tell you that balancing studying with taking care of your wellbeing is a tricky matter, especially around intense periods like exam sessions.

I used to think that improving my time management skills will solve my problems, but despite developing practical study skills and working out better organisational techniques, my stress levels didn’t significantly drop.

What I Do as a Final Year Mechanical Engineering Student

Yee Tong Siow

MEng Mechanical Engineering

A final year research project is one of the main focuses in a Master’s year for many courses. As a Mechanical Engineer, I was spoiled with the privilege of being able to choose from a range of projects from diverse modules and topics. This is largely due to the fact that a large range of modules are introduced in our course, ranging from solid mechanics to fluid mechanics, or even mechatronics. Students are then able to specialize in specific fields upon their third year of studies. Therefore, it’s really interesting to see how widely my project differs compared to some of my coursemates who might be working on projects related to Machine Learning or even Design and Manufacturing.

Busking in Covent Garden

Yee Tong Siow

MEng Mechanical Engineering

Central London is very well-known for its diverse street performances ranging from street mimes, dance performances, all the way to opera singing. Watching these street performances was definitely one of the memories that stuck with me most during my first strolls around Covent Garden. Looking at the professionalism and creativity of every performer, it has never occurred to me to consider any possibilities of potentially busking around Central London.

If you’ve read some of my blogs, you would have probably heard me rave about my experiences being involved with Imperial A Cappella society. After a series of lockdowns and preparation for competitions, we finally got the chance to spare a weekend to head out to busk at Covent Garden!

Picking my Degree: Round 2

Anya Nanchahal

Medicine

Most people choose which degree they want to study in sixth form and then don’t need to think about another one until they graduate. Medicine at Imperial is a little bit different. One, in my opinion, asset of the medical programme at Imperial is that it gives us the opportunity to undertake an intercalated BSc. This basically means that our fourth year at university is spent studying another subject within which we then receive a BSc (Hons) degree. Seems like a pretty good deal for just one extra year of work.

However, I’m discovering one problem with studying for an MBBS (BSc) programme.

Navigating life at university as a LGBTQ+ student

Written by Calyste Revel, MSc Investment and Wealth Management, Imperial LGBTQ+ Officer

[Sidenote: LGBTQ+ means Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender-Queer/Questioning, and the + is for all individuals that do not identify with the previous categories]

Letting go and finding yourself

What I found very peculiar in my transition to university was the fact I suddenly could be totally myself. I come from a small village in France and my sexuality, although not something I was ashamed of, had never been something people were willing to discuss back home. So, arriving in London, where the opportunities to express my identity and be recognised for it suddenly felt unlimited, was truly overwhelming at first.

Major Event – Imperial Singapore Society

Yee Tong Siow

MEng Mechanical Engineering

Having been highly involved with Imperial College’s Malaysian Society in my first two years at Imperial has led to a deep appreciation for the purpose and goals of cultural societies. Imperial College is one of the most diverse universities in the UK. With more than 50% of its students coming from out of the UK, it is no surprise that cultural societies play a big part in helping students settle into this new environment. Besides organising events to help students settle into London, many cultural societies also put on an annual performance to showcase their culture to anyone who wishes to appreciate it.

The ICCAs 2022

Yee Tong Siow

MEng Mechanical Engineering

As someone who is involved in the A Cappella community, The ICCAs (International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella) is one of the most exciting events in the year for collegiate A Cappella groups around the UK and US. For those who are wondering what exactly is the ICCAs, it is a competition for collegiate groups to showcase a 10 minute set of A Cappella music. This allows the groups to unleash their creativity in creating diverse arrangements and wicked choreography, allowing the audience and judges to appreciate a night of constant surprises. In other words, it is basically the competition seen in the movie Pitch Perfect.

5 ways to boost your productivity with tech

MEng Mechanical Engineering

We all know time can easily be whittled away by scrolling through social media or falling down a YouTube rabbit hole (may or may not be speaking on personal experience…).

But technology is a double-edged sword and can be also be used to boost our productivity – here are 5 ways to do so.

Disclaimer: I have recommended apps that I use, though please research them before downloading/purchasing as I am by no means a technology expert.

1. To-do list (Microsoft App)

What is it?

An app to write to-do lists in

Why do I use it?

It seems too obvious to state, but a good to-do list app can be extremely helpful in not only keeping track of tasks but also in achieving them.

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