Blog posts

Beeing a Beekeeper at Imperial College London

Written by Heiloi (Louie) Yip, MSc Bioinformatics and Theoretical Systems Biology

Would you believe it if I told you there are two beehives living somewhere inside Imperial College London’s South Kensington campus? Would you also believe that I, the writer of this blog, also happen to be the current caretaker of these bees? You see, I am the head apiarist (beekeeper) of the Environmental Society (ESoc), and I have been looking after the two beehives inside ESoc’s secret garden for the last three years of my life at Imperial. If you would like to learn more about how I became head apiarist and what the hive is like looking after thousands of bees, I’ll do my best to summarise my beekeeping journey in this short blog.

What can you expect from being a student representative at Imperial College London?

Written by Harsh Gupta, MSc. Advanced Materials Science and Engineering

Student councils are a great opportunity for personal growth. At Imperial, I ran for the Student Representative position in the Department of Materials. As I reflect on my journey as a student representative for my Master’s course, I am reminded of the reasons that motivated me to step up and take on this role. I decided to pursue this position, driven by a desire to have a meaningful impact on the decision-making process within my course.

What was my role?

As a student representative, I sought to make positive changes within my course.

Balancing learning and leisure as an international MSc student

by Vedashree Chandewar, MSc Environmental Engineering 2022-2023

As an international student pursuing a Master’s at Imperial College London, you have the exciting opportunity to study in one of the most vibrant and culturally diverse cities in the world. But let’s face it, you’ve got only one year to soak it all in, and it is easy to feel overwhelmed about how to balance studying and exploring the country while adjusting to a new environment. In this blog, I will be sharing tips on how to make the most of your time at Imperial, so you can excel in your studies and still have time for fun.

Things I miss about living in student halls

MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Although the transition to university wasn’t plain sailing for me, being a fresher was a very exciting time, and a big part of the reason for it being such a fun experience was living in student halls. I lived in Woodward. Although I can appreciate that there are downsides to student halls, I wouldn’t have changed it for living in a privately rented flat, at least not in my first year. Having gone through three different rented flats, I’ve really come to appreciate the perks of living in student accommodation.

Everything in one place

I think what I miss the most is having so many amenities in one place – a quiet study room just a few flights of stairs below, a lively common room with comfy sofas for when I needed to take a break, and a gym next door.

Six tips for surviving and thriving MSc in Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology: insights from a current student

by Romita Trehan, MSc Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology.

As a Master’s student in Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology at Imperial College London, you’re about to embark on a challenging yet rewarding journey.

This course will equip you with cutting-edge knowledge and practical skills in various aspects of biotechnology, from genetic engineering to drug discovery, and will prepare you for a successful career in academia, industry, or entrepreneurship. However, as with any rigorous academic program, the MSc in Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology requires dedication, focus, and resilience. I have faced my own unique set of challenges and experiences. As much as it is demanding, it has also been incredibly rewarding.

Culture and art in London on a Student Budget

MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering

London is the place to be if you’re a fan of culture and arts. Theatre, cinema, art galleries, museums, concerts, stand-up shows – you name it! It’s difficult to keep up with London’s vast cultural schedule, yet many students can’t take advantage of living in the capital of theatre, art, and fashion as the ticket prices are out of their budget. Having lived in London for almost four years, I was painfully aware of how many world-class shows I am missing out on, but where there’s a will there’s a way. I’ve learned some hacks that keep my cultural cravings satisfied and allow me to regularly visit memorable shows and unique exhibitions without sacrificing all my savings.

Trash talk: how I learned to love teamwork with a landfill design project

by Vedashree Chandewar, MSc Environmental Engineering 2022-2023.

If you are like me and have never worked on group projects, what I am about to share will hopefully make you less worried about them. At Imperial, this is something you will do quite often. As a part of my MSc Environmental Engineering course, I recently worked on a collaborative team project focusing on the design of a landfill in the UK. 

I completed my undergraduate degree from The Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, and prior to this, I had only worked on individual projects. While working as an individual does offer plenty of benefits and flexibility in working, the scope of the research becomes limited for a lone researcher.

More Than a Student Job – Being a Makerspace Ambassador

MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering

As a student ambassador, I can apply for a variety of work opportunities, but one of my personal favourites is working at Makerspace. If you’re not familiar with the place, you can check it out here, but think of it as a creative design space combined with a crafting workshop where you can do anything from woodworking to 3D printing and laser cutting to electronics.

Activities that I support at Makerspace

One of the regular events that take place at the Makerspace is the ‘Maker Challenge’ – a programme for Year 10 to Year 13 students during which they can learn a range of skills and work on a project idea of their choice.

Research opportunities as an Imperial Medical student

Anya Nanchahal

Medicine

Imperial is world renowned for its cutting-edge research output, which became all the more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the MBBS programme has research skills embedded throughout its curriculum in order to instil the importance of evidence-based clinical practice within us as future doctors. This year, I am undertaking an intercalated BSc, a mandatory component of the Imperial Medicine course with my subject area being Pharmacology. While this is certainly the most research heavy year of my degree so far, I have been fortunate enough to take part in numerous projects during my earlier years as well.

The first substantive research initiative I was involved with stemmed from the project I undertook during my Clinical Research and Innovation (CRI) module in second year.

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).

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