Blog posts

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.

4 things I wish I knew before attending Imperial College

Written by Maria Villamil, MSc Applied Computational Science and Engineering.

If you are applying to Imperial College London, if you have applied or if you have accepted an offer from the college – I should start with a heartfelt congratulations. It is no small feat! Imperial represents the best of the best, and you ought to be very proud.

Growing up in London, I often walked past Imperial dreaming of the day that I would be a student at the College. From an outside perspective, Imperial is the epitome of scientific knowledge, not to mention the spectacular campus buildings located in South Kensington.

What’s the Point of Exams Anyway?

Anya Nanchahal

Medicine

With Easter having come and gone there’s one word which everyone has started hearing a bit more frequently- exams. While the style and timing of exams vary from course to course, every university student invariably faces some form of assessment year on year. They’re not fun. No one likes doing them. What’s even the point of them?

That question is one I’ve definitely asked at some point- albeit usually as exam season starts looming. After all, isn’t the purpose of higher education to develop skills rather than smash through multiple choice questions accurately? You can’t blame a student from feeling somewhat resentful that their ability and dedication to a subject across a whole year is gauged based on an exam sat within a few hours.

Exam study Tunes Recommendations

Yee Tong Siow

MEng Mechanical Engineering

Easter break is always a conflicting time for most students. On one hand, we finally get to take some time off and catch up on lectures and worksheets, while enjoying the change of weather. On the other hand, this signifies the arrival of our end of year exams and the endless amount of revision associated with it. I’m someone who always needs to have my headphones on in order to focus on my work. I love the feeling of sitting in a coffee shop while putting on a pair of ANC headphones and listening to my tunes. Even if there are people rushing about around me, a good tune will allow me to focus on my work easily.

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.

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