{"id":7500,"date":"2026-08-19T11:31:20","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T11:31:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/?p=7500"},"modified":"2026-08-19T11:31:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T11:31:20","slug":"3-things-students-should-know-before-joining-imperial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/2026\/08\/19\/3-things-students-should-know-before-joining-imperial\/","title":{"rendered":"3 things students should know before joining Imperial"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by Judy, PhD Civil Engineering<\/em><\/p>\n

After earning my undergraduate degree at Imperial, I returned a few years later to pursue a PhD, allowing me to experience student life here from two different perspectives. I\u2019ve learnt that there is no single postgraduate experience: a taught Master\u2019s is usually highly structured, while a research Master\u2019s or PhD involves much more independent planning.<\/p>\n

Here are three things that can help you prepare for postgraduate life at Imperial:<\/p>\n

1. How can you prepare for studying at Imperial?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re starting a taught Master\u2019s, your learning experience may be similar to undergraduate study, with lectures, coursework, group projects, examinations and an individual project. However, many UK Master\u2019s courses last only one year, so the pace can be fast.<\/p>\n

Before joining, you could review your course structure and module descriptions, identify the subjects you will study and refresh any relevant foundational knowledge. Books, YouTube videos and other learning resources can also help you become familiar with important concepts in advance.<\/p>\n

Before your degree begins, you can also work on skills such as academic writing, presenting, communication, coding and data analysis which can be helpful for both individual and group assignments. You can also get support from Imperial\u2019s Centre for Academic English<\/a> to develop the academic writing, speaking and research communication skills you will need during your studies.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re beginning a research Master\u2019s or PhD, you will normally need to plan your reading, research tasks and supervisor meetings more independently. Before starting, reread your research proposal, explore recent literature and think further about your research question and research gap. You could also familiarise yourself with relevant methods, such as literature reviewing, data collection, coding or modelling. However, remember that your proposal is only a starting point: your research can evolve through reading, data analysis and discussions with your supervisor. Doctoral researchers can also access research skills and career development courses through Imperial\u2019s Early Career Researcher Institute (ECRI).<\/a><\/p>\n

2. How can you find your community at Imperial?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Welcome Week<\/a> is an excellent opportunity to meet people and explore student activities. I strongly recommend attending the Welcome Fair<\/a>, where you can discover hundreds of clubs and societies. Collect information, join WhatsApp groups and attend welcome events, taster sessions or Give It a Go activities.<\/p>\n

My advice is to try several activities at first and later continue with the ones you enjoy most. Some societies simply require you to purchase membership, while certain sports and performance groups have try-outs, auditions or interviews. For example, I joined WenHua Chinese Drama Society and also tried cheerleading, both of which involved a selection process. Exploring several options gives you a better chance of finding the community that suits you. If you miss the Welcome Fair, you can still browse the A-Z list of societies and clubs.<\/a><\/p>\n

Remember to check emails from your department, faculty, the university and the Union. They often advertise seminars, social events, workshops, career fairs and networking opportunities. Postgraduate mixers and the Union\u2019s Liberation and Community Networks<\/a> can also help you meet people with similar interests or experiences.<\/p>\n

3. General tips and places to know at and around Imperial<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Top tip \u2013 you don\u2019t always have to study at the Abdus Salam Library on South Kensington Campus! Nearby alternatives include Kensington Central Library, local caf\u00e9s and Hyde Park. On a sunny day, the park can be a relaxing place to read, organise your thoughts or take a break after a long study session. Read my other blog to see my other recommendations for best off-campus places to study. <\/a><\/p>\n

For lunch, the Junior Common Room, Senior Common Room and other South Kensington catering outlets<\/a> are convenient options. You can also find restaurants serving a wide range of cuisines within walking distance of South Kensington Campus.<\/p>\n

Hyde Park, the Royal Albert Hall, the V&A and several other museums are all nearby, so treat South Kensington as an extension of the campus.<\/p>\n

Finally, keep an eye on Imperial emails, the Union event calendar<\/a> and the student newspaper Felix<\/a>, as they are useful ways to discover activities and opportunities.<\/p>\n

Postgraduate experiences at Imperial can vary greatly, but preparing for your particular style of study, actively seeking a community and making full use of the campus and its surroundings can help you settle in and make the most of your time here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Judy, PhD Civil Engineering After earning my undergraduate degree at Imperial, I returned a few years later to pursue a PhD, allowing me to experience student life here from two different perspectives. I\u2019ve learnt that there is no single postgraduate experience: a taught Master\u2019s is usually highly structured, while a research Master\u2019s or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1636,"featured_media":7501,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[300922],"tags":[300970,300963,234473,300946,300948,12094],"class_list":["post-7500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-postgraduate-student-life","tag-guidance","tag-postgraduate-study","tag-societies","tag-study-spaces","tag-studying-at-imperial","tag-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7500","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1636"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7500"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7500\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7502,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7500\/revisions\/7502"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7501"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}