Category: Year 1

Welcome to the Medic Life

MBBS/BSc Medicine

One term down, seventeen to go.

Something I was often told during Freshers’ Week (or Freshers’ Fortnight for the medics) was that my six years at Imperial will fly by. I saw no truth whatsoever to that statement at the time.

However, now that the winter holidays are finally upon us and January exams are alarmingly close- where exactly has first term gone? Honestly- what happened? The wrath of medical school interviews have begun for brave souls across the country, and it’s odd to think that it’s been a year since I was in that position!

After much procrastination and a degree of reflection, I finally pull myself together enough to write up my very first blog about my past 11 weeks at Imperial before it all becomes a blur to me.

Surviving the first term

Mathematics and Statistics

 – 8 things that have gotten me through my first term

After ten weeks of lectures, problem sheets, weekly tests and repeat, with the odd excitement of computing coursework, I am wondering how I made it through this term without getting too exhausted of the cycle! As much as I love the struggle of finding “the largest number of chicken nuggets it is impossible to buy, when they come in boxes of 6,9 and 20” (real question!!), sometimes you do find yourself drowning in work and you need a break, to relax and clear your mind in order to improve your focus for when you do sit down to work again.

Adventures of a Year Rep

Abigael Bamgboye profile

MEng Materials Science and Engineering

One of my highlights this year at Imperial has been the honour of holding the role of Year Representative. All in all, it has been a lot of work. But it has been immensely rewarding nonetheless.

Here’s the actual job description for a Year Representative:

  • Act as a voice for your Year Group in Staff-Student Committee Meetings
    • Collect feedback from your year group
    • Inform your year group of the department’s response
  • Liaise with lecturers about tutorials and any other matters
  • Organise summer revision sessions

Your reward: Free Lunch during Staff Student Committee Meetings (Twice a Term)

Here’s what I’ve got up to, with the help of my fellow Year Rep, Anthony (AKA A Bold Ant):

  • The actual roles stipulated above and…
    • Setting up in an informal events committee
    • Starting a Weekly Update (newsletter featuring tutorial work, exam dates, social opportunities, puns + a fun picture showing what members of our year have got up to that week)
    • Obtaining content for the weekly update
    • Emailing the Student Office
    • Visiting lecturers officers if they haven’t replied to an email
    • Messaging MatSoc Committee members to check when events will be happening
    • Creating polls to help MatSoc know which events our year are interested in
    • Promoting said events via the Weekly Update

The truth is, you put in as much as you get out.

Here’s to a Great Term (Spring 2017)

Abigael Bamgboye profile

MEng Materials Science and Engineering

Fancy Dress Day…

Here’s to a term that’s brought me so much joy,

Materials Trip to the Culham Nuclear Centre

That’s taken me beyond my limits and expanded the shores of my life.

RSM Spring Dinner 2017

Here’s to a term that’s taught me life skills,

Election Campaign for RSM Regalia Officers

Challenged the way I think and taught me what not to sacrifice.

Group Trip to Santander, Spain, Jan 2017 (Yep, it was during term time, but we didn’t miss a minute of a lecture!)

Here’s to the people that have surprised me,

Friends who came to watch me perform in Afrogala

Inspired me and absolutely mesmerised me.

A day in the life as a 2nd Year EIE

Mwana Hussein

MEng Electronic and Information Engineering

As a prospective student, I once wanted to know what a typical day for an EIE student was so here is my version!

Living in Wilson House as a hall senior I wake up at 8:00am to get to a 9:00 am lecture.

Wilson House is conveniently  ~25mins from the SK campus and the walk is visually captivating since you walk through Hyde Park! For those from countries which are really full of nature like me, you probably won’t get what the big deal is to have a walk though a park.

But a park like Hyde Park in a city like London is not easy to come by, so living in a hall that allows you to enjoy this walk everyday is amazing (except during the winters 😀 )

8:00 – Grudging roll out of bed – too early for Electronic labs or Computer Labs

8:30 – Walk to uni

9:00 to 12:00 – This is usually some sort of labs in 2nd year (in first year you enjoy the great life and have labs in the afternoons!

A New Found Relationship: YOU and IMPERIAL

Mwana Hussein

MEng Electronic and Information Engineering

Imperial is like dating.

Initially, it’s a great new experience you are totally infatuated with it! You can’t believe out of all the other schools out there, Imperial decided to reciprocate the feelings you had when you applied!

So you decided to take the leap of faith and move from home to live in halls and be a FRESHER!

Ohh! You are so excited about this!

Most people call this stage the HONEYMOON phase but we’ll just call it AUTUMN TERM. And just like those midnight messages you cherish with you and bae nothing will feel more amazing than walking around campus with that red lanyard you receive during your 1st week..

IT’S ON! EIE VS EEE!

Mwana Hussein

MEng Electronic and Information Engineering

I want to tell you about EIE (cause I love it) and a bit on EEE!

So you are probably asking yourself the BIG question I was asking myself a while ago.

EIE vs EEE!?!?!?

Don’t freak out! I know it can difficult to decide but I am hoping to give you some insider information that can help you make that decision. If you still can’t decide, I guess it’s good for you to know you have about 2 weeks to decide once you join and try a bit of both!

But be careful of trying both you might fall in love with the EIE spirit 😉

Now we know one thing about the two: they belong to the same department so one would relationalize surely they must be similar?

What Henry volunteered for Imperial Plus this year? (A Summary of Imperial-run volunteering service)

Henry Xu profile

BSc Biological Sciences

Time flies really fast. I could still feel how nervous I was when composing the very first blog for Lorna & the student blog team’s selection. I have done many great things over this year and volunteering with Imperial Plus is definitely one of the highlights of my life. It started off when I attended the volunteering fair some time after the beginning of the year. I have done many different kinds of volunteering jobs ever since high school. When I first started to volunteer, it was purely to lighten up my CV to be honest. However, the more engagement I gave to that cause, the more satisfied I feel from the outcome.

What you need to know about living at Xenia (An Imperial student hall ran by Chapter 1 Charity)

Henry Xu profile

BSc Biological Sciences

What you need to know about living at Xenia (An Imperial student hall ran by Chapter 1 Charity)

As many of you are prospective students for Imperial, I want to share some first-hand experience of living at Xenia, one of the many options for the first year student halls at Imperial. Xenia (which stands for hospitality in Greek), is a student accommodation site owned and ran by Chapter 1 Charity. Located in the heart of London, it provides easy access to numerous attractions. This guide will prove to be very useful to you (especially International Students) as it gathers many valuable opinions from the current residents and can provide you with comprehensive information with both unbiased facts and some personal touch.

Learn more about life at Imperial

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