Imperial College London

London

IMPERIAL -High prestige but low student stisfaction level ???

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The amount of extra work you need to do jumps up hugely from A level to degree level. In A levels a lot of the stuff is covered in the classroom. Whereas at uni you've got to go over the stuff at your own time to understand the lectures (and this is just for a 2.1). You need to do your own independent research for a 1st. In A-level you could just memorise key words and expect to get a mark, depending on the markscheme - especially for science/maths subjects. Again, compare that to degree level where you're expected to make your own arguments, proofs and especially analysis. You might have done this previously but I seriously doubt it would require a similar amount of effort to a degree. (just sayin from my own experience)

PS. plus you have teachers on your back all the time. Homework, courseworks, parents evenings. No one gives a **** if you dont come to lectures or if you started your essay 12 hours before its due. Its a sort of culture shock

Imperial College London

London

Reply 121

summer_blazed

Original post by catestevenson

From what I've heard from the current first years it's pretty dependant on who you make friends with. There are people who feel the same way and want to go out and get hammered but unlike other universities that doesn't describe (almost) every student - there are a lot more people who aren't into that kind of thing.

Guess it is what you make of it. Unlike almost everybody else complaining about the social life I'm rather looking forward to the male female ratio :biggrin:

Reply 122

effofex

I had a very positive experience at Imperial.

I would not have the career path I embarked on had I gone to another one of the universities I was offered a place at when I was 17.

Sure - you will have to study hard. I had to work full-time alongside study, but it really does well for your CV. There are a substantial number of jobs you can fit in alongside study (since you're in London) and a wide range of societies.

Regards the male:female ratio etc. - I don't think that is important in choosing a university.

Reply 123

hash007

Original post by effofex

Out of interest, what have you gone into after uni and what did you study? Are there a lot of finance/IB societies? The people at imperial kept saying a lot of the grads went into finance.

How many hours a week did you work whilst studying? Did you have much free time to relax/socialise? I think i'm going to need a part time job whilst i'm there too!

Also, as you say the male:female ratio is not the important thing but is the difference that noticable? Do you ever have balls/parties with people from the university of london or is imperial strictly seperate?

Reply 124

hash007

Original post by summer_blazed

Is the social life really that bad?! It's been my biggest fear since I firmed it. All of my friends are off to Cardiff, Manchester, and Exeter and they're all going to have a great time. I can't deal with boring people/hard working people/socially inept people. Ergh.

Same here, firmed the place but I hope it's not as dull as people make out. :K:

Went to the Brighton open day and that place was amazing!

Reply 125

calibrations

Original post by summer_blazed

I can't deal with hard working people/socially inept people. Ergh.

Maybe you chose the wrong subject...

Reply 126

effofex

Original post by hash007

I went into investment banking (trading) and then prop trading. I may be doing a masters in finance later this year (first degree was not in finance). There are 1 or 2 finance-related societies, but it is not like the LSE (which has about 10).

I worked 30 hours per week in my 2nd year (and for the first term of the 3rd year) - this was on 3 evenings (5.30pm -1am) and a weekend day.

I didn't get much free time because the course was quite demanding, I had societies to get involved in and the occasional match.

I lived in intercollegiate halls for my first year (so met mainly non-Imperial people - i.e. people at LSE, UCL, Kings, Birkbeck, Goldsmiths). You can invite you who want to any 'parties' you may decide to host. From my second year onwards I lived with a bunch of people - most of which were not students.

In certain areas the male:female ratio was very skewed (cricket soc, finance soc, electrical engineering) but as I said, this is not something I cared about - if I specifically wanted to meet female people I could just have gone to Sohoe.

Reply 127

isitinyet?

Original post by summer_blazed

Guess it is what you make of it. Unlike almost everybody else complaining about the social life I'm rather looking forward to the male female ratio :biggrin:

i'm not

Reply 128

summer_blazed

Original post by jmenkus

Maybe you chose the wrong subject...

Nah, I love physics. Only thing I ever cared about at school apart from PE.

Reply 129

catestevenson

Original post by summer_blazed

Guess it is what you make of it. Unlike almost everybody else complaining about the social life I'm rather looking forward to the male female ratio :biggrin:

Exactly

I figure I'm better off going with a positive attitude and making it what I want it to be. Haha, same :biggrin:

Reply 130

imsorrymissjackson

Original post by isitinyet?

i'm not

It depends what subject you're studying, if you doing a bio-related subject you'll see loads of girls, in biochemistry you'll actually be outnumbered :smile:

Reply 131

isitinyet?

Original post by imsorrymissjackson

It depends what subject you're studying, if you doing a bio-related subject you'll see loads of girls, in biochemistry you'll actually be outnumbered :smile:

biology

Reply 132

Cyco

Original post by hash007

Same here, firmed the place but I hope it's not as dull as people make out. :K:

Went to the Brighton open day and that place was amazing!

Life at Imperial isn't dull - we just pretend it is, to scare away those we deem to be unbelievers :P

Reply 133

calibrations

Original post by summer_blazed

Nah, I love physics. Only thing I ever cared about at school apart from PE.

Right, but autism correlates with a high mathematical ability hence physics courses tend to contain more socially inept people than, say, English courses.

Also, judging by your grades you're probably a closet 'hard-worker' yourself...

Reply 134

summer_blazed

Original post by jmenkus

Also, judging by your grades you're probably a closet 'hard-worker' yourself...

I wish for the life of me that this was true. But truth is that I've coasted my way through everything I've ever done. You haven't seen my grades to know if they're good or not, but I can assure you that I don't deserve them!

Reply 135

innerhollow

Original post by hash007

Same here, firmed the place but I hope it's not as dull as people make out. :K:

Went to the Brighton open day and that place was amazing!

Original post by hash007

How many hours a week did you work whilst studying? Did you have much free time to relax/socialise? I think i'm going to need a part time job whilst i'm there too!

What subject are you doing? Having a part-time job at Imperial is very, very uncommon from what I've seen because the college offers decent bursaries and there's a relative lack of time in which to do a job.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 136

calibrations

Original post by summer_blazed

I think they were in your sig a while ago. Not stalking you, I promise. Cathy.

Reply 137

hash007

Original post by innerhollow

Really haven't found life here dull, it can be pretty gruelling at times in terms of work but I'm generally having a good time here. Most of the negative press about the uni is said by people who have no actual connection to Imperial (inb4 Physics Enemy).

What subject are you doing? Having a part-time job at Imperial is very, very uncommon from what I've seen because the college offers decent bursaries and there's a relative lack of time in which to do a job.

Geology. I just think compared to other more 'lively' uni's you don't get the full student experience? That's just what I've heard a few people say, because of all the hard working, nerdy type students there it's not like your typical uni experience.

Reply 138

hash007

Original post by Cyco

Life at Imperial isn't dull - we just pretend it is, to scare away those we deem to be unbelievers :P

What was freshers week like for you?
Any interesting stores to share?

Reply 139

summer_blazed

Original post by jmenkus

I think they were in your sig a while ago. Not stalking you, I promise. Cathy.

I feel stalked. Think this is the second time in my life I've been referred to as Cathy. The only other time was by my A level english teacher as a pervy joke when we were studying Wuthering Heights..