Imperial College London
London
What Life at Imperial Really is like... from a third year Imperial Mech eng Student
Ok, I haven't posted on here in a while, but to be honest im getting a bit pissed off at how badly some people are slating imperial so I spent the morning doing a write up of my experience at the uni.
Be prepared: this is long. I spent a couple of hours typing it this morning.
I am currently completing my third year at imperial studying Mechanical Engineering.
I'm going to address some issues people are concerned with.
Workload:
You hear many people saying that the workload at imperial is suicidal. There seem to be people on here complaining that you work so hard and hate your degree at imperial. I cannot stress enough how wrong that is and how that statement is far from the truth for the vast majority of students at imperial.
My first year at imperial did not count towards my degree. Half the ear seems to take this lightly and maintain a low workload with just a couple of hours a week and not attending many lectures. The other half stick to lectures and try to keep up with all the work. I was one of the students who tried to keep up with my work throughout the year. It is not a difficulty thing to do if you have reasonable time management skills. I had around 5 hours a day of timetabled activities and usually spent 1-2 hours a day working. This was more than enough to attain a first. The students who did not work at all throughout the year had a painful last 5 weeks before exams as they had to cram, but they still will achieve a 2.1 or first. One thing I will mention is that if you have studied further maths A level at school it will make your time during first year much easier, but it is not a big deal if you have not.
My second year was again fairly relaxed. There was only 3-4 hours of timetabled lessons a day on average with around 2 hours of work a day. My weekends were always free as were most of my evenings. If people are telling you that they are spending 12 hours a day working, you have to question how efficient they are at using their time. There is not that much work set, and if your target Is to just do well in the exams, cramming towards the end of the year is sufficient for passing your exams.
My third year has definitely been far more intense although I only have 3 hours of timetabled activity during the day, I have been doing around 3-4 hours of work a day at the most. There is a lot of coursework, but as long as you are consistent throughout the year there is not much difficulty in getting a 2.1 or first. I had my first third year exam earlier this week and have exams for the next two weeks. In fairness the last 5 weeks have had considerably more work as I have been preparing for exams, but that is to be expected for anyone doing an engineering degree at any university.
I believe that the reasons people complain about the imperial workload is due to a lack of a consistent work ethic. If you spend an hour or two reading over notes from the start every day you will find the course at imperial pretty straightforward, but once you start to fall far behind you end up having to cram significantly which is not pleasant.
Staff/Support:
In my department (mechanical engineering) the staff are very approachable. Most of them will respond to your emails the same day for any queries and are happy to see you if you need help with a subject. Tutorials are useful, although you will find towards the start of the second year students tend not to go to them and work individually. I do not know if this is the same with other departments.
There is good pastoral care at the uni is you are under stress or having any issues. There is a medical centre and dentist’s right by the campus which is very useful.
Additionally many complain that imperial are very stringent with failures and coursework marks. This is true, but they are not unfair. If students have genuine reasons for not being able to submit coursework on time, or genuine mitigating circumstances they are taken seriously. What does not help however is that students tend to take advantage of this and around 30%(I believe this is an accurate estimate) of students end up with mitigating circumstances such as having a cold or fever for exams to gain some free marks.
Accommodation:
Cost if high. There is nothing that can be done about this. You are in the most expensive part of central London. There will be a couple of Lamborghinis or Ferraris parked on every road if you live close to the uni. Imperial is very well situated in London and at the cultural hub of the capital. As a result accommodation costs are high, but manageable if you know what to do.
Southside/eastside:
I have visited friends at several universities around the country including Warwick, Southampton, Cambridge, Exeter, loughbourgh, Durham, St Andrews, Bath, Bristol and other London universities. None of the student accommodation I have visited comes close to the halls at Southside/eastside. The kitchens are large, spacious and clean. The rooms are very modern and well equipped. Everything is cleaned regularly and it really is a joy to live in these halls. You are located less than 100m walk from campus and are located 70m from a gym and swimming pool with a Tesco to shop from not far off. Prices are high at around 190+ a week for a single room. I lived in a twin room which was fine if you got on with your roommate, however I have heard stories of some roommates keeping each other up. These sort of problems are easily addressed by speaking to staff.
Wilson:
Wilson is on par with most of the country’s accommodation. It has recently been refurbished and is a very pleasant 25 minute walk through Hyde Park from uni.
Evelyn gardens/fisher:
Cheaper accommodation with much older equipment, however everything is clean and perfectly fine for student accommodation.
Overall compared to the rest of the country I find imperial to have very decent student accommodation. It is pricey. To live in a single room within a 20 min walk from uni you will have to pay a minimum of £150 a week, whether private or halls. By third/fourth year most people live in private accommodation around 30 min travel into uni by cycling or by bus and pay around £140 a week.
Food:
Imperial catering is simply outstanding. There is a vast array of food choices available for lunch if you want to purchase lunch instead of cooking. Everyday this is one of the things I decide to spend money on. There are so many good catering outlets within the university selling every sort of food. Every day there is a different menu for the hot foods. There is a very good salad bar and there are always places to buy snacks close by. The library café is open late every night if you want to study during the night. There are also microwaves and hot water sources dotted around everywhere if you want to heat up food or make tea/coffee
University facilities:
Being an science/engineering based college, the entire campus is very well equipped. Although some of the buildings may look dated, there are new computers everywhere and the buildings are of a very high standard. One of the things imperial students can boast about is having wifi absolutely anywhere on campus. You can get 400mbps download speeds on wifi pretty much anywhere on campus. There are good bike stores and toilets/showers on campus. The facilities at imperial are some of the best in the country as the university has quite a lot of money.
Clubs/activities/union:
There are a vast array of well-funded clubs at imperial that welcome anyone. See here: https://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/activities/a-to-z
My one piece of advice is do not be shy and do not just stick with your one group of friends and do things with them. You need to be adventurous and go do activities. There is so much on offer at imperial which a lot of people just don’t realise. You don’t need to know people to get involved with activities, simply just turn up. Workload is not an issue if you are consistent with work and clubs and societies can make the university experience far more enjoyable I personally have tried many things but never stuck with something. Every year I have tried a new group of activities, but now I can put my name to having skydived, wakeboarded, sailed, cycled, run, played with Lego, done kung fu, played snooker, been an archer, been kayaking in Wales, been skiing in France. The activities are subsidised by the university and costs are very low compared to doing these things yourself.
The international side:
I will admit that imperial has a very international background. There are a vast number of Asian students at the university. Although many of the Chinese students tend to stick in their own groups, just as many students are outgoing and friends with anyone. You would be a fool to think if you came to this university you would be segregated or stuck in friends groups. Do not let this be a deciding factor. If you have any questions just ask and Ill try to answer.
Going out:
Although imperial on the whole is a more tame university, drinking and going out is just as prevalent as it is anywhere else. Some of the drinking games might be more nerdy, but its part of going to imperial. There are a vast number of London club and events to go to throughout the year, far more than anywhere else in the world. London will ALWAYS have something to do. If you and friends are bored just go on time out and you can always find something. Equally if you don’t drink there is no less stuff to do.
Girls:
This is my main concern with imperial. There is a lack of girls. With my course in particular being around 80% male, there is a distinct lack of females on the uni. If you are a horny 18 y/o guy looking to come to imperial for girl action I’m sure you can find your fair share of it, as we do socialise with other London universities regularly, but it isn’t one of the strong points of imperial.
What is the degree worth?
A science/engineering degree at imperial is well respected. No matter where in UK you are a 2.1 or better from imperial will get you a good respectable job. Many people do not end up as engineers. This is fine. Around 40% of my courses end up in non-engineering jobs with many working as banker. There is nothing wrong with this. Employers recognise that you gain valuable skills at imperial and as a result the salary reflects this. You can go on to further education and research or get pretty much any engineering job you want as imperial engineers are held to the highest prestige in the UK.
Summary:
Do not come to imperial expecting a Stoll in the park degree where you are guaranteed a job after. It requires some effort, but the workload is no more than it is at other top universities in the world.
If you a British student your 9k a year is very good value for university compared to most universities in the country other than Oxbridge. If you are international and can afford to come to imperial, you should do it. It is a wonderful university despite some of its setbacks that will guarantee you a good time if you are willing to put in the commitment.
If you have any questions feel free to ask me. I have noticed a lot of people on here complaining about imperial, I thought I should give some clarification as they do not represent the vast majority of students.
Be prepared: this is long. I spent a couple of hours typing it this morning.
I am currently completing my third year at imperial studying Mechanical Engineering.
I'm going to address some issues people are concerned with.
Workload:
You hear many people saying that the workload at imperial is suicidal. There seem to be people on here complaining that you work so hard and hate your degree at imperial. I cannot stress enough how wrong that is and how that statement is far from the truth for the vast majority of students at imperial.
My first year at imperial did not count towards my degree. Half the ear seems to take this lightly and maintain a low workload with just a couple of hours a week and not attending many lectures. The other half stick to lectures and try to keep up with all the work. I was one of the students who tried to keep up with my work throughout the year. It is not a difficulty thing to do if you have reasonable time management skills. I had around 5 hours a day of timetabled activities and usually spent 1-2 hours a day working. This was more than enough to attain a first. The students who did not work at all throughout the year had a painful last 5 weeks before exams as they had to cram, but they still will achieve a 2.1 or first. One thing I will mention is that if you have studied further maths A level at school it will make your time during first year much easier, but it is not a big deal if you have not.
My second year was again fairly relaxed. There was only 3-4 hours of timetabled lessons a day on average with around 2 hours of work a day. My weekends were always free as were most of my evenings. If people are telling you that they are spending 12 hours a day working, you have to question how efficient they are at using their time. There is not that much work set, and if your target Is to just do well in the exams, cramming towards the end of the year is sufficient for passing your exams.
My third year has definitely been far more intense although I only have 3 hours of timetabled activity during the day, I have been doing around 3-4 hours of work a day at the most. There is a lot of coursework, but as long as you are consistent throughout the year there is not much difficulty in getting a 2.1 or first. I had my first third year exam earlier this week and have exams for the next two weeks. In fairness the last 5 weeks have had considerably more work as I have been preparing for exams, but that is to be expected for anyone doing an engineering degree at any university.
I believe that the reasons people complain about the imperial workload is due to a lack of a consistent work ethic. If you spend an hour or two reading over notes from the start every day you will find the course at imperial pretty straightforward, but once you start to fall far behind you end up having to cram significantly which is not pleasant.
Staff/Support:
In my department (mechanical engineering) the staff are very approachable. Most of them will respond to your emails the same day for any queries and are happy to see you if you need help with a subject. Tutorials are useful, although you will find towards the start of the second year students tend not to go to them and work individually. I do not know if this is the same with other departments.
There is good pastoral care at the uni is you are under stress or having any issues. There is a medical centre and dentist’s right by the campus which is very useful.
Additionally many complain that imperial are very stringent with failures and coursework marks. This is true, but they are not unfair. If students have genuine reasons for not being able to submit coursework on time, or genuine mitigating circumstances they are taken seriously. What does not help however is that students tend to take advantage of this and around 30%(I believe this is an accurate estimate) of students end up with mitigating circumstances such as having a cold or fever for exams to gain some free marks.
Accommodation:
Cost if high. There is nothing that can be done about this. You are in the most expensive part of central London. There will be a couple of Lamborghinis or Ferraris parked on every road if you live close to the uni. Imperial is very well situated in London and at the cultural hub of the capital. As a result accommodation costs are high, but manageable if you know what to do.
Southside/eastside:
I have visited friends at several universities around the country including Warwick, Southampton, Cambridge, Exeter, loughbourgh, Durham, St Andrews, Bath, Bristol and other London universities. None of the student accommodation I have visited comes close to the halls at Southside/eastside. The kitchens are large, spacious and clean. The rooms are very modern and well equipped. Everything is cleaned regularly and it really is a joy to live in these halls. You are located less than 100m walk from campus and are located 70m from a gym and swimming pool with a Tesco to shop from not far off. Prices are high at around 190+ a week for a single room. I lived in a twin room which was fine if you got on with your roommate, however I have heard stories of some roommates keeping each other up. These sort of problems are easily addressed by speaking to staff.
Wilson:
Wilson is on par with most of the country’s accommodation. It has recently been refurbished and is a very pleasant 25 minute walk through Hyde Park from uni.
Evelyn gardens/fisher:
Cheaper accommodation with much older equipment, however everything is clean and perfectly fine for student accommodation.
Overall compared to the rest of the country I find imperial to have very decent student accommodation. It is pricey. To live in a single room within a 20 min walk from uni you will have to pay a minimum of £150 a week, whether private or halls. By third/fourth year most people live in private accommodation around 30 min travel into uni by cycling or by bus and pay around £140 a week.
Food:
Imperial catering is simply outstanding. There is a vast array of food choices available for lunch if you want to purchase lunch instead of cooking. Everyday this is one of the things I decide to spend money on. There are so many good catering outlets within the university selling every sort of food. Every day there is a different menu for the hot foods. There is a very good salad bar and there are always places to buy snacks close by. The library café is open late every night if you want to study during the night. There are also microwaves and hot water sources dotted around everywhere if you want to heat up food or make tea/coffee
University facilities:
Being an science/engineering based college, the entire campus is very well equipped. Although some of the buildings may look dated, there are new computers everywhere and the buildings are of a very high standard. One of the things imperial students can boast about is having wifi absolutely anywhere on campus. You can get 400mbps download speeds on wifi pretty much anywhere on campus. There are good bike stores and toilets/showers on campus. The facilities at imperial are some of the best in the country as the university has quite a lot of money.
Clubs/activities/union:
There are a vast array of well-funded clubs at imperial that welcome anyone. See here: https://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/activities/a-to-z
My one piece of advice is do not be shy and do not just stick with your one group of friends and do things with them. You need to be adventurous and go do activities. There is so much on offer at imperial which a lot of people just don’t realise. You don’t need to know people to get involved with activities, simply just turn up. Workload is not an issue if you are consistent with work and clubs and societies can make the university experience far more enjoyable I personally have tried many things but never stuck with something. Every year I have tried a new group of activities, but now I can put my name to having skydived, wakeboarded, sailed, cycled, run, played with Lego, done kung fu, played snooker, been an archer, been kayaking in Wales, been skiing in France. The activities are subsidised by the university and costs are very low compared to doing these things yourself.
The international side:
I will admit that imperial has a very international background. There are a vast number of Asian students at the university. Although many of the Chinese students tend to stick in their own groups, just as many students are outgoing and friends with anyone. You would be a fool to think if you came to this university you would be segregated or stuck in friends groups. Do not let this be a deciding factor. If you have any questions just ask and Ill try to answer.
Going out:
Although imperial on the whole is a more tame university, drinking and going out is just as prevalent as it is anywhere else. Some of the drinking games might be more nerdy, but its part of going to imperial. There are a vast number of London club and events to go to throughout the year, far more than anywhere else in the world. London will ALWAYS have something to do. If you and friends are bored just go on time out and you can always find something. Equally if you don’t drink there is no less stuff to do.
Girls:
This is my main concern with imperial. There is a lack of girls. With my course in particular being around 80% male, there is a distinct lack of females on the uni. If you are a horny 18 y/o guy looking to come to imperial for girl action I’m sure you can find your fair share of it, as we do socialise with other London universities regularly, but it isn’t one of the strong points of imperial.
What is the degree worth?
A science/engineering degree at imperial is well respected. No matter where in UK you are a 2.1 or better from imperial will get you a good respectable job. Many people do not end up as engineers. This is fine. Around 40% of my courses end up in non-engineering jobs with many working as banker. There is nothing wrong with this. Employers recognise that you gain valuable skills at imperial and as a result the salary reflects this. You can go on to further education and research or get pretty much any engineering job you want as imperial engineers are held to the highest prestige in the UK.
Summary:
Do not come to imperial expecting a Stoll in the park degree where you are guaranteed a job after. It requires some effort, but the workload is no more than it is at other top universities in the world.
If you a British student your 9k a year is very good value for university compared to most universities in the country other than Oxbridge. If you are international and can afford to come to imperial, you should do it. It is a wonderful university despite some of its setbacks that will guarantee you a good time if you are willing to put in the commitment.
If you have any questions feel free to ask me. I have noticed a lot of people on here complaining about imperial, I thought I should give some clarification as they do not represent the vast majority of students.
Scroll to see replies
Do you know anything, anything, about the chemEng department? How costly might it get for the internationals, if you know? I mean I know the basics like tuition and accommodation, but what do your international friends say?
Imperial College London
London
Original post by n00bfi
Do you know anything, anything, about the chemEng department? How costly might it get for the internationals, if you know? I mean I know the basics like tuition and accommodation, but what do your international friends say?
Hi,
I'm good friends with a number of chemical engineers and I share a module with them so am often in the chemical engineering building. Their department is more modern than the Mech eng building, however Mech eng is currently being renovated. Otherwise its much the same as mech eng. The consensus in general is that chemical engineering and mechanical engineering are the toughest courses at the uni. There are just as many international students in chemical engineering as any other department.
Original post by hellohihello
Hi,
I'm good friends with a number of chemical engineers and I share a module with them so am often in the chemical engineering building. Their department is more modern than the Mech eng building, however Mech eng is currently being renovated. Otherwise its much the same as mech eng. The consensus in general is that chemical engineering and mechanical engineering are the toughest courses at the uni. There are just as many international students in chemical engineering as any other department.
I'm good friends with a number of chemical engineers and I share a module with them so am often in the chemical engineering building. Their department is more modern than the Mech eng building, however Mech eng is currently being renovated. Otherwise its much the same as mech eng. The consensus in general is that chemical engineering and mechanical engineering are the toughest courses at the uni. There are just as many international students in chemical engineering as any other department.
Isn't maths tougher than mech eng considering maths has the second highest average tariff score on entry (587) higher than mech eng's (560) and maths also has the lowest percentage of 1st/2.1 of all the subjects at Imperial? Stats are from https://workspace.imperial.ac.uk/planning/Public/stats_card/Stats%20Guide%202012-13.pdf
Thanks for the post btw!
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by cube123
Isn't maths tougher than mech eng considering maths has the second highest average tariff score on entry (587) higher than mech eng's (560) and maths also has the lowest percentage of 1st/2.1 of all the subjects at Imperial
Original post by + polarity -
This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Question if you don't mind -
I was looking at the clubs list, and some clubs have "(medics)" in the end. Does that mean they are only open to students in medicine? I looked at a few of them and it looks like they welcome students from other faculties as well. What does it mean?
Thanks!
I was looking at the clubs list, and some clubs have "(medics)" in the end. Does that mean they are only open to students in medicine? I looked at a few of them and it looks like they welcome students from other faculties as well. What does it mean?
Thanks!
Hi. Do you know anything about Biology in Imperial? And where are the possible places the graduates end up? 
Hi. 😃 do you know anything about doing an international year? I want to spend a year abroad at a French speaking university but would that be really difficult? I only have a GCSE and an AS level in French. Thanks. 👍
Posted from TSR Mobile
Posted from TSR Mobile
Great post! I've noticed the huge number of posts on TSR complaining about how awful Imperial is as well. I can't stress enough how privileged we are as students of Imperial and how much I enjoyed my time here!
Original post by hellohihello
Ok, I haven't posted on here in a while, but to be honest im getting a bit pissed off at how badly some people are slating imperial so I spent the morning doing a write up of my experience at the uni.
Be prepared: this is long. I spent a couple of hours typing it this morning.
I am currently completing my third year at imperial studying Mechanical Engineering.
I'm going to address some issues people are concerned with.
Workload:
You hear many people saying that the workload at imperial is suicidal. There seem to be people on here complaining that you work so hard and hate your degree at imperial. I cannot stress enough how wrong that is and how that statement is far from the truth for the vast majority of students at imperial.
My first year at imperial did not count towards my degree. Half the ear seems to take this lightly and maintain a low workload with just a couple of hours a week and not attending many lectures. The other half stick to lectures and try to keep up with all the work. I was one of the students who tried to keep up with my work throughout the year. It is not a difficulty thing to do if you have reasonable time management skills. I had around 5 hours a day of timetabled activities and usually spent 1-2 hours a day working. This was more than enough to attain a first. The students who did not work at all throughout the year had a painful last 5 weeks before exams as they had to cram, but they still will achieve a 2.1 or first. One thing I will mention is that if you have studied further maths A level at school it will make your time during first year much easier, but it is not a big deal if you have not.
My second year was again fairly relaxed. There was only 3-4 hours of timetabled lessons a day on average with around 2 hours of work a day. My weekends were always free as were most of my evenings. If people are telling you that they are spending 12 hours a day working, you have to question how efficient they are at using their time. There is not that much work set, and if your target Is to just do well in the exams, cramming towards the end of the year is sufficient for passing your exams.
My third year has definitely been far more intense although I only have 3 hours of timetabled activity during the day, I have been doing around 3-4 hours of work a day at the most. There is a lot of coursework, but as long as you are consistent throughout the year there is not much difficulty in getting a 2.1 or first. I had my first third year exam earlier this week and have exams for the next two weeks. In fairness the last 5 weeks have had considerably more work as I have been preparing for exams, but that is to be expected for anyone doing an engineering degree at any university.
I believe that the reasons people complain about the imperial workload is due to a lack of a consistent work ethic. If you spend an hour or two reading over notes from the start every day you will find the course at imperial pretty straightforward, but once you start to fall far behind you end up having to cram significantly which is not pleasant.
Staff/Support:
In my department (mechanical engineering) the staff are very approachable. Most of them will respond to your emails the same day for any queries and are happy to see you if you need help with a subject. Tutorials are useful, although you will find towards the start of the second year students tend not to go to them and work individually. I do not know if this is the same with other departments.
There is good pastoral care at the uni is you are under stress or having any issues. There is a medical centre and dentist’s right by the campus which is very useful.
Additionally many complain that imperial are very stringent with failures and coursework marks. This is true, but they are not unfair. If students have genuine reasons for not being able to submit coursework on time, or genuine mitigating circumstances they are taken seriously. What does not help however is that students tend to take advantage of this and around 30%(I believe this is an accurate estimate) of students end up with mitigating circumstances such as having a cold or fever for exams to gain some free marks.
Accommodation:
Cost if high. There is nothing that can be done about this. You are in the most expensive part of central London. There will be a couple of Lamborghinis or Ferraris parked on every road if you live close to the uni. Imperial is very well situated in London and at the cultural hub of the capital. As a result accommodation costs are high, but manageable if you know what to do.
Southside/eastside:
I have visited friends at several universities around the country including Warwick, Southampton, Cambridge, Exeter, loughbourgh, Durham, St Andrews, Bath, Bristol and other London universities. None of the student accommodation I have visited comes close to the halls at Southside/eastside. The kitchens are large, spacious and clean. The rooms are very modern and well equipped. Everything is cleaned regularly and it really is a joy to live in these halls. You are located less than 100m walk from campus and are located 70m from a gym and swimming pool with a Tesco to shop from not far off. Prices are high at around 190+ a week for a single room. I lived in a twin room which was fine if you got on with your roommate, however I have heard stories of some roommates keeping each other up. These sort of problems are easily addressed by speaking to staff.
Wilson:
Wilson is on par with most of the country’s accommodation. It has recently been refurbished and is a very pleasant 25 minute walk through Hyde Park from uni.
Evelyn gardens/fisher:
Cheaper accommodation with much older equipment, however everything is clean and perfectly fine for student accommodation.
Overall compared to the rest of the country I find imperial to have very decent student accommodation. It is pricey. To live in a single room within a 20 min walk from uni you will have to pay a minimum of £150 a week, whether private or halls. By third/fourth year most people live in private accommodation around 30 min travel into uni by cycling or by bus and pay around £140 a week.
Food:
Imperial catering is simply outstanding. There is a vast array of food choices available for lunch if you want to purchase lunch instead of cooking. Everyday this is one of the things I decide to spend money on. There are so many good catering outlets within the university selling every sort of food. Every day there is a different menu for the hot foods. There is a very good salad bar and there are always places to buy snacks close by. The library café is open late every night if you want to study during the night. There are also microwaves and hot water sources dotted around everywhere if you want to heat up food or make tea/coffee
University facilities:
Being an science/engineering based college, the entire campus is very well equipped. Although some of the buildings may look dated, there are new computers everywhere and the buildings are of a very high standard. One of the things imperial students can boast about is having wifi absolutely anywhere on campus. You can get 400mbps download speeds on wifi pretty much anywhere on campus. There are good bike stores and toilets/showers on campus. The facilities at imperial are some of the best in the country as the university has quite a lot of money.
Clubs/activities/union:
There are a vast array of well-funded clubs at imperial that welcome anyone. See here: https://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/activities/a-to-z
My one piece of advice is do not be shy and do not just stick with your one group of friends and do things with them. You need to be adventurous and go do activities. There is so much on offer at imperial which a lot of people just don’t realise. You don’t need to know people to get involved with activities, simply just turn up. Workload is not an issue if you are consistent with work and clubs and societies can make the university experience far more enjoyable I personally have tried many things but never stuck with something. Every year I have tried a new group of activities, but now I can put my name to having skydived, wakeboarded, sailed, cycled, run, played with Lego, done kung fu, played snooker, been an archer, been kayaking in Wales, been skiing in France. The activities are subsidised by the university and costs are very low compared to doing these things yourself.
The international side:
I will admit that imperial has a very international background. There are a vast number of Asian students at the university. Although many of the Chinese students tend to stick in their own groups, just as many students are outgoing and friends with anyone. You would be a fool to think if you came to this university you would be segregated or stuck in friends groups. Do not let this be a deciding factor. If you have any questions just ask and Ill try to answer.
Going out:
Although imperial on the whole is a more tame university, drinking and going out is just as prevalent as it is anywhere else. Some of the drinking games might be more nerdy, but its part of going to imperial. There are a vast number of London club and events to go to throughout the year, far more than anywhere else in the world. London will ALWAYS have something to do. If you and friends are bored just go on time out and you can always find something. Equally if you don’t drink there is no less stuff to do.
Girls:
This is my main concern with imperial. There is a lack of girls. With my course in particular being around 80% male, there is a distinct lack of females on the uni. If you are a horny 18 y/o guy looking to come to imperial for girl action I’m sure you can find your fair share of it, as we do socialise with other London universities regularly, but it isn’t one of the strong points of imperial.
What is the degree worth?
A science/engineering degree at imperial is well respected. No matter where in UK you are a 2.1 or better from imperial will get you a good respectable job. Many people do not end up as engineers. This is fine. Around 40% of my courses end up in non-engineering jobs with many working as banker. There is nothing wrong with this. Employers recognise that you gain valuable skills at imperial and as a result the salary reflects this. You can go on to further education and research or get pretty much any engineering job you want as imperial engineers are held to the highest prestige in the UK.
Summary:
Do not come to imperial expecting a Stoll in the park degree where you are guaranteed a job after. It requires some effort, but the workload is no more than it is at other top universities in the world.
If you a British student your 9k a year is very good value for university compared to most universities in the country other than Oxbridge. If you are international and can afford to come to imperial, you should do it. It is a wonderful university despite some of its setbacks that will guarantee you a good time if you are willing to put in the commitment.
If you have any questions feel free to ask me. I have noticed a lot of people on here complaining about imperial, I thought I should give some clarification as they do not represent the vast majority of students.
Be prepared: this is long. I spent a couple of hours typing it this morning.
I am currently completing my third year at imperial studying Mechanical Engineering.
I'm going to address some issues people are concerned with.
Workload:
You hear many people saying that the workload at imperial is suicidal. There seem to be people on here complaining that you work so hard and hate your degree at imperial. I cannot stress enough how wrong that is and how that statement is far from the truth for the vast majority of students at imperial.
My first year at imperial did not count towards my degree. Half the ear seems to take this lightly and maintain a low workload with just a couple of hours a week and not attending many lectures. The other half stick to lectures and try to keep up with all the work. I was one of the students who tried to keep up with my work throughout the year. It is not a difficulty thing to do if you have reasonable time management skills. I had around 5 hours a day of timetabled activities and usually spent 1-2 hours a day working. This was more than enough to attain a first. The students who did not work at all throughout the year had a painful last 5 weeks before exams as they had to cram, but they still will achieve a 2.1 or first. One thing I will mention is that if you have studied further maths A level at school it will make your time during first year much easier, but it is not a big deal if you have not.
My second year was again fairly relaxed. There was only 3-4 hours of timetabled lessons a day on average with around 2 hours of work a day. My weekends were always free as were most of my evenings. If people are telling you that they are spending 12 hours a day working, you have to question how efficient they are at using their time. There is not that much work set, and if your target Is to just do well in the exams, cramming towards the end of the year is sufficient for passing your exams.
My third year has definitely been far more intense although I only have 3 hours of timetabled activity during the day, I have been doing around 3-4 hours of work a day at the most. There is a lot of coursework, but as long as you are consistent throughout the year there is not much difficulty in getting a 2.1 or first. I had my first third year exam earlier this week and have exams for the next two weeks. In fairness the last 5 weeks have had considerably more work as I have been preparing for exams, but that is to be expected for anyone doing an engineering degree at any university.
I believe that the reasons people complain about the imperial workload is due to a lack of a consistent work ethic. If you spend an hour or two reading over notes from the start every day you will find the course at imperial pretty straightforward, but once you start to fall far behind you end up having to cram significantly which is not pleasant.
Staff/Support:
In my department (mechanical engineering) the staff are very approachable. Most of them will respond to your emails the same day for any queries and are happy to see you if you need help with a subject. Tutorials are useful, although you will find towards the start of the second year students tend not to go to them and work individually. I do not know if this is the same with other departments.
There is good pastoral care at the uni is you are under stress or having any issues. There is a medical centre and dentist’s right by the campus which is very useful.
Additionally many complain that imperial are very stringent with failures and coursework marks. This is true, but they are not unfair. If students have genuine reasons for not being able to submit coursework on time, or genuine mitigating circumstances they are taken seriously. What does not help however is that students tend to take advantage of this and around 30%(I believe this is an accurate estimate) of students end up with mitigating circumstances such as having a cold or fever for exams to gain some free marks.
Accommodation:
Cost if high. There is nothing that can be done about this. You are in the most expensive part of central London. There will be a couple of Lamborghinis or Ferraris parked on every road if you live close to the uni. Imperial is very well situated in London and at the cultural hub of the capital. As a result accommodation costs are high, but manageable if you know what to do.
Southside/eastside:
I have visited friends at several universities around the country including Warwick, Southampton, Cambridge, Exeter, loughbourgh, Durham, St Andrews, Bath, Bristol and other London universities. None of the student accommodation I have visited comes close to the halls at Southside/eastside. The kitchens are large, spacious and clean. The rooms are very modern and well equipped. Everything is cleaned regularly and it really is a joy to live in these halls. You are located less than 100m walk from campus and are located 70m from a gym and swimming pool with a Tesco to shop from not far off. Prices are high at around 190+ a week for a single room. I lived in a twin room which was fine if you got on with your roommate, however I have heard stories of some roommates keeping each other up. These sort of problems are easily addressed by speaking to staff.
Wilson:
Wilson is on par with most of the country’s accommodation. It has recently been refurbished and is a very pleasant 25 minute walk through Hyde Park from uni.
Evelyn gardens/fisher:
Cheaper accommodation with much older equipment, however everything is clean and perfectly fine for student accommodation.
Overall compared to the rest of the country I find imperial to have very decent student accommodation. It is pricey. To live in a single room within a 20 min walk from uni you will have to pay a minimum of £150 a week, whether private or halls. By third/fourth year most people live in private accommodation around 30 min travel into uni by cycling or by bus and pay around £140 a week.
Food:
Imperial catering is simply outstanding. There is a vast array of food choices available for lunch if you want to purchase lunch instead of cooking. Everyday this is one of the things I decide to spend money on. There are so many good catering outlets within the university selling every sort of food. Every day there is a different menu for the hot foods. There is a very good salad bar and there are always places to buy snacks close by. The library café is open late every night if you want to study during the night. There are also microwaves and hot water sources dotted around everywhere if you want to heat up food or make tea/coffee
University facilities:
Being an science/engineering based college, the entire campus is very well equipped. Although some of the buildings may look dated, there are new computers everywhere and the buildings are of a very high standard. One of the things imperial students can boast about is having wifi absolutely anywhere on campus. You can get 400mbps download speeds on wifi pretty much anywhere on campus. There are good bike stores and toilets/showers on campus. The facilities at imperial are some of the best in the country as the university has quite a lot of money.
Clubs/activities/union:
There are a vast array of well-funded clubs at imperial that welcome anyone. See here: https://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/activities/a-to-z
My one piece of advice is do not be shy and do not just stick with your one group of friends and do things with them. You need to be adventurous and go do activities. There is so much on offer at imperial which a lot of people just don’t realise. You don’t need to know people to get involved with activities, simply just turn up. Workload is not an issue if you are consistent with work and clubs and societies can make the university experience far more enjoyable I personally have tried many things but never stuck with something. Every year I have tried a new group of activities, but now I can put my name to having skydived, wakeboarded, sailed, cycled, run, played with Lego, done kung fu, played snooker, been an archer, been kayaking in Wales, been skiing in France. The activities are subsidised by the university and costs are very low compared to doing these things yourself.
The international side:
I will admit that imperial has a very international background. There are a vast number of Asian students at the university. Although many of the Chinese students tend to stick in their own groups, just as many students are outgoing and friends with anyone. You would be a fool to think if you came to this university you would be segregated or stuck in friends groups. Do not let this be a deciding factor. If you have any questions just ask and Ill try to answer.
Going out:
Although imperial on the whole is a more tame university, drinking and going out is just as prevalent as it is anywhere else. Some of the drinking games might be more nerdy, but its part of going to imperial. There are a vast number of London club and events to go to throughout the year, far more than anywhere else in the world. London will ALWAYS have something to do. If you and friends are bored just go on time out and you can always find something. Equally if you don’t drink there is no less stuff to do.
Girls:
This is my main concern with imperial. There is a lack of girls. With my course in particular being around 80% male, there is a distinct lack of females on the uni. If you are a horny 18 y/o guy looking to come to imperial for girl action I’m sure you can find your fair share of it, as we do socialise with other London universities regularly, but it isn’t one of the strong points of imperial.
What is the degree worth?
A science/engineering degree at imperial is well respected. No matter where in UK you are a 2.1 or better from imperial will get you a good respectable job. Many people do not end up as engineers. This is fine. Around 40% of my courses end up in non-engineering jobs with many working as banker. There is nothing wrong with this. Employers recognise that you gain valuable skills at imperial and as a result the salary reflects this. You can go on to further education and research or get pretty much any engineering job you want as imperial engineers are held to the highest prestige in the UK.
Summary:
Do not come to imperial expecting a Stoll in the park degree where you are guaranteed a job after. It requires some effort, but the workload is no more than it is at other top universities in the world.
If you a British student your 9k a year is very good value for university compared to most universities in the country other than Oxbridge. If you are international and can afford to come to imperial, you should do it. It is a wonderful university despite some of its setbacks that will guarantee you a good time if you are willing to put in the commitment.
If you have any questions feel free to ask me. I have noticed a lot of people on here complaining about imperial, I thought I should give some clarification as they do not represent the vast majority of students.
Imperial hands out fewer 1st / 2:1 degrees than most universities and people cite the reason is due to the bad teaching.
If they hand out too many, they say it's dumbing down.
The numbers at Oxbridge getting 1st / 2:1s has shot up, yet nobody complains.
The bottom line is, you can't have it both ways. Imperial is rigorous, just accept it. There are lots of international students but so does LSE.
There are many public school educated at Imperial but at least there's no Bullingdon Clubs.
(edited 9 years ago)
Thanks for the post, very helpful.
I'm trying decide between aerospace engineering at imperial and engineering at cambridge... can't make me mind up!
The biggest worry I have about imperial is the cost of living. Do you find you have enough money left over for things like the skiing you mentioned (how much is this subsidised by the way??), and generally spending on extra-curricular stuff?
Thanks
I'm trying decide between aerospace engineering at imperial and engineering at cambridge... can't make me mind up!
The biggest worry I have about imperial is the cost of living. Do you find you have enough money left over for things like the skiing you mentioned (how much is this subsidised by the way??), and generally spending on extra-curricular stuff?
Thanks
Original post by ihavemooedtoday
Question if you don't mind -
I was looking at the clubs list, and some clubs have "(medics)" in the end. Does that mean they are only open to students in medicine? I looked at a few of them and it looks like they welcome students from other faculties as well. What does it mean?
Thanks!
I was looking at the clubs list, and some clubs have "(medics)" in the end. Does that mean they are only open to students in medicine? I looked at a few of them and it looks like they welcome students from other faculties as well. What does it mean?
Thanks!
You can join Medics clubs if you are non-medics, however people only ever do that if there isn't a non-medic version of that club already available. Medics sports teams are on the whole separate from the rest of the universities teams.
Original post by myprecious1
Hi. Do you know anything about Biology in Imperial? And where are the possible places the graduates end up?
I don't know much about the biologists, although their building is nicer than Mech eng. For some reason everyone seems to feel like it is the soft degree at imperial as they have a light workload and what is supposedly a 'dos' degree(of course this is all relative at Imperial and most likely to do with people being degree snobs believing that their degree is the best). This doesn't seem to affect the employment rates and graduate prospects for them appear to be as strong as other departments.
Original post by ThePhoenix13
Hi. do you know anything about doing an international year? I want to spend a year abroad at a French speaking university but would that be really difficult? I only have a GCSE and an AS level in French. Thanks.
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Posted from TSR Mobile
Hi, you get the chance to go abroad in your final year at the university. Whether you join imperial on the year abroad scheme or not, it doesn't make any difference. They base who they select for the year abroad on academics and if some of the year abroad universities are more popular they will only pick the brightest students. I know some people are choosing to leave after the third year with a BEng, as they have secured places for masters courses themselves at other top international universities which shouldn't be too difficult if you plan ahead and are on target for a good first. As for language issues, Imperial offer language courses in the third year which is a good change to all the engineering modules, although they are generally quite tough and fast paced as only those committed to learning the language will do them.
Original post by Playitcool
Thanks for the post, very helpful.
I'm trying decide between aerospace engineering at imperial and engineering at cambridge... can't make me mind up!
The biggest worry I have about imperial is the cost of living. Do you find you have enough money left over for things like the skiing you mentioned (how much is this subsidised by the way??), and generally spending on extra-curricular stuff?
Thanks
I'm trying decide between aerospace engineering at imperial and engineering at cambridge... can't make me mind up!
The biggest worry I have about imperial is the cost of living. Do you find you have enough money left over for things like the skiing you mentioned (how much is this subsidised by the way??), and generally spending on extra-curricular stuff?
Thanks
If you have a preference to specifically do aerospace engineering then pick Imperial, however if you really are unsure if Aerospace engineering is for you then cambridge is obviously the answer. I was in the same position 3 years ago with offers from both cambridge and Imperial, however what swayed me is going to a university that is specifically for Science/engineering. I have gone and spoken to staff in pretty much every department over the three years for different pieces of coursework. It is a great benefit having such extensive engineering support around.
If you are a British student getting just the student loan, living costs are tight, however it is doable. You will inevitably go over budget, but being smart about eating and drinking is really all that you need to do. Living on just the student loan it is difficult to spend more the £140 a week on accommodation, which in 2nd and third year means you may live slightly further away(20-30min) if you are unable to secure any student hall places. However most students like this distance away and there is nothing wrong with that.
Extra curricular stuff is much cheaper than doing it on your own, plus there is the benifit you are with many other students. The ski trip happens every december and I would highly recommend it whether you have skied before or not. I recall paying about £330 for everything for 1 week.
Hi I am an international student. Could you tell me more about the Chemistry department? Also for the year abroad and year in industry how much do you pay the university ? Would it still be £25k ? And roughly what is the percentage of students get to do that? Would you have to be on the first class tier to go abroad?
Original post by cube123
Isn't maths tougher than mech eng considering maths has the second highest average tariff score on entry
Lmao.
Original post by JasXD
Hi I am an international student. Could you tell me more about the Chemistry department? Also for the year abroad and year in industry how much do you pay the university ? Would it still be £25k ? And roughly what is the percentage of students get to do that? Would you have to be on the first class tier to go abroad?
Hi, I don't know much about the chemists. For our year in Industry we pay half fees whilst we are working. I'm not sure if its the same with international students. Anyone can do a year in industry, it is not reserved for 'elite' students. You generally apply for year in industry positions with companies and it is up to them if they accept you. This is usually based on your interviews with companies, not just grades. If you can arrange a year in industry with a company yourself, you would be allowed to do it.
For the year abroad however you will need to be on for a first and one of the top students as who they pick is based on academics.
Original post by hellohihello
Hi, I don't know much about the chemists. For our year in Industry we pay half fees whilst we are working. I'm not sure if its the same with international students. Anyone can do a year in industry, it is not reserved for 'elite' students. You generally apply for year in industry positions with companies and it is up to them if they accept you. This is usually based on your interviews with companies, not just grades. If you can arrange a year in industry with a company yourself, you would be allowed to do it.
For the year abroad however you will need to be on for a first and one of the top students as who they pick is based on academics.
For the year abroad however you will need to be on for a first and one of the top students as who they pick is based on academics.
Thanks for the info. The chemist don't mix around with the rest? Even half of £25k is too much for my parents to pay. And by the time 4th year rolls in, the price would have increased to gosh knows how high.
Original post by hellohihello
The consensus in general is that chemical engineering and mechanical engineering are the toughest courses at the uni.
...JMC..?
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Original post by William Turtle
Joint Maths and Computing
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