Imperial College London
London
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Imperial does have a bit of a reputation, but I went there and I had a great time so it definitely isn't true for everyone!
I think part of the issue with Imperial is that a lot of students go there 'because it's Imperial'. That means they don't look at the course or area as much as they should (you have to like London to live there, trust me!) and instead they just go for the reputation and end up hating it. You do work hard at Imperial and if you don't love the subject you're studying it can be awful.
Imperial only offers STEM subjects so it does tend to attract a 'quieter' sort of student, which can lead to some students feeling isolated and lonely if they don't make the effort to go out and make friends (which you have to do anywhere). Having no close friends can obviously can ruin your experience and also leads to low satisfaction scores - remember the people who had the worst time are more likely to complain about it on the NSS, people who had a good time don't care as much about filling it out!
I actually really like the mix of people at Imperial. There are plenty of people who want to go out and drink and have fun like at 'normal' universities, so if that's what you're after then you're fine. However, there are also lots of people who prefer a quite night in and still have a great time - so if you just don't feel like going out one night then you know no one will make you feel bad about it and you can still have a good time. As I'm sure everyone at every university anywhere says, societies are a great place to meet people who have the same interests as you as well!
Obviously this was just my experience and I made some massive generalisations, but I had a wonderful time and so did my friends. If you like the course at Imperial don't let what some people say online put you off applying (and if you can go and visit to see what it's actually like there that's even better).
Good luck with whatever you decide!
I think part of the issue with Imperial is that a lot of students go there 'because it's Imperial'. That means they don't look at the course or area as much as they should (you have to like London to live there, trust me!) and instead they just go for the reputation and end up hating it. You do work hard at Imperial and if you don't love the subject you're studying it can be awful.
Imperial only offers STEM subjects so it does tend to attract a 'quieter' sort of student, which can lead to some students feeling isolated and lonely if they don't make the effort to go out and make friends (which you have to do anywhere). Having no close friends can obviously can ruin your experience and also leads to low satisfaction scores - remember the people who had the worst time are more likely to complain about it on the NSS, people who had a good time don't care as much about filling it out!
I actually really like the mix of people at Imperial. There are plenty of people who want to go out and drink and have fun like at 'normal' universities, so if that's what you're after then you're fine. However, there are also lots of people who prefer a quite night in and still have a great time - so if you just don't feel like going out one night then you know no one will make you feel bad about it and you can still have a good time. As I'm sure everyone at every university anywhere says, societies are a great place to meet people who have the same interests as you as well!
Obviously this was just my experience and I made some massive generalisations, but I had a wonderful time and so did my friends. If you like the course at Imperial don't let what some people say online put you off applying (and if you can go and visit to see what it's actually like there that's even better).
Good luck with whatever you decide!
Imperial College London
London
Original post by Firefly13
Imperial does have a bit of a reputation, but I went there and I had a great time so it definitely isn't true for everyone!
I think part of the issue with Imperial is that a lot of students go there 'because it's Imperial'. That means they don't look at the course or area as much as they should (you have to like London to live there, trust me!) and instead they just go for the reputation and end up hating it. You do work hard at Imperial and if you don't love the subject you're studying it can be awful.
Imperial only offers STEM subjects so it does tend to attract a 'quieter' sort of student, which can lead to some students feeling isolated and lonely if they don't make the effort to go out and make friends (which you have to do anywhere). Having no close friends can obviously can ruin your experience and also leads to low satisfaction scores - remember the people who had the worst time are more likely to complain about it on the NSS, people who had a good time don't care as much about filling it out!
I actually really like the mix of people at Imperial. There are plenty of people who want to go out and drink and have fun like at 'normal' universities, so if that's what you're after then you're fine. However, there are also lots of people who prefer a quite night in and still have a great time - so if you just don't feel like going out one night then you know no one will make you feel bad about it and you can still have a good time. As I'm sure everyone at every university anywhere says, societies are a great place to meet people who have the same interests as you as well!
Obviously this was just my experience and I made some massive generalisations, but I had a wonderful time and so did my friends. If you like the course at Imperial don't let what some people say online put you off applying (and if you can go and visit to see what it's actually like there that's even better).
Good luck with whatever you decide!
I think part of the issue with Imperial is that a lot of students go there 'because it's Imperial'. That means they don't look at the course or area as much as they should (you have to like London to live there, trust me!) and instead they just go for the reputation and end up hating it. You do work hard at Imperial and if you don't love the subject you're studying it can be awful.
Imperial only offers STEM subjects so it does tend to attract a 'quieter' sort of student, which can lead to some students feeling isolated and lonely if they don't make the effort to go out and make friends (which you have to do anywhere). Having no close friends can obviously can ruin your experience and also leads to low satisfaction scores - remember the people who had the worst time are more likely to complain about it on the NSS, people who had a good time don't care as much about filling it out!
I actually really like the mix of people at Imperial. There are plenty of people who want to go out and drink and have fun like at 'normal' universities, so if that's what you're after then you're fine. However, there are also lots of people who prefer a quite night in and still have a great time - so if you just don't feel like going out one night then you know no one will make you feel bad about it and you can still have a good time. As I'm sure everyone at every university anywhere says, societies are a great place to meet people who have the same interests as you as well!
Obviously this was just my experience and I made some massive generalisations, but I had a wonderful time and so did my friends. If you like the course at Imperial don't let what some people say online put you off applying (and if you can go and visit to see what it's actually like there that's even better).
Good luck with whatever you decide!
thank youuu
Original post by uka_qwer
its a bit wierd because i have read online that the teaching at imperail is not very good, but its one of the best unis in the uk
The teaching varies and it depends a lot on your department and the options you chose, as it would at any university.
In general on my degree most of the 'main' lecturers (who give the majority of lectures) were pretty good, it tended to be the lecturers who only had one or two lectures to give that were the worst - although having said that some of those gave the best lectures as well! In my department at least they do try to improve the teaching based on feedback from previous years, so they do care about the teaching standards.
Original post by AndrewSCO
Saying Imperial is awful for social life is just kinda a cliche thing everyone says. Truth is you're in the centre of London and you will have no problem having a good social life if you want to and get in with the other people who do too.
but surely there will be a much higher proportion of 'geeks' who wouldn't want to go out and get pissed geezer
Original post by sortmeoutgeezer
but surely there will be a much higher proportion of 'geeks' who wouldn't want to go out and get pissed geezer
I studied there for a year, I had no problem finding people to go out with. The halls I stayed in there were 22 people sharing a floor/kitchen and 5/6 floors plus everyone who is on your course plus anyone you meet in societies. Plenty of people to meet and plenty of people to make friends with.
Original post by AndrewSCO
I studied there for a year, I had no problem finding people to go out with. The halls I stayed in there were 22 people sharing a floor/kitchen and 5/6 floors plus everyone who is on your course plus anyone you meet in societies. Plenty of people to meet and plenty of people to make friends with.
yes but like I said I'm guessing the majority will be more the 'indoor' type, I spoke to someone who graduated from Imperial and they pretty much said that it is like that and that quite a lot of people prefer to stay in their rooms and study 24 7 geez, will still probs apply next year anyway
Original post by sortmeoutgeezer
yes but like I said I'm guessing the majority will be more the 'indoor' type, I spoke to someone who graduated from Imperial and they pretty much said that it is like that and that quite a lot of people prefer to stay in their rooms and study 24 7 geez, will still probs apply next year anyway
Not really. Like I said, it's a "thing" to say that, and it puts people in that mentality even though it's not really true. I had a better social life at Imperial than I do at my current uni. It just depends on circumstance. But the truth of the matter is if you want to go out, it won't be a problem, at all.
Original post by AndrewSCO
Not really. Like I said, it's a "thing" to say that, and it puts people in that mentality even though it's not really true. I had a better social life at Imperial than I do at my current uni. It just depends on circumstance. But the truth of the matter is if you want to go out, it won't be a problem, at all.
fair enough geezSCO
Social life is whatever you want it to be. If you want a hyper social life you can do it but if you want a quiet social life you can do it. Everything for everyone. Student satisfaction being low from my experience is generally good teaching but poor student handling and support sometimes.
Anyone reckon job prospects are inversely correlated with satisfaction rate? Would be interesting to look at the data.
Frankly the social life is not going to come to you. It will in your first year (for the first couple of weeks) but after that, if you want to socialise you have to make an effort, much the same as anywhere in the country. The options are still there (and plentiful) but it's up to YOU to take them.
Otherwise I'm not 100% sure why but it's the fashion for imperial students to hate in imperial. Everyone moans about how crap it is, because that's what you do. It's quite odd.
Otherwise I'm not 100% sure why but it's the fashion for imperial students to hate in imperial. Everyone moans about how crap it is, because that's what you do. It's quite odd.
Everyone is overly studious and the expectation at the uni is that you work almost non-stop. I met with my tutor to discuss motivation as I was finding the work load too much and it was getting me down. He told me it was all about reducing the number of "ineffective hours" in a day which he described as hours in which one is not studying.
He said that many students would go home and spend a couple of hours a night watching TV or socialising (i.e relaxing) and that's why they weren't doing as well as they should do.
The teaching staff have a very mechanical view of life and assume that you want nothing more out of life than a degree from Imperial. Also the lack of humanities subjects creates a strange atmosphere; not just the lack of females but also the general type of student that excels in Maths based subjects.
Add to the general lack of emotional intelligence of STEM students the big egos they carry with them from being one of the best students (if not the best) in their previous school and you get a bizarre student population.
If you are a home student who enjoys a social life (going out drinking/clubbing) your options will be limited, the number of overseas students who treat an Imperial degree as a job really limits your options. This means that you may find only one group in your halls that frequently goes out (once every one or two weeks).
I assume people at Imperial are dissatisfied with life due to the high expectations that they have imposed on themselves. There is a 6 month waiting list for student counselling services and if you are not literally on the brink of suicide or self-harm they won't offer more than two sessions.
As for it being "fashion" or "a thing" for Imperial students to dislike Imperial. If you are someone who has enjoyed a fairly balanced life with more to life than school work you are most likely going to dislike Imperial and feel fairly out of place there. There will be people you get along with, however it may not be as easy to find friends as it would be in another university.
Saying this, I myself have forged a decent student life, but my best times have come away from Imperial and a sense of dread still fills me each time I step foot on that campus. I am scraping through my degree and not a day passes that I don't think of dropping out or what could have been if I went to a different university.
He said that many students would go home and spend a couple of hours a night watching TV or socialising (i.e relaxing) and that's why they weren't doing as well as they should do.
The teaching staff have a very mechanical view of life and assume that you want nothing more out of life than a degree from Imperial. Also the lack of humanities subjects creates a strange atmosphere; not just the lack of females but also the general type of student that excels in Maths based subjects.
Add to the general lack of emotional intelligence of STEM students the big egos they carry with them from being one of the best students (if not the best) in their previous school and you get a bizarre student population.
If you are a home student who enjoys a social life (going out drinking/clubbing) your options will be limited, the number of overseas students who treat an Imperial degree as a job really limits your options. This means that you may find only one group in your halls that frequently goes out (once every one or two weeks).
I assume people at Imperial are dissatisfied with life due to the high expectations that they have imposed on themselves. There is a 6 month waiting list for student counselling services and if you are not literally on the brink of suicide or self-harm they won't offer more than two sessions.
As for it being "fashion" or "a thing" for Imperial students to dislike Imperial. If you are someone who has enjoyed a fairly balanced life with more to life than school work you are most likely going to dislike Imperial and feel fairly out of place there. There will be people you get along with, however it may not be as easy to find friends as it would be in another university.
Saying this, I myself have forged a decent student life, but my best times have come away from Imperial and a sense of dread still fills me each time I step foot on that campus. I am scraping through my degree and not a day passes that I don't think of dropping out or what could have been if I went to a different university.
Original post by MacDeMarco
Everyone is overly studious and the expectation at the uni is that you work almost non-stop. I met with my tutor to discuss motivation as I was finding the work load too much and it was getting me down. He told me it was all about reducing the number of "ineffective hours" in a day which he described as hours in which one is not studying.
He said that many students would go home and spend a couple of hours a night watching TV or socialising (i.e relaxing) and that's why they weren't doing as well as they should do.
The teaching staff have a very mechanical view of life and assume that you want nothing more out of life than a degree from Imperial. Also the lack of humanities subjects creates a strange atmosphere; not just the lack of females but also the general type of student that excels in Maths based subjects.
Add to the general lack of emotional intelligence of STEM students the big egos they carry with them from being one of the best students (if not the best) in their previous school and you get a bizarre student population.
If you are a home student who enjoys a social life (going out drinking/clubbing) your options will be limited, the number of overseas students who treat an Imperial degree as a job really limits your options. This means that you may find only one group in your halls that frequently goes out (once every one or two weeks).
I assume people at Imperial are dissatisfied with life due to the high expectations that they have imposed on themselves. There is a 6 month waiting list for student counselling services and if you are not literally on the brink of suicide or self-harm they won't offer more than two sessions.
As for it being "fashion" or "a thing" for Imperial students to dislike Imperial. If you are someone who has enjoyed a fairly balanced life with more to life than school work you are most likely going to dislike Imperial and feel fairly out of place there. There will be people you get along with, however it may not be as easy to find friends as it would be in another university.
Saying this, I myself have forged a decent student life, but my best times have come away from Imperial and a sense of dread still fills me each time I step foot on that campus. I am scraping through my degree and not a day passes that I don't think of dropping out or what could have been if I went to a different university.
He said that many students would go home and spend a couple of hours a night watching TV or socialising (i.e relaxing) and that's why they weren't doing as well as they should do.
The teaching staff have a very mechanical view of life and assume that you want nothing more out of life than a degree from Imperial. Also the lack of humanities subjects creates a strange atmosphere; not just the lack of females but also the general type of student that excels in Maths based subjects.
Add to the general lack of emotional intelligence of STEM students the big egos they carry with them from being one of the best students (if not the best) in their previous school and you get a bizarre student population.
If you are a home student who enjoys a social life (going out drinking/clubbing) your options will be limited, the number of overseas students who treat an Imperial degree as a job really limits your options. This means that you may find only one group in your halls that frequently goes out (once every one or two weeks).
I assume people at Imperial are dissatisfied with life due to the high expectations that they have imposed on themselves. There is a 6 month waiting list for student counselling services and if you are not literally on the brink of suicide or self-harm they won't offer more than two sessions.
As for it being "fashion" or "a thing" for Imperial students to dislike Imperial. If you are someone who has enjoyed a fairly balanced life with more to life than school work you are most likely going to dislike Imperial and feel fairly out of place there. There will be people you get along with, however it may not be as easy to find friends as it would be in another university.
Saying this, I myself have forged a decent student life, but my best times have come away from Imperial and a sense of dread still fills me each time I step foot on that campus. I am scraping through my degree and not a day passes that I don't think of dropping out or what could have been if I went to a different university.
It sounds like you've had a disappointing experience at Imperial but I don't think it represents Imperial as a whole. Some people will have similar experiences with yourself but I think most will have a very pleasant experience.
1. It's a top university so you'd expect a lot of studious people. Some people work extremely hard, some don't. Depends on the person but many people have excellent work life balances. They don't just study all the time.
2. Some people can go and socialise etc for hours every night because they can, there are both people who don't work and struggle but there are also those who can afford to do this because they have a great work life balance/don't need to work as hard as others.
3. Whilst some teaching staff may have a mechanical view, many others don't as you'd expect at every university. I myself like the atmosphere without humanities. Doesn't change anything tbh, people can still do languages or drama in horizons or in societies etc. They're not just restricted to just STEM.
4. While there are students who have big egos, not everyone does.
5. Completely disagree about your home student point.. Many people enjoy an excellent social life at Imperial. There are groups for everyone.. Plenty of ppl going clubbing etc. Not hard to find. Furthermore with your point of overseas students, there are many who do treat their degree as their job (they're paying a lot!) but there's a ton of them who still go out all the time. With the Asian international population they are studious, don't go clubbing that much but otherwise there are plenty of people who go clubbing. Again there are groups for everyone..
6. Plenty of opportunities to find friends in first year.
Original post by AndrewSCO
I studied there for a year, I had no problem finding people to go out with. The halls I stayed in there were 22 people sharing a floor/kitchen and 5/6 floors plus everyone who is on your course plus anyone you meet in societies. Plenty of people to meet and plenty of people to make friends with.
Was your floor saturated with guys?
Original post by cotkhd
Was your floor saturated with guys?
There were 7 girls, 14 guys on my floor
While you are in London and you can have a good social life. Thing is if you are at Imperial the workload is very high that you won’t have time to go out as you will be trying to keep up. This is particularly if you do engineering.
Much less so if you do Biological Sciences or perhaps Medicine.
Much less so if you do Biological Sciences or perhaps Medicine.
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