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Reply 80
Original post by oooooolala
I'm afraid my A* predictions are on Maths and Physics :frown: and my school is extremely strict when giving prediction grades so i think an A* prediction in chemistry is unlikely


If you can't get predicted an A* I really doubt you'll get an offer :frown:
Why don't you try talk to your chem teacher about it? Get your teacher to predict you an A* if you do well in the in-class tests. If you show that you're motivated about it they should be a bit reasonable. That's what I did with my school and my maths grade. I only averaged 83% in AS maths and I convinced my teacher that I would work hard to get an A* in maths.
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Reply 81
Original post by happysmile
Hey, so if I'm applying to study medicine, what sort of relevant work experience should I try to do? (most hospital volunteering has a minimum age of 18 though ): Where would you suggest I tutor kids/help with elderly people/other volunteer... Thanks for your reply!! (:


You'd probably be better off asking a medic about where to get work experience etc, I really don't know anything about those things.
As for tutoring, I did it through Schools Plus where you teach kids in less privileged areas of the UK. Also you can find people to tutor using Tutor Hunt.
Go to you local old folks home for helping elderly people? That could be a good compromise if a hospital is not a possibility.
I'd think that a doctor should show that they genuinely care about people. It would be good to help out at homeless shelters/soup kitchens etc.
Hope it helps!
Will I need notebooks or folders with loose sheets of paper? And how many of each will I need? I'm more of a notebook person but it's fine if we need folders instead.
Should I buy them before I start university or should I wait until I arrive, and then buy them at the union shop?
Thank you.
😃


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Original post by babuchang
You'd probably be better off asking a medic about where to get work experience etc, I really don't know anything about those things.
As for tutoring, I did it through Schools Plus where you teach kids in less privileged areas of the UK. Also you can find people to tutor using Tutor Hunt.
Go to you local old folks home for helping elderly people? That could be a good compromise if a hospital is not a possibility.
I'd think that a doctor should show that they genuinely care about people. It would be good to help out at homeless shelters/soup kitchens etc.
Hope it helps!


Ah okay, thanks for the suggestions! :redface: Also do you know what Imperial are looking for in personal statements before they invite you for an interview? Thanks! (:
Reply 84
Original post by ThePhoenix13
Will I need notebooks or folders with loose sheets of paper? And how many of each will I need? I'm more of a notebook person but it's fine if we need folders instead.
Should I buy them before I start university or should I wait until I arrive, and then buy them at the union shop?
Thank you.
😃


Posted from TSR Mobile


It's up to you but most people use folders with loose sheets, as you can insert your lecture notes inside the folder together with any notes you make on paper. In fact, you will probably end up writing most of your notes on the lecture notes themselves as its easier that way. But everyone is different and there are people who use notebooks like in school, iPads, or don't make notes at all (would advise against that haha).
You'd need around 6-8 folders each year I think, depending how you organise your work.
I'd advise you to wait until uni starts and see what works for you. It took me a few weeks to find a system that I liked. The union shop is pretty well stocked and there is a Ryman's nearby too.
Original post by babuchang
It's up to you but most people use folders with loose sheets, as you can insert your lecture notes inside the folder together with any notes you make on paper. In fact, you will probably end up writing most of your notes on the lecture notes themselves as its easier that way. But everyone is different and there are people who use notebooks like in school, iPads, or don't make notes at all (would advise against that haha).
You'd need around 6-8 folders each year I think, depending how you organise your work.
I'd advise you to wait until uni starts and see what works for you. It took me a few weeks to find a system that I liked. The union shop is pretty well stocked and there is a Ryman's nearby too.


How much do folders in the union shop cost? 😄
And is there anything else that I need to buy? Will I have to buy a lab coat?


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Reply 86
Original post by ThePhoenix13
How much do folders in the union shop cost? 😄
And is there anything else that I need to buy? Will I have to buy a lab coat?


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Up to £3.
Nope, I just used my A-Level stationery/calculator.
Nope, you will be given one for free.
Reply 87
Original post by Reddish
Heya :smile: so I got accepted and I'm going to be going to imperial this year (eeek ;D ) I was just wondering about the social life and the whole social aspect of Imperial. Could you please tell me more about that side if things? (Sorry I know it's such a vague question)


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Hi!
Congrats on getting accepted! Are you going to do ChemEng too?
Could you be a bit more specific?
It's up to you to have as much/little of a social life as you want. You're in London and there's so much to do!
Work gets hectic during project time so its not uncommon for people to work most of the weekend.
What are tutorials like? And how many people are usually in a tutorial?


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Reply 89
Hi! I would love to study chem eng at imperial but my AS grades were all B's, (chem, bio, maths) do you think I could still get the 3 A*'s I need? And if I do do I have as much of a chance as people with 4 A2's? (as im only doing the 3)
Thanks
Original post by emilya1
Hi! I would love to study chem eng at imperial but my AS grades were all B's, (chem, bio, maths) do you think I could still get the 3 A*'s I need? And if I do do I have as much of a chance as people with 4 A2's? (as im only doing the 3)
Thanks


If your AS grades were all Bs, just don't bother applying.
Reply 91
Original post by yl95
If your AS grades were all Bs, just don't bother applying.


Even if I get predicted all A*'s? I think I could achieve that if I worked hard but would they just look at my AS and not bother?
Original post by emilya1
Even if I get predicted all A*'s? I think I could achieve that if I worked hard but would they just look at my AS and not bother?


They'd find it odd that you were predicted all A*s if you attained all Bs...Remember that ChemEng is one of their most competitive courses and you're up against people who achieved exceptional ASes (ie high UMSes) AND are predicted that. You could always try but don't be surprised if you don't receive an offer.
Original post by emilya1
Even if I get predicted all A*'s? I think I could achieve that if I worked hard but would they just look at my AS and not bother?


If you think you can get all A*'s, then you will have to show your academic potential to them in another way, such as: qualifying for the British Mathematical Olympiad and taking up the entire Further Maths A Level in 1 year. AS grades are more important to them than GCSEs so I'm not going lie to you, you're at a disadvantage with your AS grades. I suggest you quickly do something (like a proper science project - look up ISEF) that shows you're passion and expertise in chemistry/chemical engineering, and your potential to succeed at the course at Imperial.
Original post by gavss
Will do, in that case, i should aim for an average of 90% across my modules. I'e already began studying during the summer to ease the pressure.

Would I be allowed to take more mechanic modules with normal AS maths?
(i.e. M1 and 2)


I self taught mechanics, it was no problem
Reply 95
Original post by yl95
They'd find it odd that you were predicted all A*s if you attained all Bs...Remember that ChemEng is one of their most competitive courses and you're up against people who achieved exceptional ASes (ie high UMSes) AND are predicted that. You could always try but don't be surprised if you don't receive an offer.


I thought that may be the case, ill ask my teachers and see what they think. So speaking as a chem eng student and not necessarily an imperial college student, what do you think about gap years? I really need to earn some money and I want to do some volunteering but i'm worried about getting rusty at chemistry etc
Original post by emilya1
I thought that may be the case, ill ask my teachers and see what they think. So speaking as a chem eng student and not necessarily an imperial college student, what do you think about gap years? I really need to earn some money and I want to do some volunteering but i'm worried about getting rusty at chemistry etc


They'll say the same thing as you would be predicted 8 grades higher than what you attained in total...
I don't know what their position is on gap years but I think they'd quite like it if you actually did something related to Engineering at least.
Reply 97
Original post by yl95
They'll say the same thing as you would be predicted 8 grades higher than what you attained in total...
I don't know what their position is on gap years but I think they'd quite like it if you actually did something related to Engineering at least.


Yeah I know of some internship schemes that im looking into, I'll still talk to them and tbh Imperial would obviously be great to go to but i've mainly been looking at surrey who's requirements im confident I can achieve. You've been really helpful though and it's great to talk to an actual student so thanks
I'm considering applying for chem eng at Imperial this year, are there any books that would be useful to read (out of interest and for help at interview questions) but also accessible to someone still doing A levels? Many of the books I've found so far are textbooks and I'm wondering if they'll be too complex or whether there are better types of books about chem eng to read at this point.
Reply 99
Original post by ThePhoenix13
What are tutorials like? And how many people are usually in a tutorial?


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You do tutorials with your tutor group (duh haha) which usually consists of 6/7 people and are taught by a Phd student or professor. You will usually go through a problem sheet together, which you should have (in theory) attempted beforehand and you can ask questions/discuss etc.
They're pretty useful for learning how to tackle questions and you can learn a lot more than in lectures in some cases.
You get a lot more out of it if you actually try to do the questions beforehand instead of turning up without having done anything and just copying the solutions.

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