Imperial College London
London
Third year biochemist, ask me anything!
Hey all!
I've just finished the second year of my degree (with a first!!!
) and will be starting final year this October! Feel free to ask me anything about accommodation, moving in, fresher's week, my course etc. etc. etc.
Edit: I lived in Southside during my first year, if anyone wants to know about Prince's Gardens.
And congratulations to everyone who got in this year!
I've just finished the second year of my degree (with a first!!!
) and will be starting final year this October! Feel free to ask me anything about accommodation, moving in, fresher's week, my course etc. etc. etc.Edit: I lived in Southside during my first year, if anyone wants to know about Prince's Gardens.
And congratulations to everyone who got in this year!
(edited 8 years ago)
Scroll to see replies
Is it true what they say about the place, that it's a lawless abyss of debauchery and hedonism?
Also, how is the food?
Also, how is the food?
Imperial College London
London
How is the student, and night, life at imperial? Are there opportunities to travel?
Original post by AfterShave
Is it true what they say about the place, that it's a lawless abyss of debauchery and hedonism?
Also, how is the food?
Also, how is the food?
I think you're confusing us for UCL
Union curly fries are the way forward. I would steer clear of JCR bubble tea though.
Original post by Multiplication
How is the student, and night, life at imperial? Are there opportunities to travel?
There are heaps of things to do in London, and hundreds of societies within the university itself. Definitely get involved in societies during first year - so many people don't bother, and then totally regret it. The uni does work you pretty damn hard, but it's just about finding a balance between work and life, so student life is really what you make of it.
The issue with London night life is that everything you could ever want is there, but being able to afford it is another matter entirely. That said, you do get student opportunities and discounted events every now and then (hall seniors tend to know more about these events, so keep an ear out for announcements). Imperial organises a few events at the start and end of term (summer ball, Halloween stuff, spring ball etc.) but the general opinion is that they aren't great events.
I'm not entirely sure what you mean in terms of travel?
Original post by kanra
Hey all!
I've just finished the second year of my degree (with a first!!! ) and will be starting final year this October! Feel free to ask me anything about accommodation, moving in, fresher's week, my course etc. etc. etc.
And congratulations to everyone who got in this year!
I've just finished the second year of my degree (with a first!!!
) and will be starting final year this October! Feel free to ask me anything about accommodation, moving in, fresher's week, my course etc. etc. etc.And congratulations to everyone who got in this year!
Not Imperial-specific, but how difficult is the chemistry in a biochemistry course? I love biochemistry (one of my favourite areas of biology) and feel that it would be a better option than biological sciences because I don't care for plant biology etc but I found chemistry A Level challenging at times. I'm not sure if I should bother applying for biochem? :/
Congrats on your first, by the way! 😄
Original post by All_TheCyanide
Not Imperial-specific, but how difficult is the chemistry in a biochemistry course? I love biochemistry (one of my favourite areas of biology) and feel that it would be a better option than biological sciences because I don't care for plant biology etc but I found chemistry A Level challenging at times. I'm not sure if I should bother applying for biochem? :/
Congrats on your first, by the way! 😄
Congrats on your first, by the way! 😄
Bits of the chemistry are quite tough, there's a bit right at the beginning about shapes of molecules that addresses hybridisation, which a lot of people found hard to grasp. There are also a lot of mechanisms, but the good thing about this is that you can basically memorise them, and get great marks if it comes up in the exam.
I will say that most people tend to get stuck on the same aspects of chemistry, so you should always ask around or work in groups if you're struggling. Tutorials are also a great opportunity to get things clarified; basically a problem sheet will be posted online about a week before the tutorial, which you can attempt either alone or in a group. During the tutorial, a lecturer or postgrad will go over the answers, and you can also ask for help with any aspects of the course.
I do think a lot of students struggle more with the chemistry than with the biology, so I definitely wouldn't let that put you off! As a final note, you actually get a choice of questions in the exam, so if you really do find you're struggling lots with the chemistry, you can just leave bits of it
Original post by nazmunali
Congratulations for everything.
Are you a medicine applicant who was rejected and ended up with biochemistry?
Just curious, no offence intended
Are you a medicine applicant who was rejected and ended up with biochemistry?
Just curious, no offence intended
Haha! No! I can't stand blood or needles! I do know a lot of people planning to go for postgrad medicine though XD
Congrats!
Just wondering I s there a possibility of transferring from biochemistry to chemistry when you arrive? And vice versa.
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Just wondering I s there a possibility of transferring from biochemistry to chemistry when you arrive? And vice versa.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by doctor101
Congrats!
Just wondering I s there a possibility of transferring from biochemistry to chemistry when you arrive? And vice versa.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Just wondering I s there a possibility of transferring from biochemistry to chemistry when you arrive? And vice versa.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Um...admittedly I have no idea. You're probably best emailing/calling the admissions team directly.
Congratulations!!
Have you got any tips on writing a personal statement for biochemistry? I'm really interested in the course but I'm quite stuck on how to get my enthusiasm across!
Have you got any tips on writing a personal statement for biochemistry? I'm really interested in the course but I'm quite stuck on how to get my enthusiasm across!
Original post by emilykate153
Congratulations!!
Have you got any tips on writing a personal statement for biochemistry? I'm really interested in the course but I'm quite stuck on how to get my enthusiasm across!
Have you got any tips on writing a personal statement for biochemistry? I'm really interested in the course but I'm quite stuck on how to get my enthusiasm across!
Oh god. Personal statements are a nightmare. I remember mine being so cringey :/
My advice would be to pick one topic that really interests you, and read up on it. I don't mean read up on all the scientific details, but on the significance and recent advances. For example, stem cells are really interesting for research purposes, treatments, and are even thought to be linked to cancer development.
Then incorporate this into your statement; this should make you stand out as someone who actually takes time out of their lives to read up on things outside of their syllabus.
If you have any relevant work experience, definitely put that in. But even things like sport and music can be used to sell yourself to the university if you can pick out the transferable skills from side activities and emphasise them.
Original post by kanra
Oh god. Personal statements are a nightmare. I remember mine being so cringey :/
My advice would be to pick one topic that really interests you, and read up on it. I don't mean read up on all the scientific details, but on the significance and recent advances. For example, stem cells are really interesting for research purposes, treatments, and are even thought to be linked to cancer development.
Then incorporate this into your statement; this should make you stand out as someone who actually takes time out of their lives to read up on things outside of their syllabus.
If you have any relevant work experience, definitely put that in. But even things like sport and music can be used to sell yourself to the university if you can pick out the transferable skills from side activities and emphasise them.
My advice would be to pick one topic that really interests you, and read up on it. I don't mean read up on all the scientific details, but on the significance and recent advances. For example, stem cells are really interesting for research purposes, treatments, and are even thought to be linked to cancer development.
Then incorporate this into your statement; this should make you stand out as someone who actually takes time out of their lives to read up on things outside of their syllabus.
If you have any relevant work experience, definitely put that in. But even things like sport and music can be used to sell yourself to the university if you can pick out the transferable skills from side activities and emphasise them.
Thanks so much for the advice, I'll definitely try to include references like that! Unfortunately, I don't have any work experience directly related to biochemistry. The closest thing I took part in was a biomedical sciences workshop at my local hospital. Do you think I could talk about that in my statement even though I'm not applying for biomed?
Original post by emilykate153
Thanks so much for the advice, I'll definitely try to include references like that! Unfortunately, I don't have any work experience directly related to biochemistry. The closest thing I took part in was a biomedical sciences workshop at my local hospital. Do you think I could talk about that in my statement even though I'm not applying for biomed?
That's definitely relevant! I remember talking about piano and voluntary work at a care home in my statement, so you're already doing better than me in terms of having stuff to talk about.
Consider why you signed up for this opportunity (to get a first hand experience of how science is used in the real world, to gain particular skills, just pure curiously etc.), what you did, and what you learnt from it. Anything that might help to convey your enthusiasm and skill set is good!
(edited 8 years ago)
Hi! Just wondering what grades did you get at AS/A level (if you did them of course) in order to get into imperial? I really want to apply for Biochemistry with Spanish, and I got AAAB in biology, maths, spanish and chemistry respectively. I'm worried the B in chem will put me at a disadvantage? Well done on your first anyhow! :-)
Original post by chloemcnally
Hi! Just wondering what grades did you get at AS/A level (if you did them of course) in order to get into imperial? I really want to apply for Biochemistry with Spanish, and I got AAAB in biology, maths, spanish and chemistry respectively. I'm worried the B in chem will put me at a disadvantage? Well done on your first anyhow! :-)
Hi there! Congratulations with your AS results!
I actually managed straight As at AS (and A*A*A at A2), but you definitely shouldn't let the B in chemistry put you off applying. I think a lot of prospectives think everyone at Imperial came out with perfect grades, but that's not the case. A lot of my friends had a B in their AS grades and managed to get in for engineering (which is supposed to be way more competitive than life sciences), and there are plenty of people in my year who got a B in AS chemistry.
If your actual mark is only a few UMS off the A, it's may be worth asking your chemistry teacher to mention it in their reference, but either way the B shouldn't be a problem
Original post by HAnwar
Congrats for doing so well
What tips and advice would you give to someone to help get a first?
Also what books would you recommend to someone to read before they start their BioChemistry course?
What tips and advice would you give to someone to help get a first?
Also what books would you recommend to someone to read before they start their BioChemistry course?
Aside from the usual (learn everything, practice writing essays, look at past papers), I would say diagrams can make a huge difference. I personally hate drawing in exams, but adding a good, well labelled, relevant diagram into your essay can pull you up a grade.
Bringing in material from outside sources isn't really necessary in first year (I have a friend that did no reading whatsoever and still managed to do better than me
), but it can make the difference between a low first and a higher first. If you find a particular topic really interesting, read around a bit, and add it to your exam answers (If it's relevant! Don't put irrelevant reading material into essays just to show that you've been reading, because that will actually pull your marks down). But definitely don't feel like you have to do lots of addition reading after each lecture to get a first.When you get closer to exam time, it's worth asking some students from the year above about their experiences with different lecturers. Some lecturers are nicer markers than others, and hence some students do like to play tactical when it comes to picking which essays to answer (you get a choice of question in the exams).
In terms of prior reading...I would honestly say "don't bother". I actually got quite worked up about reviewing A level material before the start of uni, and it was a complete waste of time. One of the topics started off with completely new content, and the other reviewed some of the old chemistry, but at quite a slow pace (almost as if they expect you to forget everything over summer
). If you're adamant about reading ahead I can give you some book names and topics, but they work you very hard anyway once the year starts, so I would suggest you enjoy your Summer before that kicks off.
Original post by kanra
Hi there! Congratulations with your AS results!
I actually managed straight As at AS (and A*A*A at A2), but you definitely shouldn't let the B in chemistry put you off applying. I think a lot of prospectives think everyone at Imperial came out with perfect grades, but that's not the case. A lot of my friends had a B in their AS grades and managed to get in for engineering (which is supposed to be way more competitive than life sciences), and there are plenty of people in my year who got a B in AS chemistry.
If your actual mark is only a few UMS off the A, it's may be worth asking your chemistry teacher to mention it in their reference, but either way the B shouldn't be a problem
Aside from the usual (learn everything, practice writing essays, look at past papers), I would say diagrams can make a huge difference. I personally hate drawing in exams, but adding a good, well labelled, relevant diagram into your essay can pull you up a grade.
Bringing in material from outside sources isn't really necessary in first year (I have a friend that did no reading whatsoever and still managed to do better than me ), but it can make the difference between a low first and a higher first. If you find a particular topic really interesting, read around a bit, and add it to your exam answers (If it's relevant! Don't put irrelevant reading material into essays just to show that you've been reading, because that will actually pull your marks down). But definitely don't feel like you have to do lots of addition reading after each lecture to get a first.
When you get closer to exam time, it's worth asking some students from the year above about their experiences with different lecturers. Some lecturers are nicer markers than others, and hence some students do like to play tactical when it comes to picking which essays to answer (you get a choice of question in the exams).
In terms of prior reading...I would honestly say "don't bother". I actually got quite worked up about reviewing A level material before the start of uni, and it was a complete waste of time. One of the topics started off with completely new content, and the other reviewed some of the old chemistry, but at quite a slow pace (almost as if they expect you to forget everything over summer ).
If you're adamant about reading ahead I can give you some book names and topics, but they work you very hard anyway once the year starts, so I would suggest you enjoy your Summer before that kicks off.
I actually managed straight As at AS (and A*A*A at A2), but you definitely shouldn't let the B in chemistry put you off applying. I think a lot of prospectives think everyone at Imperial came out with perfect grades, but that's not the case. A lot of my friends had a B in their AS grades and managed to get in for engineering (which is supposed to be way more competitive than life sciences), and there are plenty of people in my year who got a B in AS chemistry.
If your actual mark is only a few UMS off the A, it's may be worth asking your chemistry teacher to mention it in their reference, but either way the B shouldn't be a problem
Aside from the usual (learn everything, practice writing essays, look at past papers), I would say diagrams can make a huge difference. I personally hate drawing in exams, but adding a good, well labelled, relevant diagram into your essay can pull you up a grade.
Bringing in material from outside sources isn't really necessary in first year (I have a friend that did no reading whatsoever and still managed to do better than me
), but it can make the difference between a low first and a higher first. If you find a particular topic really interesting, read around a bit, and add it to your exam answers (If it's relevant! Don't put irrelevant reading material into essays just to show that you've been reading, because that will actually pull your marks down). But definitely don't feel like you have to do lots of addition reading after each lecture to get a first.When you get closer to exam time, it's worth asking some students from the year above about their experiences with different lecturers. Some lecturers are nicer markers than others, and hence some students do like to play tactical when it comes to picking which essays to answer (you get a choice of question in the exams).
In terms of prior reading...I would honestly say "don't bother". I actually got quite worked up about reviewing A level material before the start of uni, and it was a complete waste of time. One of the topics started off with completely new content, and the other reviewed some of the old chemistry, but at quite a slow pace (almost as if they expect you to forget everything over summer
). If you're adamant about reading ahead I can give you some book names and topics, but they work you very hard anyway once the year starts, so I would suggest you enjoy your Summer before that kicks off.
Ok well I did want to get a head start before university starts, but I guess I don't need to now.
Thanks for taking the time to write a lengthy reply. I might be back to ask more questions
Good luck with your third year
Original post by kanra
I actually managed straight As at AS (and A*A*A at A2), but you definitely shouldn't let the B in chemistry put you off applying. I think a lot of prospectives think everyone at Imperial came out with perfect grades, but that's not the case. A lot of my friends had a B in their AS grades and managed to get in for engineering (which is supposed to be way more competitive than life sciences), and there are plenty of people in my year who got a B in AS chemistry.
If your actual mark is only a few UMS off the A, it's may be worth asking your chemistry teacher to mention it in their reference, but either way the B shouldn't be a problem
Thankyou! Your grades are amazing but that makes me feel so much better. It's annoying because I got an A in the harder second exam but messed the first one up a bit, so I might get my reference to write about that. Do you think it would be worth retaking the first exam or does that put me at a disadvantage too?
Also, did you have any work experience? I have quite a bit of work experience in hospital environments (I originally wanted to do Medicine haha) but not sure how relevant it would be for the course.
Sorry for the 20 questions, just really want to make sure I have the best chance of getting in. Thankyou for your advice
Original post by chloemcnally
Thankyou! Your grades are amazing but that makes me feel so much better. It's annoying because I got an A in the harder second exam but messed the first one up a bit, so I might get my reference to write about that. Do you think it would be worth retaking the first exam or does that put me at a disadvantage too?
Also, did you have any work experience? I have quite a bit of work experience in hospital environments (I originally wanted to do Medicine haha) but not sure how relevant it would be for the course.
Sorry for the 20 questions, just really want to make sure I have the best chance of getting in. Thankyou for your advice
Also, did you have any work experience? I have quite a bit of work experience in hospital environments (I originally wanted to do Medicine haha) but not sure how relevant it would be for the course.
Sorry for the 20 questions, just really want to make sure I have the best chance of getting in. Thankyou for your advice
I don't see any reason why retaking would put you at a disadvantage; Imperial don't really care about the individual break down of marks, as long as your overall grade meets their entry requirements.
In my experience, everything is relevant as long as you phrase it in the correct way.
Some biochemistry graduates do end up working in hospitals, so maybe look into the role of scientists in hospitals and incorporate that into your statement. Alternatively, you can think of what you learnt during your experience (in terms of skills maybe), and consider how that is important for biochemistry.
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