Engineering and girls at Imperial

Hi.

I have applied for 2 engineering cources at Imperial:
Aeronautical Eng. and Mechanical Eng.

At the moment the aeronautical course looks most interesting. How hard is it to get into these courses? The aero and the mech?

How is the workload on these courses? Which is the hardest?

I am doing the IB Diploma in Norway. I hope I will get 39-42 (out of 45) on my diploma. I have not recieved any predicted grades yet. Do I have to send these to the Uni. when I get them?
My math teacher wrote in my reference that she gave me a predicted 7 in Math HL. I hope to achieve 7 in both Math HL and Phys. HL.

2 things scares me about Imperial:

The money issue: It's propably one of the most expensive uni's in Europe for foreigners (also taking into account the high living costs in London).

The girl ratio... How are the girls? Hope the average is good since there are so few of them
And are there many couples (boyfriends/girlfriends) at Imperial?

I have also read that some IC students "socialize" with LSE and UCL students. Is it easy to get to know e.g. LSE students when you come "down there" from IC?

Hope somebody can share their opinions

doing IB i take it you're in EU, then it won't be that expensive.

Norway is not a member of the EU.... (stupid fellow citizens )

Anybody who have some comments for my other questions?
Aeronautical vs. Mechanichal Eng?
Is it easy to get to know other IC students, and other students in London (e.g. LSE students)?

Thanks for your answers

"We manage well on our own. We are the though vikings. It's only 100 years since we got rid of Swedan, so we don't want an new union"

But please don't go off topic...

I have read many posts in this forum, but can't find much information about the Mech. and Aero. Eng. courses...
Does any students from this courses have a homepage?

It would also be great if some people can give me some feedback on the "girl issue"

"We manage well on our own. We are the though vikings. It's only 100 years since we got rid of Swedan, so we don't want an new union"

But please don't go off topic...

I have read many posts in this forum, but can't find much information about the Mech. and Aero. Eng. courses...
Does any students from this courses have a homepage?

It would also be great if some people can give me some feedback on the "girl issue"

There's loads in the undergraduate prospectus at icl's homepage :/

At good old Gimperial there's a bit of a hierarchy. At the top of the tree is either Aero or JMC, depending on who you talk to. Tell people that you do Aero and they go 'wooh' making you feel cool even though you're not really. Mech Eng is for people who didn't get into Aero. Materials is for people who didn't get into anything else, but that's another matter.

I thoroughly enjoyed my 4 years at Imperial on the Aero course but some of my mates didn't. As for the workload, I'm a bit of a lazy sod so it was a case of doing no work and sleeping in lectures most of the year then revising in a blind panic for three weeks before the exams. But then there are other people who'll spend a minimum of 2 hours a night doing problem sheets and revision. It's really a case of what do you want at the end? Do you want to get a good first and be a fantastic engineer or do you want a 2.1 and have a social life. I got a 2.1 and am now designing Martian probes for the European Space Agency. Btw, I was one of the only people in the year who hadn't done further maths A-level but they teach you all that anyway in the first year.

I think in my year at the start of the course there was a total of 70 people of which 10 were girls. Imperial's male/female ratio is helped a lot by the medical school but you've also got the Royal College of Music next door and everyone knows that musicians are fit.

As for socialising with other uni's, it's pretty easy. Either join a club and get involved with inter-uni activities or join a London University club. Or if you're particularly worried you coul live in an inter-university hall for the first year, but then you'll probably be living far from the uni and end up paying more in travel costs.

That's about it. If you have any other questions on the aero course feel free to ask.

At good old Gimperial there's a bit of a hierarchy. At the top of the tree is either Aero or JMC, depending on who you talk to. Tell people that you do Aero and they go 'wooh' making you feel cool even though you're not really. Mech Eng is for people who didn't get into Aero. Materials is for people who didn't get into anything else, but that's another matter.

I thoroughly enjoyed my 4 years at Imperial on the Aero course but some of my mates didn't. As for the workload, I'm a bit of a lazy sod so it was a case of doing no work and sleeping in lectures most of the year then revising in a blind panic for three weeks before the exams. But then there are other people who'll spend a minimum of 2 hours a night doing problem sheets and revision. It's really a case of what do you want at the end? Do you want to get a good first and be a fantastic engineer or do you want a 2.1 and have a social life. I got a 2.1 and am now designing Martian probes for the European Space Agency. Btw, I was one of the only people in the year who hadn't done further maths A-level but they teach you all that anyway in the first year.

I think in my year at the start of the course there was a total of 70 people of which 10 were girls. Imperial's male/female ratio is helped a lot by the medical school but you've also got the Royal College of Music next door and everyone knows that musicians are fit.

As for socialising with other uni's, it's pretty easy. Either join a club and get involved with inter-uni activities or join a London University club. Or if you're particularly worried you coul live in an inter-university hall for the first year, but then you'll probably be living far from the uni and end up paying more in travel costs.

That's about it. If you have any other questions on the aero course feel free to ask.