So, final year, what even is that? And how did I get there?
At Imperial Medicine (MBBS/BSc) is a 6 year course:
Years 1&2 are pre-clinical years, learning how the body works and all the science behind diseases. Lectures run 9-5pm pretty much every day, with practicals, PBL, Communication sessions and anatomy mixed in. Practicals varied from looking down a microscope at your own blood, to drinking 2 cans of energy drink and measuring your observations whilst doing 10 minutes on an exercise bike! PBL (problem based learning) sessions were group sessions tackling clinical presentations (e.g. a man with shortness of breath just returned from LA on a long-haul flight) and teaching each other relevant information. Communication sessions involved visiting a patient with a chronic medical condition at home (for me out past Heathrow!) and discussing the impact of disease, as well as role-playing consultations with colleagues and medical actors! Anatomy sessions were the most interesting, dissecting cadavers in small groups (the sound of ribs cracking still goes through me!) to learn how the body fits together, and examining and drawing (in face-paint) the anatomical landmarks on each other and skeletons in living anatomy.
A surprisingly accurate picture from Imperial’s website- all crowded round the skeleton desperately trying to name a bone other than ‘the skull’!
Pre-clinical is often seen as an ‘easy-ride’ for medics, as there are few bits of coursework to hand in compared to other subjects, however when you hit study leave you start to realise that is not the case!
Year 3 is the first clinical year and involves a variety of placements and some lectures on a range of medical presentations and conditions, as well as ethics and law.
Finally know something useful in medicine… until my Dad asks me to look at his dodgy knee, and I have to explain that I haven’t learnt about knees yet…
Year 4 is the intercalated degree year; each student picks a subject to study for a year (I picked Global Health, others include things like Endocrinology, Cardiology, Surgery, Respiratory, Pharmacology and Haematology) in more detail and has the opportunity to undertake a research project in that area (keeping some cells alive, analysing lots of numbers or interviewing patients), or a short-course module in medical ethics and law, medical humanities or the history of medicine. A great year to be back in lectures, be more involved in clubs and societies and to have a minimal commute!
Looking after cells can be hard work- they are difficult pets- needing watering, feeding, love and cuddles- no holidays for those on lab projects
Year 5 and 6 are both clinical and involve a wider variety of placements in a range of different areas of medicine (or specialities). The further through the years of placement you move the more responsibility and interaction you have.
“Here’s your first summative assignment.”
03/11/15
“1st term’s over! Merry Christmas and a happy new year!”
18/12/15
“Welcome back. How were your holidays?”
11/01/16
“This term’s tough. More assignments and labs!”
15/02/16
“Yeah, I’m going home for Easter.”
23/03/16
“How are exam preparations coming along?”
25/04/16
“The first exam actually went pretty well.”
29/04/16
“I’m really glad they’re over.”
01/06/16
“Congratulations on passing the year. See you in the 2nd.”
19/07/16
I finished my 1st year at Imperial several months ago, and it truly went by too fast. Maybe it’s because as I’m getting older, every other year is a lesser fraction of my life, but who knows in fact.
Besides that, I tried to make the most of it, and in some aspects, I did. That makes me really happy, but there are other things that I wanted to try out or accomplish (like rock-climbing or a more regular club attendance), but did not in the end.
Of my first year at least.
So, from all my highs and lows over this past, eventful and simply wonderful year at Imperial, here are 11 tips for you to own your 1st year.
1.Be the one to say “hi” first
At Imperial, you will come to meet lots of new people from many different places, and make some pretty good friends. I say, be the one to muster up the courage to walk up to the cool guy or pretty girl you have your eyes on, and simply introduce yourself without expecting anything in return.
Be as glamorous as you need to be.
You may end up as friends, or you may not click with that person. Anyway, you will come to develop your courage and conversational skills. Soon enough, you’ll learn how to approach different people and how to start and lead a conversation.
2.Try as many new things as humanly possible
If you’re moving to a large city like I did, then there will probably be many more activities or opportunities available to you as a university student. This may include activities like calligraphy, pole-dancing, kendo, photography, skydiving, or even archery.
Your No. 1 mission is to go to ALL the stalls at the Freshers Fair on October 4th.
In a bigger city, there are also many charitable causes to volunteer for, and many opportunities for a part time job, like bartending or tutoring.
The point of trying lots of new things is to genuinely learn what you’re into and not, rather than saying “I don’t think I’ll like it.”
3.Learn how to learn
The lecture starts, and you pull out your paper and pen, but you see your classmate across the room with a Microsoft Surface Pro 4 with his stylus ready to jot notes down on MS Word.
We all have our learning styles – these are whichever helps us learn more effectively. See what things you have available to aid your learning, apply them and evaluate how helpful they are, in order to find out your most effective learning method.
And I mean whichever method aids your learning. (Taken during our Halloween dress-up)
Personally, writing things down helps my learning a lot. I vary from using pen and paper to a laptop depending on the pace at which the lecturer speaks. If lecture notes are already provided, then I would print them or work on an iPad or other device to edit the .pdf file.
4.Not everything is a competition
If you’re sportive, you may understand the competitiveness of a race – from start to finish, your efforts are invested into the steps you need to take in order to win. But at university, I don’t believe there should be competition where your academic performance is to be compared to those of your classmates. Sure, you may want to get good/great grades, but don’t seek to get the best grades.
When I started my 1st year, I felt I had get (one of) the highest grades in my year group. I did for our first summative (graded) assignment. Afterwards, however, I felt unnecessarily stressed in trying to maintain that standard. Instead, I felt I was not performing as well as I knew I could. Took me a while to realize and accept this as I am within a group of students who normally perform academically excellent.
5.Figure out what you want out of your time at uni
You may be starting your studies at university because you want to become a doctor and open up a hospital, or you want to contribute to the development of bionic prosthetic devices (this one’s mine). If your goals are crystal clear to you, and advancing your education at university is the next step, then figure out the following steps you need to take to get to your goal at whatever pace you want.
However, you may not be 100% sure about what you want. And that’s fine. Your first step is not to worry too much about it. Then spend some time exploring the many opportunities available to you. One of them must resonate at your frequency. When you’ve got it, take massive action on those first steps and accelerate towards your goal.
6.Keep a budget and track your expenses
As you’re moving out of your home, leaving your parent(s) or guardian(s), you will need to be on top of your finances if you want to survive.
Just kidding, you will definitely survive! However, knowing exactly where you’re spending your money allows you to cut back on the unnecessary costs and save up for what really matters to you.
Want to purchase a new computer/camera? Then start saving up a couple pounds a day by, for example, making your own food rather than buying food at the cafeteria.
7.Don’t be afraid of disappointing anyone
Give it your honest, best shot. You’ll realize you’re more capable than you think.
In your years ahead at university, you will come to face great challenges that will test your will. These may be mostly academic, but they may also involve another person, group, business/company, etc. Whatever the case, lose the fear of what anyone will think about you if you don’t get that job, or fail the test, or not end up as the top student, or simply lose.
Honestly, it’s a toxic feeling that will eventually break your will, no matter how try you hard to fight it. I experienced it during my exams. As I was afraid of disappointing one particular person, I did not perform as well as I really could on two exams. I’m glad I still passed both, but I learned my lesson the hard way.
But I didn’t lose. No. Battles are only lost if you learn nothing from them. But I definitely did.
You may be asking yourself how. I asked myself that so many times. It all boils down to accepting yourself as you are at any moment, and simply focusing on the task at hand and nothing else. Sounds easier said that done; it is, but it also becomes easier with practice.
8.Be encouraged, rather than discouraged
Here at Imperial, you will come to meet people who have a deep passion about what they do – whether that is their degree course, a sport, or even an art – and they’re really good at it.
But instead of “comparing your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 20” (Yahya Bakkar) and feeling discouraged, talk to that person about their passion and learn from them. Ask them what makes them passionate, and how they’ve been able to keep at it for however long.
So if you share an activity as a mutual interest with someone else, learn from that person instead of distancing yourself from the activity altogether. Trust me, I understand that it could be quite scary being honest, but if you truly want to grow in that area, then have faith it will all be alright, because it will.
9.Cherish your time at university
Make friends and spend valuable time with them.
I was once hiking through the Seven Sisters Country Park toward Eastbourne, and I came to meet a UCL graduate. Curious to know what advice she had for a fresher like me, she told me this: Cherish your time at university.
She helped me to remember the position I am in, that after 3 years I may start working for a company and may no longer get to experience the spontaneity and liveliness of a university campus. I have come to know that I greatly enjoy it, and I will dearly miss it.
So I give you the same advice as you’re about to start uni. From start to finish, spend every second doing something significant to you, be happy and appreciate what you’ve got.
10. Do more than the expected minimum
While being around London, I once met an Imperial alumnus who studied Physics and later on went to do a PhD at Oxford in Physics as well. At such encounters, I always try to ask for advice a new student like me could use. He told me that though I receive a minimum amount of work in my course, which is expected of me to complete/do, to go beyond that and seek further knowledge.
This means that, for example, though your lecturers will assign problem sheets for the next session, do not only complete those, but also seek extra problems from the list of supplementary books. And more! Your lectures will probably be a collection of specific details from different sources, like mines were, but do search for those reading materials and read up on extra details, which may help you understand the whole subject!
Remember to never do less, but more.
11.Love and develop yourself
I am beautiful no matter what I wear, do or have.
You are a body, mind and soul, and you can develop all of these three with appropriate training.
Body: As a university student, gym memberships are normally cheaper, so set up a routine, go with a more-experienced friend, or whatever else may work out for you and build the beautiful temple that is your physical body.
Mind: Here you will come to learn new things that will challenge all that you’ve learned previously, which you also may find truly interesting. If so, invest the necessary amount of time to expand your knowledge and understanding of your degree course or anything else that may interest you.
Soul: As for your soul, happiness is key. Carefully pick the activities you take part in, the people you spend time with, the places you visit, and how you spend your time in general. Make sure that whatever you’re doing, you are genuinely happy or know that you will be happy after having finished/overcome something.
Note that I am not an expert in any of the three. I am still learning of ways to develop myself in these aspects, and I’ve come to realize that there is also no deadline. Anyway, for further inspiration I would suggest meeting those that are experienced in person, or following them online.
As I post this, it’s September 30th and the final batch of freshers arrive at the halls tomorrow. For my 2nd year at Imperial, I chose to be a hall senior and have worked with the other hall seniors, sub-wardens and wardens of the Woodward Buildings (and the Costume Store this year!) to organize a fortnight of daily events that we’re sure our freshers will enjoy.
This year, I aim to be much more consistent with my studies and extracurricular activities, which also includes blogging. Though my 1-year term as an Imperial blogger is coming to and end, and I am uncertain that I will get the opportunity to continue. Though for the length that this blog is up, I’ll try to promote it as much as I can. If I could help to spread some advice to at least 1 fresher, I’ll be more than happy! 😀
If you have found any of these tips useful in any way, please let me know in the comments! I like comments. 😀 It lets me know people actually read this stuff (because I have no way to track views) and appreciate it enough to say it or ask a question.
It’s not long until term starts again, so I thought I would write a couple of posts for the new freshers to prepare you about what to expect during your first few weeks and months. It is a daunting and exciting time, so relax and enjoy it and remember if we all made it then you can too!
My top tips:
Where to work: Find somewhere you can work well- try a public library or college computer room. If you do like the library get there early- it gets very busy and warm
Make friends with hall seniors: they can be a great source of support and advice as they understand life at Imperial and have been around longer than you!
Join lots of clubs: you can slim down your commitments after Christmas, but to start with throw yourself in and find out what you enjoy
You don’t need to drink or drink lots to have fun: Know your limits and stick to them
Get to know older years: they can give you revision notes, hold mock exams and they usually have a great student house to invite you round to!
Buy a hot drink flask: bringing your own coffee takes very little time, but will save you a fortune
Learn how you relax best: there are lots of options- gym classes, swimming, walks in Hyde Park, sport teams, art clubs, music, TV- the list goes on and on- if you figure this out early it makes everything a lot less stressful!
Know where to get help and support: there are so many people at Imperial to help, from tutors to the chaplaincy to the counselling service. The people are paid to help you so if you are stuck do use them!
People change: don’t be put off by people during freshers- people will change as term goes on. Friends will change too so stay open to meeting new people!
Fresher’s Flu: this will hit you at some point, so stock up on paracetamol drinks and medications in advance.
University is a huge change. Most people love it, but if you do hate it- you are not alone and it does get better. Now I’m starting to sound like my mum so I shall stop writing…
It’s not long until term starts again, so I thought I would write a couple of posts for the new freshers to prepare you about what to expect during your first few weeks and months. It is a daunting and exciting time, so relax and enjoy it and remember if we all made it then you can too!
What to expect:
Culinary delights and disasters– organising food shopping and cooking defeats even the best culinary students- expect mushroom clouds of cheese sauce, setting fire to various meats and very unusual food combinations. Best advice: try cooking as a group, keep things simple and make use of the freezer (to avoid forgetting about things and them going off in the fridge). If all else fails ask your mum for some emergency meals…
To lose lots of crockery and cutlery– however hard you try this always happens. Some people try keeping everything in their room, but my best advice is don’t bring your favourite items and remember you have them!
To never have enough milk– people will ‘borrow’ milk, but you may well find yourself doing the same so don’t be quick to judge! Learn to accept it or try marking the level of your milk with a marker pen after use.
To make some great friends
Mayhem and madness– goes without saying…
To have to do your own washing– sounds simple, but more complex when you are trying to work the machine. Top tips: save up coins in advance (you generally need pound coins and 20p pieces), keep on top of your washing, write down how to use the machine and the washing detergent. Try to avoid taking it home- it’s very heavy to carry and your parents will probably not be that impressed…
To have some rough nights sleep– things settle down after freshers so don’t panic. Until then expect some noisy nights and fire drills- just remember your room key and a jumper when you leave to assemble outside.
Parents (aka ‘Hall seniors’)– a great source of support and help if you are stuck, but will also discipline you if you cause trouble…
To have some great trips out– get involved in as many trips as possible: theatre, concerts, experiences out etc- it’s usually subsidised by the halls so lots cheaper, plus you get to go with all your friends!
Common room TV marathons– Second to the kitchen this is the most social place- head down for team Apprentice viewing, movie marathons and much more…
University is a huge change. Most people love it, but if you do hate it- you are not alone and it does get better. Now I’m starting to sound like my mum so I shall stop writing…
Earlier this year Imperial got thinking about how they could celebrate some of our alumni’s notable achievements. We honestly have some amazing alumni! Dennis Gabor, who worked at Imperial, actually invented holography and won the Nobel Prize for Physics for it in 1971. His work formed the basis of the holograms that are in use today.
The student recruitment and outreach team contacted me to let me know that they were purchasing a Musion EyeSay hologram to temporarily be placed in the Main Imperial College Entrance. They asked me if I would like to be the face and voice of the hologram…of course I said yes that is so ridiculous. I called my parents up straight away.
I had to rehearse a script and stand SO STILL in a recording room for the morning as they filmed me say the same phrases on loop. It was brilliant.
This all happened in June… and on the September open day I finally saw virtual me come to life.
See photos and videos below…it is so weird. Imperial is so cool.
It’s not long until term starts again, so I thought I would write a couple of posts for the new freshers to prepare you about what to expect during your first few weeks and months. It is a daunting and exciting time, so relax and enjoy it and remember if we all made it then you can too!
What to expect:
To be behind on work– no matter how hard you try, how organised you are or how much stationary you buy from the Union shop you will never be on top of lectures. Learn to ‘park’ things (but not too much, you do need to do some work too!).
To have ups and downs– it’s a huge transition and gets the better of the best of students- learn how to relax and where to turn for some help. The student counseling service can be brilliant.
To feel out of your depth– everyone feels like this, but few people are honest about it
To be persuaded to buy lots of books that you will never read– this is hard to avoid. It’s worth chatting to older years to work out which are essential, borrowing from the library, buying second hand (although check the edition!) or using the library ebooks (these are invaluable).
To be a small fish in a big pond– everyone goes on about this and no-one believes them… until it happens.
To make lots of friends and not remember anyone’s name– it’s worth asking early, it gets a bit awkward after Christmas!
To get lost– don’t be afraid to use the maps around campus (they are there for a reason!)
To have LOTS of social events– it’s tiring to go to them all, but my advice would be don’t miss any boat parties- they are very special!
To dress up lots– nearly every med school event involves dressing up: Bops, boat party, freshers ball, RAG invasion…. So bring your fancy dress box and a tux/smart dress
University is a huge change. Most people love it, but if you do hate it- you are not alone and it does get better. Now I’m starting to sound like my mum so I shall stop writing…
I must apologise for the long hiatus in blog posts, I have been under a lot of stress from phd work and an illness in the family. It is now September and soon Imperial College will be filling up with students again. As a phd student working at a host institution I am not so aware of semesters and holidays and have been working right through the summer. Phd students do not get official holiday but we are recommended to take the statutory amount, which is 4 weeks per year. Depending on your supervisors you might have to arrange this with them, but I generally take it when I want. Unfortunately I am not very good at this! I have had no holiday this year and really must plan to take some, block it out in my diary and put my out-of-office on!
So here is what I have been up to over the summer ‘holidays’:
* Dipterists Forum field trip to Canterbury – the Society of the Study of Flies, of which I am the Treasurer, organises a summer field meeting each year where a group entomologists get together to visit sites and collect flies to add records to recording schemes. This year we stayed at Canterbury Christ Church University and visited various locations in the area.
* I finally finished my late stage review – just the viva to do now (gulp!)
* Bug Club Camp – the Amateur Entomologist’s Society, of which I am the Membership Secretary, organises a camp for young entomologists every couple of years. This year it was at Dr Beynon’s Bug Farm in Pembrokeshire and I went along to help out.
* Conference number one – the two NERC DTPs got together to showcase their students’ work at King’s College London, I presented a poster.
* Conference number two – my first Royal Entomological Society annual meeting (Ento16) – I presented a poster and two talks(!)
So I am now suffering from conference fatigue although I will try and blog them both when I have recovered.