Blog posts

Let’s talk about Mental Health

Mathematics and Statistics

So how are you really feeling?

Thursday was Time to Talk Day 2018, a chance for us to speak openly about mental health, something that doesn’t happen as much as it should. There is a certain stigma associated with mental health, however when 1/4 people are affected by mental illness each year, it really is time to stamp out the sigma and talk about mental health. Following on from Paula’s post about what to do if you are worried about a friend’s mental health, I thought I would share some first hands tips of how to stay mentally healthy in a university environment and what to do if you feel that you are suffering in any way. In this post I will mainly be referring to stress, anxiety and depression as these most commonly affect students.

  • Noticing the signs in yourself: Signs that things might not be going well, and that you may be suffering from mental illness, can include feeling down, unable to enjoy yourself, constantly anxious, irritable, and oversensitive. There could also be more physical symptoms such as over/under eating, struggling to fall asleep or get out of bed in the morning, exhaustion or restlessness, panic attacks amongst many others. These might be accompanied by constant negative, and even suicidal, thoughts fluttering in your head and a general feeling of being dragged down or trapped.
  • Talk to someone: On average, someone suffering from mental health issues won’t tell even their closest friends and family for over a year. Although talking to someone can feel like one of the most difficult things to do, it can really help because it allows you to consolidate your thoughts and emotions. Honestly, don’t be nervous about how you will be perceived or whether this will change how someone treats you because if they do change the way they act around you, it’s only because they don’t understand. Talking to them about what you’re going through will remind you that you are not alone in this and that you do have support, while explaining how you feel will also help those around you to understand what, why, and how you are feeling and what they can do to help, even if it’s just keeping an extra eye out for you. Letting someone know that you’re not okay can actually be such a big relief as you won’t have to hide how you are feeling from that person, you can just be yourself with them.
  • Routine: Having a set routine that keeps you busy can be really helpful as it will leave less time for your mind to idle, which is often when negative thoughts can take over leading to low mood and anxiety. Going to sleep and waking up at the same time each day sets your body clock, allowing you to feel slightly less tired during the day. Make sure to take plenty of breaks from work, cook healthy food, and take part in at least two hours of exercise a week. Even a short walk around the block in the evenings helps to clear your mind or participating in a sport that involves some competition and teamwork is a great distraction from work and everything else going on.  Make sure to keep some time aside for yourself, where you can be alone and reflect on events.
  • Thought journal: Keeping a thought journal allows you to not only track your mood over a period of time, but also to have a space to express exactly how you feel without judgement. It’s somewhere you can just write for you and can really help to get things out of your mind. Writing down some of your happy memories is also great as then when times get rough, you have something to look back on that reminds you of a better time and can sometimes cheer you up.
  • Contact your GP or the university counselling service: If things get too bad or you find that you are unable to continue with daily tasks or are harming yourself in any way then contact your GP, the Imperial College Health Centre or Imperial College Counselling without hesitation. Asking for help can seem daunting however I can guarantee that after seeing a professional, and being offered the right sort of therapy or counselling, you will definitely learn how to cope better.
  • In an emergency: Here are some places you can get immediate help if you find yourself affected by mental illness at any time:
    • If you or someone else is immediate danger contact 999
    • The Samaritans 24/7: National Helpline: 116 123, local number 020 7734 2800
    • In an emergency Chelsea and Westminster Hospital A&E that has psychiatric provision
    • West London Mental Health trust helpline 0300 1234 244
    • Some other more specific helplines can be found here

So whatever you do, make sure you are looking after your mental health and most of all, don’t be afraid to talk about it.

I want to sit next to my friend!

Mathematics of Planet Earth

If you’re thinking about studying maths at Imperial, you might be wondering what kind of problems first year studenst are supposed to solve in the tutorials. Last term I was a graduate teaching assistant (GTA) for a course Probability and Statistics I. Let’s see an example of a question posed by the lecturer, prof. Emma McCoy.

Imagine that n people, including yourself and a friend, are seated at random in a row of n chairs. What is the probability that you sit next to your friend?

This problem is easier than you think, especially after following the lectures. I’ll explain how to tackle this problem here.

First, you may be not familiar with letters in maths exercises; n is just any natural number bigger or equal than 2 (so 2, 3, 4, 5…). Therefore you might just pick your favourite number and solve the problem for that particular n. It’s a trick I sometimes recommend to students so that they can first get some intuition before generalising the solution. It also helps to draw a row of seats on a piece of paper and look at different options.

What is the total number of possible seating arrangments? First person can choose any of n seats, second has n-1 seats left, third n-2 etc., so altogether we have n*(n-1)*(n-2)*…*2*1 options. Nota bene, this expression can be written shortly as n! (where the exclamation mark isn’t a sign of my excitement but a mathematical notation of a factorial).

In how many of this arrangments do you sit next to your friend? First you need to pick a pair of adjacent seats, we have n-1 of them. You can either sit on the left or on the right of your friend, so we must multiply the number of arrangments by 2. The rest of people can sit anywhere in the remaining n-2 seats and we computed the number of possible arrangments in the previous paragraph: it’s (n-2)!=(n-2)*(n-3)*…*2*1. Thus the total number of arrangments in which you sit next to your friend is (n-1)*2*(n-2)!.

So what’s the probability of you and your friend sitting next to each other? It’s (n-1)*2*(n-2)!/n!=((n-1)!*2)/((n-1)!*n)=2/n. This in particular means that the more people you gather, the smaller this probability gets: if it’s just you and your friend (n=2) you certainly sit next to each other, for 5 people this probability equals 2/5=40%. for 10 people it’s 2/10=20% and for 100 it’s only 2/100=2%.

Did you find this problem easy? Then what are you waiting for, apply to Imperial! Was it hard? If you enjoyed it, apply anyway, after a few lectures and tutorials you won’t have any problems solving it. Did you hate the process of solving this exercise? Well, you might want to take a look at different problems from maths undergraduate curriculum, because if you realise that you don’t enjoy any of them, you might want to rethink your course choice.

Let me know if you’d like to see more problems Imperial students face in the tutorials!

ICL vs UCL eSports Varsity 2018

Biological Sciences with year in industry

27th January was the date, Imperial College Union was the stage – for one of the biggest events of the year; the 2018 Imperial vs UCL eSports Varsity. I decided to pop along and see what was going down. Admittedly, I know little/nothing about eSports but luckily there were enough avid fans that explained the rules and procedures that I gained some understanding!

The varsity event was hosted by the Imperial eSports society (https://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/activities/a-to-z/esports), a relatively young society. However, their membership is growing, and so are the size and quality of their events – this was their second ever varsity event and it was an impressively professional set up.

Imperial vs UCL eSports Varsity 2018. Photo credits: Imperial eSports Society

I arrived fresh faced and clueless about both the event and the industry it was promoting. It got me thinking, what are eSports? Well, after some research and questioning I found out that eSports refers to competitive multiplayer video gaming, usually on PCs between professionals. Popular video games include real time strategy, first person shooter and multiplayer online battle arena games. The genre was supposedly first played at Stanford University in 1972 where students competed by playing the game Spacewar. Later, Atari held a large scale eSport competition in 1980 called the Space Invaders Competition. Since these humble beginnings, eSports competitions have become a global phenomenon, amassing both a huge global fan base and prize money.

Chatting with the Imperial eSports society Chair Roy Lee, I learnt that, in his opinion, eSports have gained massive popularity thanks to their ability to provide constant action and audience engagement. Game publishers have sat up and taken notice, promoting to their loyal fanbase and using broadcast media outlets like YouTube and Twitch (a video live-streaming platform) to promote both games and the wider phenomenon of eSports to the masses.

The event itself was very well attended, with all tickets sold out beforehand. Approximately 170 people bought tickets – an impressive number for such a small society! There was a huge range of things to try out; from an HTC Vive VR experience, driving simulator, sponsor stalls and of course both large and small arenas to watch the different eSport competitions happening throughout the day. The schedule was packed – running from 10am all the way to 7.30pm – including Overwatch, League of Legends, Starcraft 2, DOtA 2, FIFA and many others.

The event was well attended, complete with a hypeman MC and classic varsity crowd segregation. Photo credits: Imperial eSports Society

I rocked up right about the time the Overwatch competition was raging. I took my seat in the spectator area of the big arena; there was the typical segregation at a varsity event – UCL on the left and Imperial on the right. There were no mesh fences between us though – this isn’t football. In front of me sat a tiered set of computer screens and competitors, their gameplay instantly broadcast onto the big projector behind them for the spectators to enjoy. Within 30 seconds, there was a roar of approval from the Imperial spectators, something good had happened. As I looked at the screen, I realised I had no idea what was going on – where was I supposed to look!? Luckily, I started chatting to some of the other spectators and they helped me understand what was going on. Their enthusiasm was infectious, by the end of the round I found myself joining in with the crowd, still trying frantically to understand what had been achieved, until finally it was all over. Imperial won the Overwatch competition 3-1, leaving triumphant with trophy in hand. Next up: League of Legends.

The masterfully created trophies that were up for grabs… Photo credits: Imperial eSports Society

After perusing the other stalls and smaller competitions (Rocket League was one of my favourites) my time was up, I had to go back to the library to study, but there was a spring in my step. The amazing atmosphere and enthusiasm of the eSports varsity had left me buzzing.

Once all the other competitions had been played between Imperial and UCL, it was announced that the overall winner was Imperial, edging out UCL 4-3, taking the trophy for a second year running.

Next year, it will be UCL’s turn to host – game on. Will Imperial make it 3 years in a row, or will UCL triumph on home turf? Until then, I’m sure much intense training (and fun) will be had by the Imperial eSports society – be sure to check them out (https://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/activities/a-to-z/esports)!

Thanks for having me and see you next year!

 

All work and no play

MSc Sustainable Energy Futures

…makes Jack a dull boy, or so they say.
What about exams though? Where do exams fit into that adage?
My first week this term was taken up with exams – my first for a few decades, so I was feeling a little rusty. However, I’m running far too far ahead of myself: before we get to the exams, who remembers revision?

I embarked upon my revision programme eagerly enough, drawing up a schedule for revising ten topics, spread over ten days or so, with slots for trial questions from past-papers, other periods dedicated to recap and summarising, and even timed mock-exams to complete entire past-papers under pseudo-exam conditions. Sounds OK? Sounds organised? Sounds great.

Oh what a chore!

I had completely forgotten what a pain revision really is – it was all about discipline and perseverance. Put simply: a slog. All work and no play for the first two weeks of January; no wonder I was a dull boy. Don’t worry though, it was all in a good cause, right? It was all worthwhile, yes? I mean the exams were a doddle after all that revision? Here’s another adage: “Exams are a just a measuring stick, the same as a ruler.” Stand up straight while I measure your height; take this exam while I measure your attainment. Exams certainly never worried me in the past; I generally enjoyed the challenge and looked forward to the outcome, whether that met my hopes and expectations or not. So why then did I feel under so much time-pressure this time around during the exams? In the absence of other data I might have concluded that indeed I am slowing down, the brain atrophying, knowledge and focus seeping away – maybe I should have stayed on the golf course last autumn rather than heading off to college? However, it seems I was not alone: many of my classmates also reported the same sensation of lack of time in the exams. So perhaps there is still hope for me after all.

Anyway the exams are over. I don’t think I have disgraced myself, even though there was one question in every paper which I made a mess of (at least a small mess) – time will tell. Or rather the grades will tell, when they’re published.

More importantly, now the exams are over (for now) I’ve had time to redress the balance and bring some excitement back into the life of dull boy Jack. Time to get back into a more normal student routine, seeking out the interesting and following up on what takes my fancy, rather than the confines of a rigid revision programme. That was good for a couple of weeks, a necessary constraint and a means to an end, but studying really is more interesting when those shackles are cast aside and the mind is free to wander where it will. And doing other stuff – bringing back some play into life is not only more fun, it also makes me more productive.

So that’s my next focus: to live a little, to live it up a little.

Time to Talk Day 2018

Mathematics of Planet Earth

Mental health and university… recently I feel like I’m discussing this problem every single day. As a student representative I communicate this issue to colleagues, staff members, university support systems, external panels etc. I also wrote about mental and PhD – even if you’re not a PhD student, have a read, it might apply to you as well.

However, not everyone is talking about it. Some aren’t aware that this issue is important, some don’t care and many just are afraid or don’t know how to offer support to someone who might struggle. Tomorrow is a great opportunity to give it a try – Time to Talk Day 2018. It was initiated by Time to Change, a group of people who want to fight the mental health stigma. And on 1 February 2018 we’re especially encouraged to… talk. Just talk. But how?

Imagine that you are worried about someone around you. Maybe your friend started to avoid social situations? Maybe your classmate stopped attending classes? Maybe your sister doesn’t smile anymore? Or your brother smiles too much? Maybe the boy who sits in the last row and whose name you don’t even remember lost a lot of weight? These are all warning signs that shouldn’t been ignored.

You might think that it’s none of your business. That if your approach this person, she or he will just ask you to leave them alone. That’s certainly a possibility and you must be prepered for that. However, it IS your business. Surprisingly many people see these warning signs but decide to ignore them completely. Until someone finally reacts – or it’s too late.

Ok, but what exactly should you do?

First, make sure you’re alone with this person. Don’t start talking about difficult issues when there are other people around – it might be too embarassing. If you don’t know the person, just find some excuse to stay alone with them for a moment; this shouldn’t be too difficult, especially if you study together.

When you’re both in a comfortable, quiet place, you might say something like: “Recently I’ve noticed that… and this worries me a bit. Of course I might be wrong and everything is ok, but I just wanted to make sure. I’m here for you in case you’d like to talk at some point.”

And that’s it. If they don’t want to talk, accept it. If they say you’re wrong, that everything’s ok, don’t push them. In case you’re still worried, mention it to your personal tutor or a person responsible for student welfare in your department.

However, if they decide to open up, listen. It’s ok not to understand, mental illnesses aren’t easy to grasp – and nobody expects you to. Feel free to ask questions, but respect their privacy. If they don’t want to answer, then don’t pressure then. Also don’t feel that you need to “solve the problem”. It’s not your job! The most important thing is that the issue was acknowledged, they feel there’s someone they can talk to, but now it’s their turn – they need to reach out for professional help.

You won’t save the world. You probably won’t even save this particular person (if there’s really something wrong, not everyone needs to be “saved”, please remember that!). However, you might really change their life.

All sounds cheesy and unrealistic? Well, it happened to me. A long time ago I struggled myself and someone who I barely knew came and asked if everything was ok. I laughed their question off (so, again, be prepared that this might happen – it’s not easy to admit that you have a problem), but they made me think. In the end I reached out for help, which saved my life.

It’s time to talk, isn’t it?

Learning From My Mistakes

MBBS/BSc Medicine

This is about how I managed my time during first term (I didn’t).

So this is where I confess I may have missed about half – or more- of my lectures last term. So where did it all go wrong? I’ll be fine, I thought- I’ll just catch up over Christmas. And so on top of procrastinating plenty all term (it’s in my nature, sadly)- I dived head first into the wealth of extracurricular Imperial has to offer. From drama rehearsals, to paediatrics play team, giving campus tours, and attending German Horizons classes- I was all over the place.

Now this was the same mentality that I had all throughout secondary school- I would save up all the content to learn on my own over the holidays. I mean, at GCSE and A-Level- it was manageable, but I can’t quite say the same for my current degree. It all seemed fine in my head until I made a checklist and counted that I had about 64 lectures to get through. As you can imagine, my winter break was spent sat on my laptop going through lectures at the library most days. Not quite pleasant but you gotta do what you gotta do. 

Now comes the silver lining-I would like to introduce you to our friend here at Imperial, Panopto. Our lectures are recorded (for all courses, as far as I know) and uploaded onto a platform called Panopto. Now with this holy grail of a tool, comes a bit of danger- picture this: You’ve stayed up late working on that last minute assignment (or more likely- you came back at 4AM from a wild night out), you could either push yourself to get to that 9AM or you could stay in bed and panopto it later. So it’s not great for general lecture attendance rates; but in all fairness, there’s not much of a point showing up then sleeping through most of it!

I can’t begin to tell you how wonderful Panopto actually is- it’s incredibly helpful to be able to work at your own pace as you can pause, rewind and skip forward whenever you need to. (You can even alter the speed- wahey!)

So obviously, I knew I wasn’t going to survive 6 years of medical school the way I did first term. With this revelation came changes for the new year. I’ve begun attending (most) lectures- but the main thing I’ve come to realise is that it’s okay to miss lectures if you genuinely feel like you’re going to get there and be zoned out or falling asleep- as long as you actually get around to panopto-ing them ASAP. 

If you related to this in anyway, know that you are not alone and I sincerely hope this blog made you feel better!

Sending love and best wishes (as I Panopto today’s 9AM)!
Alex (:

Clubs and stuffssss~

MSci Geology and Geophysics

Hola peeps. I know it’s been forever since I last wrote something (yeah, I know, I totally failed my resolution) and sorry about that, but I’m currently in one of my lazy moods:3 (and if that’s not a good enough excuse; which by the way, it should be; I have been pretty ~sorta~ busy with exams, a deadline coming up next week, a weekend trip to Budapest and beginning my journey into exploring the vast field of Geology and Earth History). I’ll blog more about Geology later on, but for now I’m just gonna tell you about clubs and societies at Imperial.

 

Now, if you’re one of those (including me) who looks up the list of societies Imperial has to offer, you’ll notice that we have literally hundreds of clubs to choose from. And if you don’t find one that suits you, you can always start a new one. In fact I’m pretty sure that almost every year someone will come up with something new (I think this year it was the Oenology Soc or somethingImage result for thinking emoji).

 

Anyway, the basic advice everyone always give you on Freshers’ Week is to sign up to the mailing lists of all the clubs which interests you (usually there will be dozens so be prepared to have an overflowing inbox over the next few weeks), then go to every taster you can (to shortlist them into just a couple) and finally commit to just one club.

 

~At least that’s what everyone says. Me?Image result for sweat emoji Well, I’m greedy in a sense, and when I’m feeling keen, I really am keen. By that I mean I have a ~somewhat~ tendency to go overboard/ overenthusiastic in my first year; being that I WANT to join EVERYTHING. Not to mention, I’m not the most decisive person ever, so I have a really hard time choosing only one club (in my defense, I do like to keep busy so that I won’t get bored/ keeps my mind off things). So, I ended up joining… seven clubs?

To be honest, it’s not that bad… Like I said, I like being busy so this works for me but if you’re not like me, I’d suggest sticking to one or two. Most of meetings don’t clash and you’re free to not go if you don’t want to, so it’s not one of those high-commitment things. But hey, I get to do stuff I’m interested in and it helps with my social awkwardness so what’s there not to like? (yeah, I’m a shy kitty-cat… probably doesn’t seem like one from my blogs huh?) I’mma do some club promotion now, k? Here it goes:

 

  1. Anime Society (ICAS)

You can probably guess what we do here, huh? But wait! We’re not just a bunch of otaku shut-ins who meet up twice a week to watch anime together (popular anime series according to genre theme on Mondays and movies on Fridays), we do socials and drawing classes on Wednesdays and we also have special event nights! (like Halloween night with a pumpkin carving competition and inter-uni karaoke)… If you buy membership, you’ll also get access to the Anime library with over 500 items (ie manga, anyone?) and discounts to MCM Comicons and other conventions if you’re into that stuff. Plus you get food on event nights, so that’s one less meal to worry about (snacks count as dinner too, right?)¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Membership: £ 4

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Me questioning my life choices
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Us and anime-themed Jack o lanterns

 

2. Astronomy Society (AstroSoc)

Did I ever tell you I used to want to be an astronomer? Even though that didn’t come true, that doesn’t mean I’m giving up on astronomy… Here at AstroSoc, we not only do star-gazing activities (with snacks, of course), we organise astronomical-related talks/ lectures as well as visits to observatories and museums. We went to Greenwich Royal Observatory November last year and even to Mill Hill Observatory which is managed by UCL about two weeks ago. Tickets for members are usually discounted but you can still come along if you’re a non-member. It’s true that London is probably not the most ideal place to do observations, but it’s kinda fun when there’s a lot of people to chat to while you’re waiting for the clouds to pass so you can catch a glimpse at Altair or something (I’m kidding… mostly?) Joint events are also popular, typically with one of my other clubs Image result for laughing emoji

Membership: £ 5

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3. Baking Society (BakeSoc)

One of the resolutions I didn’t mess up. I actually did do a lot baking this month (sugar cookies and lemon pound cakes, anyone?) We don’t actually do much for this club to be honest but it’s fine since this club’s free… we’ve only had a few meetings last term but one’s coming up this Thursday. Typically, we bake something according to a theme and bring it to our potluck where we eat it together. A general rule is that it’s free if you bring something and £ 2.00 if you don’t… and you get to enjoy baked goods as much as you like (as long as it’s not finished). It’s a great opportunity to share/ compare recipes and stuff (debating whether chewy or crunchy cookies are better) while you’re munching on cake. Spontaneous baking is also encouraged so you can bring your failed experiments for us to eat too if you wantImage result for laughing emoji If you’re still not convinced, we arrange cake-hunting outings to bakeries and occasional cooking classes too.

Membership: Free

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Ice-cream Making (I wasn’t there but it seemed fun)

4. De La Beche (DLB) + Geophysics Society

These are actually two separate clubs. De La Beche is the Geology club and Geophysics, well it’s self-explanatory… I don’t actually count them as real clubs because for me they’re academic/ departmental clubs, but I thought I should mention them as well. Basically if you’re a geologist, you’re automatically a DLB member and if you’re a geophysicist, it goes the same with the Geophysics Society. If you’re a Geology and Geophysics kid like me though, they count you as a geologist so you’re in DLB. But if you’re undecided whether you want to venture more into geology or geophysics (like me), or you’re just somewhat of a busybody who wants to feel included (also like me), you can join both. They’re both free anyway *waves hand*, and the events are open to everyone (mostly people in ESE but we’re welcoming people so if you’re interested, do join in the fun… PS if anything happens, kindly refrain from mentioning my name:3 don’t worry, I’m kidding again~). DLB and Geophysics Soc both organise talks on a semi-regular basis with snacks and refreshments usually around lunchtime or after afternoon lectures so feel free to attend. They also arrange field trips to sites which are of geological interest typically in summer (and a few weekend trips as well) but tickets are limited and typically get sold out within minutes so do be quick! Oh, and being departmental clubs, they have a lot more other events like bowling, paintball, pub crawls, etc. Also a good chance to get to know the senior years and network if that’s your thing (I’m a bit too much of a scaredy-cat to do much of this, thoughImage result for sweat emoji)

Membership: Free

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This is coming up tomorrow. ~Kindly sponsored by BP~
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This was a trip to Devon that I sadly missed tickets for :’)

 

5. Science Fiction and Fantasy Society (ICSF)

The reason I joined this club was because they have an amazing library full of sci-fi/ fantasy books which you can borrow books from if you’re a member. Since I like reading, and the price of membership would be cheaper than the overall amount I’d spend on books otherwise, I figured “why not?” The membership is a bit pricey but bear in mind that it includes regular lunchtime meetups, ~weekly viewings, occasional discounted cinema trips and rights to borrow books, DVDs and graphic novels from the ICSF West Basement library. There’s also special event nights for Halloween, Christmas, etc where we watch/ sing sing-a-longs and munch on festive (and not so festive) foods. We are also the proud organiser of Picocon, ICSF’s annual convention and biggest event. This year’s is on 17th February so grab your tickets here– panel discussion, fun convention games, a bucket of liquid nitrogen, and a massive hammer borrowed from a friendly fire engine; it’s going to be epic!

Membership: £ 8

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Halloween event

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6. Islamic Society (ISoc)

Me joining this club was a bit of a coincidence, I guess… I wasn’t planning to go but I just came back from somewhere that Saturday and decided I didn’t want to go back to my accom yet so I went to their taster session instead… and decided that I liked it. Everyone was so friendly and it was nice to have others who were in the same boat as I am. You know, being a hijabi Muslim in London and all, it’s good to have someone I can depend on when I’m looking for new halal restaurants or just wanted to talk headscarf fashion styles/ designs/ tips (because a girl will always be a girl, after allImage result for laughing emoji) Besides, we have these fortnightly social events called Shake Breaks where we listen to some advice, play games and yes, drink milkshakes! Not to forget, sisters’ circle where we ladies get to catch up and discuss issues/ problems (plus hot choc sometimes if you’re lucky). We also do charity/ volunteering events where we raise money for various causes like the homeless, refugees, and many more.While we’re on the topic, Discover Islam Week is coming up soon this 5th-16th February so follow us at @DIWIMPERIAL #DIW2018

Membership: £ 2

 

So yeah, that’s most (if not all) of the clubs/ societies that I joined. The moral of the story is, Imperial is an open community where you’re free, and are encouraged to, pursue whatever you’re interested in (as long as it doesn’t get in the way of your studies, of course). So those rumours about Imperial students being nerds who don’t have a life; well, we ARE nerds (and proud of it) but we still manage to have a ~pretty~sorta~ normal social life. Because your life is up to you to live it… and you decide the amount of stuff you can handle going around. But don’t worry, in case you’re struggling (hey, everyone does at some point… it’s totally normal), there’re always people here who can (and are happy to) lend you a helping hand; whether it be fellow students or staff. So yeah, go forth. And since I’m done being inspirational and promoting Imperial/ my clubs/ myself lol?, I’m gonna sign off now.

Peace out. Toodles~

Visiting Imperial’s neighbours

MSc Business Analytics

We can all agree that Imperial has great neighbours. On the same street, you find some of the most stunning museums of London: Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum and Science Museum, all of which are free to enter.

 

Natural History Museum

If you love nature, animals and science, you cannot miss the Natural History Museum. You’ll be impressed viewing their dinosaurs or experiencing an earthquake simulation in a Japanese store.

Last Friday after class, I visited the NHM as it was hosting a special evening event about the Blue Planet II TV show. I’m a huge fan of this BBC series that manages to capture the wildlife in the planet’s oceans with the latest technologies and innovative filming methods.

The Natural History Museum invited the producers to show exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and share more about the making of the TV series. You could also meet  scientists that explained more about the wildlife seen in the show using the museum’s collections of corals, whales, fishes and more.

 

V&A Museum


Victoria and Albert Museum is the most elegant and fashionable museum I’ve ever visited. You can see from the finest jewellery collection to special exhibitions that in the past have even included Kate Moss’ wedding dress.

If you ever need a moment for inspiration too see great art or take a break, just go down the road, and enjoy some of the displays at the V&A.

 

Science Museum

The Science Museum is literally next door to Imperial. You can learn a lot from mathematics to biology, but you can also interact with latest technologies such as Virtual Reality. If you need even more than this, you can also watch Star Wars at their independent cinema. It has one of the largest screens in the UK and every ticket helps support the Science Museum’s work to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and Jedi Knights.

Green Spaces in London

Biological Sciences with year in industry

London, known to many as “The Big Smoke” has historically, and still today, been synonymous with air pollution, traffic jams and intense urban hustle and bustle. BUT, there is another side to the city – its “greener” side. London, despite the nicknames and assumptions, actually boasts 8 Royal Parks and countless smaller green spaces. So, if you need an escape from city life – the parks are a perfect saviour!

Hyde Park

Hyde Park Italian Gardens. Photo credit: Panos Asproulis from London, United Kingdom / Wikimedia.

In my opinion, probably one of the best known parks in London for multiple reasons. Found in the Paddington area, this park is HUGE  – 142 hectares to be exact. Hyde Park is home to many events including an annual music concert and the popular winter attraction; Winter Wonderland. Speaker’s Corner is an especially famous spot in the park – filled with soapbox speakers talking (often at the top of their lungs) about a huge variety of things from religion all the way to free hugs – if you want controversial/unique views then this is the place for you. Hyde Park is wonderful in the summer; pull up a deckchair with a good book and an ice-cream, enjoying the sun and heat in central London – what could be better! Plus, if you fancy it, you can hire a  pedalo on the water amongst the swans and other birds.

Kensington Gardens

Sunset over Kensington Palace – taken by yours truly 

Adjacent to Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens is the definition of a Royal Park – home to Kensington Palace which has been/is home to some of the Royals. Imperial students are also well acquainted with the park, often walking through it to get to campus from Paddington. In the early morning, it is often filled with dogs and their owners frolicking around (the dogs that is, owners not so much) which certainly makes the bleary eyed walk to university a little better – bringing smiles to many. The colours of the trees in summer and autumn are truly stunning, as are the parakeets that fly around, often perching on individuals that hold their hands out. Interestingly though, no-one I’ve met knows where they came from, there are many different theories…

Holland Park

And breathe…Holland Park’s Kyoto Garden, where I go to escape when the city gets a bit too much!

HANDS DOWN MY FAVOURITE PARK IN LONDON. Found around High Street Kensington, this park is another favourite with dog owners (no surprise really – it’s a park in a city…) Home Opera in Holland Park in the summer, this park is full of little surprises. My personal favourite is the Kyoto Garden, complete with a small waterfall, pristine colourful trees and koi carp, this little slice of Japan is my favourite place to take time out when it all gets too much. Also, the park has peacocks! Beautiful, especially in summertime when the males are in full plumage often displaying at passers-by. Honestly, they act like celebrities in front of the paparazzi – unbelievable!

Regent’s Park

Regent’s Park bandstand. Photo credits: Wikimedia user Ed g2s

Found in the Camden area, this park is home to an open air theatre and ZSL London Zoo. I haven’t properly visited, but it is on my to do list! It is also home to Primrose Hill – a huge hill at one side of the park with legendary views of London – perfect for a romantic summer evening picnic 😉

Richmond Park

Richmond Park deer…before Fenton arrived. Photo credits: Wikimedia user Amertner

The largest of the Royal Parks (edging out Hyde Park for the top spot) at 955 hectares – HUGER.  It is also home to a large amount of wildlife, therefore rightly designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, National Nature Reserve and Special Area of Conservation. Richmond Park is famous for its fallow deer (and a pug called Fenton, but that’s another story…) and many rare beetles. On another interesting note, for those who aren’t nature nerds – it is also home to the Royal School of Ballet.

So that’s a round up of the many green spaces in London, of course there are many more parks – all steeped in history and cultural significance, but since I’m not a historian I won’t discuss that here…

White days while in London – I don’t really know where home is anymore

Aeronautical Engineering

It’s holiday season, Christmas lights everywhere, happy wishes in every corner, warmth and love in every single person around and for most students time to go home.

So, since I am just like most students, I partied to celebrate the end of term, and then partied again because it’s Christmas. Which led to a few very productive days of hangover doing absolutely nothing but Netflix – like you should. With all the partying and it’s consequences checked off my to do list, it’s time to catch a flight (right after doing laundry, miracles may happen but that’s just in Easter, right now your cloths won’t wash themselves). 45 minutes in the tube, an hour and a quarter in the train, 3 miles queuing and an hour and a half due to a delay later and I’m on the plane on my way home. It’s late and as I look through the window and see all those lights, shaping the city I’m in love with,

 

“I wonder if I’m going home, this feels a lot like leaving to me”

 

 

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