Imperial College what is it like

[ImperialCollege89]

DC is really set in an Engineering course in Imperial College. I would be grateful for opinions from people with children there recently or who attend/attended themselves.

I read is very competitive but all they could do is give them the best shot.

One of my DC’s friends is looking at ETH Zurich - tuition fees are only chf730 a term but cost of living is very high in Switzerland. However, this pupil has calculated they won’t come out with more debt than going to a U.K. uni which I found interesting. Apparently Swiss engineering graduates are paid a lot but I am not sure about visa implications post Brexit. Then there is another friend looking at a business school in Milan, Bucconi I think it is called.
So some U.K. kids are also looking to Europe, another one mentioned the Netherlands. I guess if the EU unis are better funded and better run and UK unis so expensive now that is inevitable. I wonder when the Chinese students will realise they might get better value there too and if those unis offer more and more English courses our own unis will become truly stuffed. I wish the government would fill the EU funding gap, it is so shortsighted!!

Araminta, Bucconi is extremely well regarded. However it is a private University and fees for home and overseas students alike are Euro 16,500 pa.

Asian students have always shopped around, with large numbers going to Australia, the US and Canada as well as the UK. We seem to have had a surge during the Trump years, especially when Covid kicked off and it became difficult for overseas students to enter or leave the US.

The surprise perhaps is that so few British students looked at alternatives, when so many Europeans (and others) were happily studying in the UK or elsewhere. Its changing a bit now, with larger numbers going to the US in particular, and perhaps more looking at places like Trinity Dublin or Amsterdam, but looking at overseas options is still relatively rare.

Thank you. UCL doesn’t offer the course DC wants

It's not almost like Oxbridge. It is equally academically rigorous with exactly the same level of ability. There are more students of that calibre than Oxbridge can take. Many top brains are at other unis.

Interesting m. What course is your DC doing?

opinions vary so much.

Just to clarify: the North Acton hall for Imperial is at North Acton. Nowhere near the Elizabeth Line. It’s on the Central Line. As is Shepherds Bush for Westfield. Westfield opened in 2008. It’s not remotely new. Imperial has an outpost at White City. There’s a very nice SoHo House at White City plus QPR just down the road. I’m very familiar with this area and North Acton is, unreservedly, sh*t.

I had a female friend at Imperial years back. There seemed to be a higher number of men than female students due to the STEM courses. Is this still true?

Still true according to a quick google and these stats: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/about/introducing-imperial/facts-and-figures/college-data-and-statistics-catalogue/college-overview/statistics-guide/student-numbers/full-time/#:~:text=In%202019–20%2C%20total%20full%2Dtime%20students%20included%203%2C978,2%2C315%20male%20research%20postgraduate%20students.

What course do they want to do? Engineering is broad and different universities are better for some.

From a slightly different perspective I had a relative who worked in the MechEng department about a decade ago, and absolutely loved it there. My relative also had good things to say about Bristol, Loughborough, and some others (sorry I forget now).

I’m quite surprised to hear the comments about assumed mathematical skills in first semester. From the small amount of undergrad teaching my relative got involved in, I had heard that new undergrads commonly had a shallower attainment in maths than was desirable and lots of ground was covered again which according to my relative “should have been taught at school, and certainly would have been in earlier decades”. So perhaps standards have actually improved in the last ten years which would be a good thing.

Hmm. All engineering undergrads will have FM at Imperial. Not just maths.

Aargg. Just wrote a huge post and lost it

Ds is fresher doing medical Biosciences. Offered AAA. Achieved aab but still accepted. He hits lots of the contextual criteria Inc household income. He's living in south ken on full loan with £5k pa Bursary. Has lots of friends with much higher income backgrounds. He's settled in so well esp taking into account his asd and adhd. Happy to answer any questions.

See if he can get on the Sutton Trust summer school. Life changing for my son.

Mostly female on my sons medical biosciences!

That’s very positive. Thank you

DC is going to apply but I think they prefer kids from disadvantage backgrounds for what I read

I completed my PhD at ICL recently and it was great - there is a lot of funding available and world class lecturers etc. I’m not sure what undergrad is like as I studied medicine elsewhere but having mentored medical students, I hear it’s very competitive. I have to say their careers advice team is second to none and they frequently host events with big industry names in STEM fields as well as management consulting and IB

@PartTimePartyPooper There is no implication from @piisnot3 that the course she is referring to is an Engineering course

Dc is there doing CS. They're having a ball. Not entirely sure how much work they are doing but having a great time socially. Lots of sport, lots of partying. A mix of international and domestic friends studying different subjects.

It helps that their hall of residence is a couple of mins from the university and they get a top up grant from Imperial because our income is lower than many.

Caveat - I think DC would have fun anywhere as they are quite outgoing.

Placemarking. DS also keen on Engineering at Imperial. Currently doing Maths, Further Maths, Physics and French.

I have a DC doing 4th year Mech Eng. He is loving it although it is very hard work, especially the first 2 years where it
is very difficult to keep on top of everything.

He has a good mix of friends from all over, lots of them through a society he belongs to.

I think it is what you make of it really and it suits him but he had a clear idea what to expect. He has friends doing Mech Eng at Sheffield and they are definitely having a gentler experience.

He survived 1st year confined to halls in North Acton due to Covid and since then has shared a flat near Hammersmith with friends.

he would definitely recommend Mech Eng at
Imperial but you do need to put effort into making a social life. He has friends doing many different courses, not just from his course.

Glad to hear, what is CS? And which hall is it?

Sheffield is interesting. It attracts a different type of student that wouldn’t admit to working hard. Engineers expect to work hard there, and they do, but they want a good time too. What is probably less evident at Sheffield is the Chinese work ethic. If students say they are more laid back it’s not because the course isn’t demanding it’s because they aren’t with ultra competitive students all the time. I’m certain Sheffield students get great jobs too and not everyone wants to work abroad. The big consultancies have offices abroad if you want but there’s money to be made here. Sometimes being a “boffin” doesnt get you the most interesting job either. It’s more nuanced than that.

My son’s friend got a place at Imperial and has just done the first term. He was at a private school and did maths, chemistry and physics. No further maths, but he got a place.

Is he doing Engineering? @MessyClock Its unusual not to have FM for engineering at Imperial.