INTERVIEW | Jade - Imperial College: Materials Science and Engineering

How old are you?

Where do you come from?

I live in Paris, but I am half-Belgian and half-Jamaican.

Which high school did you go to?

Ecole Jeannine Manuel, a bilingual high school in Paris.

What kind of a student were you?

Pretty hard working, I always tried my best and the high school I attended was relatively

demanding so I had to keep up.

Choose 3 words that best describe you.

Determined, generous, loyal – a description courtesy of one of my best friends.

What was your number one dream university while in high school?

Columbia University.

What university do you go to now?

Imperial College London.

Why did you choose this university?

I love cities, and Imperial is one of the best STEM schools in the world – and the South

Kensington campus is great.

For how long have you been going to this university?

I’ll be going into my third year in September 2020.

Was it your first choice university?

It was not my first choice overall, but it was my first choice in the UK.

What is your favorite thing about it?

I love the location – living in London is amazing. I also love how diverse the student body is,

there are students from all around the world, and everyone has an interesting story.

Imperial also has so many different things to do outside of studying (music, sports, and

other clubs).

What courses are you taking, what is your major?

My degree is Materials Science and Engineering (Meng).

Is it academically competitive, do you find it stressful, are the classes intense?

All courses at Imperial are challenging. My course can be stressful at times, but for the most part the workload is manageable, and the courses vary in intensity. Of course, this depends on each student, because everyone struggles with different aspects of the course.

Do people help each other?

Yes! I have a great support system. Some people are more competitive and keep to

themselves, but for the most part, everyone is willing to help out others.

For how many hours do you study on a daily basis?

I probably spend 3-4 hours a week studying, and depending on if I have coursework due ,anywhere from 5-40 hours working on a lab report, project, big coursework, etc. In general, I tend not to study during term time extensively, because I am an efficient crammer, so I start before exams. Everyone is different though!

What would be your advice to nail academic and social life?

JOIN A SOCIETY. Joining a society – sports, music, theatre, cheese and wine – really brings social structure to university life and allows you to meet people outside of your student hall and your course. I joined an a cappella group and we rehearse about 4-7 hours each week, and also have many social events.

Was it easy to meet new people?

I found it very easy. But many people have different experiences, depending on what hall

they are in or what course. It can be hit and miss, which is why joining a society is so

important.

Is it close to your home town, if not how did you manage being so far from home?

It is just a short Eurostar journey away! I did not go home during term time, because there is

so much to do in London and I was always busy. My parents visited me twice in my first

year, but in second year I really got used to living away from home and having my own life.

How often do you leave campus?

All the time – London campuses aren’t that big, so I go into the city (outside of South

Kensington) pretty much every weekend, and during the week as well.

Is it international/ international community? What language is most spoken?

It is an incredibly international community. My friends are Malaysian, French, Chilean,

British, Moroccan, Singaporean… The list goes on. The most spoken language is English.

Do you often go to your university’s library, at what time does it close, are they social

or silent?

The library is open every day for 24 hours, and only closes on Friday nights to be cleaned.

There are different floors and sections, and they can be either social or completely silent.

What’s your favorite place to study on campus?

I like to go off campus to a coffee shop in South Kensington, the social study area of the

library, or sometimes I infiltrate the biology building because they have really nice study

rooms.

On a scale from 1 to 10 what would you rate your campus?

7. It doesn’t have enough food options in my opinion, and it is quite small. But the location

is amazing, and the buildings are nice.

Are you living in your school’s dorm?

No, London universities generally only provide dorms in first year, and then people move

into apartments.

If yes, tell us about life in the dorms.

Last year, dorm life was great. I was always hanging out with friends, cooking together,

chilling, watching movies. I really enjoyed it.

Are you in a sorority?

No.

On a scale from 1 to 10 what would you rate your school’s parties?

8 for clubbing and nightlife – nightlife in London is great but sometimes getting to the

destination can be tricky. 9 for house parties.

How often do people go to parties at your school?

In first year, I probably went clubbing every week or every other week. This year, I didn’t go

clubbing much at all and I preferred going to house parties (a couple times per term), hosting small dinner parties, and going to bars and pubs.

Are you a member of a club in your school? If yes which ones?

I am a member of the A Cappella Society, specifically a singer in “The Scopes”.

What are you favourites activities at your school?

I hang out a lot with musical and artistic people, so I go to a lot of music and art events,

which are always great.

Do people in your school tend to have a job at the same time?

Not really, people tend to be from well-off backgrounds, or their scholarships and loans

provide them with enough to not have to work. I sometimes waitress to get some extra

cash.

How athletic is your school from one to ten?

10. There are a lot of sports societies. I’m not a part of any because I literally get out of

breath going up the stairs to my flat.

Is it popular for a particular sport?

I’m not sure. Our rowing and rugby teams seem to be quite competitive.

What’s the nearest city to your school?

It is in the city! London.

What is the average temperature in this area?

It varies. It never gets super cold (never colder than -5°C), and the warmest it will get is

27°C. It rains a lot less than expected.

Any fun facts you would like to share?

The band Queen had some members that attended Imperial, and their first proper gig was

in our Union Hall!

Choose 3 words that best describe your school.

It’s too peculiar to describe in just 3 words. I’d say Imperial College gives you the best, but

only if you seek it out. Some people absolutely love it (like me), and some people don’t

enjoy themselves.

Is your life in the university what you expected? Did you have good or bad surprises?

I expected it to be less social, because it has a bad reputation. But I love my life here and

encourage everyone to come to the university.

Why the student watching should apply to your university?

Apply if you want to challenge yourself and learn a lot.

What would you tell the students who are interested in your university?

Come visit the campus before you decide if you want to attend, it is a great way to see if you

will like the school.

What would be something you would’ve like an old student to tell you when you arrived?

Go to your lectures, that’s how you’ll live the best uni life (but I missed pretty much all my 9am classes so don’t feel guilty if you are the same).

Don’t go to class if you are hungover, it does not end well.

Also, British people drink a lot, don’t try to keep up.