5 Things You’ll Experience As An Imperial Fresher
Being a fresher is all about learning from new experiences. Your first year is both exciting and intimidating, but trust me, you’ve picked a great college to attend! Here are 5 things you’ll experience as a fresher at Imperial College!
1. Getting all your information from one of the overflowing group chats.
Whether it’s Biosciences Unite or an engineering hub, all questions end up on a group chat, sooner or later: those about accommodation, fees, books and what to expect on October 1st. It’s also a great way to get tuned in and meet future friends, as Instagram and Snapchat names fly around. The only problem is keeping up! The groups have over a hundred people so when a hot topic hits the screen (like the recent one on student visas), the chat may get a little crazy. You might have left your phone or computer only to come back to 80 unread messages, but that’s the charm.
2. Being lost over what you should be reading and organizing instead of being on vacation.
Have you opened a bank account yet? Do you know how much you will be spending weekly? Have you decided on any societies you would wish to join? What about organizing your reading list? A lot of questions are suddenly luring around the corner and Imperial seems to have a reputation for being a tough place in terms of workload, so it’s better to get organized fast. Going to college is a large transition in terms of how much you’ll be taking care of on your own, from how you eat to how you pay your bills. But it still manages to be called the best years of your life so, no worries, now the longest summer of your life, you’ll get everything done before the big day.
3. Crossing your fingers and hoping for the best dorm!
Accommodation is key in college and everyone wants to end up in the best renovated, best located place. Imperial’s halls are scattered all over town, from South Kensington, through Notting Hill, to Waterloo! Dorms give the best chance to meet a ton of new people, equally confused and losing their way to the bathroom. Imperial students will get their addresses on September 5th, but wherever you end up there’s always a chance for a great party and great people.
4. Seriously starting to think about a job or internship to make it in London.
Even though Brexit has had an impact on prices and the market, London remains one of the top cities of the world, with a bustling social, economic and cultural scene. This makes it a very expensive place to live, hang out and travel. Luckily, students receive several discounts, in museums, theatres, etc., and with the so-called Oyster card, even 30% off on transport! Being a student means you don’t have a lot of money to spare, but you also have a chance for the best bargains there are. Also, many websites provide information on freelance or part-time jobs for students, with the possibility to narrow down your search to what interests you personally, whether its childcare, mechanics or painting.
5. Getting a lot of “ooohs” and “aaahs” over the fact that you got into one of the world’s best colleges.
And rightly so! Imperial ranks 3rd in the United Kingdom and proudly stands among the top 20 universities of the world! Congratulations, now’s the time to be proud before you get entirely snowed under with study materials.
