Things I Learned During Freshers’ Week At Imperial College
Fresher’s week is an essential part to the university experience. It’s exciting, and it’s informative. It’s a great way to transition to uni. Keep reading for 7 things I learned from Freshers’ week at Imperial College!
1. Beit Hall is pronounced “Bite.”
It seems unintuitive, but everyone corrects you during the first week. Beit is actually German surname and the halls were named after Alfred Beit, hence the misunderstanding or possibly, an ice-breaker during the move-in!
2. Mingling is a thing.
Freshers’ week is all about meeting a variety of people and ‘mingling’ is the word most heard from hall seniors and that summarizes all the social events and going beyond the obvious, “what’s your name and what course are you doing?”
3. Union, metric and fivesixeight are always full.
Beit Hall has three venues that are always full, no matter the time or day of the week: the bars/clubs. They were the first ones I walked into after arriving in London, and they unite all Imperial students with their atmosphere – those living in the quadrangle itself and those from other halls, freshers and seniors.
4. Pub-crawling in Kensington and Hammersmith.
London has a massive number of places to meet up and have a drink, from Belushi’s to Be At One: wherever you end up, the drinks will probably be great, though sometimes a bit pricey.
5. Freshers’ flu is real and dangerous.
During and after the first week, the lecture theatre will loud at all times, with coughs and sneezes from every corner. Freshers’ flu is a reality and goes on for the first month, so remember to dress warm and take care of yourself!
6. Cooking is not simple…
Cooking can be a daunting activity if you’ve never done it before. Fortunately, Imperial hosts a market every Tuesday where your lunch is already made! Pre-made meals also can become a life-saver but learning how to combine ingredients will come in handy at some point!
7. Being independent…and completely broke!
You are now (at least officially) an adult, which means you take care of yourself, buy groceries and a dozen other things that always seemed to be there at home. You never have spare cash but you always manage to have fun in the end!
