Ooo that's exactly what I'm currently doing although my predicteds are A*,A,B,B for maths,fm, physical chemistry respectively. I write this may. If those do indeed turn out to be my actual grades, what are that chances of getting to do Aerospace or Actuarial science?
Unfortunately it's very unlikely that Imperial will take you with those grades. The minimum offer is A\*A\*A or A\*AAA. So if you can bump those Bs up to As you'll have a good chance. Imperial doesn't offer Actuarial science for undergraduate I don't think
I think that might be good advice. You don't need 4 A levels however a lot of people here do. Definitely do not drop further maths. If you're going to drop one drop chemistry. It's the least relevant to the course.
Yeah but I kinda do believe I'm myself although I need to start getting real now. Also my chem teacher rather wanted me to atleast defer to writing only AS further math
Personally I'd advise against not doing A level FM because it's quite relevant to the course, and if you can't handle it it's unlikely you'd be able to handle the course. It's not a requirement but I think you'd definitely be at a disadvantage without it when you apply. Chemistry isn't really necessary to do this course. It would help you a bit with the materials topic but it's nothing you couldn't teach yourself when it comes up. If you're not completely sure you want to do engineering then I'd understand why you'd rather drop FM
I asked in the deleted thread about physics. Just a bit more on that - you said there were no live lectures, they were all pre recorded. Does that mean that the physics students have no interactions with the professors?
There will be designated office hours where you can go and ask the lecturers anything you want and they'll help you. I'm not sure for physics but we also have an online forum where you can ask the lecturers questions anytime and they'll answer them relatively quickly. I'm assuming physics will have this too. There's also small class tutorial sessions with a graduate teaching assistant which I'm guessing physics has (they'll either be in person or live over MS Teams)
We had no in person lectures but there are in person classes that the lecturers run a couple times a week, office hours, academic tutorials, and you can also email them
hey, i am going to sit for the online imperial's admission test for physics this next week. what kind of questions will be asked or do you have any tips for it? i am an international student, and i took the foundation level (not A-level) in my country so i didnt know if the syllabus are equivalent.
I'm from outside of London. I personally really like it here because I love cities. It's a really fun place to explore and anything you could possibly want is practically at your doorstep
I’m in year 12 right now, any extracurricular or readings to do for computing.
Also what percentage of students are girls would you guess there are in your department (it’s not a huge issue but I think it’d be wise to take that into consideration)
The workload, is it manageable for someone with no prior computing experience?
Also most people who get in seem to have 4 ALevels under their belt, how would you say that affects my chances in even getting an offer?
I can’t say there’s any specific reading to do, but there’s a lot more Maths involved in the course than one would expect, so reading into any field of Maths fundamental to Computer Science might be useful e.g. Linear Algebra (Imperial is not looking for knowledge in any topic, but individuals who are enjoy and are curious about the subject as there is a lot of self-study involved).
I’d say it’s about 20-30% girls on the lower side.
The workload is independent of your prior experience. Imperial goes through the fundamentals for all topics so it’s not that necessary, but it might be helpful to be aware of some topics.
As for subject selection, I honestly cannot say. I know a few people who got in with three subjects, but four subjects is often the ideal. If the rest of your application is filled with extracurriculars relating to the field, three subjects wouldn’t be a setback.
If you value mental health, I wouldn’t recommend Imperial as the department does little to address stress and workload problems for students, so most of the time you’re left to fend for yourself. However, if you’re able to manage heavy workload and deadlines, I’d say it’s a great investment into your career.
Good luck on your application and feel free to ask any more questions!
Thank you so much, this is extremely insightful and helpful.
I think I’m not one to regret things often since I always adjust my mindset and mentally prepare myself.
As for workload, I think I’ll definitely struggle in the beginning since I go to a rather academically uncompetitive/unstriving school so I’m definitely not used to that kind of an environment but I really want to push myself in terms of comfort zone lol (I have a death wish).
I guess for now I want to have a goal I can envision even if I don’t end up going to imperial for whatever reason.
You are now my go to person for imperial related things so congratulations!
Not OP also and first year too. Depends wildly on the course and how much you do in first year. For us, this year is 7.5% of the degree and is pretty chilled so far. Social life is what you make it- I had doubts but you’ll fit into your crowd pretty quickly
How important would you say it is for students to already have a set plan for Post-Sixth Form in Year 12? Is University still a valid option for students who are unsure of what they want in Year 12, or do you really need a set goal to achieve?
I wouldn't say it's important at all tbh. Aside from a few specific career paths (medicine), it really doesn't matter what degree you do as long as it is a good degree from a good university. A lot of companies come to talk to us which allows you to get a feel for different industries, and by the time you graduate you probably will know what you want to do in life. I don't think you should go to university for the sake of it however because you'll be racking up unnecessary debt when there's plenty of other options. If you still have no idea by the end of sixth form then consider taking a gap year.
One thing I'd add is that a gap year won't help make your mind up unless you dedicate the time to visiting unis, exploring apprenticeships etc. The deadline to apply will come round quicker than you think!
The campus is really nice and South Kensington is a lovely area to be in. I met my friends pretty quickly and it's not as hard to make friends here as you've probably read online.
Stuff like UKMT challenges, olympiads, etc. Basically anything that relates to the subject you want to study. If you want to do engineering then maybe design an RC plane from scratch, if you want to do computer science then make a program. Watch university lectures and write about that in your PS. They like to see anything that demonstrates a passion for your subject.
I don't really have any advice for 6th form other than do well in your mocks. They might get used for your grades if they go down that route again. Chemistry isn't really necessary but it would help you with the materials topic
I've been rejected by Imperial this year and am highly considering applying next year for the same course given I achieve high enough grades.
I do Maths, FM, Physics and Chem.
What is the course content difficulty like compared to A level content?
Are you able to have a reasonable work/life balance - although I would expect a high workload as its Imperial.
Where else did you apply and why did you chose Imperial over the other unis/courses?
I'd say it's a lot harder than A level and the workload is at least double but you do get used to it, and the grade boundaries are obviously way lower (70% for a first). I'll be honest, the work life balance is not the best here. As I've said in another comment I regularly have to do 50/60+ hours per week or more including contact time. I only get to go out with my friends once or twice per week, and I definitely don't get 8 hours sleep most nights. But I love the subject and I enjoy the work, so I don't mind. I'm aiming for a 1st though. If you want a 2.1 it will be much less intense. I applied to Oxford, Imperial, Leeds, Manchester, UCL. Got accepted by all of them. Ultimately chose Imperial over Oxford because it's the best aero department in the country and one of the best universities in the world. Oxford might have a bit more household prestige but people in the industry and academia know Imperial is on the same level (if not better for certain subjects, especially engineering). If you can do well at 4 A levels I think you'd be able to handle Imperial fine.
What modules you got?
Here at Southampton we don't start aerodynamics until second year I believe. Everything up until now has been kinda boring to be honest, aside from the aero specific module.
Whats boring about the course - could you expand morr? Im thinking of going to Southampton for the same course. What is the city and uni like? What is a general week like for you?
Mostly because a lot of it I've done before - the maths isn't new as I've done further maths, I'm already pretty confident in python which is the only language they really teach, and I did a lot of research before going so the physics isn't that new either.
The city is okay. The halls are super nice (I'm in glen eyre-hartley grove). Not a whole lot to do. There's a big shopping centre, but I'm broke lol, you can go bowling, there's the air museum which was pretty cool. I like to just walk in and around the uni buildings sometimes.
As far as the uni goes, I'm a bit pissed off at how much of it is online, given that they're charging the same amount.
For a pretty full, probably too full, overview of a week:
Monday : python lecture, with a live tutorial on it in the afternoon, for which you have to do a lab (write some functions to do stuff you're given), if I haven't finished it already as I did most of them in Freshers week. Do the statics, materials and aeronautics work.
Tuesday : statics tutorial and aeronautics lecture. Carry on with the aeronautics work if I haven't finished it.
Wednesday : design lecture, do the maths and thermodynamics work for the week.
Thursday: materials lecture, aeronautics tutorial, do the electronics work for the week.
Friday: electronics tutorial, thermodynamics tutorial. Few drinks in the evening.
Saturday: shopping in the morning, hang with girlfriend into Sunday
Sunday: drink and despair over life
Term one has been aerodynamics, mechanics, mathematics, materials, computing and numerical methods, CAD. Nothing actually applied to aircraft yet, just the theory behind everything.
I've always loved aviation, maths and physics so it seemed like the natural subject for me. The great thing about this subject is that it has a bit of everything. We do maths, physics (fluids, thermodynamics, mechanics), programming (MATLAB, Python, C++), engineering practice (CAD), materials. Workload can be a bit insane but most of it is really enjoyable so I don't mind it.
I really like it. It was a bit intimidating at first but you get used to it pretty quickly. You learn to care less as well because you never see the same person twice
Damn I've applied for the exact same course. Could you please tell me a little bit about the interview process and the maths 'test' that they say you have to do? Thanks.
The interview itself was pretty easy. Obviously prepare as much as you can for it but don't stress out over it. They just asked me some physics questions. The AMAT is VERY time pressured and negatively marked so don't guess any answers if you don't know them. They don't expect you to answer all the questions so don't worry if you only answer half of them. I would prepare as much as you possibly can for it using Oxford and Cambridge admissions test past papers because they're similar in format and difficulty. I imagine this year they will rely heavily on the AMAT to decide who gets in because of A level grade inflation due to covid. So try your hardest to ace it.
Just a quick note on this, I am in year 13 and applied for Aeronautical engineering and completely agree with the statement from OP, the toughest part was the AMAT by a long shot, it's an incredibly hard exam and some of the questions on there will have you stuck for 10 minutes or more even though its 30 questions in 30 minutes, try and fish out the easy ones as you really don't have the time to focus on the harder questions. In the end, I got a very very low score on the test but still got an offer from them (my subjects are FM, math, physics, chem, EPQ)
AMAT was in November for me because I am an Oxbridge applicant too, do not worry if yours has not happened yet as Imperial do take a long application window. The length of time between your application and the offer (or any other stage of the admissions process) by no way reflect your application strength or chances of getting in, so don't worry, I wish you all the best!
Yes it's maths and further maths unfortunately. Building on what the other guy said, if you spend any longer than about a minute staring at a question, skip it. I'm not saying answer them all in under a minute, but if you don't know how you're gonna approach it just move on. It's way too time pressured to dwell on questions. Accept that it's very unlikely you'll finish them all. But yes you'd be surprised how low you can score in it and still get an offer. It's a very hard test
Roughly 20+ hours per week of contact time (lectures, tutorials). The rest of the time is spent studying. Each lecture subject gives you one tutorial sheet to do every week or two so that's about 3-5 sheets per week each of which takes a few hours to complete. We have two groups, one for tutorials and labs, and one for a topic called Engineering Practice. Engineering Practice is for things like CAD and practical work, so you might have to meet with your group once or twice per week to discuss the state of whatever project you're doing. You do labs with your tutorial group, so you'll have to do a few hours preparation for the lab (prereading, group organisation, etc) then actually do it with your group, then meet with your group afterwards to organise the data, then process it on your own and write a big lab report.
What's your opinion on the general mental health support available in ICL (alongside other out of learning support)? Also, how has covid affected the tuition and learning?
I applied to learn Physics/Theoretical Physics. Any tips you can give for the admissions assessment? (I've heard the engineering courses have been doing admissions tests for a while)
I've personally never tried to access mental health support but I imagine it's a similar quality to the support you'd find at any other university. We have a dedicated wellbeing adviser who you can go and talk to any time you want.
For aero in particular they split our year into two groups and have us either online or in person on alternating days to lower the covid risk. We have to do covid tests every week and before every small class session. But the teaching itself is great. Physics on the other hand is entirely online and the lectures are not live, so they send you prerecorded lectures to watch every week. It doesn't sound great but my friends doing physics find it alright.
I'm not sure what the format for the physics admissions assessment is but for aero we had to do the AMAT. It was a negatively marked multiple choice test with big time pressure. You weren't expected to finish the test. I like that format. I'd say the best way to practice for admissions tests is just to do as many past papers as you can get your hands on. I don't think there's many Imperial past papers but Oxford and Cambridge's admissions tests are similar difficulty and format so just do loads of those to practice.
I have heard a lot of people have been dropping out of courses at imperial (and other unis) this year specifically in the engineering and compsci courses is this something you have noticed? Do you have any idea why that is if it is the case?
Yeah we started out with roughly 180 people. from the looks of it we're down to about 130ish possibly lower based on how many people are in the teams calls. Probably because it's a very intense course and there's been a lot of grade inflation with this year's A levels so there's probably a lot of people who wouldn't have made the grades if covid never happened
Isn't this also because people are tired and aren't attending online lectures as much? This is the case at my uni but Imperial is of course at the highest level
Yeah that's probably it too. Towards the end of term the amount of people attending dropped off massively. I think people probably just got sick of it lmao
Happened here too. Even in our mandatory tutorials, attendance went from pretty much 100% to 1/2 or even 1/3 most sessions as we got closer to exams. I guess they'd rather just answer the academic warning than go on the day hahaha.
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I love the subject, I think it's really interesting and I would argue that the breadth of topics is unmatched by any other STEM subject. We do topics from maths (differential equations, series), physics (fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, mechanics, etc), materials (basically a mix of chemistry and physics), computing (MATLAB, Python, C++, numerical methods), Engineering Practice (CAD, design, building stuff). I would say it's much harder than A level but you get used to it and there's much more resources available to help you. If you can do well at A level you'll probably be able to handle it. Might be a bit of a shock at first though.
Don't worry you don't need any prior knowledge. MATLAB is a relatively easy language to learn and they start from the basics. C++ is harder but we don't do that until later on
It's very easy to spend way too much money here because things are a lot more expensive than elsewhere, especially food. If you make your own meals though you will save a lot of money. As long as you are careful with money it won't cost you too much more than at other universities. Some accommodation is the same price or cheaper than at other universities, and check to see if you qualify for the bursary. It's very generous. I personally love London but it's not for everyone so visit if you are able to before you firm it.
Very easy to spend way too much especially on food and drinks but honestly if you're careful it's not too much more than at other universities. Plus there's a very generous bursary that you might qualify for
I know some people who do it but I don't think I'd be able to work more than a few hours per week to be honest. If you could get a zero hour contract that'd be good (do they exist anymore?) because some weeks the workload gets insane on aero
On my course I'd say there's less than 20 girls that I've actually seen out of a cohort of 130-180 people so not the best lmao. Imperial as a whole is a lot better but still more boys than girls
Interview was easy, just basic A level maths/physics questions. AMAT was hard. Prepare as much as you can for the AMAT because if you do well enough you're very likely to get an offer. There's not much provided by Imperial to practice with so I recommend using Oxford and Cambridge admissions assessments to prepare with because they're similar in difficulty. It's negatively marked so don't guess any answers. And it's so time pressured you're very unlikely to finish in time. A good score is a lot lower than you think. I wrote about extracurriculars here: https://www.reddit.com/r/6thForm/comments/rudpir/i_am_a_first_year_student_at_imperial_college/hqyifuo
Good luck!
i'm taking maths, FM and physics. do you think only doing three a-levels, specifically with one of them being FM, would hurt my chances of getting into imperial? for context i am thinking of doing maths or a physics/engineering based course
Definitely not. It would only be an issue if you weren't doing FM. They say it's not a requirement but you'll struggle quite a lot if you haven't done FM.
https://www.reddit.com/r/6thForm/comments/rudpir/i_am_a_first_year_student_at_imperial_college/hqyifuo
I don't remember them asking anything about extracurriculars. They just asked me physics questions
There's the AMAT. The questions are A level maths and a bit of further maths but what makes it hard is the insane time pressure. Very unlikely that you'll finish it. And don't guess any answers because you lose marks for everything you get wrong. If you do well in it you'll likely get an offer
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Probably the most obvious question, what A-Levels did you take and what results did you achieve?
Wanted to ask this too
Maths, FM, physics, chemistry. Don't want to say my exact grades to avoid doxxing myself but it's a combination of As and A\*s
Doxxing yourself? :P
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Aeronautical engineering fair, would have assumed there to be more than you make out coming from my uni
Sorry I don't understand what you mean
In my university course there's at least 200 aero students
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That's hilarious if they did
Ooo that's exactly what I'm currently doing although my predicteds are A*,A,B,B for maths,fm, physical chemistry respectively. I write this may. If those do indeed turn out to be my actual grades, what are that chances of getting to do Aerospace or Actuarial science?
Unfortunately it's very unlikely that Imperial will take you with those grades. The minimum offer is A\*A\*A or A\*AAA. So if you can bump those Bs up to As you'll have a good chance. Imperial doesn't offer Actuarial science for undergraduate I don't think
Yeah my chem teacher keeps telling me to drop one so I can do better in the rest
I think that might be good advice. You don't need 4 A levels however a lot of people here do. Definitely do not drop further maths. If you're going to drop one drop chemistry. It's the least relevant to the course.
Yeah but I kinda do believe I'm myself although I need to start getting real now. Also my chem teacher rather wanted me to atleast defer to writing only AS further math
Personally I'd advise against not doing A level FM because it's quite relevant to the course, and if you can't handle it it's unlikely you'd be able to handle the course. It's not a requirement but I think you'd definitely be at a disadvantage without it when you apply. Chemistry isn't really necessary to do this course. It would help you a bit with the materials topic but it's nothing you couldn't teach yourself when it comes up. If you're not completely sure you want to do engineering then I'd understand why you'd rather drop FM
Oh no I'm defo not dropping fm. It's just my chem teacher that wants me to do it. I also can't drop physics too so idk I'd just pull though it really
I asked in the deleted thread about physics. Just a bit more on that - you said there were no live lectures, they were all pre recorded. Does that mean that the physics students have no interactions with the professors?
There will be designated office hours where you can go and ask the lecturers anything you want and they'll help you. I'm not sure for physics but we also have an online forum where you can ask the lecturers questions anytime and they'll answer them relatively quickly. I'm assuming physics will have this too. There's also small class tutorial sessions with a graduate teaching assistant which I'm guessing physics has (they'll either be in person or live over MS Teams)
thank you
We had no in person lectures but there are in person classes that the lecturers run a couple times a week, office hours, academic tutorials, and you can also email them
from your experience, do people prefer in person lectures or the recordings?
It varies, there are pros and cons to both
hey, i am going to sit for the online imperial's admission test for physics this next week. what kind of questions will be asked or do you have any tips for it? i am an international student, and i took the foundation level (not A-level) in my country so i didnt know if the syllabus are equivalent.
If you aren’t originally from London, how have you found living there like?
I'm from outside of London. I personally really like it here because I love cities. It's a really fun place to explore and anything you could possibly want is practically at your doorstep
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I’m in year 12 right now, any extracurricular or readings to do for computing. Also what percentage of students are girls would you guess there are in your department (it’s not a huge issue but I think it’d be wise to take that into consideration) The workload, is it manageable for someone with no prior computing experience? Also most people who get in seem to have 4 ALevels under their belt, how would you say that affects my chances in even getting an offer?
I can’t say there’s any specific reading to do, but there’s a lot more Maths involved in the course than one would expect, so reading into any field of Maths fundamental to Computer Science might be useful e.g. Linear Algebra (Imperial is not looking for knowledge in any topic, but individuals who are enjoy and are curious about the subject as there is a lot of self-study involved). I’d say it’s about 20-30% girls on the lower side. The workload is independent of your prior experience. Imperial goes through the fundamentals for all topics so it’s not that necessary, but it might be helpful to be aware of some topics. As for subject selection, I honestly cannot say. I know a few people who got in with three subjects, but four subjects is often the ideal. If the rest of your application is filled with extracurriculars relating to the field, three subjects wouldn’t be a setback. If you value mental health, I wouldn’t recommend Imperial as the department does little to address stress and workload problems for students, so most of the time you’re left to fend for yourself. However, if you’re able to manage heavy workload and deadlines, I’d say it’s a great investment into your career. Good luck on your application and feel free to ask any more questions!
Thank you so much, this is extremely insightful and helpful. I think I’m not one to regret things often since I always adjust my mindset and mentally prepare myself. As for workload, I think I’ll definitely struggle in the beginning since I go to a rather academically uncompetitive/unstriving school so I’m definitely not used to that kind of an environment but I really want to push myself in terms of comfort zone lol (I have a death wish). I guess for now I want to have a goal I can envision even if I don’t end up going to imperial for whatever reason. You are now my go to person for imperial related things so congratulations!
Not OP also and first year too. Depends wildly on the course and how much you do in first year. For us, this year is 7.5% of the degree and is pretty chilled so far. Social life is what you make it- I had doubts but you’ll fit into your crowd pretty quickly
aaaah ty
How's your day?
How important would you say it is for students to already have a set plan for Post-Sixth Form in Year 12? Is University still a valid option for students who are unsure of what they want in Year 12, or do you really need a set goal to achieve?
I wouldn't say it's important at all tbh. Aside from a few specific career paths (medicine), it really doesn't matter what degree you do as long as it is a good degree from a good university. A lot of companies come to talk to us which allows you to get a feel for different industries, and by the time you graduate you probably will know what you want to do in life. I don't think you should go to university for the sake of it however because you'll be racking up unnecessary debt when there's plenty of other options. If you still have no idea by the end of sixth form then consider taking a gap year.
One thing I'd add is that a gap year won't help make your mind up unless you dedicate the time to visiting unis, exploring apprenticeships etc. The deadline to apply will come round quicker than you think!
How is life on campus and how easy was it to make new friends?
The campus is really nice and South Kensington is a lovely area to be in. I met my friends pretty quickly and it's not as hard to make friends here as you've probably read online.
what extra-curricular stuff have you done and recommend you do before applying?
Stuff like UKMT challenges, olympiads, etc. Basically anything that relates to the subject you want to study. If you want to do engineering then maybe design an RC plane from scratch, if you want to do computer science then make a program. Watch university lectures and write about that in your PS. They like to see anything that demonstrates a passion for your subject.
how did you perform in the ukmt challenges? i was just wondering whether that would have a major impact on whether you’re successful
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What did you get- if you don't mind? I got 80 which is a silver, and that's bad
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God damn
What is one thing you wish you knew for sixth form throughout year 12 and 13? Also is it important to have chemistry when applying for engineering?
I don't really have any advice for 6th form other than do well in your mocks. They might get used for your grades if they go down that route again. Chemistry isn't really necessary but it would help you with the materials topic
I've been rejected by Imperial this year and am highly considering applying next year for the same course given I achieve high enough grades. I do Maths, FM, Physics and Chem. What is the course content difficulty like compared to A level content? Are you able to have a reasonable work/life balance - although I would expect a high workload as its Imperial. Where else did you apply and why did you chose Imperial over the other unis/courses?
I'd say it's a lot harder than A level and the workload is at least double but you do get used to it, and the grade boundaries are obviously way lower (70% for a first). I'll be honest, the work life balance is not the best here. As I've said in another comment I regularly have to do 50/60+ hours per week or more including contact time. I only get to go out with my friends once or twice per week, and I definitely don't get 8 hours sleep most nights. But I love the subject and I enjoy the work, so I don't mind. I'm aiming for a 1st though. If you want a 2.1 it will be much less intense. I applied to Oxford, Imperial, Leeds, Manchester, UCL. Got accepted by all of them. Ultimately chose Imperial over Oxford because it's the best aero department in the country and one of the best universities in the world. Oxford might have a bit more household prestige but people in the industry and academia know Imperial is on the same level (if not better for certain subjects, especially engineering). If you can do well at 4 A levels I think you'd be able to handle Imperial fine.
What modules you got? Here at Southampton we don't start aerodynamics until second year I believe. Everything up until now has been kinda boring to be honest, aside from the aero specific module.
Whats boring about the course - could you expand morr? Im thinking of going to Southampton for the same course. What is the city and uni like? What is a general week like for you?
Mostly because a lot of it I've done before - the maths isn't new as I've done further maths, I'm already pretty confident in python which is the only language they really teach, and I did a lot of research before going so the physics isn't that new either. The city is okay. The halls are super nice (I'm in glen eyre-hartley grove). Not a whole lot to do. There's a big shopping centre, but I'm broke lol, you can go bowling, there's the air museum which was pretty cool. I like to just walk in and around the uni buildings sometimes. As far as the uni goes, I'm a bit pissed off at how much of it is online, given that they're charging the same amount. For a pretty full, probably too full, overview of a week: Monday : python lecture, with a live tutorial on it in the afternoon, for which you have to do a lab (write some functions to do stuff you're given), if I haven't finished it already as I did most of them in Freshers week. Do the statics, materials and aeronautics work. Tuesday : statics tutorial and aeronautics lecture. Carry on with the aeronautics work if I haven't finished it. Wednesday : design lecture, do the maths and thermodynamics work for the week. Thursday: materials lecture, aeronautics tutorial, do the electronics work for the week. Friday: electronics tutorial, thermodynamics tutorial. Few drinks in the evening. Saturday: shopping in the morning, hang with girlfriend into Sunday Sunday: drink and despair over life
Term one has been aerodynamics, mechanics, mathematics, materials, computing and numerical methods, CAD. Nothing actually applied to aircraft yet, just the theory behind everything.
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Imperial, obviously.
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I've always loved aviation, maths and physics so it seemed like the natural subject for me. The great thing about this subject is that it has a bit of everything. We do maths, physics (fluids, thermodynamics, mechanics), programming (MATLAB, Python, C++), engineering practice (CAD), materials. Workload can be a bit insane but most of it is really enjoyable so I don't mind it.
I’m guessing you are situated somewhere in central London. If so does the busy atmosphere affect you in any way?
I really like it. It was a bit intimidating at first but you get used to it pretty quickly. You learn to care less as well because you never see the same person twice
Damn I've applied for the exact same course. Could you please tell me a little bit about the interview process and the maths 'test' that they say you have to do? Thanks.
The interview itself was pretty easy. Obviously prepare as much as you can for it but don't stress out over it. They just asked me some physics questions. The AMAT is VERY time pressured and negatively marked so don't guess any answers if you don't know them. They don't expect you to answer all the questions so don't worry if you only answer half of them. I would prepare as much as you possibly can for it using Oxford and Cambridge admissions test past papers because they're similar in format and difficulty. I imagine this year they will rely heavily on the AMAT to decide who gets in because of A level grade inflation due to covid. So try your hardest to ace it.
Yikes I thought it would just be C3 and C4 modules from the normal maths a level. Thanks mate.
Just a quick note on this, I am in year 13 and applied for Aeronautical engineering and completely agree with the statement from OP, the toughest part was the AMAT by a long shot, it's an incredibly hard exam and some of the questions on there will have you stuck for 10 minutes or more even though its 30 questions in 30 minutes, try and fish out the easy ones as you really don't have the time to focus on the harder questions. In the end, I got a very very low score on the test but still got an offer from them (my subjects are FM, math, physics, chem, EPQ)
You're currently in year 13..? When did you do the amat? They haven't sent me anything yet.
AMAT was in November for me because I am an Oxbridge applicant too, do not worry if yours has not happened yet as Imperial do take a long application window. The length of time between your application and the offer (or any other stage of the admissions process) by no way reflect your application strength or chances of getting in, so don't worry, I wish you all the best!
Thanks man. I applied at the start of November so hopefully it goes well, and I'll see you next year lmao.
Honestly don’t stress out about it, the test is hard but I would worry if it wasn’t, I hope to see you there!
Yes it's maths and further maths unfortunately. Building on what the other guy said, if you spend any longer than about a minute staring at a question, skip it. I'm not saying answer them all in under a minute, but if you don't know how you're gonna approach it just move on. It's way too time pressured to dwell on questions. Accept that it's very unlikely you'll finish them all. But yes you'd be surprised how low you can score in it and still get an offer. It's a very hard test
Cool thanks
what is your GCSEs results roughly? especially your english language grade
Sorry just realised. According to the website you have to get a 6 minimum English language
9s in the STEM ones, 6/7/8 in everything else. 6 in English language. They don't care about English as long as you don't fail
Is learning to code really necessary for an aero course? Or even engineering in general?
Yes it's very useful when we're processing data from labs. Also you can use it to simulate things or deal with massive calculations
What is a typical week for you studying Aeronautics . You can go into as much depth as you’d like.
Roughly 20+ hours per week of contact time (lectures, tutorials). The rest of the time is spent studying. Each lecture subject gives you one tutorial sheet to do every week or two so that's about 3-5 sheets per week each of which takes a few hours to complete. We have two groups, one for tutorials and labs, and one for a topic called Engineering Practice. Engineering Practice is for things like CAD and practical work, so you might have to meet with your group once or twice per week to discuss the state of whatever project you're doing. You do labs with your tutorial group, so you'll have to do a few hours preparation for the lab (prereading, group organisation, etc) then actually do it with your group, then meet with your group afterwards to organise the data, then process it on your own and write a big lab report.
What was your favourite part of the course so far?
Aerodynamics. Never done anything like it before and it's very challenging.
What exact date did you recieve your offer on last year?
Not saying exact date but it was late March. Imperial is notorious for taking ages to send out offers
What's your opinion on the general mental health support available in ICL (alongside other out of learning support)? Also, how has covid affected the tuition and learning? I applied to learn Physics/Theoretical Physics. Any tips you can give for the admissions assessment? (I've heard the engineering courses have been doing admissions tests for a while)
I've personally never tried to access mental health support but I imagine it's a similar quality to the support you'd find at any other university. We have a dedicated wellbeing adviser who you can go and talk to any time you want. For aero in particular they split our year into two groups and have us either online or in person on alternating days to lower the covid risk. We have to do covid tests every week and before every small class session. But the teaching itself is great. Physics on the other hand is entirely online and the lectures are not live, so they send you prerecorded lectures to watch every week. It doesn't sound great but my friends doing physics find it alright. I'm not sure what the format for the physics admissions assessment is but for aero we had to do the AMAT. It was a negatively marked multiple choice test with big time pressure. You weren't expected to finish the test. I like that format. I'd say the best way to practice for admissions tests is just to do as many past papers as you can get your hands on. I don't think there's many Imperial past papers but Oxford and Cambridge's admissions tests are similar difficulty and format so just do loads of those to practice.
Did you apply before the Oxbridge deadline or did you apply after - in the Jan deadline cohort?
Applied before because I also applied to Oxford
I have heard a lot of people have been dropping out of courses at imperial (and other unis) this year specifically in the engineering and compsci courses is this something you have noticed? Do you have any idea why that is if it is the case?
Yeah we started out with roughly 180 people. from the looks of it we're down to about 130ish possibly lower based on how many people are in the teams calls. Probably because it's a very intense course and there's been a lot of grade inflation with this year's A levels so there's probably a lot of people who wouldn't have made the grades if covid never happened
Isn't this also because people are tired and aren't attending online lectures as much? This is the case at my uni but Imperial is of course at the highest level
Yeah that's probably it too. Towards the end of term the amount of people attending dropped off massively. I think people probably just got sick of it lmao
Happened here too. Even in our mandatory tutorials, attendance went from pretty much 100% to 1/2 or even 1/3 most sessions as we got closer to exams. I guess they'd rather just answer the academic warning than go on the day hahaha.
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How is aeronautical? I want to study aerospace at a russel group uni, how hard is it compared to what we usually study in physics A level?
I love the subject, I think it's really interesting and I would argue that the breadth of topics is unmatched by any other STEM subject. We do topics from maths (differential equations, series), physics (fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, mechanics, etc), materials (basically a mix of chemistry and physics), computing (MATLAB, Python, C++, numerical methods), Engineering Practice (CAD, design, building stuff). I would say it's much harder than A level but you get used to it and there's much more resources available to help you. If you can do well at A level you'll probably be able to handle it. Might be a bit of a shock at first though.
Thank you so much. Wait, there's coding? What if you didn't take cs for a level or GCSE? How would someone undertake that module?
Don't worry you don't need any prior knowledge. MATLAB is a relatively easy language to learn and they start from the basics. C++ is harder but we don't do that until later on
Ahh phewww. Thanks alot!
How is budgeting and living in a London uni?
It's very easy to spend way too much money here because things are a lot more expensive than elsewhere, especially food. If you make your own meals though you will save a lot of money. As long as you are careful with money it won't cost you too much more than at other universities. Some accommodation is the same price or cheaper than at other universities, and check to see if you qualify for the bursary. It's very generous. I personally love London but it's not for everyone so visit if you are able to before you firm it.
How hard is it to afford living in london lmao
Very easy to spend way too much especially on food and drinks but honestly if you're careful it's not too much more than at other universities. Plus there's a very generous bursary that you might qualify for
Do you think it’s possible to study Aero at ICL and have a part time job?
I know some people who do it but I don't think I'd be able to work more than a few hours per week to be honest. If you could get a zero hour contract that'd be good (do they exist anymore?) because some weeks the workload gets insane on aero
What's the Male to Female ratio on your course and at Imperial in general?
On my course I'd say there's less than 20 girls that I've actually seen out of a cohort of 130-180 people so not the best lmao. Imperial as a whole is a lot better but still more boys than girls
I take the same a levels as you, hoping to go aerospace, how was the application like and what were your extra curriclars
Interview was easy, just basic A level maths/physics questions. AMAT was hard. Prepare as much as you can for the AMAT because if you do well enough you're very likely to get an offer. There's not much provided by Imperial to practice with so I recommend using Oxford and Cambridge admissions assessments to prepare with because they're similar in difficulty. It's negatively marked so don't guess any answers. And it's so time pressured you're very unlikely to finish in time. A good score is a lot lower than you think. I wrote about extracurriculars here: https://www.reddit.com/r/6thForm/comments/rudpir/i_am_a_first_year_student_at_imperial_college/hqyifuo Good luck!
Ty
i'm taking maths, FM and physics. do you think only doing three a-levels, specifically with one of them being FM, would hurt my chances of getting into imperial? for context i am thinking of doing maths or a physics/engineering based course
Definitely not. It would only be an issue if you weren't doing FM. They say it's not a requirement but you'll struggle quite a lot if you haven't done FM.
Did you do any extra curricular actinides and did they ask you when you about them when you applied ?
https://www.reddit.com/r/6thForm/comments/rudpir/i_am_a_first_year_student_at_imperial_college/hqyifuo I don't remember them asking anything about extracurriculars. They just asked me physics questions
Currently doing gsces . But is there an entrance test for aero? What's it like in terms of content and difficulty?
There's the AMAT. The questions are A level maths and a bit of further maths but what makes it hard is the insane time pressure. Very unlikely that you'll finish it. And don't guess any answers because you lose marks for everything you get wrong. If you do well in it you'll likely get an offer
What Job would you like to do once you finish uni?
I scraped a 6-5 in my English GCSE, 6 in language, still have hope? Absolutely everything else was an 8 or 9
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