We got there at about half past 9 (registration started at 9) and there was no queue to collect a map and some leaflets so Imperial was already in the lead, not that I was making constant comparisons to Sussex all day!
We walked through the entrance hall which was all very big and grand, into an square which several buildings opened out to. They were all so big, I looked over to my Dad and we both just made faces like 'Woa, it's big'. There was a street of shops which surprised me because I imagined only a campus would have that. We got to a central hall where we visited a few desks and Dad collected some freebies!
The drumstick lolly was from the Student Union desk and I can safely say that the theories of student union boys still stand!
We went on a campus tour, well it was technically called a campus tour but it didn't feel much like one. Next time I am definitely not going on a tour before the talks because they always feel to rushed and not very useful.
Then me and my Dad split up for the parent session and departmental session and I got totally lost! I literally went around in circles! I nearly ended up at a Mechanical Engineering talk. And then I nearly gate crashed a Maths talk.... And then by some miracle I made it through a maze to the Physics talk where I started talking to a girl and somehow I was funny, friendly and amazing. Then I got distracted by some leaflets, she escaped and I had to enter the lecture hall on my own! All my hard work went to waste... I forgot how awkward this kind of thing was... I did eventually start chatting to the boy next to me and tried to practise being friendly to strangers... The good thing about situations where sitting is involved is that people can't escape as easily!
The Physics talk was amazing! The speakers were all really engaging and interesting and it was all super informative and useful. Dr Fay Dowker spoke about her research into spacetime and the grand unified theory which was really exciting. She answered all the questions really well and she explained things much clearer than the professor at Sussex! The student to staff ratio is very high at Imperial and although I know it will be a lot of hard work I feel like I will have the support I need at Imperial and my fears of drowning in tonnes work I can't even begin to understand have lessened a little.
Afterwards I joined a tour of the department which quickly evolved into a tour of the campus which was quite useful actually. Unfortunately we couldn't actually go into the library and didn't get to see labs and classrooms very much like at Sussex.
It was very clear that accommodation costs will be much higher in London than in Sussex but I have decided that a twin room would be alright for me, I'm not very good at being alone! However this cost would be offset by the fact that I would live at home in the second, third and maybe the fourth year.
We followed our tour guides advice and took the lift up to the 8th floor to see the view. It wasn't quite as pretty as Sussex but it was great to get an idea of our position in London. I could see the Royal Albert hall, the Albert memorial, some of the accommodation and an awful lot of traffic! Ever since I started thinking of university I wanted to be in London...
Although Imperial wouldn't have the summer research position, it is common to have summer placements which would be equally good and possibly better suited for me. Imperial does have an outstanding reputation and has an international community that seems very exciting. I will find any decision very hard but I think Imperial has to be one of my options! I shouldn't say that until after the summer though...
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