So far my experience at Imperial was very pleasant. The Professor was very welcoming and guided me to resources to find a good accommodation. I meet with the Professor every week to update the status of the research at the direction it has to take in the future. It was overwhelming with a lot of new changes for me as this was my first international trip from India.
Course Curriculum :
The course curriculum is up to date at ICL and ICL removes outdated material from the syllabus every year. As a mechanical graduate, I studied engineering drawing with drafters back in India. At Imperial you will not a see a student with drafter, its all Computer aided design (CAD) now. Students are given assignments based on CAD and are given resources to carry out the assignments.
Exams :
GPA - 8.0 and above for all degree is required for admission to M.engg. at ICL. I scored 100/120 in TOEFL. SOP, LOR and CV are required for admission to Imperial college London. Points I mentioned: 1. Work experience 2. MTech Project 3. B Tech Project 4. Research paper published (2) 5. Volunteering experience 6. Skills I had an interview with the Prof whom I contacted for PhD opportunity. He setup a meeting and asked me to prepare a presentation on my M.tech thesis on which I published a journal paper. During the interview he was mostly listening and asked some basic questions on the project. He also wanted to know why I wanted to do PhD and why I choose to go for a job right after my M.tech.
Placement :
UK as of now has good opportunities in terms of Job and research opportunities. Unlike India there isn't a centralized placement portal here. The companies visit Imperial very frequently and they advertise their job and if students are interested they can apply to the company. Imperial has a career service that help students find job of their interest.
Internship :
At this point I haven't done Internship. But fellow students who did internship in companies earned 4000£/month. To get an internship students can apply to the company directly or through Imperial career service.
Fees :
Tuition fees may change every year for 2022 it was 27500£/year for international students.
Scholarship :
I was awarded the Presidential scholarship at imperial college London which pays complete tuition fee and 24000£/year as stipend. For this scholarship I had to submit a research proposal. After my interview my supervisor suggest that I have a good profile and should apply for Presidential scholarship. Then after discussing with my supervisor, I made a research proposal and submitted.
Faculty :
The faculty and staff at Imperial are very Professional and friendly. There is a body that monitors relationship between staff and students. Any issues reported to them are investigated seriously are corrective actions are taken. Prof. Daniele Dini is one of my best professors at Imperial. He has helped me in understanding so many concepts by taking out his extra time from his busy schedule.
Campus Life :
There is club/society for every student at imperial. If a student finds there isn't a club of their choice Imperial provide full support to start a new club. There are a activities going on in campus on a daily basis due to my busy schedule I get a attend a very few of them. Imperial has the state of art research facilities there are millions invested in research by different companies like Rolls Royce, Shell, Mitsubishi, P&G and many more and billionaires like Bill Gates recently made a huge investment for climate change research. The libraries are open from 7 to mid night. The reason its not fully open is to promote work life balance. There are all kinds of sports facilities here at imperial. The one that amazed me is Horse riding.
Hostel :
Accommodation cost is on a high side at London. To get a clean and decent single room sharing one may have to pay 1000£/month in zone 2 or 3 of London. In zone one it may go upto 1300£/month or more. In Zone 4 or 5 the rent may decrease to 700£ or below. For the above mentioned setup bathroom and kitchen will be shared. Most students try to fit 2 in one room to reduce the cost.
