This tab is designed to help you navigate the transition to university life by offering comprehensive resources on various lecture styles, effective note-taking techniques, and detailed campus maps. Whether you’re a new student or looking to enhance your learning strategies, this section provides valuable tools and information to support your academic journey.

To get started we’ve designed an interactive game aimed at highlighting the major differences between secondary school and university. Have a go and see if your expectations align with the reality of university.

As university teaching encourages independent learning, effective and efficient note-taking is instrumental. Below are some common note-taking styles that you should explore and adapt to your individual learning styles and strategies.

We understand that making notes can sometimes get tedious which is why we have compiled a list of the best study spots on campus for you to explore. Beware, these are so good that you might actually understand complex concepts effortlessly! Whether you’re seeking a quiet corner or a vibrant atmosphere, these spots are perfect for boosting your productivity and making studying a breeze.

Let us now hear from first year lecturers Dr. Anita Hall (Biochemistry/Biotechnology) and Dr. Ste Cook (Biological Sciences) on common misconceptions about university, effective learning styles and all things academic related.

Finally, we have created a resource to make navigating Blackboard (the main virtual learning environment used at Imperial) easier and simpler.

Additional Information

The Abdus Salam Library hosts a series of academic workshops at lunchtime on how to take effective notes or revise for exams

The Life Sciences Department also has its very own Librarian, Ms Elizabeth Killeen. You are welcome to drop by her office, e-mail or book an appointment.

The Library has a MASSIVE collection of academic and recreational books and audiobooks. They offer these online on numerous platforms, which you as an Imperial student have free access to, so use it while you can!

And for all the finance folks, Bloomberg, The New York Times, The Economist, the FT and so many more subscriptions are free! Just log in with your imperial e-mail and see what’s more on offer here

The Chaplaincy Centre offers meditation sessions, 1-on-1 talks and more! It is open for everyone, of any or no faith

The Life Sciences Department hosts Dog Therapy sessions, which you can book every Wednesday: look out for e-mails! 

Careers

We’ve placed this section last because we don’t want you to feel stressed, especially in your first term. However, if you’ve already begun thinking about your career path or feel uncertain about your next steps, please explore the resources below.

  1. Imperial College Careers – the website contains hundreds of resources to help you plan your next steps. Make sure to sign up to JobsLive to receive newsletters on internship openings, volunteering opportunities, webinars and more. Additionally, you can book a 1:1 appointment with the Careers Service.
  2. Personal Tutor – you can always meet with your personal tutor to discuss any career, academic or wellbeing related issues. They are there to help you, but you need to individually take action to reach out to them when you need to, unlike in school.
  3. Bright Network – this is a great website which is constantly updated to advertise internship and placement opportunities.
  4. What can you do with Life Sciences? – have a look at this Imperial resource and some of the industry links that our department has.
  5. Life Sciences Prospects – have a look at the stats to see what percentage of graduates go where.
  6. Make sure to keep an eye on what’s happening in BioSoc and BioChemSoc because they will be putting on several careers-related events, such as panel talks from students, skills workshops, a careers fair and more.