Hi! My name is Dhruv and I am a fourth-year undergraduate. In my free time, I enjoy running, cricket, badminton and gaming! I am currently a member of the Civil Engineering Society (CivSoc) committee as Secretary.

Why did you choose to study with us?
One of the biggest influencing factors for me was the teaching quality. Imperial is known for the highest quality of teaching and many of the Professors are lead researchers in the field they teach so it was a clear-cut decision. In addition to this, diversity in people and opportunities was also very important to me. Through the open day, I learned there are hundreds of different societies I can get involved in and many year groups (including my one!) have over 25 nationalities present. This was extremely exciting. Similarly, I wanted to be based in a location where things are happening, activities to do in the evenings and weekends– Imperial is at the heart of London so this was ideal. Finally, I wanted to be at a university that is making a real impact on the world and that is what Imperial does. The recent studies done by Imperial regarding COVID-19 which has been mentioned numerous times by the government and media is only one of many examples.

What does a typical week look like for you?
Currently, in my second term of the fourth year, my typical week is very different to what it has been in the past. I am currently doing my fourth-year project where one has to independently research a topic of their liking under the supervision of a professor. On the weekdays, I typically work from 9 am to 5 pm where I would either be reading research papers or writing up my essay. I am also an undergraduate teaching assistant so on Mondays and Wednesdays I would be teaching Year 1 and 2 a module called Computational Methods. The evenings and weekends are work-free! I would spend time with friends, family, and workout. In the current situation (due to COVID-19) I am mainly always home but typically I would be at Imperial, often staying back to attend numerous social events in weekdays and going out with friends on weekends.

What are you hoping to do after your studies?
After completion of my degree, I will be working in a company that is extremely diverse in the type of projects it does. This will provide me a great degree of exposure to the different kinds of skills and knowledge required for the numerous project types. I also aim to complete my chartership as soon as possible. I have worked with this company in the past and have had a great experience. To start with, I will be working on the HS2 project the company has acquired.

What advice would you give someone considering doing an MEng with us?
It is common to hear the jump from A-Levels (or the equivalent around the world) to university is quite big. This is generally true but the department ensures within the first year the material is taught at a very basic level which allows everyone to be at the same level of knowledge so no one is disadvantaged and then builds upon it at an acceptable pace which ensures no sudden jump in difficulty is experienced.  Another piece of advice I would give is don’t be afraid to ask questions. All professors encourage you to ask questions and they will go the extra mile to make sure your question is thoroughly answered. A tremendous amount of support is available to all students (related to studying, personal life, jobs, etc.) so if you ever feel like you need it, don’t be afraid to take it. And remember Imperial is in London - enjoy your time here, take part in any society you like and make sure you have a good balance between studying and social life!