Christian Ngo

Experience

Tell us what your greatest academic, professional or personal awards/achievements have been.

My greatest achievements have been completing my previous university degree, while also taking up organisational roles focused in finance.

Why did you decide to study your Summer School course and why specifically did you choose to study with Imperial College Business School?

I was deciding between pursuing an internship or undertaking Imperial’s Summer School course. I chose the Entrepreneurship course, as this experience will not only give me valuable skills and work experience but will also give me a global perspective. In addition, I was able to enjoy my summer break, because I was able to travel around London for the first time. I chose the Business School over other colleges because of their course content and academic excellence, which proved to be the right choice.

Programme

What makes your Summer School unique?

It’s very interactive, so I had the chance to meet a lot of people from all over the world and learn a lot from them.

What aspects of the course did you most enjoy?

I enjoyed the boat party and the academic excursions the most because I was able to learn and network, while also having the opportunity to sightsee, travel and have fun with others on the course.

What was the most challenging part of the course? 

In my experience, I had a hard time on the last few days of the course, because we were finishing our pitches for the class while also studying for the final exam.

People

Imperial places a large emphasis on group work, what inspires you the most about working in this type of environment?

I was inspired by the group work aspect, mostly because I was able to learn from people who have different cultures in a different environment, so everything feels new.

How would you describe your Summer School class?

To keep it simple, I would describe my Summer School class as fun and interactive.

What parts of the social programme did you most enjoy?

The boat party was my favourite event! After two weeks of classes, we were able to hang out all together and get to know new people, not just from our course but others as well.

Opportunities

What has been the greatest opportunity during your summer at Imperial that you don’t think you would get anywhere else?

The greatest opportunity during my summer at Imperial has been getting to meet a lot of people from different backgrounds and getting to work with them in classes.

What are your future career goals and how do you think your time at Imperial will help/has helped?

I’m still finishing undergraduate studies and I might also take up law afterwards, but the course will help me if I decide to start my own business in the future.

Location

Whereabouts did you stay in London and why did you choose to stay there?

I stayed in an apartment (Airbnb) with some of my friends from the Philippines located in Paddington.  This worked out great, as the location was close to the Business School and sharing with people I already knew helped save on the cost of the apartment.

What can a weekend in London look like for a Summer School student?

A weekend in London can look like a lot of things! During my stay here, I was able to visit different cities outside of London including Brighton, Oxford, Cambridge, Stonehenge. It’s also very nice to just walk around London and take it all in.

In your opinion, tell us about the most exciting thing you’ve done in London.

During my last week in London, I watched Hamilton the musical. I can say it was one of the highlights of my trip and would recommend for everyone to see a play or musical while you’re in London.

Tips

What advice would you give someone who was thinking about applying for the Summer School?

Just go for it! If you’re scared about being alone, you’ll soon meet new friends, who you will make amazing memories with.

Share with us a handy hint or trick that made settling into Summer School that much easier!

On the first day of classes, muster up all your courage to say hello and try to get to know at least one new person. It’ll make you feel a lot better and the process of meeting people on your course so much easier.