No Pains, No Gains

By Pan LI (International Finance 112)

Exciting, challenging and, most importantly, stimulating - this would be my answer if someone asked me to summarize my time spent in UK in the last three years. First of all, I would like to thank Jiangxi University of Economics and Finance to offer me this great chance to study abroad and explore those unprecedented moments in my dream country.

I am very lucky to be admitted by Imperial College London for my postgraduate study, in which I could compete and study with those outstanding students from all over the world. The College is a truly global community, attracting the best people from around the world to work with us. The researchers collaborate on a wide range of international projects and partnerships with institutions across the globe. My main campus was in South Kensington, a beautiful area of central London. With the Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Science Museum and Hyde Park nearby, it is within easy reach of the best of London’s museums, parks, shops, and nightlife. Maybe it is not the best University in UK, but Imperial must have the best campus regarding to the locations.

Studying in Imperial is extremely intense. In the business school, I nearly had 15 modules in an academic year as well as some other projects and volunteers’ work. There were three semesters in an academic year, which means I had 5 modules and some other sorts of programs in one semester. Therefore, in the very beginning, it was super hard for me to get used to this intense schedule, and as a consequence, I didn’t perform well in the first few courses. But it didn’t take long for me keep up pace with others in the competing context. As for me, the other big challenge in the academic was “exams”. We students were generally given 2 weeks to make preparations for final exams in every semester. I indeed do not have experience to prepare these many modules in such a short time, so preparations for exams were really the disaster for me. But the intense student’s life had really made tremendous improvements in my academic learning and especially the cultivation in career quality. The Careers Service was on hand to support my career planning from my very first day and for up to the whole year after graduation. As an Imperial alumnus, I can also enjoy a number of other benefits, including invitations to events and discounts on further study at the College and at Imperial College Business School. Besides study in Imperial, volunteering was very popular. Imperial had offered lots of ways for students to do something different in our spare time. We could also get formal recognition of the skills we have developed during our experience through the Union-run Imperial Plus accreditation scheme. The Union also oversees and funds one of the largest ranges of clubs, societies and projects of any UK university. This means our students could have hundreds of opportunities to meet new people, learn new skills and try things you have never done before.

Studying in London isn’t the be all and end all of student life. Social activities are not just a great opportunity to have a great time with new friends, but as you visit London's attractions it gives you a chance to apply what you've learnt in the classroom to the real world. I couldn’t remember how fascinating it was when I walked along the river Thames from Westminster Bridge, opposite the Houses of Parliament, past the London Eye, the Royal Festival Hall, past the National Theatre, the Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, the City Hall and up to Tower Bridge. Not only did I get to see stunning views of London but also I looked around some of the most famous landmarks in the world. Additionally, London’s fusion of culture and charm also gave me a student experience unlike any other, discovering some of the best museums and galleries in the world for free, trying food from across the globe, visiting a different pub or bar every time I went out, and taking advantage of 24/7 bus travelling home, watching free gigs from soon-to-be-famous bands, and sometimes encountering a celebrity or two.

Last but not least, studying in the UK made it much easier to travel across Continental Europe. Once I get Schengen visa, I will begin to make my traveling plan in Europe. The Christmas vacation and spring vacation were generally for Chinese students to travel in Europe. Inside the 25-country Schengen Area there are no internal border controls, though you still need your passport. Between Schengen and non-Schengen nations, there are passport checks as you approach the boundary. Railways run through all over Europe. And, even if Orient Express glamour is long gone (unless you can afford today’s swish replicas), this is still the most romantic way to travel: comfy, quick, scenery gliding by. Great choices for train trips include Italy (cheap), Switzerland (expensive but awesome), France (fast) and Germany (easy). In the first two years when I studied in UK I visited some countries in west Europe, so this year I decided to travel in east Europe. Starting from Germany, I went through Austria, Czech, Hungary, Switzerland and Slovakia. I would like to share my travelling experience in one of my favorite cities Budapest. The trick is that don’t try to cram every sight, each historical monument, museum into a 24-hour program, otherwise you’ll be exhausted by the end of it, and you won’t have fun at all. For a complete experience, I visited both parts of the city: the major sights in Buda, mainly the Castle (home to the Royal Palace, the Fishermen’s Bastion, and Matthias Church, as well as some great museums, restaurants and cafes), and the city center in Pest. I explored pedal along the Danube to admire river views, monuments and flower-filled Margaret Island. I explored Pest city center on foot; its boulevard architecture is fabulous. The huge Hungarian National Museum has particularly interesting exhibits on communist days.

To sum up, the last three years I spent in UK is the most meaningful and delightful times I have ever had. I met new friends, I got prominent degrees, I visited new resorts and most importantly I found my girlfriend whom I truly loved.