Former Head Boarder returns to talk to Sixth Form students

Earlier this week our former head boarder, Jesslyn F., returned to the school to talk to Year 12 and Year 13 STEMM students about her time at Imperial College London studying Chemical Engineering.

Jesslyn talked about the differences between Sixth Form and university work and how she has developed her time management and independent study skills at university, along with the demanding research project on the carbon capture pilot plant which she has undertaken as part of undergraduate degree, and the summer she spent doing (paid for!) work in the context of the undergraduate research opportunities programme.

The Sixth Form appreciated the opportunity of talking to someone who had left the school relatively recently and who could compare university life to Sixth Form life and expectations. Jesslyn's main advice was to ensure you really are studying the right degree - that it's essential it's something you're so interested in - as she so clearly is. She also strongly encouraged students to attend Open Days so that they know what they are letting themselves in for.

Jesslyn says how she has continued her love of music and has managed to fit in singing in Imperial’s chamber choir and a multi-university London a cappella group by dint of being extremely well organised. 

We were interested to hear that although her engineering course at Imperial is approximately 70% male, she has found that St Mary's has given her a great foundation to be confident and independent; she has no trouble making her voice heard, despite not having previously studied in a mixed environment.

In August, Jesslyn will be embarking on a year abroad at the National University of Singapore, before returning to Imperial to complete her four-year Masters degree.

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