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A place at my first-choice university: Imperial

04 Nov, 2020
A place at my first-choice university: Imperial

You Yichen (Kevin) took the A-level course at Kings Brighton and achieved outstanding grades of A*A*A*A. As a result, he was awarded a place to study Aeronautical Engineering at his first choice university — Imperial College London. We recently caught up with him to hear how his time at Kings Brighton most helped him get to his dream university, and how the transition has been so far.

Hi Kevin. Which university were you accepted to? Which undergraduate degree are you studying?

I accepted the offer from Imperial College London after I joined one of their open days. I am currently studying Aeronautics, an integrated Master's degree which lasts four years.

How is the semester going so far? Are you happy with your choice of university?

This is just the fourth week, so I am still trying to modify my path to a better learning style. I am satisfied with the circumstances and the competitive feeling makes me excited.

Are your classes face-to-face, or online?

"We have hybrid way of teaching. Some people may choose to have classes face-to-face while others can do it online. We can switch between different types easily."

Are you enjoying living in a new city?

Yes. London is a big city, which I am becoming familiar with, especially the public transport system. It is quite a new experience for me and it is lovely.

How have you found the transition from Kings to university?

It has been a very smooth transition. Kings provided me with a place to live — in a student house — over the summer as I didn’t go back home, which is really considerate!

How did you decide which university to apply to? What was the process?

I started to prepare my personal statement almost one year ahead of my application. It was hard to see which direction to commit to at the beginning, but I found it. Since I am a crazy petrol head who loves aircrafts, I thought engineering might be suitable for me and then I decided on aeronautics. Me and my personal tutor, Mr Alan Beer, discussed my choice, and my personal statement, a lot.

Did your time at Kings Brighton help you to prepare for university?

Absolutely.

"At Kings Brighton I finished my A-level course successfully and with (the help of) lovely teachers I managed to enrol in my dream university."

Did you feel supported by the teachers and other staff at Kings Brighton?

Teachers as well as other staff are all very supportive to students.

"The after-school sessions of some subjects are especially helpful, and teachers are friendly and welcome students to have questions on studying or living."

Overall, how was your experience at Kings Brighton?

It was a memorable experience and I would like to visit Brighton again sometime.

Do you have any idea yet of what you’d like to do after you graduate from university?

I am thinking of doing a PhD or an internship for a year. I haven’t made a decision yet but I believe I can find my goal gradually.

What advice would you give to someone considering the Kings A-level course, and aiming for Imperial College London?

"I would like to say time management is vital. How to balance the time for studying and living needs to be practiced. Also, I suggest preparing the application as early as possible and to attend some universities’ open day sessions (maybe virtual ones this year) to see how you feel about the place. If you are preparing to apply to Imperial College, I would like to wish you good luck!"