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Category Archives: School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering

My final days at City, University of London

Posted on October 15, 2018 by Ibukunoluwa Ogundipe
London, Postgraduate, School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering , , , , .

Hi, it’s been a while! I received a few messages on LinkedIn after my last article here, and I have to say I am really excited that some of you will be starting your postgraduate studies at City this year!

Unfortunately, this will be my last post on the blog as I have come to the end of my time studying at City. I thought about how best to wrap up, so I’d like to talk briefly about my final days here at the University and my tips for writing your dissertation.

It’s been an amazing year – a year of learning, socialising, hard work, giving back, self-awareness and so much more. Most of my final days have been spent in the Tait Building. What was I doing there? Writing my final thesis! Many postgraduate courses require you to submit a dissertation at the end of the year, which is worth four times your average course unit. See below my three major tips for when the time comes to write yours (make sure you have your pen and paper ready!)

1. Start on time!

Almost everyone knows this, but I can assure you only a few people practice it. I can’t stress this point enough because I made sure to start extremely early, but still ended up working until the last day proof-reading it. Obviously, your workload might be lighter than mine, but I was able to use the spare time I saved to triple-check my work.

2. Pick a topic you’re interested in!

Some people already know the topic they’d like to research from the moment they start their course. If that’s you, great! If not, don’t be weighed down by this. During your course year, look out for the modules you find really interesting and write down areas you’d like to potentially explore. I had no topic when I started out, but discovered my area of interest during the year, which was information visualisation.

3. Set personal deadlines!

The project team will release a timetable closer to the start of your dissertation. This contains the major deadlines set by the School. I’d advise you to take a step further by setting your own deadlines. Don’t set impossible targets, your goals must be SMART. What this does is to motivate you when the going gets tough. This is because you might get to the point where you’re just really tired of staring at your laptop. Your goals will keep you going at this point.

I hope these tips will come in handy. As for my plans after finishing my postgraduate course? Consulting! I’ll be starting a job in consulting soon, where I can apply all the amazing skills I’ve learnt at City.

Please comment below if you have any questions, and I wish you all the best!

Job searching as a postgraduate international student

Posted on August 6, 2018 by Ibukunoluwa Ogundipe
Postgraduate, School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering, Undergraduate , , , , , , , .

Today I’ve decided to discuss a topic that might be on the minds of most international students. After studying, what happens? Well, I’m here to tell you that whatever you aim for is totally possible. I’ll be outlining two major routes to making this happen.

Route 1: find an internship

Some programmes at City already offer the option of an internship integrated within the course – check out the City website to find out whether your particular course of interest offers this.

If you’re interested in obtaining an internship, I would advise you to start searching for your internship position at the beginning of the academic year. This gives you an advantage over other applicants. City also has resources available to help you find an internship, such as the Careers Service and the Professional Liaison Unit (for School of Mathematics, Computer Science & Engineering  students only).

Route 2: find a graduate job

If you decide not to take the internship route, the second option will be applying for full-time graduate roles. I must state here that the mistake most students make is not applying on time. When is on time? In my opinion this would be in September/October. Now remember this is just the start of the semester. To stand out, you’ll need to connect with City’s Careers Services (as mentioned above). They’re amazing when it comes to the events they organise, such as career fairs, networking sessions, a CV surgery and other free consultations. As a City student you will have access to all of this, so why waste it?

I would also advise practising psychometric and aptitude tests, especially if you’ve been out of school for awhile before undertaking your postgraduate degree. It’s a lot of practice but it’s worth it in the end.

I hope this is helpful, I’ll be talking about preparing for interviews and assessment centres in my next post. In the meantime, let me know about any questions you might have!

How to prepare for exams as a postgraduate student

Posted on July 2, 2018 by Ibukunoluwa Ogundipe
Postgraduate, School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering , , , , , .

Hi!

I’ve discovered how tough preparing for exams can be, the mere thought of it brings its own stress! Hold your fears, as I’ll be sharing with you some practical tips and methods that have seen me through. As it is my usual style, I’ll be breaking this down into different categories to drive the message succinctly.

A few weeks before the exam

It’s three weeks before your major examinations and you’ve seen your timetable. Anxiety sets in, as the timetable is a testament to the fact that this exam is really going to happen. The first thing I’m going to tell you is to BREATHE. You’ve been attending classes regularly and you still have enough time to get that “A”, so just stay calm.

Secondly, break down the topics into days, giving you a clear goal of what you want to achieve. I’d advise you to tackle the tough topics first, followed by the easier ones you easily understood during lectures, then the past questions last. When you’re trying out the past questions, be strict and sincere with yourself and don’t keep looking at the answers when you’re still attempting the questions. Also, put yourself under similar exam conditions that you’re going to face, especially when it comes to timing.

Thirdly, make use of mobile apps like Quizlet. Using the flashcard method, it helps you remember terms and definitions.

Lastly, I would advise you to have a reading buddy or even organise mock exams with colleagues on your course. There is an exception to this, as some people will prefer to study alone rather than with others.

The day before the exam

It’s the night before the exam and you’ve put a lot so far into this paper you’ll be writing tomorrow. Again, the first thing is to BREATHE. Yes, you’ll need to remain calm despite the uncertainty surrounding tomorrow’s exam, so make a list detailing the tasks you still need to accomplish and set realistic time restrictions. You have to give yourself a good night’s rest. Don’t even think of pulling an all-nighter, I’ve had a number of experiences of how this goes and none of them ended well.

On the day of the exam

Depending on the time of your paper, wake up early and leave early. Read just your summary notes on your way – no point reading through the lecture notes at this point unless necessary. You’ll need to look through the key points you’ve listed to be sure you’re not missing out on anything important.

After the exam

This section is almost as important as before the exam, as it mostly affects the state of your mind and how miserable or not you’ll be until you see your results. Don’t discuss with friends asking what they wrote and try comparing it to what you wrote in yours. If you choose to discuss, it shouldn’t be more than 30 minutes. There’s also a tendency to keep checking your notes to make sure you got every word right. Don’t do it as this could set you in an anxious mood.

Remember you still have other papers left and you need to give it your best, do yourself a favor and relax. You most likely would have made mistakes when preparing during your last paper (mostly due to habits), this is an opportunity to improve in those areas and give yourself another shot so don’t waste it. I wish you success!

Life in London from an international student’s view

Posted on May 21, 2018 by Ibukunoluwa Ogundipe
Postgraduate, School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering , , , .

Hello guys, it’s been a moment. In this article I’ll be talking about life in London. Is it as lively as people claim it is? Well, you’ll be the judge at the end of reading this article. Due to my analytical nature, I’ll break it down into three sections: shopping, religion and sightseeing/recreation.

Starting with shopping, don’t even get me started on the stores in London! Every single brand you could ever think of is represented on at least one London street. My favourite is Oxford Street! It consists of everything from high-end stores to small-scale souvenir shops. Popular brands tend to have more than one store in different locations on the same street. I was so astounded the first time I went there, I almost got lost! You should definitely check it out. However, take a map with you if it’s your first time visiting. There are also a number of markets in smaller communities such as Kilburn Market on Kilburn High Road, or Angel Market near Angel Station for your grocery shopping. When it comes to shopping, no worries because London has you covered. *inserts wink*

Talking about religion, I love how London welcomes all kinds of religions. For Christians, there are a number of conferences that come up during the year. There are also various churches you can visit depending on where you feel the most comfortable. I’d definitely recommend Jesus House or Hillsong Church. They have amazing people who are really welcoming!

On recreation/sightseeing, there are a thousand places to see: from Big Ben to the London Eye, the Shard to the Tate Modern, Buckingham Palace to Winter Wonderland (a must visit during Christmas). One of my favourites is Madame Tussauds! Some of these places mentioned will require a fee to gain access, such as the Shard or Madam Tussauds, but if you’re on a low budget and still interested in getting that eerie feeling from visiting a high-rise building, then you should visit Tate Modern which is near the Shard. You’ll love it.

There are also lots of museums and galleries to visit, most of which are free to enter (special exhibitions might cost you a fee). For example, the Museum of London is a short distance from City and is a good place to visit when you need some creative inspiration to finish that coursework.

Let me know in the comments below if you are looking forward to visiting any of these places!

My typical week as an international student at City

Posted on April 17, 2018 by Ibukunoluwa Ogundipe
Postgraduate, School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering , .

Hello there,

In this blog post I’ll be giving you an insight into what goes on in my life at City as an international student. Firstly I must say there is really no “typical day”, there’s a lot of autonomy as a master’s student so you have to plan how you want to structure your day.

As an MSc Business Systems Analysis and Design student, my lectures take place two or three days a week. I think my lecture days are my happiest days because I get to meet a lot of people at school, I see familiar faces and the lectures rooms are so well-designed you don’t even want to leave.

I serve as one of the programme representatives, which means getting feedback from my cohort on issues with lectures or the general school experience, which I then feedback to staff during committee and School meetings. It has also given me the platform to implement initiatives to improve student development with the help of the City Student’s Union.

When I’m not in lectures, planning this or that, or attending an informative event found on Eventbrite, you just might find me in the library. The 6th floor in particular is my favourite, with ‘Silence’ written in different languages on the pillars. I found that really amusing the first time I walked in. See for yourself!

City’s library 6th floor!

Thinking of how to support yourself financially? Say no more with Unitemps to the rescue! Unitemps is the student recruitment agency over here at City, once you’re registered with them you get to apply to the jobs posted (which happens regularly). I’ve worked various interesting student roles here and I get paid on time too. There are also a number of high-end retail shops nearby that can offer part-time roles. It’s an amazing opportunity to make new friends and interact more with the locals. Who knows? You just might get the British accent 🙂

On weekends, I go to church at Hillsong or Jesus House. It’s so amazing to find a place of worship you really feel comfortable with, especially when you’re in a new environment.

That wraps up the week for me. As always, if you have any other questions aside the points discussed above, please feel free to comment below.

My journey to City: Ibukun Ogundipe, MSc Business Systems Analysis and Design

Posted on March 22, 2018 by Ibukunoluwa Ogundipe
Postgraduate, School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering , , , , , , , .

The most frequent question I get asked by my friends back at home is “How is the master’s programme? Was it what you hoped it would be?” My answer is always the same: “Yes, it is everything and more!” In retrospect, I remember how daunting this new phase of my life looked exactly a year ago. You might be feeling that exact way right now, which is why I’m writing this article. Hopefully you’ll gain a lot of clarity after reading this.

I come from Nigeria, a country in Africa. Due to the previous internships I had been involved with, both pre- and post-graduation, I was certain I wanted to become a consultant. Consulting for me meant the opportunity to be challenged everyday due to the different projects I would be involved in, and a chance to make a real impact within a business. One year after I finished my undergraduate degree, I still hadn’t started a proper role at a consulting firm even though I had made it through the toughest of interviews. I decided to take a step back and conduct some research on the necessary skills a consultant needs to succeed, and discovered that even though I was building up my soft skills in a lot of the work I was involved in, I lacked the technical skills required. It was then I started my postgraduate study search.

There were some key factors I had on a checklist when considering my postgraduate degree. Firstly, I was very particular about the course content each university I considered had to offer. This was very important to me as it served as a pointer as to whether I was really going to learn what I hoped to. Secondly, I considered location as I wanted a place where, beside from my academics, I would be able to engage in other activities happening in the city. Thirdly, I considered the rankings of the university for the particular course I had chosen. Lastly, I contacted an alumnus from each university I was considering through LinkedIn, to find out first-hand about their experience.

After considering the above factors, I found City, University of London scored the most points for me. The module subjects that made up my course content were exactly what I needed compared to the other courses I had in mind. I went on to contact an alumna in my country and she told me about her positive experience at City, which also justified my decision. Not to mention the fact that City is located right in the centre of London. What more could I be looking for! 

Northampton Square. Photo taken during my first week at City.

On to the application process. I decided to apply directly to City. There are quite a number of agents that can help you with this process, but I wanted to be a part of the whole process from start to finish. So, I decided to do it myself, with Google always to my rescue! I think the most difficult part here was starting with the forms, especially because you’re trying to write the perfect words. I would advise anyone doing it themselves to start writing whatever comes to your mind, and once you’re done with the first draft to send it on to someone you trust for feedback.

As for the visa application, as soon as you have your acceptance letter from City you can start this process. It’s really important you start the process on time and ensure you read the requirements thoroughly on the UK government website, as there are some documents that will be required of you to provide. I was so scared of this particular part of the process, as some people I knew had applied through several agents and I was doing this all by myself for the first time. But hey! I’m here now aren’t I?

Basking in -3 degree weather!

It’s been an amazing seven months so far, it feels like I arrived yesterday. I have so much more to tell you about my experience at City and how I’ve been dealing with the never-ending winter, coming from a country with an average of 73-88 degrees. Stay tuned and kindly let me know in the comments if you have any further questions. You got this!

 

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