Emilio
MSc Applied Mathematics
Because there’s so much support from everyone across Imperial, I felt confident and supported enough to start a new official student union campaign.
In his third year of his undergraduate course in Theoretical Physics with Maths, Emilio from Spain realised that his interest really lay in mathematics. Combined with the ambition to try out life in a bigger city, Emilio decided to apply to join the Department of Mathematics at Imperial. Emilio shares more about what his Master’s is like, his top tips for finding postgraduate accommodation in London and how he’s making the most of Imperial’s Enterprise Lab to turn his ideas into reality.
Why Imperial?
In my final undergraduate year at Lancaster University, I was given the choice to continue at the university. I already had friends and a community there, but I decided I wanted to move and try living and studying in a bigger city. London was the perfect choice as it had a great mix of amenities, career opportunities and good universities. I applied to two universities including Imperial and was accepted into both but decided to go with the university with higher student satisfaction – Imperial!
Doing a Master’s at Imperial
You’re given a lot of freedom to explore what interests you on a Master’s course at Imperial. Fundamentally, the modules are designed to allow you to be curious and to learn around subjects, helping you to build a comprehensive picture of what you could explore and learn more about. However, studying at Imperial made me realise that there’s always a limit to this – when starting on big projects, I’ve learned that I should always be realistic and have an end goal in mind.
Why Imperial?
In my final undergraduate year at Lancaster University, I was given the choice to continue at the university. I already had friends and a community there, but I decided I wanted to move and try living and studying in a bigger city. London was the perfect choice as it had a great mix of amenities, career opportunities and good universities. I applied to two universities including Imperial and was accepted into both but decided to go with the university with higher student satisfaction – Imperial!
Doing a Master’s at Imperial
You’re given a lot of freedom to explore what interests you on a Master’s course at Imperial. Fundamentally, the modules are designed to allow you to be curious and to learn around subjects, helping you to build a comprehensive picture of what you could explore and learn more about. However, studying at Imperial made me realise that there’s always a limit to this – when starting on big projects, I’ve learned that I should always be realistic and have an end goal in mind.
“On one of the windows in the Department of Mathematics Huxley Building, there’s a printed quote from Joseph Fourier that I think encapsulates mathematics: ‘Mathematics compares the most diverse phenomena and discovers the secret analogies that unite them’.”
The Imperial community
One of the first feelings I had during induction week at Imperial was that of belonging.
I had a strange feeling like I had already met everyone in some past life. My peers were approachable and super interesting to talk to – we often discuss philosophy, politics and maths over lunch together!
My lecturers are also easy to talk to and are always available during office hours to have a chat about topics covered in the course. Most importantly, I feel respected by my colleagues and other staff which has really helped me open up and share my ideas.
Innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities
I enjoy sharing my ideas further with the Enterprise Lab and other students from across disciplines who are interested in entrepreneurship like me. Having already created a start-up before I came to Imperial, I was looking for my next project which I knew the Enterprise Lab could support with. I even had the opportunity to became part of the Experts-in-Residence programme, allowing me to tap into a wealth of mentors and experts the Enterprise Lab provides – all for free!
Because there’s so much support from everyone across Imperial, I felt confident and supported enough to start a new official student union campaign called RE:GEN.
This campaign aims to protect, restore and expand existing green spaces around our campuses. The idea started after gardening with the university Chaplain, Andrew Wilson, and listening to the needs of the community. In collaboration with the Chaplaincy, RE:GEN raised over £50,000 in 2024 to build a new community garden on South Kensington Campus.
Since then, I’ve led a team of five student facilitators to build the space and organise a variety of sustainable events like photography competitions and hackathons.
I also joined the Imperial chaplaincy community through their regular gardening activities and they have been incredibly supportive during my journey at Imperial.
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Life in London
Living in London has been an incredible experience so far. The best part is that everyone wants to visit you in the city – I love hosting friends for a weekend and exploring new parts of London together. Having come from a quiet island in Spain, it’s great being able to take advantage of the many events, gigs and hackathons happening right on my doorstep.
The endless things to see, eat and do in London is also one of the best qualities of the city – you can just step out of the South Kensington Campus and walk down random streets and find an entire world of opportunities. There’s so many museums near campus where I can meet friends or clients and take breaks at throughout the day. Top tip: visit the Victoria and Albert Museum on a Friday evening as they’re open until 22.00 and it’s always quiet.
Postgraduate accommodation
I currently rent a two-floor apartment in the heart of Tooting Broadway with some housemates. Tooting is an amazing cultural area filled with food outlets, pubs and has a rich history. We live on top of a greengrocers which makes our food shopping experience much more enjoyable than going to the busy Waitrose on Gloucester Road!
The best way to find accommodation gems like this is to first go to different areas across London and find the places you like the vibe of. We explored Brixton, Hackney and Tooting and while there, stopped at several real estate agencies in the area and gave them our details. It’s also easier to find places with a move-in date of around October or November as it’s after the peak moving-in season.
Postgraduate accommodation in London
Find out more about your accommodation options and get support from our Student Accommodation Office.
The future is always a bit of a mystery to me. My hope is to stay at Imperial leading its green campus transition through a new green office body or the Students’ Union. Meanwhile, I’m pivoting my existing start-up, NEA TECH Studios, towards new markets outside consulting and exploring other opportunities.
I know that whatever happens in the future, I’ll find a way. It can sometimes be a bit like the Wild West in London, but if you’re sharp and driven you can find opportunities around every corner – you just have to go out and find them!
The future is always a bit of a mystery to me. My hope is to stay at Imperial leading its green campus transition through a new green office body or the Students’ Union. Meanwhile, I’m pivoting my existing start-up, NEA TECH Studios, towards new markets outside consulting and exploring other opportunities.
I know that whatever happens in the future, I’ll find a way. It can sometimes be a bit like the Wild West in London, but if you’re sharp and driven you can find opportunities around every corner – you just have to go out and find them!
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