Bio
Preferred name: Flo
Details: 18 years old from London, UK
Imperial Course: MEng Mechanical Engineering
Optional Modules: Attributes and Aspirations
Clubs and Societies: Mech Eng Soc
Job: Part-time shift manager at his local Co-Op
Tags: Home, UG, full-time, FoE, Mech, FiF, commuter
Motivations and Frustrations
Motivations
He has chosen Engineering because he has always been interested in the building work his dad does and wants to do well so he can support his family. Flo is the oldest of three siblings and his family and local community are very important to him. He lives at home and regularly plays Warhammer with his local group. Flo’s primary motivation is to move into a stable career so he can support his family. His friends and family are proud that he is studying at university.
Frustrations
He grew up in East London and he still lives at home and commutes to campus every day. He is the first person in his family to go to university and while his family are supportive, they do not fully understand what it means to be an Imperial student. Making time for his studies as he has to work to pay for books and equipment is challenging and he often feels like he is missing out on the social side of university. He also sometimes feels very different from other students on his course and that he does not belong at Imperial.
Flo's Stories
"I grew up in East London and was one of only a few kids from my school to get into uni. I was really excited to study Mech Eng and meet new people but when I started, I was really overwhelmed by just how much other students already seemed to know. I really struggled to keep up and ended up spending loads of time in the library and not out making friends. I go to Mech Eng society events to try and socialize but I feel really out of place so I don’t say much.
I know I need to get more involved to help me feel more at home, but I also have to work. Especially if I want to socialise. I don’t feel like I have the right balance and it is really overwhelming, which just makes me feel even more isolated."
Options
If you relate to any of Flo’s story then here are some options that might help you.
- The library runs “Go Study” spaces which are more open than the actual library. They have kitchens and collaboration spaces. This might be a good place to meet other people who are studying while still getting work done.
- Imperial has a number of options for financial support for students.
- Most departments have well-being advisors that can help you manage stress and anxiety.
- The Success Guide has a range of resources to help you and links to other college services.
- Attributes and Aspirations has a lot of content for students who want to build their confidence in Networking, Communication, and Study Skills.
Flo has problems managing his group work and his work commitments. Click on the links below to see how different behaviours from him and his team mates can affect the outcome for all of them.
Flo uses Attributes and Aspirations for Undergraduate the sections in bold refer to the units he takes.
In COM2 for UG - Communicating in Person Flo is attending his first meeting of the Mech Eng society. He is nervous about meeting new people so she uses this unit to prepares some questions he might ask. Flo decides to reflect on previous experiences and in AA3 for UG – Reflection he looks back on when he attended the Imperial Open day to help him prepare for this meeting. He also reflects on his time in the school debate team in SD3 – Adapting to New Situations and uses those experiences to help with presentations he needs to do as part of his course.
AA4 for UG – Time Management looks at how to set up physical and digital environments that are conducive to productivity. Flo uses timetables to make sure he can manage his studies and his work commitments and still have time to relax. And to keep himself on track he uses ‘Forest’ to stay focussed. Every time he needs to concentrate on a task, he plants a tree in the app. If he stops midway through - the tree dies. The Imperial Success Guide has other similar apps to help with focus and concentration.
Flo is doing group work as part of his course and WWO1 for UG – Working in a Team helps to explore group dynamics and how different skills and personality traits make a difference. Flo completes an online test to find out what his idea role is within a group, then reflects on that when selecting group roles. He sometimes finds group work difficult because of his work commitments, especially in the run up to Christmas. In EE3 for UG – Goal Setting he explores setting SMART goals for himself to make sure he gets everything done and in WWO2 for UG – Being Assertive Flo learns about the different types of assertiveness and how they can help him deal with a challenging group work situation.