IMPERIAL COLLEGE TRIP

Last term, pupils visited Imperial College London for an exciting insight into the world of engineering and science, gaining a glimpse into both academic and hands-on learning.

Three students share their reflections on the experience, highlighting everything from the intriguing talks to the impressive technology they encountered!

PUPIL TRIP REPORTS

At Imperial College we were greeted by a series of presentations from mechanical engineering students, ranging from the chemistry of toothpaste to the way beams can be designed to be stronger, or the science behind sling-shotting satellites into space. The talks gave us the opportunity to ask questions about university applications, and dive into new and exciting fields of physics and chemistry.

After this, we were given a tour of both the mechanical engineering and aeronautical engineering buildings, learning about and getting the opportunity to look inside a wind tunnel, as well as seeing a flight simulator which used six pistons to simulate the motions of a real plane. Following a quick pit stop for lunch, we saw the workshops, as well as the metal 3D-printed engines the university rocketry society used.

Finally, we looked around the physics department, seeing the first and second year laboratories. Overall, the trip was a hugely enjoyable experience and gave insight into different areas of study available to us at university. It was a great opportunity to learn both about science, engineering, and possible futures too!

Daniel, Fourth Form

I enjoyed the student presentations a lot as they talked about interesting topics which were connected to our daily lives. I also enjoyed the tour around the department as I saw many cool bits of equipment, including a flight simulator and an air tunnel. I wish we could have tried the flight stimulator ourselves!

Ellie, Lower Sixth Form

We arrived at Imperial College and headed straight into the first activity: listening to presentations given by students studying Mechanical Engineering. The presentations were engaging, and we learnt the Physics behind interesting topics such as throwing rockets into space with large mechanical arms. After a morning of note-taking, we were toured around some of the outstanding facilities which included a wind tunnel and flight simulator.

We concluded the fun but also educational trip by learning a little about the rocket society, and were thoroughly impressed that students in the society had achieved the unofficial record of the highest rocket launched by students at an estimated 27km.

Liam, Fourth Form