MScHandbook Imperial Chemical Engg

8/22/2019 MScHandbook Imperial Chemical Engg

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DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

STUDENT HANDBOOK

MSc in Advanced Chemical Engineering

MSc in Advanced Chemical Engineering withBiotechnology

MSc in Advanced Chemical Engineering with Process

Systems Engineering

MSc in Advanced Chemical Engineering withStructured Product Engineering

October 2012


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CONTENTS

I Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 4I.1 The Department of Chemical Engineering .................................................................. 4I.2 The MScs in Advanced Chemical engineering ........................................................... 4I.3 Welfare............................................................................................................................. 5I.4 Research in the Department ......................................................................................... 7I.5 Careers Information and Guidance .............................................................................. 8I.6 The Graduate School ..................................................................................................... 9

II Health and Safety ................................................................................................................... 10II.1 Health Centre and Student Counsellors .................................................................... 10II.2 Disabilities .................................................................................................................... 10II.3 Safety Requirements ................................................................................................... 10II.4 Revision and Exam Stress .......................................................................................... 11

III General Information ......................................................................................................... 21III.1 Term Dates, College Closures and Bank Holidays .................................................. 21III.2 History of Imperial College ......................................................................................... 22

IV College Administration .................................................................................................... 23IV.1 Student Hub .................................................................................................................. 23IV.2

The Registry .................................................................................................................. 23

IV.3 Tuition Fees .................................................................................................................. 23IV.4 Accommodation ........................................................................................................... 23IV.5 The Imperial College and Science Museum Libraries .............................................. 24

V Additional Information & Services ....................................................................................... 24V.1 Where to find snacks or meals ................................................................................... 24V.2 Shops and Banking facilities ...................................................................................... 24V.3 Ethos - Sports Centre .................................................................................................. 24V.4 English Language, Foreign Language and Evening Classes ................................. 25V.5 Clubs and Imperial College Students' Union ............................................................ 25V.6 Arts Imperial ................................................................................................................. 25V.7 Early Years Education Centre ..................................................................................... 26

VI Finding Your Way Around The Department .................................................................. 27VI.1 Useful Names and How to Contact Them .................................................................. 27VI.2 How to Find Your Way Around the Department ....................................................... 27VI.3 Chemical Engineering Society ................................................................................... 28VI.4 Chemical Engineering Teaching Staff And Where To Find Them .......................... 29

VII Departmental Facilities .................................................................................................... 30VII.1 College Departmental Finance ................................................................................... 30VII.2 Incoming Mail ............................................................................................................... 31VII.3 Notice-Boards ............................................................................................................... 31VII.4 Computing .................................................................................................................... 32VII.5 Departmental Workshops and Technical Services .................................................. 33VII.6 Refreshments ............................................................................................................... 33VII.7 Stores ............................................................................................................................ 33

VIII The Course ........................................................................................................................ 35VIII.1 Choice of Research Project and Course Modules ................................................... 35VIII.2 The Course: Important Dates ...................................................................................... 37VIII.3 Professional Skills Development ............................................................................... 38VIII.4 Course Objectives for Available Modules ................................................................. 41VIII.5 MSc Thesis Preparation and Submission ................................................................. 70

IX Obtaining The Degree ...................................................................................................... 75X Assessment Procedures ....................................................................................................... 79

X.1 Rules for Submission of Coursework/any Work for Assessment: ......................... 79X.2 Examination Rules ....................................................................................................... 79

XI Regulations for students ................................................................................................. 83XII Map of the Department .................................................................................................... 85


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I INTRODUCTION

I.1 The Department of Chemical Engineering

It is my particular pleasure to welcome you to the Department of Chemical Engineering atImperial College, the highest rated chemical engineering department for research - and one

of the highest rated for teaching - in the country. The MSc course you are about to embarkupon combines an exciting array of advanced courses in chemical and process engineeringwith a unique opportunity to be involved in state-of-the-art research. The departmental staffare committed to helping you learn and develop new skills during your stay here. I encourageyou to make the most of your time as an MSc student by interacting with the staff in thedepartment, other MSc students and also with the PhD students and postdoctoral assistantsin your research group.

Professor Andrew Livingston

Head of Department

I.2 The MScs in Advanced Chemical engineering

The Master of Science Courses in Advanced Chemical Engineering are designed so thatevery student taking it will:

Acquire a knowledge and command of the fundamental concepts in their chosen areaof work (advanced chemical engineering, biotechnology, process systemsengineering, structured product engineering).

Develop an awareness and understanding of important research issues and theirindustrial context.

Familiarise themselves with state-of-the-art techniques and software.

Develop their ability to study a body of literature critically and to conduct a researchproject leading to new results in the field.

Develop communication skills through oral presentations and the production of adissertation.

Enhance their time-management skills through completion of the courses, associatedcoursework and research project.

The course instructors, as active researchers and practitioners in the Department of

Chemical Engineering, provide an up-to-date view of relevant issues in the field. The workingenvironment offers numerous opportunities for students to enhance their learning throughexchanges with Ph.D. students, postdoctoral research assistants, industrial collaborators,and attendance at seminars. The MSc course provides a solid grounding for studies at thePh.D. level, and for challenging work in a number of industries.

Professor Kang LiMSc course coordinator


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I.3 Welfare

While studying Chemical Engineering at Imperial College we hope you have a healthy,enjoyable time in the best possible learning environment. To help you throughout the coursethere are several members of staff, Academic Tutors, who will teach you and whom you willget to know well. On the diagram at the back of this page is shown the names of somemembers of staff who have roles in addition to being your Academic Tutors.

Your Project Supervisorwill meet with you regularly and you should not hesitate to raiseany concerns with them.

The Course Coordinatormanages the teaching and assessment of students and staff andliaises with the students.

During the Course, I, in my role as the Postgraduate Tutor, will always be happy to discussand give advice on any issues relating to your welfare, especially during stressful times suchas examinations or when you are preparing your dissertation for submission.

The two Year Representatives (to be elected) and the Course Coordinator meet regularly todiscuss matters relating to the Course. The Year Representative will convey your views tous. Any identified needs for action are implemented by the Year Reps with any of theteachers concerned or, if more appropriate, by the Course Coordinator. The YearRepresentative will also attend meetings of the Staff-Student Committee, which bringstogether representatives from all student years in the Department and selected staffmembers, and the Postgraduate Student-Staff Committee which represent all of thePostgraduate students.

Apart from this there is also a general support system available to all students, the ICWelfare Services, which include the Health Centre, the College Counsellor and theWardens of the Halls of Residence. Seehttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/students/welfareandadvice.

On page 11 of this Handbook there is a copy of the article Revision and Exam Stress:Self-Help Tips, written by Claudio Calvi from the Imperial Health Centre. It also givesinformation about Exam Stress Workshops. This information may be useful for you to readat some stage!I hope you enjoy your year and also learn a lot.

Professor Paul LuckhamPostgraduate Tutor
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/students/welfareandadvicehttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/students/welfareandadvice


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I.4 Research in the Department

Chemical Engineering at Imperial College is the largest such Department in a UK university.It is also the only one to have been awarded a top rating in each of the last 3 ResearchAssessment Exercises, which assess the quality of research in UK universities. Our excellentrecord in research is one we value highly, and we work hard to maintain and improve it. Weattribute our success to the wide range of skills and expertise of our academic staff and thestrategies we use to deploy these in understanding and solving fundamental problems

related to industrial processes, defined in the widest possible sense. Our interests rangefrom the microscopic - e.g. molecular organisation and interactions for product design - to themegascale - e.g. design and optimisation of global product distribution networks. We haveexpertise in mathematical analysis and modelling as well as in experimental investigation; inboth areas we deploy, and indeed often develop ourselves, the most up-to-date methods.

We work with the Chemicals, Oil and Gas, Pharmaceuticals and Processing Industries in avariety of collaborations and interactions. Much of our research is collaborative - within theDepartment, with other Departments at Imperial College, with other Universities, both in theUK and worldwide. Our research addresses many of the worlds most urgent andchallenging problems, such as cleaner and more efficient energy, moving from fossil fuels to

renewable biomass feedstocks, water treatment and recycling, personalised healthcare.

The Departments researchers (academic staff, postdoctoral research associates, doctoraland masters level students) are organised into seven highly-interacting research themes andeleven research focus areas which encompass all our research activities:Biological Engineering, Energy Engineering, Fluids Engineering, Polymers andComplex Materials, Process Systems Engineering, Reaction Engineering, SeparationEngineering.

Many staff are members of more than one area, and much collaborative work is undertakenbetween the areas e.g. modelling expertise from Process Systems Engineering withexperimental work in Biological Engineering. We believe that the variety of our world-class

research activities and the strong interactions between them provide a stimulating andsupportive environment for both students and staff.

Prof. Stratos PistikopoulosDirector of Research


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I.5 Careers Information and Guidance

The Department encourages you to take early advantage of the careers education,information and guidance available from:

The Departmental Careers Advice Programme

The College Careers Advisory Service (Level 5 Sherfield Building):

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/, with which you can book: careers appointments, quickquery sessions, employer-led skills workshops, mock interviews (with a Careers Adviser),mock interview sessions (with a graduate employer), practice aptitude test sessions,personality questionnaires.

For specific advice suited for MSc students, also look at:

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/careers/pg/taught

Departmental Career Adviser: Dr. Andreas Kogelbauer, ACEX 206, Tel 020 7594 5572,[email protected]

The lift lobby on Level 3 of the ACE Extension printed careers information on displayshelves and poster boards.

Subscribe to "JobsLive" for job vacancies, via the College Careers Advisory Servicewebpage:

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/careers/resources/jobslive

Your research project supervisor.

I hope these resources and advice enable you to capitalise further on your course of study tothe benefit of your future career.

Dr. Andreas Kogelbauer

Departmental Careers Adviser
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/careers/pg/taughthttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/careers/resources/jobslivehttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/careers/resources/jobslivehttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/careers/pg/taughthttp://www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/


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I.6 The Graduate School

As members of the Department of Chemical Engineering, students are automatically mademembers of the Graduate School. Membership means students become part of a widercommunity, broadening and enriching their academic and social experience whilst atImperial.

The Graduate Schools principal role is to enhance the quality of postgraduate education in

the College, but another major part of their role is to provide professional skills developmenttraining for research students. MSc students are welcome to attend relevant courses.Further information can be found online at www.imperial.ac.uk/graduateschool. You will alsoreceive a weekly email bulletin especially for Masters students with all the latest courses andevents.

For more information please visit the Graduate School website:http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/graduateschool

Professional Skills Development Programme

Although the programme is primarily designed for research students, a number of master-classes are applicable to Masters students, and there are some master-classesspecifically designed for you. The Graduate School does not require Masters students toattend our training, but your Department may ask you to attend some of the workshops aspart of your programme.

New courses are added to the programme regularly but popular topics include:

Interpersonal Skills for Masters Students

Negotiation Skills for Masters Students

Information Retrieval

Technical Writing Two Hour Workshop

Tackling a Literature Review

Myers Briggs

Networking

Creativity & Ideas Generation

Stress Management

Interview Practice with Video Playback

Events for 2012-13

The Graduate School organises a number of social events throughout the year. These

include a welcome event for all new students, distinguished guest lectures and a researchsymposium.These events are intended to promote intellectual discussion and exchange of ideas acrossdisciplines. A regular electronic newsletter cascaded via Departments keeps membersinformed of events and activities.

Postgraduate Study Opportunities Open Day

The Graduate School also organises the Postgraduate Study Opportunities Open Day. Thisevent will take place on Wednesday 5th December 2012 from 12.30pm to 4pm in the GreatHall, South Kensington campus. It is an excellent opportunity for Masters students to find outabout the research opportunities available within Imperial as well as receive information and

advice on the application procedure, fees and funding opportunities.
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/graduateschoolhttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/graduateschool


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II HEALTH AND SAFETY

II.1 Health Centre and Student Counsellors

We hope that you will keep well during your time in the Department but if you do have anyhealth problems contact the College Health Centre, which is housed at 40 Princes Gardens.It is an NHS practice and students and staff may register as patients if they live within its

registration area. For an appointment to see a specific doctor, you should ring the HealthCentre Receptionist on extension 49375/6. A variety of services is available through theCentre. Further information can be found on the Health Centre web pages:http://www.imperialcollegehealthcentre.co.uk/

Student counsellors are also available for all students. The student counsellors can be foundon Level 4, Sherfield Building ([email protected])or by calling extension 49637http://www.imperial.ac.uk/counselling/

If you are away from College due to illness do not forget to tell your projectsupervisor, the Postgraduate Tutor, Paul Luckham, or the MSc Course Coordinator.

You should also obtain a medical certificate, a copy of which should be sent to theMSc Administrator.

II.2 Disabilities

If you have a disability, however temporary, which may affect your performance, please letyour supervisor and the Postgraduate Tutor, Paul Luckham, know as soon as possible.There are two College Disabilities Advisors, Mary Bown and Cheryl Duncan, who areavailable from 09.30-16.30, Monday to Friday, in Room 567b, Sherfield Building, and also aDepartmental Disabilities Liaison Officer, Nicola Guirguis, who will be happy to talk to you

and offer help and advice. You are advised to email in the first instance [email protected]. If you think you need help with your life as a student look on theDisabilitiesAdvisory Service web site http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/disabilityadvisoryservice

II.3 Safety Requirements

As a student at Imperial College you have the responsibility to ensure that you takereasonable care of your own and others health and safety. This means that you must adoptsafe working practices and make proper use of any facilities provided. You must also complywith College Health and Safety Policies, and co-operate with College staff holding safety

responsibilities.

In Chemical Engineering we try to ensure that all our staff and students work safely which isnot only better for ones health but also is cost -effective - having accidents costs money inlost manpower and lost resources. Do not cut corners, always use the correct equipment forthe job,

Make sure you know what the hazards are and, if in doubt, seek advice.

Detailed safety information can be found in the safety handbook, which you will be givenshortly after arrival. You must read this carefully. You will also need to attend a number ofsafety inductions before you will be allowed to work. Safety information and a range of safetyforms can be found on the departmental health and safety pages:http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/chemicalengineering/aboutcect/healthandsafetyinformation
http://www.imperialcollegehealthcentre.co.uk/mailto:[email protected]://www.imperial.ac.uk/counselling/mailto:[email protected]://www3.imperial.ac.uk/disabilityadvisoryservicehttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/chemicalengineering/aboutcect/healthandsafetyinformationhttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/chemicalengineering/aboutcect/healthandsafetyinformationhttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/chemicalengineering/aboutcect/healthandsafetyinformationhttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/disabilityadvisoryservicemailto:[email protected]://www.imperial.ac.uk/counselling/mailto:[email protected]://www.imperialcollegehealthcentre.co.uk/


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The Safety Department is in charge of health and safety management systems throughoutthe College and produces policies, procedures and guidance notes which should enableeveryone to meet or even exceed safety requirements. Their website is:http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/safety.

The Occupational Health Service is located on Level 4 of the Sherfield Building and providesservices to protect health at work, assess and advise on fitness for work and to ensure thathealth issues are effectively managed. See their website for more information:

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/occhealth.

II.4 Revision and Exam Stress

Imperial College Health Centre, Claudio Calvi (2003)

Motivation & Revision Study & Exam Skills Anxiety & Panic

approach-avoidance organizing study self-management

stereotypes & phases learning strategies "stop the wasp"

self-monitoring emotional preparation relaxation & meditation

self-talk exam skills mental rehearsal

Motivation & Revision

Self-Monitoring

When anticipating an important but stressful event we are bound to have feelings ofambivalence - an "approach avoidance dilemma". With revision and exams, the "approach"side is driven by expectations of reward -eg. a concrete achievement; "avoidance" is mainlydue to anxiety and negativity. Instead of allowing unhelpful thoughts and feelings to fester

inside you, become more aware of what exactly is holding you back and filling you withpessimism or dread.

So put your concerns about revision and exams into words. Jot them down on a piece ofpaper as they arise, in any order, as one would in a brainstorming exercise. Naming theseinner "devils" and externalizing them gives us some psychological space and vantage pointfrom which to understand and confront them. If you find it difficult to generate enough items,keep a journal in which to record thoughts and feelings associated with studying and exams.This can help identify the fears, excuses, competing needs and habits diverting you from thework. Some of these items may reveal your hidden feelings or belief-system about exams orabout yourself, generally,

Perhaps this information fits into the stereotypes of procrastinators:

1. The Self-Indulgent student denial of responsibility / or overconfident not lazy, but has low frustration tolerance escapist tendencies requires stimulus to raise anxiety (eg approaching deadline)

2. The Tense & Fearful student denial of potency - de-skilling self unnecessarily self-critical, low self-esteem

overwhelmed by the importance of the exam, pressure to succeed needs to develop anxiety-reducing and esteem-enhancing strategies
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3. The Perfectionist student denial of vulnerability, wanting total control critical of the "system", passive-aggressive sets impossible goals, so never feels "good enough" or "safe enough" obsessive, workaholic tendencies; or procrastination needs to develop more realistic appraisals of self and demands of task

Some students habitually get stuck in one of these patterns. However, it may, be more

helpful to consider them as phases we can all go through.

Dealing With Procrastination & Negativity

The Self-Indulgent Phase

Procrastination can be difficult to overcome because we can so easily delude and sabotageourselves -busily doing everything but a priority; making excuses; finding other diversions.Avoidance can also become a self-reinforcing habit. It may be that nothing but theapproaching exam deadline will raise anxiety sufficiently to kick start revision, albeit at thelast possible moment.

If starting the revision keeps getting delayed, try a paradoxical approach:

Timetable your fixed hours (lectures/coursework, travel, eating & sleeping) and yourrecreation time

Make the recreation compulsory, NOT the revision work

Focus only on starting to work, not on putting hours in each day.

If you start a piece of revision work, only concentrate on it for 30 minutes. Thenrecord this achievement on your schedule and give yourself a reward.

Start as many 30-minute periods as you can. The aim is get into the habit of"frequently starting" to revise.

Only after some success with this approach should you gradually extend the study

periods

At first the "work" can legitimately involve all the necessary preparatory activity for revision.

Sort out your notes, obtain necessary photocopies, past exam papers, details ofexam requirements and dates.

Then determine in overall terms what topics you will want to cover and roughly bywhen and display such information on wall charts. Deliberately make this a roughguide only - resist the temptation to produce the mother of all charts.

Chose one topic you find moderately challenging but not threatening; break it downinto manageable chunks, and make a start with that

Find out which environment results in more productive study - your room, the library,studying with a friend?

The Tense & Fearful Phase

Here revision is delayed or undermined by self-doubts and self-putdowns. The more weentertain such negative thoughts, the more de-skilled we feel. We need to find ways ofchallenging and contradicting them. However, rational considerations by themselves usuallyget emotionally deflected or also discounted. Partly this is because our hidden belief systemis prone to certain automatic thinking distortions, such as:

Exaggeration - magnifying negatives, ignoring positives.

Overgeneralization - e.g. expecting everything to be bad, always, because of one negativeexperience.


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Catastrophizing - anticipating disaster even from a minor setback, real or imagined.

Polarization - black or white, all or nothing mentality.

Emotional Reasoning - confusing thinking with feeling (eg. you feel an idiot, so you must beone).

It is important therefore to spend some time developing constructive self-talk which alsotakes such distortions into account. For example with polarizations, try incorporating subtlergradations (e.g. a partial, rather than an absolute failure). Start doing this for items on yourlist. Think for instance what you might say that is empowering, but also realistic, to a friendbogged down by similar inner messages (then stop giving yourself a harder time). It may takesome trial and error experimentation, initially with just a few items, to find or refine theappropriate counter-messages that work for you. These may be words, phrases or longerarguments or pep talks.

Address particularly the following:

"Catastrophizing" the future - If there is some reality to your fears, eg. that it is veryunlikely for you to obtain the required grade ("plan A") think of ways of accepting theinevitable. It helps if you can formulate a "plan W which though not ideal is stillfeasible and worth working towards. In the context of your whole life this is only apassing phase and there's still plenty to play for. Your personal worth and futurehappiness are not conditional on the outcome of this exam. Even the worst scenarioyou're imagining will probably be nothing like as catastrophic as you think. Even if youknow that your fears are unwarranted, it still helps having a "plan B". Best of all, focuson the present moment and its priorities and possibilities.

Magnitude of task - difficult as it may be, the task will certainly be "exaggerated" byyour negativity. You know from past experience that once you get going, organizing

the topics to revise and devising a realistic study programme, you usually manage toget things into perspective; and by doing something about it you'll feel more in control.It is always a good idea to break up a large area of work into smaller chunks, andfocusing your energy on priorities within these.

Self-discounting - reminding yourself of how you did manage some things well in thepast may be difficult if you keep discounting all your achievements -eg. "that was justa fluke"; or "so-and-so did much better". Persevere with self-talk that helps youre-own your potency and skills -accept complements for a change; give yourself creditwhenever possible - eg rewarding yourself for reaching minor targets helps contradicta general pattern of feeling undeserving of success.

Look out for the way situations or perceptions also get distorted: eg You wake up inthe morning, knowing you've got a lot to do. You tell yourself "it'll be just awful, I'llnever get it done" etc. Try changing that to "looks like a busy day, could be aproductive one. I'll get a load of things out of the way". Accent the positive side,whenever you can, to counteract the tendency to discount it.

Anxiety - is usually amplified by imagining oneself floundering, in conjunction withnegative self-talk. Practise Stop the Wasp and Mental Rehearsal techniques(described below) as an antidote

The Perfectionist Phase

Most of us want to do things well and can be perfectionists at times. The problem ariseswhen this attitude becomes inflexible and counterproductive. Perfectionist expectations may


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delay the start of revision because the task will seem too daunting- you want to covereverything and be in total control. Sometimes only the approaching deadline frees yousufficiently to consider a more pragmatic approach, giving you permission to expect less ofyourself.

When you start revising early you become a workaholic and get bogged down accumulatingunnecessary information and producing and rewriting "perfect" notes. These unrealisticappraisals of yourself and the revision task are driven by almost fanatical internal imperatives

which, most likely, affect other areas of your life as well.

Self-monitoring can help you regain a more objective outlook. Devise self-talk that challengesthe inherent flaws in perfectionist logic, typically dominated by "polarization" and "emotionalreasoning" distortions. Be very suspicious of internal "shoulds", "musts" and "oughts" whichmake you think the way you feel. Imagine yourself as capable of making choices, rather thanhaving to give in to obsessions. Break down the task into more manageable stages. Forinstance, cover essentials first; add refinements or further details later, if there is time. Giveyourself permission to make mistakes - aim for "good-enough" efforts, to counter "all ornothing" tendencies. In other words, learn to be more selective in your work and less harshon yourself generally.

Study & Exam StrategiesOrganising Study

The first task in organising yourself is to sort out topics for revision, as it Is usually unrealisticto cover everything Your selection of topics needs to be based on the syllabus andexamination requirements; on predictions derived from past papers; and on guidelinessuggested by tutors or indicated by course work covered.

Then devise a routine of study periods which is realistic and productive, with suitable restintervals and proper attention to diet, sleep and recreation (especially if you're a workaholic!).Breakdown targets into manageable units. Ticking off completed units creates a sense of

forward movement. A checklist for the day's targets, provided these are achievable goals,can similarly boost morale.

Make these plans and checklists rough guides only, as time spent studying cannot be equallyproductive. Deal with less demanding tasks in periods of the day when you are less alert andfocused. If you find yourself struggling unproductively with a problem - take a break; switch tosome other work; or discuss the problem with friends and tutors (if possible).

Learning Strategies

You may improve your learning effectiveness by reading about study skills. Select and adaptsuggestions to suit your own learning style and circumstances. Major alterations to your

approach, especially nearer the exams, are unlikely to be productive. However, the followingpoints are worth considering:

the more you actively interact with the subject matter, making it your own, and linkingit to previous knowledge, the more meaningful and memorable it becomes.

a useful general strategy is the PQRST- i.e. first skim through the material,particularly the contents, charts, headings, summaries and parts of the text to obtaina Preview; formulate Questions (from titles, headings or sentences) that highlightwhat you aim to derive from the text, to guide your reading; Read actively, byselecting material and making appropriate notes of key steps or ideas; Summarizethe main points using paraphrases, lists, key words, patterns and flow diagrams,connecting them with knowledge from other sources; Test yourself by reciting andreviewing the summaries immediately after learning the material, then at later


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intervals. Adapt this approach accordingly when learning key examples in problemsheets involving calculations and procedures.

keywords, patterns and flow diagrams linking ideas are useful not only for makingmaster summaries for revision purposes, but also for jotting down ideas and planninganswers during the examination (see Buzan's "Use Your Head").

index-sized cue cards, easy to carry around for frequent revision (eg when travelling),

are useful for recording information that you find particularly hard to remember. Onthem can be displayed facts, figures, formulae - using colours, keywords, mnemonicsand other memory aids. Sometimes displaying such information on wall charts aroundthe room can also help.

for more efficient study, "spaced" learning is generally preferable to "massed"learning, as it has more time to sink in; revise related topics together; and takeregular short breaks after 2-3 hour blocks, at suitable "achievement" points.

practise answering past exam questions on a topic (even if only in skeletal form) andmake up some of your own that bring together typical "angles" or expose features that

have not yet appeared in past papers. It is invaluable at this stage to compare noteswith other students and to obtain feedback or clarification from tutors.

Try at least one question under exam conditions - but only after having learned thetopic or previously attempted the question. The aim, as in mock exams, is primarily tohelp reduce stress and pacing problems later, not to undermine confidence.

Exam Strategies

Practical preparations - check the time and venue of the exam and work out how to getthere in good time; have the necessary equipment ready (watch, pens etc).

Emotional preparations - mentally rehearse how you will tackle the exam as a whole, andhow you will deal with anxiety, following suggestions described below. Consider what mightadditionally help - eg staying away from crowds gathering outside the exam hall, until the lastmoment; arranging to have a friend distract you with mundane talk or accompany you on thejourney. If it helps sitting at a desk in a particular position in the hall (eg front or back), makearrangements with College authorities well in advance of the exam.

Memory considerations - the night or morning before the exam review your revision notesand cue-cards systematically, rather than attempt to learn complex new material. Ifappropriate, capitalize on short-term memory by glancing at your "difficult" cue cards, justbefore entering the exam hall, and reproducing them, when you're allowed to start (beforereading the questions - to safeguard the memory trace).

Exam skills:

Read the exam paper carefully, underlining key words and instructions. Don't panic.Many students will feel unable to answer any of the questions at this stage, due to thesurge of anxiety.

Note how many questions you are required to answer; if any are compulsory or needto come out of specific sections - the format may have changed since last year.

Tick the questions you intend to answer. Make a rough timetable, allocating equaltime to equally-weighted questions, allowing perhaps about 15 minutes "planning"and 10 minutes "finishing off" times, overall, for a typical 3-hour paper.

Answer questions in the order: easiest, favourite, and difficult, to avoid getting

demoralized. Attempt all the questions required, as usually the first 50% of marks forany question are easier to obtain than the next 50%.


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Analyse carefully the precise wording of questions you intend to answer - it is easyotherwise to end up answering a question that was not asked.

Don't rely on your memory more than you have to - jot down key ideas that emergeabout any of the questions, and use them when "planning" an answer. This mightshow the examiner what you had in mind, if you run out of time.

The last 5-10 minutes are, ideally, for putting finishing touches - crossing outunwanted script; ensuring that questions are clearly numbered; and that all answerbooks display your identification number.

If you get a mental block

Give yourself about four minutes to remember or puzzle out the answer.Failing that, move on to the next question. If in the meantime ideas for dealingwith the problem question emerge, jot them down before you forget them.

With mathematical questions, it pays to stick with the problem a bit longer, sayten minutes. Sometimes it helps to think back to first principles; or to representthe problem diagrammatically or more concretely; or even to think laterally,about related issues.

Remember to adjust your timetable accordingly, and to still attempt all therequired questions.

After the exam -don't indulge in post-mortems and comparisons with others. Reviewwhat went well in your overall approach, before and during the exam including theway you handled anxiety. Aim to improve upon that in the next exam.

The Imperial College Health Centre offers Exam Stress workshops. Dates for this year are asfollows;

2012: 2013:November 6th and 27th January 15th and 29thDecember 4th February 19th

May 14th

The sessions run from 5.30pm 7.30pm at Imperial College Health Centre. For moreinformation, please visit;http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/students/welfareandadvice/thehealthcentre

Anxiety & PanicSelf-Management

During revision and exams, anxiety is a common student problem. Up to a point anxiety canhelp us engage and stay focused on the task. But when overanxious avoidance tendenciesintensify and we procrastinate. In an exam, over-anxiety makes our thinking more rigid andconfused, so we don't do ourselves justice.

The way to handle this anxiety and stress is through more empowering self-management:

cognitively - by facing your fears with more constructive self-talk

behaviourally - by devising and sticking to an effective study programme, in whichyou also take care of your recreational and physical needs

emotionally - by containing your fears through more insight and foresight: usingappropriate self-monitoring, distraction and relaxation strategies, and in some casesmedication.

These are admittedly difficult but manageable adjustments to make, particularly if takengradually, a step at a tune. If you've had severe anxiety in past exams do seek help and
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/students/welfareandadvice/thehealthcentrehttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/students/welfareandadvice/thehealthcentre


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advice in good time. Your GP could prescribe beta-blockers, for instance, which take awaythe physical symptoms of anxiety and help you feel more "in control". Come also to the ExamStress Workshops held at the Health Centre twice a year.

Stop the Wasp

If you start panicking in the exam, finding that the harder you try the worse you feel .....

STOP - the self-defeating thoughts that are buzzing around like wasps - tell yourself insteadthat you are going to survive this experience, come what may. Go through the following"W-A-SP" squashing procedure, which you'll need to practise during milder forms of anxietyin the revision period (and so learn to recognize the early stages of panic, which are easier toneutralize). Familiarity with the procedure, through practice and mental rehearsal is essentialemotional preparation.

WAIT- switch off and unwind for a few moments. Focus on breathing and then relax witheyes closed. This will help you return to the task afterwards with a calmer, clearer mind andmore constructive perspective.

ABSORB - taking in the relaxation, flood your mind with constructive self-talk (ideally from arepertoire of previously prepared and practised phrases); then slowly open your eyes andcalmly bring yourself to face the exam situation.

SLOWLY PROCEED -get going again with the paper, as best you can, calmly, a step at atime.

Note:

When focusing on your breathing, take a long slow deep breath, and allow the air toflow out slowly and smoothly. Sit back comfortably, dangling your arms by your side,and imagine any tension flowing out through your hands and feet. Try any relaxation

technique that works for you (eg the isometric exercise described below).

If your breathing pattern has been rapid and shallow, you may need to avoidhyperventilating, by pausing after long exhalations, and breathing with stomach,rather than upper chest, movements. If the hyperventilating continues, breathe intocupped hands (or even a paper or plastic bag - take one along if you think you'll needit).

It may help to reframe your attitude towards the examiner. Instead of some sadistic,persecuting figure, imagine him or her as a friend, or someone who just wants somehelp with the question.

Repeat "Stop the Wasp" if necessary - you may have rushed back too soon the first time.

Stay longer "waiting" and "absorbing". If the panic continues or escalates, tell the invigilatorwithout delay.

Relaxation Strategies

Each of the following approaches has its own value and applications. The more mentaltechniques are probably better at reducing general levels of stress over time; the physicalones are more effective when anxiety is acute and the mind is confused. Basically, you'llneed to experiment and then practise your favourite techniques well before the exam - takingadvantage of mini crises during the revision period.

MeditationThere are various kinds of meditation techniques around. These generally induce an alteredstate, which is normally relaxing and beneficial. However, anyone with a mental illness,


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prone to reality confusion, depersonalisation etc should seek medical advice before trying outsuch techniques.

Transcendental Meditation has been the most thoroughly researched, especially for itsrelief of stress and other health benefits. TM is a subtle, effortless technique and requires noinvolvement with the organization, or changes in lifestyle or beliefs. However, it is expensiveto learn and, as with other practices, not everyone seems to benefit. For current studentrates and information pack ring 020 7402 3451.

Benson's "Relaxation Response", a more mechanical technique, also achieves goodrelaxation results:

once or preferably twice a day, sit comfortably with eyes closed, for 15 - 20 minutes

become aware of your breathing. Breathe easily and naturally; and with every outbreath mentally repeat your mantra - a sound or word like "relax", "one" or "om" .

maintain a passive, accepting attitude - eg have no goals or expectations, other thancomfortably following the procedure. don't try to resist other thoughts or strain to thinkyour mantra clearly.

when aware of having been distracted by other thoughts, simply switch your attentionback to the mantra.

Variants

If you want a Christian mantra, you can use the Aramaic "ma-ra-na-tha", assuggested by John Main (ring 020 - 7937 4679 for the Kensington ChristianMeditation Centre).

You may prefer to just follow the naturally changing rhythms of the mantra and ignorethe breathing (but stick to one method).

Or you can follow the breath without a mantra - Mindfulness of Breathing, whichcan be learned at local Buddhist Centres, again simply as a relaxation technique.Ring 020 7727 9382 for further information.

Imagery

Sit comfortably with eyes closed Notice bodily sensations, and let go any tension. As you breathe out, imagine tension

flowing out through your hands and feet. Enjoy a sensation of warmth and heavinessor lightness, going through the body in waves of relaxation.

Imagine the body filling up with a healing white, blue or golden light.

Let the light radiate around you and transport you to a real or imaginary place - yourideal relaxation sanctuary. Vividly imagine actually being there, absorbing it with allyour senses.

Feel the sense of absolute peacefulness and calm, for some minutes. Then graduallybring yourself back to your present situation, with a lingering sense of calmness andinner radiance.

Do this once a day in a leisurely way; and touch base with your sanctuary at oddmoments, for a boost.

Muscular RelaxationFor those unable to distinguish sufficiently between tension and relaxation, a useful approachis to exaggerate and feel the tension for a slow count of five, then letting go and enjoying thesense of release and relaxation for a minute or so, systematically, through different musclegroups (as described in the Relax and Enjoy It tape listed below). The following sequencecan be remembered using the phrase "All New Exercises Must Take Longer": All (Arms andhands); New (Neck & shoulders); Exercises (Eyebrows, eyelids & forehead); Must (Mouth,lips, tongue & throat); Take (trunk -chest, abdomen, hips); Longer(Legs).

Tension is produced by clenching fists; bending or extending arms; pushing head againstsupport; shrugging shoulders; raising eyebrows. frowning; tightly closing eyes; biting teeth


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together; pressing tongue against mouth; pressing lips tightly; holding a deep breath;flattening in the stomach; squeezing buttocks together; stretching legs and toes.

After a little practice you should find it possible to relax without any prior tensing, simply byfocusing on the same muscle sequence and allowing each to unwind and relax. This quickand easy relaxation skill can then be used whenever needed, in daily life.

Note- with tensing techniques, stay much longer relaxing than tensing !!

A helpful Isometric Exercise, along similar lines, can be used when sitting at a desk duringrevision or exams:

Pull in stomach muscles tightly; hold for a count of 5; release and relax Clench fists tightly; hold. relax. Extend fingers; hold; relax. Grasp below seat of chair; pull up & hold; relax. Press elbows tightly into side of body. hold; relax, Push foot hard into floor; hold; relax.Relax briefly with dangling arms, or resting head in arms, on desk.

ExerciseSome people just can't relax easily, but can feel more "in control" through activity andexercise. Vigorous exercise can bum off tension, and counterbalances the passivity ofstudying and relaxation. Walking through a park or doing simple yoga postures are milder butalso effective alternatives.

Sleeping ProblemsSleeping problems sometimes emerge as exams approach. Partly this is due to late nightsstudying and to what we eat and drink, so it's advisable to take preventative action, wherepossible. Gradually establish sleeping patterns that can be maintained more or lessunchanged even during exams. Avoid late afternoon naps, as they use up REM (dreaming)sleep needs - try relaxation or meditation instead. Eliminate or reduce alcohol and caffeine

consumption. Mild exercise or a relaxing bath at bedtime helps. Basically, allow yourself a"winding down" period before bed, to stop yourself thinking and worrying. If still struggling tosleep after about 20 minutes, avoid reinforcing negative associations - get out of bed forabout 10 minutes, do something undemanding, then try again. Sometimes sleeping in adifferent place, or even at the other end of the bed, can help. A tape some students havefound helpful, "Sleep Well", is listed below.

Mental Rehearsal

Having achieved some degree of relaxation using one of the above techniques, it is usefulthen to Imagine oneself "doing" the dreaded thing, in this case the exam, visualizing oneselfemotionally "coping". With eyes closed, run through the whole exam situation, watching it

unravel as if on a screen, noting things to look out for (e.g. time budgeting, if you know that'sa problem); mentally step into the screen, with a sense of calm and composure; take in thescene with different sensory organs, all the while imagining coping with the exam and withsurges of anxiety (e.g. using self-talk or "stop the wasp" etc.). This can be a fairly brief mentalexercise.

Mentally rehearsing the exam scenario clarifies the task in terms of steps, desensitises fearthrough imaginary exposure and helps one face the real event with a greater sense ofinternal resources. It is useful therefore to learn to employ mental rehearsal routinely as partof a relaxation exercise. It can also be used to visualize oneself coping differently, morepositively, in other problematic situations e.g. to counter negativity during revision.

Acknowledgements


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Dr.Robert Sharpe's tapes 'Pass That Exam" and "Study Effectively" and his book "Self-Helpfor Your Anxiety" (Souvenir Press, 199 1) provided many of the points and ideas found inrelevant sections above.Clayton E. Tucker-Ladd's online 'Psychological Self Help" book especially the chapter onprocrastination, was a source of ideas for the first section, on Motivation & Revision.


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III GENERAL INFORMATION

III.1 Term Dates, College Closures and Bank Holidays

Term Dates:

Autumn Term Saturday 29 September - Friday 14 December 2012Spring Term Saturday 5 January - Friday 22 March 2013Summer Term Saturday 27 April - Friday 28 June 2013

College Closures:

Christmas 2012/New Year 2013

College closes at your usual finishing time on Friday 21 December 2012College re-opens Wednesday 2 January 2013

Easter 2013

College closes at your usual finishing time on Wednesday 27 March 2013College re-opens Wednesday 3 April 2013

Bank Holidays:

Christmas Day 27 DecBoxing Day 26 DecNew Year's Day 1 JanGood Friday 29 MarEaster Monday 1 AprEarly May Bank Holiday 6 May

Spring Bank Holiday 27 MaySummer Bank Holiday 26 Aug

Substitute Bank Holiday in lieu of 25 December


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III.2 History of Imperial College

Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine was an independent constituent partof the University of London until July 2007 when it was granted a new royal charter declaringit an independent university in its own right.

Imperial College was established in 1907 in London's scientific and cultural heartland inSouth Kensington, as a merger of the Royal College of Science, the City and Guilds Collegeand the Royal School of Mines. St Mary's Hospital Medical School and the National Heartand Lung Institute merged with the College in 1988 and 1995 respectively.Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School and the Royal Postgraduate Medical Schoolmerged with the College on 1 August 1997 to form, with the existing departments on the StMary's and Royal Brompton campuses, the Imperial College Faculty of Medicine.

On 1 August 2000 Wye College and the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology merged with theCollege. The Kennedy Institute became a Division of the Faculty of Medicine and WyeCollege is was known as Imperial College Wye campus until September 2007 since when ithas been run by the University of Kent in association with Imperial College.

As a result of the mergers the College now operates on a number of sites. The main campusis in South Kensington, where the engineering, science and undergraduate medicinedepartments are located. Other London-based campuses are at Charing Cross, Chelsea andWestminster, Hammersmith, Royal Brompton, and St Mary's Hospitals. There are alsospecial postgraduate facilities in Life Sciences at Silwood Park near Ascot.

The College gained independence during the centenary celebrations in July 2007 when itreceived its royal charter by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The Colleges mission statement is as follows:Imperial College embodies and delivers world class scholarship, education and research inscience, engineering and medicine, with particular regard to their application in industry,

commerce and healthcare. We will foster interdisciplinary working internally and collaboratewidely externally.In furtherance of its mission the College has identified a Strategic Intent which includes thefollowing aims:

To remain amongst the top tier of scientific, engineering and medical research andteaching institutions in the world.

To continue to attract and develop the most able students and staff worldwide. To develop our range of academic activities to meet the changing needs of society,

industry and healthcare. To communicate widely the significance of science in general and the purpose and

ultimate benefits of our activities in particular.

Imperial College was rated as the worlds ninth best university in the THES World UniversityRankings 2010.


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IV COLLEGE ADMINISTRATION

The Rector and head of the College is Professor SirKeith ONions FRS..

The main administrative departments for the College can be found in the Sherfield Buildingand the Faculty Building. These buildings house the Rector's suite, the Finance Section,Registry (which deals with student admissions and all records, forms, etc. connected withundergraduate and post-graduate students), Human Resources, the Pay Office and othercentral offices of the College.

IV.1 Student Hub

The Student Hub is located on Level 3 of the Sherfield Building and houses most of thecentral services that are relevant to students, such as the Registry, the AccommodationOffice and the Finance Department. Staff at the Student Hub should be able to help you withaccommodation queries, tuition fees enquiries, any registration issues. The student hub

website is: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/studenthub

IV.2 The Registry

The Registry can provide you with College letters confirming your student status, forexample, if you would like to open a bank account or if you need to written confirmation thatyou are a registered student for other purposes. Some useful information on documentrequests can be found on this page:http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/registry/currentstudents/documentrequests

If you would like to apply for council tax exemption or a reduction in council tax, you shouldread the relevant information on this page:

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/registry/currentstudents/counciltax

If you have any requests that are not entirely straightforward, you are advised to contact yourPostgraduate Administrator in the first instance.

More information about Registry policies and procedures can be found on this page;http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/registry/proceduresandregulations

IV.3 Tuition Fees

If you are a self-funded student, you will need to pay your tuition fees at the start of each

academic year. You can find more information on the Tuition Fee website:http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/registry/studentfinancialsupport/tuitionfees .If you have anyspecific queries about your fees which are not answered on the web page, the staff at theStudent Hub should be able to help.

IV.4 Accommodation

The Student Accommodation Centre is also based at the Student Hub. There is someCollege accommodation for postgraduate students, but most postgraduate students tend tolive in private housing. The Accommodation web pages give some useful information on bothCollege and private accommodation:http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/accommodation/prospectivestudents/prospectivepostgraduatestu

dents
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/studenthubhttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/registry/currentstudents/documentrequestshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/registry/currentstudents/counciltaxhttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/registry/proceduresandregulationshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/registry/proceduresandregulationshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/registry/studentfinancialsupport/tuitionfeeshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/accommodation/prospectivestudents/prospectivepostgraduatestudentshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/accommodation/prospectivestudents/prospectivepostgraduatestudentshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/accommodation/prospectivestudents/prospectivepostgraduatestudentshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/accommodation/prospectivestudents/prospectivepostgraduatestudentshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/accommodation/prospectivestudents/prospectivepostgraduatestudentshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/registry/studentfinancialsupport/tuitionfeeshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/registry/proceduresandregulationshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/registry/currentstudents/counciltaxhttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/registry/currentstudents/documentrequestshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/studenthub


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IV.5 The Imperial College and Science Museum Libraries

The College's library is an amalgamation of three previous libraries: the Lyon-Playfair, theHaldane and the Science Museum Libraries. The Imperial College and Science MuseumLibraries house both science books and journals and humanities/general interest works andincludes a music library. The entrance to the library is next to the Queen's Lawn beside theSherfield Building. All staff and students may borrow books etc. once they have registeredwith the library. Please refer to the Library website for further information:

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/library

V ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & SERVICES

V.1 Where to find snacks or meals

There are various places where meals or snacks can be obtained scattered around theSouth Kensington campus. The map in the centre of this booklet details all buildings androads. In the Sherfield Building the Senior Common Room (SCR) is open to all staff andpostgraduates on non-taught courses and their guests. The SCR is not open to MSc.students. Next door to the SCR is the Junior Common Room (JCR), which is open for from8.30am for breakfast, within which is the 'QT' shop which sells sandwiches, pies and othersnacks to take away. The entrances to both Common Rooms are on the Walkway1. On theground floor is the Main Dining Hall (MDH), which sells hot and cold meals and is open to all.

Other food outlets around the campus include cafs in the SAF Building, the main Library,the Eastside Bar and the Students' Union in Beit Quad. A list of food outlets on the SouthKensington campus can be found here: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/eatinganddrinking

V.2 Shops and Banking facilities

Imperial College Students' Union runs the Union Shop and the Newsagents, which can befound on the walkway. The Union Shop sells stationery, greetings cards, postage stamps,telephone cards, calculators, and many other items including clothes. The Newsagents sellpapers, magazines, snacks, drinks and other small items. Also located on the Walkway is anopticians.

There is a branch of Santander Bank on the walkway. There are cash machines (ATMs) onLevel 1 of the Sherfield Building and in the Santander branch. Other banks are situated onGloucester Road, and in South Kensington and Knightsbridge.Away from the campus, within 10 minutes walk, you will find a variety of shops in GloucesterRoad, South Kensington, Knightsbridge and Kensington High Street.

V.3 Ethos - Sports Centre

The sports centre opened in January 2006 and boasts the following state of the art facilities:climbing wall, exercise studio, 25m deck-level swimming pool, sauna/steam room and spa, 5badminton court sports hall, 75 station Fitness Gym, 3 squash courts, Sports Injury treatmentrooms, Massage Capsule and a spacious reception area with a Costa Coffee bar.Membership is free to all students, although you will be charged for using some facilities.

Follow the link for more information. http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/sports/ethos

1 The Walkway runs from the Mechanical Engineering building on Exhibition Road through tothe rear entrance of the Huxley building, which houses the Maths, Physics and Computingdepartments.
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/libraryhttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/sports/ethoshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/sports/ethoshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/library


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V.4 English Language, Foreign Language and Evening Classes

The Centre for Co-Curricular Studies (formally the Department of Humanities) offer generalEnglish classes for any student who wishes to develop their English skills during term time.Most of these classes run for one term and take place in the evenings from 6-8pm. An initialtest is necessary to determine the level of support necessary.

Things covered in the classes include: Practice in listening and speaking, including giving a short presentation. Revision ofgrammar. Vocabulary of everyday English, idioms, slang, and some general

academic/technical vocabulary. Some writing exercises and some general pronunciation help. Listening activities such as listening to the radio and watching short video items

ranging from TV comedy shows to science documentary programmes. Materials are taken from many sources including English course books, newspapers,

College publications such as the student newspaper, Felix and popular sciencejournals.

Further information can be found on-line here:http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/englishlanguagesupport/classesduringtermtime

or by emailing [email protected]

A number of foreign language classes are also offered as well as specialist classes such as:

English through Drama Activities

Grammar workshop

Language in Film

Video Listening and Vocabulary

Modern Britain

English and Theatre

Visit their web-site http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/eveningclasses/ or contact theEvening Classes Administrator on [email protected] or extension 48756 for furtherinformation.

V.5 Clubs and Imperial College Students' Union

There is a large number of clubs providing opportunities to meet people who share similar

interests. These include numerous sports, arts, political, and many religious and ethnic-based groups covering most religions and nationalities, as well as the Chemical EngineeringSociety. A complete list can be obtained from the Imperial College Union website:

http://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/

All postgraduate students and staff registered for degrees are eligible for membership ofImperial College Union. Full membership carries with it some benefits, e.g. cheap railwaytravel for students.

V.6 Arts Imperial
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/englishlanguagesupport/classesduringtermtimemailto:[email protected]://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/eveningclasses/mailto:[email protected]://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/http://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/mailto:[email protected]://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/eveningclasses/mailto:[email protected]://www3.imperial.ac.uk/humanities/englishlanguagesupport/classesduringtermtime


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Imperial College has a vibrant arts scene. There are several orchestras, choirs and othermusic groups which you can join. The Blyth Music Centre is located on Level 5 of theSherfield Building. There are music practice rooms and you can even sign up for musiclessons. There are also many concerts throughout the year, including a series of lunchtimeconcerts on Thursdays.

There is also an arts gallery which houses a variety of exhibitions throughout the year. If youfeel creative, you may want to join the Photographic Society or the Fine Arts Society.

Further information about Arts Imperial can be found here: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/arts

V.7 Early Years Education Centre

The College has one of the oldest university nurseries in the country. It was established in1971 to look after children of staff and students from the age of 6 months to 5 years. TheEarly Years Education Centre is housed in 8 & 9 Princes' Gardens. The cost of childcare issimilar to other comparable establishments but with the added convenience of it being onsite. Contact the Centres Manager on 45120 for further information. During the schoolholidays the Centre also runs a play-scheme for children from 5 to 11 years old.

Details can be found on their web-site: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/eyec
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/artshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/eyechttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/eyechttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/arts


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VI FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND THE DEPARTMENT

VI.1 Useful Names and How to Contact Them

Building/room Extension [email protected] of DepartmentProfessor Andrew Livingston ACEX 305 45556 a.livingstonDirector of Postgraduate StudiesProfessor X. Yun Xu ACEX 310 45588 yun.xuPostgraduate Admissions TutorProfessor Amparo Galindo ACEX 407 45606 a.galindoPostgraduate TutorProfessor Paul Luckham BONE 426 45583 p.luckham01MSc Course CoordinatorProfessor Kang Li ACEX 419 45676 kang.li

MSc AdministratorMs. Anna Kubik ACEX 311 TBC a.kubikCareers adviserDr. Andreas Kogelbauer ACEX206 45572 a.kogelbauerTechnical Services ManagerMr. Pim Amrit BONE 321 45600 p.amrit

VI.2 How to Find Your Way Around the Department

The Department comprises three different buildings, the Roderic Hill building (which facesPrince Consort Road), the ACE building (Aeronautics and Chemical engineering Extension -which runs parallel to the Walkway) and the Bone building which is the oldest building andruns perpendicular to the other two and is connected to both. The Centre for ProcessSystems Engineering (CPSE) is located on the top two floors of the Roderic Hill building.Most of the teaching areas are to be found on Levels 2 and 3 with the exception of the PilotPlant laboratory, which runs through several floors, and the seminar rooms, ACEX 400A &400B, which is situated on Level 4 of the ACE building and RODH C615 and C616 which areon the 6th floor of the Roderic Hill building in CPSE. The locations of all the main teachingrooms and other useful places are listed below but see the floor plans on the following twopages for details.

Building codes used in your timetables and this handbook are as follows:

ACEX ACE buildingBONE Bone buildingRODH Roderic Hill building

Room Level Building

Lecture Theatres 1 and 2 2 ACEX

Lecture Theatre 3 3 RODH

Conference room 207 2 ACEX

Conference room C616 (Queens AwardRoom)

6 RODH

Seminar rooms 230A, 230B 2 BONE

Seminar room 252 2 ACEXDesign Offices 306, 309, 312, 315, 317 3 ACEX


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Seminar rooms 400A, 400B 4 ACEX

CPSE Seminar room C615 6 RODH

Pilot Plant 1 ACEX

UG Laboratories 12

ACEXBONE

Computing 3 BONE

Student study space 232 2 RODH

Tea bar 2 ACEX

A departmental map can be found on page 85 of this booklet.

Departmental Services

Service Who to contactTelephoneNo.

e-mail [email protected] Room No.

Computing Mr. Graham Stuart 46641 g.stuart RODH C411

Electronics Mr. Chin Lang 45599 c.lang BONE 326A

Analytical Services Ms. Patricia Carry 45631` p.carry BONE 1M13

Mechanical Workshop Mr. Tony Meredith 45613 a.meredith BONE 131A

Library Mrs. Mano Jacob 45598 mano.jacob Central Library

Stores Mr. Keith Walker 45615 keith.walker BONE 132A

VI.3 Chemical Engineering Society

The Chemical Engineering Society (ChemEngSoc) is undoubtedly the most active andentertaining of all the departmental societies and aims to look after the interests of ChemicalEngineering students at Imperial. The committee elect includes representatives from eachundergraduate year and two staff members, ensuring the society is represented throughout

the department.

All students are encouraged to participate in the societys activities, which are the focal pointof the Departments social activities. Look out for announcements of the many eventsorganised on the Society's notice-boards on the concourse on level 2 of the ACEX building orvisit the web-site: www.cgcu.net/chemeng

This year the members of the committee are:

President: Prof. Geoff MaitlandVice-President: Dr Joo Cabral

Chair: Sarah Jean HoVice Chair: Delaram RanaeiVice Chair Industrial Relations: Liew Chew and Wei ChiaVice Chair Events: Sharjeel Kiani and Bukki AdedapoVice Chair Sports: Joseph ParkinTreasurer: Lina LusadisuAlumni Officer: Pranav TulsianSociety Secretary: Pratna HurchurnSociety Webmaster: Farzan Fassihi-TashDepartmental Representatives: William Brown and Theodor BergstromYear Representatives: To be elected
http://www.cgcu.net/chemenghttp://www.cgcu.net/chemeng


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VI.4 Chemical Engineering Teaching Staff And Where To Find Them

Teaching Staff InitialsTelephoneNo.

e-mailaddress

RoomNo.

Prof. Claire S. Adjiman CSA 46638 c.adjiman RODH C609*

Prof. Alexander Bismarck AB 45578 a.bismarck ACEX 526

Dr. Edo Boek EB 45705 e.boek ACEX 412

Dr. Joo P.B.T. Cabral JTC 45571 j.cabral ACEX 507

Dr. Benoit Chachuat BC 45594 b.chachuat ACEX 501Prof. David Chadwick DC 45579 d.chadwick RODH 235

Dr. Peter DiMaggio PA 45589 p.dimaggio ACEX 218

Dr. Paul S. Fennell PSF 46637 p.fennell BONE 228A

Prof. Amparo Galindo AG 45606 a.galindo ACEX 407

Dr. Valeria Garbin V 42878 v.garbin ACEX 415

Dr. Klaus Hellgardt KH 45577 k.hellgardt RODH 234

Dr. Jerry Y.Y. Heng JH 40784 jerry.heng ACEX 417A

Prof. Geoff F. Hewitt GFH 45562 g.hewitt ACEX 506

Prof. George Jackson GJ 45640 g.jackson RODH C601A

Prof. Serafim Kalliadasis SK 41373 s.kalliadasis ACEX 411Prof. Sergei G. Kazarian SGK 45574 s.kazarian ACEX 516

Prof. Geoff H. Kelsall GHK 45633 g.kelsall ACEX 417

Dr. Andreas Kogelbauer AK 45572 a.kogelbauer ACEX 206

Dr. Cleo Kontoravdi CK 46655 cleo.kontoravdi98 RODH C402

Dr. Krishnan JK 46633 j.krishnan RODH C503

Prof. Kang Li KL 45676 kang.li ACEX 419

Prof. Andrew G. Livingston AGL 45582 a.livingston ACEX 305

Prof. Paul F. Luckham PFL 45583 p.luckham01 BONE 426

Prof. Sandro Macchietto SM 46608 s.macchietto RODH C406

Prof. Geoff C. Maitland GCM 41830 g.maitland ACEX 318Prof. Sakis Mantalaris AM 45601 a.mantalaris ACEX 515

Dr. Christos Markides CM 41601 c.markides ACEX 404

Prof. Omar K. Matar OKM 45626 o.matar ACEX 210

Dr. Marcos G. Millan-Agorio MMA 41633 marcos.millan RODH 236

Prof. Erich A. Mller EAM 41569 e.muller ACEX 413

Prof. Costas C. Pantelides CCP 45622 c.pantelides RODH C401*

Prof. Stratos N Pistikopoulos ENP 46620 e.pistikopoulos RODH C508

Prof. Stephen M. Richardson SMR 45589 s.m.richardson ACEX 218

Prof. Nilay Shah NS 46621 n.shah RODH C502

Dr. Frantisek Stepanek FS 45608 f.stepanek ACEX 522Prof. David C. Stuckey DCS 45591 d.stuckey ACEX 516

Prof. Nina Thornhill NT 46622 n.thornhill RODH C606

Prof. J.P. Martin Trusler JPMT 45592 m.trusler ACEX 409

Dr. Daryl R. Williams DRW 45611 d.r.williams BONE 439

Prof. X. Yun Xu XYX 45588 yun.xu ACEX 310

*This room is in the Centre for Process Systems Engineering, access to which is by swipe card. Seethe plan of the Department at the end of this section for an explanation of the various buildings.


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VIIDEPARTMENTAL FACILITIES

VII.1 College Departmental Finance

All finance transactions require the following type of accounting code:

C E n n n F n n n n n 1 1 1 1 1 1

Cost Centre All Chemical Engineering cost centres begin with CE

Activity Code Represents the type of account. Eg. Fnnnnn (Staff/Academic account),

Pnnnnn (Project account) and Gnnnnn (Departmental account).

Analysis Code Represents the type of item/service being purchased.A summary list of most commonly used analysis codes in ourdepartment is shown below. A full list is available upon request.

A valid account number must be provided on all Finance Forms. Ask your supervisorwhich is the right account to use on your form.

Finance FormsAll finance forms are available from the Finance Office; Room 308. ACEX Building.

Please write your requirements clearly on these forms in order to avoid misunderstandings orany delays.

Cost Centre Activity Code Analysis Code


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Listed below are the finance forms that you are most likely to use:

Purchase OrderUsed to purchase goods or engage services from outside suppliers. A purchase order mustbe issued for all purchases at the time of ordering.Please visit our Purchasing Website for College preferred suppliers and special agreementssome companies have with Imperial College.http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/purchasing

Once you have obtained a price from the supplier complete a purchase order form and takethis to your supervisor for authorisation. Then the purchase order needs to be given to yoursupervisors secretary for processing. An Imperial College purchase order will be issued andfaxed to the supplier with your requirements. A copy will be emailed to you for your records.All goods must be delivered to our stores for reconciliation.

GL JournalUsed to buy goods/services from other departments within Imperial College (e.g. Chemistrystores or ICT purchases). Also used to transfer funds between different accounts.Initiate the form and pass it to your supervisor for signature. This form then needs to betaken to the Departmental Finance office for checking and final authorisation. Once the formhas been stamped you may take it to the relevant department in order to obtain yourgoods/services.

Expense ClaimUsed to claim travel related or general expenses. All claims must be accompanied byreceipts. Once the form has been signed by your supervisor and yourself, take the form tothe Departmental Finance Office for checking and processing.

Internal Departmental Services RequisitionsThe Departmental Services have their own requisition forms for debiting the cost of materialsand labour used on each job. These are obtained from either the General Office or the

Head of the relevant service. After agreement has been reached with the Head of Service,the form should be completed by the requisitionist and the account holder's signatureobtained.

Departmental Finance Office Staff:Anusha Sri-Pathmanathan - Departmental Operations Manager - Ext. [email protected]

Ms Laia Santamaria - Finance Officer - Ext 45576 [email protected]

Mrs Kalaivani Thuvaragan Finance Officer Ext 45576 [email protected] number: 020 7594 5635

VII.2 Incoming Mail

All internal and external incoming mail addressed to MSc students will be put in theappropriate postgraduate pigeonhole. The rack is situated in the Level 2 corridor of the ACEbuilding near to the reception desk and Lecture Theatre 2.

Make sure you check your mail regularly as all internal College mail will be sent to you via yourpigeonhole together with any external mail addressed to you in the Department.

VII.3 Notice-Boards
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/purchasinghttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/purchasingmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www3.imperial.ac.uk/purchasing


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MSc students have their own notice-board on which is posted timetables, information oncourses, etc. The board is situated on Level 2 of the ACE building in the corridor behind themain entrance. Be sure to check the board regularly, particularly for any timetable changes.The Chemical Engineering Society has a board near Lecture Theatre 1 and there are otherboards with items of interest scattered around the Level 2 corridor and concourse area.

VII.4 Computing

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Attention is drawn to College regulations (see the Freshers Handbook)concerning the use of computing equipment. Transgression of thoseregulations can result in dismissal from the College and possible prosecution.Further information can be found at the link below;

http: / /www3.imperial.ac.uk/secretar iat /col legegov ernance/pro visio n

s/pol ic ies/ infosystems/pol ic ies/pol icy2

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FacilitiesThe Department has 3 dedicated teaching computer labs in the Bone building, 324, 325 and327, containing over 120 Windows 7 PCs, with the Chemical Engineering standard teachingsoftware installed. A small number of additional PCs also with the standard build areavailable in the MSc study area in Roderic Hill 149. Monochrome printers are located in 324,325, 327 and 149. Public colour printers are located in Bone 325, and also in Roderic HillC610 (CPSE common room area). Public PCs and printers can also be found in the maincampus library. Printing is charged back to an individual allowance funded by thedepartment.

New for 2012!

MSc students will be loaned a laptop, pre-loaded with the Chemical Engineering teachingsoftware build.

ServicesThe college central ICT service provides email, home directories, centralised printingservices and a helpdesk service. ICT also centrally manage the wired and wireless networks,along with Blackboard (e-learning) and many other services.

HelpdeskThe first point of call for all IT issues is: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/ictICT local staff are located in Bone 324, but it is usually best to raise a service desk requestfirst.

Wireless AccessPublic wireless access (registration required) is available on the 2nd floor ACEbuilding near the coffee bar. Many other areas within the college, including thelibraries will have some coverage. Contact the service desk for more details.

42 additional wireless-N access points are being installed in the public areas of the dept.

All computers connected to the network must be registered. Activity may be monitored toensure legitimate use of the facilities. The systems are operated in conjunction withInformation and Communication Technologies (ICT). ICT also supply necessarydocumentation and run an advisory service (Help Desk) on Level 4 in the Mech. Eng.Department. They can help with most questions on general (i.e. non Chem Eng specific)
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/secretariat/collegegovernance/provisions/policies/infosystems/policies/policy2http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/secretariat/collegegovernance/provisions/policies/infosystems/policies/policy2http://www.imperial.ac.uk/icthttp://www.imperial.ac.uk/icthttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/secretariat/collegegovernance/provisions/policies/infosystems/policies/policy2http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/secretariat/collegegovernance/provisions/policies/infosystems/policies/policy2


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subjects. Help desk support can be obtained by visiting the Help Desk, telephoning ext.49000, or by e-mail to [email protected].

In addition, ICT are responsible for the overall running of the e-mail system and Home Drive(H:) Facility and for other aspects of the computing service, including networking and theprovision of site licenses for certain 'core' software, some of which is available toundergraduates and postgraduates. For more information on free software available forstudents to download, please visit http://www.imperial.ac.uk/ict and select services/software

shop.

Email and Computer AccountsAll new students are given computer accounts and e-mail addresses. You should have beensent details on how to activate your Imperial College account for the first time. Follow thelink for details:https://www.imperial.ac.uk/ict/activateaccount.Once you are registered this will give you access to our web-site and Blackboard where youwill find lecture notes and other course material.

VII.5 Departmental Workshops and Technical Services

The Mechanical Workshop is situated on Level 1 of the Bone building near the Stores. Allsizes and shapes of equipment can be built here and if you wish to do it yourself there is awell-equipped and supervised Student Workshop available. See the Head of Service, TonyMeredith (BONE 131A). The Electronics Workshop can be found on Level 3 of the Bonebuilding. Anything to do with electronics, computers and electricity can be tackled here.Contact the Head of Electrical Services, Chin Lang (1M12). If on the other hand you need atechnician to help set up some equipment then Laboratory Technical Services can help you.Contact the Technical Services Manager, Pim Amrit, who will arrange for a technician to helpyou. Finally if you need to use specialised analytical equipment then the Department has awell-equipped Analytical Laboratory and Ms Patricia Carry will be pleased to help you or giveadvice (BONE 1M13).

VII.6 Refreshments

During term-time hot and cold drinks, biscuits, crisps, etc. are available from the tea-bar, run by Mrs Anna Dowden, on the second floor concourse (near Lecture Theatre 1) fromabout 09.45 to 13.00 and 14.00 to 16.15. Hot and cold drinks, and snacks are alsoavailable from machines in the corridor by the computing rooms on the 3rd floor of the Bonebuilding.

Please note that food and drink are not allowed in the laboratories, lecturetheatres or computer rooms

VII.7 Stores

The departmental Stores are located in the basement of the Bone building, adjacent to themain mechanical workshop. It holds a good selection of general stationery items, laboratorycoats and a limited range of electrical goods, glassware, etc. Any item from the stock held inthe Stores can be obtained after entry of an account number and name in the appropriatebook. It is also possible to buy items for cash. There are also a number of other Stores onthe South Kensington campus and some items not held by our own Stores can be obtainedfrom them. Details may be obtained from your supervisor. There is also a large selection oftrade catalogues held in the Stores that can be referred to for the purchase of equipment and

materials. Keith Walker, the storekeeper, or Ben Kistnah, his assistant, will be happy to helpyou find what you require.
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/icthttps://www.imperial.ac.uk/ict/activateaccounthttps://www.imperial.ac.uk/ict/activateaccounthttps://www.imperial.ac.uk/ict/activateaccounthttp://www.imperial.ac.uk/ict


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Stores: Workshop:9:30 17:30 (Mon Thurs) 9:00 17:30 (Mon-Thurs)9:30 17:00 (Fri) 9:00 13:00 (Fri)(Closed for lunch 13:00 - 14:00) (Closed for lunch 13:00 - 14:00)


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VIII THE COURSE

VIII.1 Choice of Research Project and Course Modules

MSc students are required to undertake a research project and to attend ten lecture-basedcourse modules. Most courses correspond to one module, but some count for two modules.

The written examinations for most modules are held during the Summer Term. The purposeof these notes is to help you to choose a suitable project and modules on which to beexamined.

Research Project

Shortly after the start of term, a list of available projects will be circulated. If you are on theMSc in Advanced Chemical Engineering with a specialisation, you must choose a projectfrom the list relevant to your specialisation. If you are on the MSc in Advanced ChemicalEngineering, you can choose any project from the list, but if you choose a project from aspecialisation area (e.g. biotechnology), you should be aware that priority will be given tostudents in that area (e.g. MSc in ACE with Biotechnology). You should make appointmentswith members of staff who are offering projects that are of particular interest to you -preferably by the end of the second week of term. When you have completed yourdiscussions, please indicate your choice of four projects on the research project select

MScHandbook Imperial Chemical Engg

Documents

Transcript of MScHandbook Imperial Chemical Engg