End of the Year

Given that the exam period in Aachen extends from July to September, in the end I decided to stay at Imperial, which will allow me to apply for summer internships next year instead of sitting exams. However, I regret missing out on a chance to discover a new country and improve my German skills.

On my course, the third term, which takes place between end of April and end of June, is traditionally one without lectures: it is intended for finishing projects, coursework and revision. So except for day-long study sessions in the library, nothing much happens. That can be sometimes be stressful though, and therefore it’s important to spend around an hour a day busting stress. To prevent feeling overworked, I made regular visits to the gym and went for runs.

At the end of term I was still looking for work experience to do this summer and I got the opportunity to intern as a software developer in an internet startup in London’s Tech City, which is the London equivalent of Silicon Valley. I will be working there until the end of September and my responsibilities so far have included the development of dynamic web-based financial calculators. If all goes well, I may continue working with the company part-time after the next academic year has started.

The only downside of the job is that I probably won’t be able to come home this summer.