Reflection on 24-7-2011

Joey Chu (4S)

                

We had a picnic in the Hyde Park today where we had our lunch and enjoyed ourselves playing sports the whole afternoon. We felt so relaxed being with our friends chilling out after a busy academic week. Also, I found this picnic an opportunity for me to do some sports games which I don’t usually get the chance to do in Hong Kong. I liked sitting on a large field of grass, which was really beautiful and I used to see it only in movies. There were different sports equipments provided and I chose to play volleyball with my friends. It reminded me of the times I had with my friends in the volleyball team at school.

When we were tired, we sat on the grass and chatted. We also sang and lay on the grass, enjoying the mild breeze and sunshine. I used to be really afraid of all insects, but when we were in another country following others’ cultures, I just didn’t find these insects really matter.

We will be starting another academic week tomorrow, the picnic we had today has really gave us the chance to refresh ourselves and prepare for the busy week coming. I don’t think I will be having a similar chance to relax myself when I get back to Hong Kong, I have really had a good time and will never forget this picnic we had today.

Patsy Lau (4S)

Today is Sunday, we didn’t have any lesson and went for picnic in Hyde Park. After chilling out a bit in the Queen’s lawn, we walked to the park. Today was a sunny day and it was quite enjoyable to sit on the lawn and have lunch with our friends. Although we have already been there for picnic two weeks ago, I still find this trip fun and interesting as we could have a chance to chat and play with our new friends. After having a sandwich, we started to play different sports games with our mentors, such as volleyball and football. After having some exercise, we played card games and lay on the grass to have a rest. We taught our mentor to play card games that people in UK didn’t know and he also told us more about the UK culture. I think that was a great opportunity for us to learn more about the foreign culture and I really treasure these experiences. Then, we chatted and sang some songs together and all of us enjoyed ourselves so much.

I think today’s experience was quite special as we don’t have many parks in Hong Kong where we can sit for a whole day to relax ourselves. This picnic also allowed us to know more about the living style of the British. People in Hong Kong usually go for shopping during weekends but people here love to go to parks and relax themselves with their families. This is quite different from Hong Kong. I think that having a picnic is really great and enjoyable. Hope that I still have a chance to go for picnic when I get back to Hong Kong!

Reflection on 23-7-2011

Katherine Lam (4A)

Today is Saturday and we did not have lessons. In the morning, we just chilled out in the Queen’s Lawn. After the mentors distributed our lunch at about 12, we set off for our off-campus activities.

We travelled to the London Eye by tube and had our lunch on the lawn beside it. Then we went to the London Aquarium. The aquarium was divided into several parts, such as animals in rainforest and animals in South Pole. We saw many kinds of marine creatures, some of which were rarely seen, such as sharks and penguins. The experience of seeing them was fantastic. It was so interesting to see the different structures and outlooks of the marine creatures and to understand the facts about their lives.

  

After going to the aquarium, we went to Harrods, where we met up with our school teacher for our evening activity. We watched the famous musical, Phantom of the Opera, in Her Majesty Theatre. We have heard about the musicals in theatres in London and have always wanted to watch them so we were very excited to have this chance. The actors and actresses sang very well and the musical was wonderful. We liked it so much that we could not stop singing the songs in the musical after watching it.

  

Today was really a happy day. Going to the London Aquarium and seeing the musical was definitely an unforgettable experience.

Ingrid Lai (4U)

It was time to ‘chill out’ after a week of hard work in forensic science. In the morning, we relaxed a bit at Queen’s Lawn. We chatted and played joyfully.

At noon, we took the Underground to Embankment station and went to the lawn beside the London Eye. We had a quick lunch there, then we went to the Aquarium just next to it. We were all very excited because we were going to see many different kinds of sea lives! We stayed there for three hours. In my opinion, I think the aquarium in Ocean Park in Hong Kong is better than that in London. The fish there in Ocean Park are more eye-catching and there are also more types of marine animals, such as seals and jellyfish. However, I still found the penguins in the Aquarium very cute when they were walking.

In the evening, we left the STEM World team and went to Piccadilly Circus with our school teacher. We had a lovely dinner- Korean cuisine. I had a stone pot of rice with beef. It was the most delicious and hottest food I had ever eaten since I was here in London!

Our excitement lifted to its climax when we went to Her Majesty’s Theatre and watched one of the most famous musicals in the world- ‘The Phantom of the Opera’. The performers were all very professional- from their singing skills to their facial expressions; and from their expressions in their voices to their involvement in the performance. I really enjoyed the night very much. This was the second time for me to see a musical in London. After tonight, I have become more interested in musicals and I hope I could have more chances of seeing more in the future!

Reflection on 22-7-2011

Yammie Lam (4S)

Today we were having a presentation. It was the first time that we presented in front of other international students. We were both excited and nervous. Before the presentation, I had the opportunity to go to the science museum to try with the medical simulation. It was about using key-hole to do surgery. Although it was only a 3D game, it was very fun. I learnt that doing a precise key-hole operation without harming the patient needed a lot of practices. It was a precious experience. If we had more time, I would want to have a second chance playing that. After the simulation, we continued to prepare for our presentation. It was the third time doing our presentation in Imperial College, but still, we were very anxious. Luckily, our presentation ran smoothly. We could not answer one of the questions the tutors asked but our mentor said that was okay. What a wonderful presentation day!

Cynthia Wong (4S)

Today was the last day of the academic week. It was the presentation day. Starting from the morning, we have been doing the preparation of our presentation. Our group worked on the topic of Cancer. Although cancer is a common disease among humans, not many people understand it well. When we first chose this topic, we thought that it would be very easy. However, when we continued to work it, we found that we didn’t actually know it well. This project gave us a chance to learn more about cancer.

    We had to do our presentation in front of all the stem-world students. This was a big challenge for us as we did not have any experience to present in front of so many foreigners and professors. On the other hand, it also gave us a chance to view other foreigners’ presentations. It impressed us a lot and increased our global competitiveness.

Reflection on 21-7-2011

Debby Chau (4S)

Today in forensic science class, we had to make conclusion for our crime and report what we have found from the evidences given to the ‘court’. More critical evidences were provided, so we were one more step closer to our answer. We continued analyzing our evidences and the results satisfied us and we were surer abo­ut our guess. After organizing our ideas and evidences, we presented it to the ‘court’. Though we did not know the real murderer, we learnt a lot from the process such as the skills of fingerprinting, handwriting analysis and invisible inks test.

For the evening activities, we dressed up our mentors based on the theme – Imaginary Monsters. We were provided with many materials and points were given according to presentation, originality, team work and style. Mentors then catwalk to present our masterpiece and everyone had a lot of fun.

We are going to have our presentation tomorrow and we are all looking forward to it and wish we have a successful one.

Maggie Yam (4S)

On the last few days, we analyzed some of the way of proving evidences such as fingerprinting, crime photo analysis, blood typing, etc. Today, we continued our crime solving with the statements and evidences given. Then, we made up conclusions and presented them to our mentors.

During the progress, I have learnt to communicate with others since our group members are from different countries. We worked as a group and had lots of fun. I have also learnt to handle evidences with care, and not to make assumptions easily. In real cases, if forensic scientists make assumptions and stories with their mind, innocence may have to be in jail. We had to use logic and cold hard facts, and make a timeline, then present what we have found.

On our presentation in the court, we showed our evidences and presented them, I have found that the time management and the order of presenting are very important, so that people would be clear what you are doing, and what has happened in the case.

I did enjoy the forensic science lessons this week, I have learnt many things and knew more about this subject. Although there isn’t the subject of forensic science in Hong Kong’s universities, this course made me think again what I am going to study in the future. The course inspires me a lot and I will definitely miss it.

Reflection on 19-7-2011

Katherine Lam (4A)


Today was the second day of the medical sciences course. Yesterday we had a brief introduction and we had some surgical skills training today.

The academic leaders set up some stations in the laboratory. They were about suture, key-hole surgical techniques, removing lipoma and surgical knots. We tried on every station and I had lots of fun. The training station of removing lipoma was my favourite. In the training, each of us had the chances to be the patient and the doctor. The patient had to wear a piece of fake skin with lipoma on the arm and the doctor would use the surgical apparatus to remove the lipoma from the skin. The fake skin and wound looked very realistic as there was some fake blood in it. I was the patient first. After observing how to remove the lipoma carefully, I switched the role with my partner. The task was very challenging especially when I had to deal with the tissue facing towards me. I found that dealing with blood was not that scary and it was actually quite interesting.

I think the medical course had trained me to be more patient and careful as it is necessary for all medical procedures. I enjoyed the course very much and looked forward to the remaining days.

Ingid Lai (4U)

Today was my second day studying forensic science. It was so fun! I worked with my partner, Alexansha, during the lesson. She came from Russia and she is fourteen. We learnt about nine different techniques in forensic science today. My favourite one was blood typing. We tested each blood type with different antigens, including A, B, and Rh. Then we observed the blood and checked if the blood gave a positive or negative result. I thought this test was exciting since it was the first time for me to handle blood in a lab!

We had an artistic evening today. We went to the Royal Albert Hall and watched Proms. It was an orchestra performance. The hall was extremely grand. The audience surrounded the musicians, making the atmosphere very engaging. This was my first time to see an orchestra performcance. My favourite part of all was the ending song of the programme. The song was very exciting which lured our attention. When the song ended, the hall was full of applauses. The director was being graced again and again. This made me become more interested in music, and learn more about English culture.

I really enjoyed today. I hope I could be more engaged in the activities in the coming days.

Reflection on 18-7-2011

Yammie Lam (4S)
Today is the start of our new course. In the morning we packed our luggage and said goodbye to our lovely south side hall where we have stayed for 2 weeks. After breakfast, we went to the lecture hall to meet our new academic mentor, Boncica. Then we were told that our course was not medical science but medical impulse. Although it is not what we expected to be, we still found it fun. But still, we wanted to have some surgery practice. After the brief introduction, we visited the Charing Cross Hospital. We saw many models of organs and were given a detail explanation on them. We found it very useful because we could know more about different diseases and the effect of bad living habits have on our bodies. Also we had a talk given by a doctor which was about how we could enter the Medicine School of Imperial College. We have known more about it and found it very useful for our future academic path.

Cynthia Wong (4S)

Today was the first day of the stem world summer school. There were only eight of us staying for the next two weeks course. Four of us were in the medical science course and four forensic science. As we were in different groups, we could have a chance to meet people from foreign countries.
I attended the medical impulse program with Yammie and Patsy. Today, we have been to the Charing Cross Hospital which was one of the hospitals under Imperial College London. There was a museum on pathology, where there were a lot of dead organs displayed with various diseases, such as, cancers and diabetes. Many of the organs looked really scary and horrible, and therefore this was just like a signal to tell us not to have cigarettes, alcohol, drugs and have a balance diet with more vegetables than meat with fats in order to have a healthier body.

After visiting the museum in the hospital, we had an introduction lecture about the subject Medicine. The talk included the criteria to study Medicine in most of the universities as well as in Imperial College. The talk provided us with much information on studying Medicine. We could now surely understand what we would need to achieve in order to study Medicine.

Reflection on 17-7-2011

Maggie Yam (4S)


Today, we went sight-seeing in London to relax ourselves before the start of the next course.

Firstly, we went to the Windsor Castle. We had a chance to look at how the lives of the kings and queens were. We were very happy to visit such large and grand castle. After that, we went to a Chinese restaurant nearby and had our lunch. It had been a while since we haven’t eaten Chinese food. The food was very delicious, the decorations of the restaurant were also very nice. We enjoyed our meal very much.

Then, we went to the Tower Bridge. The bridge was unique with its blue pillars. The scenery on the two sides of the bridge was very beautiful and we took lots of pictures there.
After that, we took the bus to the St. Paul’s Cathedral. The buses in London had no big differences to the ones in Hong Kong, but it was a new experience for us to have a ride on the bus. As a Paulinian, it is a must for us to visit the St. Paul’s Cathedral, however, there was not much time left, we just took some group photos and went to the next site, the Millennium Bridge. It was built to celebrate the year of Millennium. After that, we took the underground back to our hall and had our dinner.

Tomorrow will be the start of another two weeks' STEM World summer course. We won’t be studying as a group of 8. Instead, we will be separated into different mentor groups. It is a chance for me to meet different people around the world and to communicate with them. It is also a chance for us to face different challenges and hence gain more experiences.

Debby Chau (4S)

Today we went sightseeing. We first travelled by train to the Windsor Castle which took us about an hour. The castle is magnificent and grand which includes the lower, middle and upper ward. At first, we decided to visit the Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House but due to the long queue and the bad weather, we went straight into the State Apartments. The rooms, portraits and decorations are beautiful and there were huge collections of treasures on display. Through listening to the audio guide, we understood more about the history of the Royal Family.

We then visited the Tower Bridge. We had a spectacular view of London when we were walking along the bridge and we took a lot pictures. Next, we went to the St. Paul’s Cathedral and its ruins from the big fire were clearly seen.

Tomorrow, we will be meeting our new mentors, friends and teachers and we are looking forward to a new week.

Reflection on 16-7-2011

Joey Chu (4S)

Today is our first day without a mentor and we followed our school teachers to do some sightseeing as well as shopping in central London. We went to the Portobello Market, there were lots of characteristic London products and the buildings there were also very beautiful. Despite the wet weather, we all enjoyed ourselves. Then we went to the British Museum, one of the biggest museums in the world. We saw a lot of great exhibits from different countries like Egypt, Britain and China. We even saw mummies there! We had learnt a lot more about the characteristics and history of these countries and have had a great time. What a pity we couldn’t visit every part of the museum due to the lacking of time. We then did some shopping in Oxford Circus. Although we can find most of the brands in Hong Kong, we were still happy to be staying together and shop in these extremely big shops. We had Chinese meals for both lunch and dinner. We were all so excited to have rice and other iconic Chinese dishes that we haven’t had for the past two weeks. It had been a really enjoyable day. After one more day of relax and leisure, we will be beginning another academic week!

Reflection on 15-7-2011

Katherine Lam (4A)


Today is the last day of our mathematics course. It is also our presentation day. We prepared for our presentations in the morning. Everything had to be done in a rush as we only got two hours for preparation. Luckily, our group managed to finish our script and PowerPoint just before lunch. However, we did not have enough time to practise. It made us very nervous.

After lunch, we went to the lecture theatre. Unlike what we did last week, this time, we had to present our project in front of the chemistry groups, mathematics groups, all academic leaders, mentors and school teachers. Our group was the first to present. Although we did not practise much the presentation ran smoothly and we could answer the question raised by Phil, our maths teacher. We got a certificate of participation and a badge after the presentation, symbolizing we had graduated from the course. We were so excited about having finished the course successfully but at the same time, it was sad for us to say goodbye to our mentors, who had always been so kind to us, helped us in our studies in the past two weeks.

In the afternoon, most of our schoolmates had to leave as the two-week summer course had come to an end. The campus became so quiet when all the STEM World students had left.

In the last two weeks, I learnt to manage time well as we got so many things to do everyday like having lessons and lectures, having evening activities and preparing for presentations. The experience of doing presentation was the most impressive. We used to have weeks or months to prepare for project presentations in Hong Kong and still felt that time was not enough. However, the experience of preparing a presentation in just two hours proved that we could manage our time better. In the following two weeks we will study different subjects. I will work hard to learn new knowledge and I believe we will have great time.

Ingrid Lai (4U)

Today is our presentation day again! This week, we studied Chemistry and our topic was ‘enzymes with apple juice and jelly’. Time was very limited, so we had to rush our work. After breakfast, Ella brought us to the computer lab and we started to work on our Powerpoint at once. Then, Barnaby brought us to the Reach Out Lab to see our jellies which have been left in the lab for a night. We then analysed the jellies to see if our hypothesis made earlier could stand or not.


The presentation began at 2pm. I was very nervous since we were the last group to present. Moreover, I had not practiced my script yet as I was copying my script onto my cue card during lunchtime. I felt I was ill-prepared for this presentation. Luckily, our presentation ran quite smoothly despite the fact that I sometimes spoke too fast and I read my script too much.

We then received certificates from Alan. I felt very honoured and emotional. I was proud of myself having completed the course, but at the same time, my friends from SPCS were going to leave in less than half an hour…

Still, we had to say ‘goodbye’ to our friends. We farewelled them one by one. It was really a touching moment.

At 6pm, we went to JCR for dinner. Yet, the staff said we could not have dinner there since the STEM World programme had already finished. As a result, we had to dine in the Eastside Cafe. The food there was quite delicious!

At night, we went to Harrods to do some shopping. We were amazed by its huge size! Everyone bought some souvenirs and Cynthia even became a member of Harrods!

In these two weeks, I thought I had changed a lot. The most significant change was I became more outgoing and eager in making new friends. This course was really fantastic as I could learn various aspects of Maths and Chemistry, have a taste of English life (for example, having traditional English breakfast every morning), as well as make friends from around the world.

Reflection on 14-7-2011

2011.07.14

Sharon Leung   (4S)

Today we had Mathematics lessons and we played games on game theory. Through the games, we negotiated all the time. We took part in several exciting and fast paced team challenges involving strategic decision making.

Game theory is commonly used to end wars, cut carbon emissions on making decisions. We learnt how to trust friends in order to achieve success and not to betray others because of short-term benefits.

Besides, we had an activity on iteration and chaos. We used excel to calculate some equations that we cannot solve ourselves. It was very useful in our study. I gained interest in Mathematics after the lessons.

In addition, we were preparing for the Cabaret on Thursday evening. Our group had a long discussion on what to perform. We co-operated with each other. We sincerely hope that we will have a good show on that day.

Isa Hung  (4T)

It is hard to believe that there are three more days left for us to be in Imperial College and London. We will be leaving for a night flight back to Hong Kong on Friday. We would surely miss our days here!

In the morning, we had lesson on the use of spectroscopy in Chemistry. We used aspirin produced from yesterday’s lesson to analyse the molecules contained through doing spectroscopy. The Chemistry building was huge and the laboratory was professional, with lots of equipment we had never seen. Through this lesson, we learnt more on the skill and use of spectroscopy. Technology really helps a lot in development of science.

After lunch, we attended another lesson on complex chemistry. Through various reactions and the process of titration, we could find the amount of copper in coins. We had to pay full attention during the experiment as the solution used was corrosive and the reaction would produce toxic gas. Part of the experiment had to be taken place in a fumed cupboard. However, one group from our class carelessly forgot to do so and accidentally dropped the coin into the beaker of reactant. Vigorous toxic gases were produced in the laboratory and the whole laboratory had to be evacuated. This was the most unforgettable experience we have ever had. We learnt the importance of listening and following strictly to instructions. We have to be very careful whenever we are working in the laboratory. 

For dinner, we went off campus to a traditional British restaurant. We had an abundant meal and felt very contented for such a treat.

     

Throughout the course at Imperial College, we do really enjoy the course and we like the experience of being a “two-week university student”. Through the two-weeks’ summer school is about to end ,it will definitely be a memorable experience!

Karen Ho (4T)

Time flies, we will be leaving Imperial College two days after. I am sure I will miss the learning and fun we have had here so much!

As usual, we went for lessons after breakfast. Today we were doing spectroscopy. We were very honoured to have the opportunity to use some advanced machines to analyse the composition of certain compounds. We never had such an opportunity to use these machines and this was definitely a very good experience.

    

In the afternoon, we had our lesson on complex chemistry. During the lesson, we had to perform an experiment which would produce some poisonous gas. We were supposed to carry out the experiment in a fumed cupboard. However, one group did not follow the instructions and handled the reactants outside the fumed  cupboard causing the toxic gas to accumulate. We all had to evacuate until the toxic gas had been ventilated. Luckily, no one was affected in the accident. We learnt a lesson from this experience that we should always follow instructions given by teachers when doing experiments so as to ensure our safety. 

In the evening, we went out for dinner. Although we have all been to that restaurant last week, we still enjoyed the food. After dinner, we practiced for our talent show. I am really looking forward to the performances of other groups and I hope our performance would be a success!

Tiffany To (4A)

These past two weeks have been an amazing experience for us. W have learnt a great deal. We learnt more about university life and we now have a better understanding on what we would encounter when we take up science and mathematics in the future.

The courses were very informative as we definitely learnt things we never learnt before. We were exposed to different learning Mathematics which involves more interactions during classes. We certainly became more active in class and more willing to pose questions to our professors. We even experienced the use of different equations in Chemistry. It was such a great experience. Mathematics was a great challenge for most of us but we learnt to persist and never give up.

All in all, these two weeks has been an unforgettable learning experience for us all. We will really miss this place and hope to come back again.

Mary Suarez (4T)

It’s nearly the end of our stay here. There will be a lot of things we will miss. Apart from the classes, we ill definitely miss our beloved professors and mentors. The have helped us through all our hard times. We real thank them for everything and we will greatly miss them.

We will also miss the beautiful campus and the fun and the interesting lectures and activities we had. Many amazing memories have been made and they will remain in our hearts forever.

We have also made new friends and hope that we will see each other again. Our group has become great friends and we learnt a lot from each other. We learnt how to work well as a team and learnt how to cooperate and listen to each other’s opinion.

Moreover, we learnt how to be more independent and we will never forget these two weeks, we will miss Imperial College! 

        

Reflection on 13-7-2011

Lizette Chua (4S)

In our chemistry lesson today, we used spectroscopy to analyze some aspirin we made yesterday. The specialized machinery was used to produce graphs showing different aspects of the aspirin, which were then compared to other graphs and information. It was fascinating to understand more about what we made, and we were once again struck by the depth and power of Chemistry. Our mentors and teacher then led us to explore more about these chemical substances.
In the afternoon, the topic was “Complex Chemistry”. This was a very interesting lesson which involved several experiments. We found the percentage of copper in a coin through a series of complicated procedures. This showed us how Chemistry can be applied in real-life situations.
Throughout the day and at night, we made final preparations for our talent show performance on Thursday. We rehearsed our poem and tried our best to keep up with the fast pace of the Element Song.. It was great fun and we hoped that the performance will go well tomorrow.

Buxani Bhavna (4T)

Today was our 3rd day doing the Chemistry course. In the morning, we finished up the synthesis of our aspirin and weighed it to do some calculating concerning the number of moles of the materials, such as the Oil of Wintergreen, the Salicylic Acid and the product, the aspirin. Next, we took samples of our aspirin and made our way to the Chemistry laboratory to look at our synthesized aspirin in greater detail using spectroscopy with Dr Melanie Bottrill. It was very interesting comparing the aspirin we made to the industrial aspirin.
After lunch, we did a bit of complex chemistry and continued to use spectroscopy techniques. We learnt about the complex compounds formed by transition metals and their structures and therefore why they are called complexes.

For Wednesday off campus dinner, we went to an Italian restaurant called “Garfunkel’s”, we had all sorts of pasta, burgers and pizzas. The Italian food we received here was much more flavoursome than what we get in Hong Kong and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Kathy Yu (4P)

We are having Mathematics lessons this week. The areas that we have learnt are quite difficult for us. We learnt about code breaking and we think that it is very challenging. We tried to break codes to figure out the clues, and used the decoded clues to tour around the campus to find out the answers to the questions. We also learnt about zero to infinity. We drew graphs to help further understanding and learnt many new formulae. We found the Mathematical Rainbow very interesting. Although it was difficult to understand everything taught during our lessons, we tried to be persisting and finished all the questions that we knew. We learnt about the Taylor series and we really do appreciate the beauty of numbers. We asked lots of questions during class to ensure that we understand the topic. The teachers and mentors were willing to teach us and they handled our questions with lots of patience. This enhanced the friendship between us and our new mentors. We surely gained a lot from the lessons and we want to say thank you to our mentors.

Ivy Young (4T)

Today is the third day of our mathematics course. We have been taught about the Game theory in Mathematics. In the previous days we learnt about topics that we have never came across, such as code breaking and the Mathematical Rainbow. They were difficult for us but we still managed to sole the Mathematical problems. However, the Game theory was very easy to understand. We took part in several exciting and fast paced team challenges which involved negotiations and strategic decision making. We think that the Game theory is probably the most interesting topic for us as we understand it the most. We also learnt about the theory of Loops and Lynxes in the afternoon session. Although this topic is difficult, we were still able to overcome it through questioning and peer teaching. We now have more ideas about many new areas in Mathematics and we enjoyed the lessons a lot.

In the evening, we had our meal off campus. The food there was special and delicious. We discussed about the topics we have learnt during lessons and shared our ideas among ourselves. We enjoy the day very much and we are certainly ready for the challenges ahead.

reflection on 12-7-2011

Reflection on 12-7-2011


Stephanie Wong (4U)

Today is the second day of our mathematics course. We have approached code-breaking—the concept of modulus and different remainder theorems. Through this morning’s session we have learnt to think flexibly as we tried to use different methods to crack each code! Through these code-breaking activities, we knew more about the job of FBI and we found this very interesting.

The real challenge came in the afternoon session. Most of us were confused with the mathematical rainbow which was a new concept we had never heard of. But we were glad that all for us persisted to solve the problems. During the process and our discussion, we have developed our friendship further and were able to apply previous knowledge to new situations. We dearly enjoyed the sense of self-satisfaction brought about by challenging ourselves.

Tiffany Yue (4S)

After dinner, we prepared for the talent show on Thursday excitedly. There was a controversy on what to perform. Moreover, we can still reach a consensus. Through our discussion, we learnt to listen to other’s opinions with empathy and learnt to compromise through patient communication.

We had a lot of fun in preparing the show. Although there were quarrels, we felt the sparks from cooperating with new friends. Besides, we fully made use of everyone’s talents. For instance, the ones who are good at singing will do the solo and the ones who are good at drawing will be responsible for making the props.

After tonight, we get to know more about our teammates. With all of our efforts, we believe we will definitely put on a good show on Thursday!

Janice Chan (4S)

Today right after breakfast, we headed off to the Reach Out Lab to start our second day of the Chemistry Course. We studied and experimented with different rates of reactions and plotted our results. We then controlled our rates of reaction to produce our products in a certain amount of time. We carried out our experiments along with a video of 1812 Overture with Canons and synchronized our reactions with the canons in the video which was quite challenging.

After lunch, we carried out an experiment involving the synthesis of aspirin with salicylic acid. We also learnt a bit more about organic chemistry and the materials we were going to use such as the oil of wintergreen and salicylic acid. We first carried out the hydrolysis of oil of wintergreen to form salicylic acid and then synthesized the salicylic acid into aspirin. Overall, it was an interesting yet challenging afternoon.

After dinner, we discussed amongst our group mates on what to do for the Talent Show on Thursday night. We decided on doing one of our poem recited from the Speech Festival, namely “Write A Rap Rap”! We practiced and rehearsed and we hope we will put on a good performance!

Joey Chu (4S)

We had a lot of new experiences on the second day of our Chemistry lesson. It was the first time I felt so professional in the laboratory, wearing safety spectacles, laboratory coat and gloves performing experiments. I was really amazed when I saw the aspirin that I was holding in my hands, made by me and my partner in the lesson. We used many new equipments for our experiment which we haven’t seen before, like a vacuum filter. It was really interesting to see how it works. This could be a new method for me to anhydrate a substance next time! In our experiments, we even used some dangerous substances like concentrated acids which we had to handle with extra care and under supervision. We had truly learned a lot of new things and had acquired new skills in doing Chemistry experiments.

Besides, we had started preparing for the talent show on Thursday. We had a lot of ideas at first but finally decided on doing choral speaking. In the few hours staying together, we had already prepared a lot of things. We hope that our show will be a success and we can show everyone the best of us.

Cherry Kwok (4L)

Today is the second day of our Chemistry week and we started to do some interesting experiments. Instead of watching chemical reactions which demonstrated simple chemistry principles, we looked into deeper knowledge on rate of reaction and organic chemistry today.

The morning section was about rate of reaction through observing a reaction of a mixture of chemicals. The solution would turn blue-black after some time as iodine and starch reacted. We examined the time taken to change the colour of the solution. We learnt that precision is very important and small incautiousness could cause big problems. In the experiments, one of the groups forgot to add enough distilled water in the first reactions, making their results much smaller than the others.

After lunch we tried to make Aspirin, a common painkiller, in the laboratory. We used many chemicals that we have never seen or heard before. They were comparatively more complex than what we usually see. Instead of simple hydrocarbons like methane, CH4, we met chemicals like salicyclic acid. It was important for us to understand and apply our knowledge rather than simply memorizing everything. We also learnt to deal with different unexpected circumstances such as reactions that didn’t work and problematic reactants. Luckily, we were able to sort out everything calmly.

In the evening, we practices for our talent show on the day after tomorrow. We came up with a lot of creative ideas to be used on our show. We hope to make the funniest show among all groups.

We were all exhausted when we got back to our dormitories. We all hoped that we would learn more in the future and would give a good, entertaining show on Thursday.

Cordelia Hau (4P)

Today is the third day that we’re having chemistry lessons and the task for the day is to make aspirin-a drug that is often used to relieve minor aches and pains and to reduce fever. We have our chemistry lessons in the Reach Out Laboratory where there is some high standard equipment to help us carry out the experiments. Right at the the entrance of the laboratory there are some lockers with the names of the elements printed. When we saw them, we were so excited and astonished. They are all very beautiful indeed. During the day, we had to perform and carry out a few experiments with complex procedures, which require chemicals that we had never come across before. These chemicals are extremely reactive and corrosive. Special care and attention were needed or else we may hurt ourselves as a result. We had to listen to Alan and our course leaders’ instructions attentively and follow them accordingly and accurately. And eventually, after the long day, we could produce our aspirin samples successfully. We are so satisfied and delighted. From our experience of the day, we learnt that although the pathway to success is always very difficult and full of obstacles or impediments, we must not give up in the middle and waste our effort and time. We must always persist till ht eend in order to achieve our goals.

Claudia Law (4T)

This was the second day of the week learning Mathematics. At first, I found it very challenging. When I sought for help on some of the questions, I asked my mentor when we would learn this kind of Mathematics. The answer really stunned us all! It is a Year 3 University Mathematics problem. From then onwards, I was amazed whenever I could solve any of the questions. This was an invaluable experience in which every one of us could strive for our best. At the same time, we still had to strive for accuracy other than understanding the calculation method. Although this course was generally challenging, it indeed deepened my interest in Chemistry and Mathematics.

In the evening, we were told that a talent quest would be held on Thursday evening in which all of us must participate. Our group had finally decided to sing and dance on the stage after a long discussion. I hope that this performance could mark up our success.

Natalie So (4T)

Today, we had a very challenging and yet fruitful lesson about number theory and the mathematical rainbow.

During today’s lesson, we were exposed to many new mathematical terms, theorems and equations. Though the mathematics was quite hard to understand, it was really a very fun and interesting process to learn new things that we never came across before.

Through the lesson, we learned that whenever we come across with new things or challenges, we should face it and explore it but not running away from it. By doing so, we can learn and find the solution of such challenges. This sense of achievement is very rewarding! Although the path of finding solution might seems to be hard, efforts should be paid to reach the outcome, as the old saying says ‘no pain, no gain!’ Moreover, this lesson taught us to be persistent when facing challenges. For example, when we have a mathematical problem to solve, we may not be able to solve it at once, we should try for several more times to succeed.

Also, through today’s lesson, we learned that we should never be afraid to ask or raise questions. By doing so, we can understand more and get to know different approaches to problems.

All in all, today’s mathematics lesson not only gave us an outlook on mathematics in university, it also taught us lots of useful knowledge for us to apply in our daily life.

reflection on 11-7-2011

Reflection on 11-7-2011


Sharon Wong (4S)

Today, we had our first lesson of mathematics. For the first part of our lesson, we did code breaking. It is a game with codes and clues, and we need to solve it in order to find out the place and answer the questions. Through this game, I learnt new code-solving skills and this also improved my critical thinking skills

For the second part of our lesson, the topic is ‘zero to infinity’ we learnt more about set and the teacher used lively examples to make us understand more. Since the level in maths lesson is higher than those in Hong Kong and at times, we came across difficulties in solving questions. The teachers and mentors helped us a lot to solve our problems. We had enriched our mathematical knowledge and this would help us a lot in our further studies. Moreover, we learnt that persisting and being calm is important in solving problems. We are looking forward to the next mathematics lesson.

Ruby Tin (4S)

Today is our first day of our mathematics lesson and we have a lot of “brain challenge games” in the morning. The games are interesting and introduce us to the brand new subject of our lessons.

Our mathematics lesson starts with a decoding campus quiz and through the quiz, we learn more cooperating with others and try to think flexibly. As the codes cannot be solved only by yourself, we need to divide our workload and trust one another. Also since there are a lot of decoding methods, the quiz requires us to think in different ways to get the clue.

In the afternoon, we have the chance to know more about the introduction of ‘zero and infinity’. We all think that the topic is rather difficult as we haven’t learnt anything related to it in Hong Kong. Luckily, the teachers and mentors are all very patient and are willing to answer our questions.

Similar to the week before, we have some ice-breaking activities at night. This time, we need to run around the campus to look for numbers that fit the clues. The clues are really tricky and we have lots of fun guessing them. The last activity of the day is to build a tower as tall as possible with the aids jelly-babies and raw spaghetti. We all agree that this is the hardest part among all as the spaghetti is very brittle and the jelly-babies are not strong enough. But, after all we think that the day is very fruitful and meaningful.

Hilda Fung (4S)

We had our first Chemistry lesson today. Jayne and Barnaby, our academic mentors, are very kind and helpful to us. They are generous to offer us guidance when we are in doubt.

We had a mini presentation on doing a chemistry demonstration. My group forgot which chemical was which, because they all looked similar. Eventually, our group had to think on our feet and made up what we had to say as the demonstration went on. After this mini presentation, we started to feel more comfortable with doing presentation.

In the evening, we had an ice-breaking activity which was about building something we could see in a fairground. Lots of creativity had to be used in this activity. We were impressed with other people’s work and we found lots of new ideas from their designs. There were lots to learn from and we all think that it was an interesting activity.

Janice Chan (4S)

Today we had a very interesting lecture on the Physics of a Cup of Tea. We were told about the various designs of the tea bag. The pattern made when milk is added to tea drop by drop. This was also demonstrated using water and ink. We were able to observe ring-like pattern when drops of ink were added into the water.

Moreover, we started our Chemistry course with the CEO of the Reach Out Lab, Alan West. We carried out many demonstrations in the Reach Out Lab with our new mentor, Jayne and Barnaby. We froze and hardened rubber tubing and flowers in liquid nitrogen which could then be broken easily as they lost their elasticity and softness.

Later on in the evening, we went to the Science Museum and looked at the science of motors, space and the human beings. However, we ran short of time and had to miss out on quite a bit.

After dinner, we played some games as group activities. We played the Photo quiz again which involved hunting for answers and locations based on clues and pictures given to us. It was a fun game and soon after that we headed off to bed.

Chaahat Gambhir (4T)

Today was our very firsts day to work in the Reach-out Lab with Mr. Alan West MBE. It was a fun day in which we carried out quite a lot of demonstrations such as freezing a rubber tube using liquid nitrogen and then banging it on the table so that it broke into small pieces.

We also conducted other experiments such as popping some pellets of dry ice(solid carbon dioxide) into a film canister and then waiting for the film canister to burst due to increased pressure.

Finally, we also used acidified potassium permanganate(purple in colour) to make ‘water’,’milk’,’milkshake’ and ‘champagne’. It was a really interesting experiment and has really aroused all of our interest in learning Chemistry.

Within the past week and today, I have come to realize that no matter how hard a task is, it is possible to achieve success through hardwork and dedication as well as persistence and self-confidence.

For example, up until today’s Chemistry lesson, I used to be very nervous doing experiments in the lab because I used to constantly fear that I would break the apparatus. However, after doing today’s experiments, I have gotten rid of my fear and am now looking forward to doing many more experiments in the lab.

Last but not least, I made some new friends from Scotland and the UK, both of whom are very friendly and nice.

Yammie Lam (4S)

Today is the day that we will have new mentors and new lessons after an enjoyable weekend. Although we like the mathematics lessons and our mentor, Dawit, was very nice, we are still very looking forward to our chemistry lessons and new mentor. After the morning meeting, our cute new mentor, Barnaby, took us to the Queen’s lawn to have lunch. It was so comfortable and relaxing! It was a very different experience because we do not have such extensive lawns in Hong Kong.

We made a polymer in our first chemistry lesson. After that, we had some ice-breaking games again. We had so much fun and we were all tired out. We then went back to our rooms and took a rest to prepare for another fruitful day.

Patsy Lau (4S)

Today is our first Mathematics lesson since we arrived at Imperial College.

After breakfast, we took part in the “Continuing Students Activity” in groups of five. In this game, we had to build a model car. However, the one who built the model may not look at the finished model. The leader had to coordinate the building process. Through this game, we have learnt that co=-operation is very important when doing group work.

After lunch, we had our mathematics lesson. The first part of the lesson is code breaking. I found this fame really fun and interesting. We have to break those codes in order to find the right place in the school campus. Although it was really tired for us to run everywhere, we all enjoyed ourselves and have learnt to think in different ways. If we just think in one way and don’t try other methods, we won’t be able to solve problems.

After dinner, we played some ice-breaking games. We built roller-coaster models using Lego and a motor. I found this game really interesting as this game allowed us to learn how to think out of the box. I will certainly share these experiences with my family and friends.

Tammy Law (4L)

Today is the start of a brand new week which marks the end of our Chemistry lectures. Throughout the last week, we got the chance to deepen our understanding on Chemistry and broaden our horizons by visiting historical monuments like the Buckingham Palace and the Big Ben. We learnt a lot and that was a great experience for our growth.

In the morning, after breakfast, we formed groups and played a game constructing cars using out teamwork. We co-operated, communicated and were patient in order to accomplish the task given.

At noon, we sat for a guest lecture on the topic “The Physics of a Cup of Tea”. That was very inspiring and we learnt that the slightest things on Earth matters.

In the afternoon, we attended our first Mathematics lesson. We first filled out a quiz by having a coded tour of Imperial College. We used our talent to complete different sorts of decoding work. That was very challenging and we enjoyed ourselves. After that, the teacher taught us on the topic “Zero to Infinity”. It was quite difficult and we learnt to be patient to understand it.

In the evening, we used lego pieces to construct games seen at a funfair. It was a new game for us and we learnt to be innovative, cooperative and communicative.

Today is an unforgettable day and we hope to learn more about Mathematics in the following days.

reflection on 10-7-2011

Reflection on 10-7-2011


Aleena Wong (4T)

After breakfast, we were taken to the kitchen to prepare food for our picnic. We each took some drinks and fruit, and made sandwiches. At around 12:30 p.m., we left for Hyde Park.

At Hyde Park we all sat down in groups and ate. When we had all finished, we played some games. My friends and I played soccer and hula hoop. Some other people played rugby and cricket.

It was an amazing afternoon with wonderful weather and we spent many hours playing Limlo and other games, or simply lying down and relaxing.When it was around 5 o’clock, we made our way back to the halls of residence, where we stayed until we went to a Japanese restaurant for dinner.

It had been a pleasant afternoon at the park. We enjoyed it very much because in Hong Kong, there aren’t any big spacious parks with grass lawns.

Sindy Yeung (4S)

Today is Sunday, meaning that it is time to play hard. After having a late breakfast at the junior common room, we went back to the dormitories to pack our bags for today’s picnic. Then, our mentors led us to the kitchen to make sandwiches for lunch. The table was covered with food we had ordered earlier, including fresh fruits like bananas, strawberries and grapes, and also snacks such as crisps and chocolates. Whereas for the sandwiches, we had bought ham, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and avocado. At around twelve, we set off to Hyde Park. The weather had been sunny and a bit windy. It was an enjoyable walk. Soon, we found ourselves sitting in circle on a grassy lawn. Lunch began, all of us were savoring the home-made sandwiches. Fruits, snacks and drinks were never in short supply, we had a rich meal. Then, games began. There were different games going on at the same time, mentors were playing Limbo, the boys had a soccer game, while we played cards and hula hoops. When we got tired, we would lay on the grass and chat with friends. Everyone was enjoying themselves. It was such relaxing afternoon. For dinner, our group went to Wagamama, a Japanese restaurant. It had been a long time since I last ate Japanese food in Hong Kong. I ordered fried noodles which were a bit salty, but still very tasty. After a short walk back to our dorms, we were allowed to chill out before washing up and going to bed. This was by far the best day I had in London.

Jennifer Chu (4A)

Today was a relaxing day after the busy week. All group members said that they had a long sleep last night and were not willing to wake up this morning. After breakfast, we went to the kitchen to prepare our ‘picnic lunch’. It was a new experience for us we had few opportunities to prepare picnics in Hong Kong. When we arrived at the Hyde Park, we were amazed by the spectacular view as everything was so picturesque… the green grass and the blue sky fluffy clouds. We enjoyed ourselves a lot at the park. We played a lot of games and sports and I even slept on the grass.

After this relaxing day, we have to prepare for the lessons next week and it will be a fresh start.

Rachel Chao (4A)

Today was the second Sunday since we came to UK. After having breakfast, we collected food that we had ordered on Friday. We had fruits, bread, ham, cheese…etc. We made our own sandwiched for the picnic in the Hyde Park. After about one hour of preparation, we assembled in groups and finally set off to the Hyde Park. There were lots of families enjoying their Sunday in the Hyde Park. Some were playing ball games, some were cycling and others were jogging. We found it so surprising that there is such a big and green park in Central London. We think this was the most relaxing day since we arrived at Imperial College. We enjoyed sitting on the grass to have our lunch and playing different games in the park since we seldom have this chance in Hong Kong.

Ingrid Lai (4U)

Today was a picnic day! We made our food in the morning together. There were: bread, wrap, cheese, lettuce, corn and some mayonnaise with tuna and chicken. We also had some fruits, such as grapes and pears. Although all of our group mates scored A in their Home Economics lessons, we still made a mess due to the limited space and utensils. However, I enjoyed this process since it is a rare opportunity for us to make our own food and go for a picnic.

At noon, we brought our food together with some balls and hoops and headed to Hyde Park. We shared our team spirit by taking the heavy bags of food and drinks alternatively. After a ten-minute walk, we arrived at Hyde Park. We were very excited as many of us were starving.

It was relaxing to sit on the lawn and we enjoyed the sun. Thanks to the weather for being so charming today. After having our ‘home-made’ sandwiches and wraps, we started to play. Some played football, some played hoops and some played hide and seek. Everyone was running here and there. We definitely enjoyed the outing.

I had made a new friend during the picnic too. He is Sercan and he comes from Turkey. He is fourteen years old and he had been studying forensic science in the first week of the STEM summer school. His favourite sport is football. I thought it was a great chance to know and learn different cultures by making new friends. I hope I would be able to do so in the coming weeks!

We went back to our dormitory at 5pm. While I was playing cards with Ivy in my room, the fire alarm rang. I grabbed my room card immediately and ran to the ground floor. I saw everyone panicking: some ran out in bare foot, some with their hair wet and some even brought their luggage with them! We were told to go onto the lawn. Luckily, after 5 minutes, we could go back to our rooms. This was surely a memorable experience for me.

Lorraine Fung (4S)

Time flies! We have stayed in England for a week already and we have gradually got used to lives here. After yesterday’s long walk, we all got phobia walking. Yet, we were still looking forward our picnic lunch.

We had breakfast this morning as usual. Before long, we gathered at the kitchen in the dormitory to prepare our food for the picnic. Throughout the presentation, we had a good time and we came to understand the significance of labour division. We finally made wraps and sandwiches successfully because of our well-designed collective effort.

After that, we set off to Hyde Park on foot. The weather was just right for outdoor activities and we spent a brilliant afternoon there. Besides having what we made in the kitchen, we played a lot of group activities such as killer, balls, cards, of even greater appeal, we also played limbo, which is a game testing our body flexibility and we all enjoyed it.

In this picnic, we knew more about each other and this also strengthened our friendship. In London, we can get away from the hustle and bustle in Hong Kong, We felt relaxed and we enjoyed staying in the natural environment. But all these things won’t last forever, If we don’t protect the earth, our next generation will not be able to enjoy this wonderful scenery. So let’s be environmentally friendly!

Sandra Leung (4S)

Today is Sunday, we went to Hyde Park to have a picnic. However, we had to prepare the food and drinks first. Our group ordered some bread, veggies, ham, bacon, corn and mayonnaise to make sandwiches and salads. Also, we made some fruit punches. We learned how to cooperate with others to make food. We each did a part of the job and got it done quickly. After making the food in the hall’s kitchen, we carried all the stuff to the park nearby. In the park, we played cards with the mentors. We also played some sports games. When we played the games, we made new friends with other groups. I hope that we will keep in touch when the summer school ends.

We went to a restaurant for “fish and chips” and pizzas after we left the park. “Fish and chips” are simply a fish fillet with French fries. This is a very traditional and popular English dish. Although the dish was quite unhealthy, we think that we really blended in the English life.