With just over one month until you all begin to descend on Imperial College London I wanted to pass on my experiences of the first hour of the forum as both a participant and member of staff.
The journey here can be nervous and tiring; for many of you this may be your first time out of your home country or your first time in the UK. The important thing to remember is that you are not alone. Many people may be travelling on their own, rather than part of a group, but once you are safely at Imperial College you will all be part of the LIYSF 2013 family!
I remember that nervous feeling, not knowing entirely what to expect and the knowledge that other than the friend I had come with from my school, I knew no one else in London. However, the moment I entered the halls of residence we were met by friendly and reassuring staff, who explained everything to us and put us at ease. Within minutes I had met people from across the globe that I am still in touch with.
This year, as the host of Beit Halls, I can personally guarantee you the same welcome I received four years ago. We are equally as excited as you are about this year’s LIYSF. I can also guarantee you that by 7pm on the 24th July you will have had the chance to meet many of your fellow participants.
I know that at this stage you and your parents will have many questions regarding your stay in London. For you: there will be eight members of staff in each hall of residence who will welcome you and explain the most relevant information; should you still have questions they will be very pleased to answer them for you or to simply reassure you. For your parents: London generally is a very safe city, the area surrounding Imperial College is even more so. The staff team are very experienced in dealing with every kind of eventuality and all of them have been participants in the past.
I hope that this goes, at least some way, to reassuring you and I look forward to welcoming you to Imperial College on Wednesday 24th July.
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