OITP @ London (Day 9-15)

Day 9

We continued our usual routine to the school’s Henry Morley Cluster Room to have our project discussion. The Henry Morley Cluster Room is a place for students of UCL to have their project discussions and presentation – a little like our school’s hangout. With many facilities available, such as the coffee machine, LED televisions and even whiteboards, it makes it an extremely conducive environment for students to hold their presentation sessions and even meetings for projects here.

Coffee machine

Water dispenser

TV

Comfy sofa

After discussing and researching on the necessary information on our project, we went on to Brunswick Shopping Centre – which is only a ten minute walk from our school – to have our lunch. Highly recommended by the Singaporean students we met in UCL, we had our first Singaporean meal at Hare & Tortoise. Shi Hui ordered the Sweet and Sour Chicken Rice while I ordered the Satay Chicken Chow Mein. The food was very filling and tasty and is definitely worth coming back!

Shi Hui's Sweet and Sour Chicken Rice

My Satay Chicken Chow Mein

After our short lunch, we continued with our project discussion.

Day 10

Shi Hui and I attended the Project Management lecture at The Malet Place, which the lesson was on ‘Earned Value’. The lecture was extremely insightful and interesting and I have learnt a lot in calculating the costs. As the schedule was relatively packed, we went to look for Mr Richard right after the lecture to present him our preliminary research findings and survey questionnaire. He gave us comments on the areas to improve and tips on how to carry on with the project. Mr Richard also briefed us on the conference coming up the next day.


After the project discussion with Mr Richard, he brought us to The Foster Court for a law seminar. At the seminar, the professor taught us the application of Contract Law to different situations and circumstances. I have learnt a great deal in the two hours seminar.

We then move on to have our buffet lunch at Pizza Hut, which is just a few metres walk from our hotel. The buffet lunch costs £6.99, with a wide spread of food we can get, such as pastas, pizzas and salads and it was totally worth the price!

Pizza Hut buffet!

Salad bar

 After filling our stomachs, Shi Hui and I proceeded on with our project discussion and research.

Day 11 

Paddington Station

Our ticket to Slough

Paddington Station

Paddington Station

On National Rail, First Great Western

Our first event on the outskirt west of central London: Slough. At 8.30am, Shi Hui and I dressed up formally and met Mr Richard in his office. We took the Underground Tube together (for the first time too!) to Paddington Station, and then took the National Rails to Slough.Upon reaching Slough, we took a hired taxi down to the ITMB Student Event (South) at CA Ditton Manor.

Slough

Slough

Slough

Slough

Slough

Sainsbury's

Lush greenery

Slough

Entering CA Ditton Manor on the taxi

It really does look like a palace right?

Year 1 IMB students! :)

Our name tags

Pond in front of the entrance

The silhouette does remind me of a palace

The place is absolutely grand and mesmerisingly rustic – almost palace-like. The ITMB Student Event (South) started off with registration for different universities, and proceeded on with a welcome from e-skills UK and CA Technologies. Sequentially, the top management from respective companies like Deloitte, HP Enterprise Services, Shell, PwC and Procter & Gamble gave their speeches too. It was not only an enriching and fruitful experience to actually meet the directors and managers of these massively large firms, it is also a privilege to listen to them share and impart their experience and knowledge in their job field.

During the speeches

Apart from the insightful speeches, different companies were present at booths set up in CA Ditton Manor to answer enquiries from the students too. The companies that were present were: Accenture, Capgemini, Centrica, Credit Suisse, Deloitte, Drive Software Solutions, FDM Group, HP, IBM, Logica, National Grid, PwC, SAS, Shell, Sopra Group and Teach First. We had interviewed the representatives from each of the listed companies to answer some questions for our project. Many of the representatives were extremely friendly and were really helpful in giving us insights on how their company works, and of course, answering our interview questions.

Capgemini!

 During our lunch break, after having some light refreshments, Shi Hui and I moved out of the building to the park. The park is breathtakingly beautiful with everything you can imagine – trees, flowers, benches, birdhouses and a little river. There were even swans and ducks frolicking around, which is very much different from the parks in Singapore. As the Slough is near Heathrow Airport, planes are regularly seen flying across the skies too!

CA Ditton Manor

CA Ditton Manor

Shi Hui - all cheery!

Gentlemen from other universities -- all formally dressed

Another silhouette

At the park

Birdhouse

Flowers

Flowers

The naked trees

A little river

Swans gliding through the waters

Trails left by the airplanes

Shi Hui, all dressed up!

SWANS~

A plane

SWANS~

It was definitely an eye-opening experience meeting the top management of multinational giants as well as the students from other universities too. The event was truly informative and enriching and I have enjoyed myself thoroughly throughout the whole event.

Day 12

Shi Hui and I attended the Leadership, Ethics & Communication lecture at The Foster Court, which the lesson was on Stakeholder Management and Issues Management. The lecture was conducted in an interactive manner where videos and case studies were presented to keep the students thinking and analysing. The engagement and involvement keeps the three hours lecture fun and interesting. I have gained knowledge and learnt a lot during the lecture.

After the lecture, we were on our way back to Brunswick Shopping Centre to have our lunch. On our way there, just near the entrance of UCL, we chance upon a farmers market! Food like artisan bread, pastas and hotdog buns were sold. We did not purchase anything as it was very crowded and the queue was relatively long.

Farmers Market!

Sausages

Organic produce

Look at the crowd!

Queue

Artisan breads!

Some other artisan breads

Brunswick Shopping Centre!

 We then made our way to Brunswick Shopping Centre and had pastries from Waitrose, which are largely affordable and most of all, it tastes good! Shi Hui had the Butterscotch Pecan Crowns while I had the Blueberry Danish Pastry.

Right after our short tea-break, we went back to UCL to meet Mr Richard, where we had further discussion on the progress of project. After the meeting with Mr Richard, we went back to Medawar Building to have our ‘Law for Manager’ lecture at Watsons Lecture Theatre. In this lesson, we learnt Health & Safety in both Civil and Criminal Law. It was a very intriguing lesson and I have really learnt a lot, especially things that are greatly relevant to the world.

The law lecture ended at 6.00pm, and Shi Hui and I went back to the hotel and continued our project research.

Day 13 – Day 15

Shi Hui and I discussed and researched on the project, and stayed in the hotel for the whole day.