October 27, 2020

3 Years of Lessons Learned at LSE

Having finished my BSc Government at LSE and with time to reflect, I thought of some advice I could pass on to an 18 year old me. This is by no means a definitive or exhaustive list but a collection of thoughts and insights I wish I knew at the start.

Accept that you’re not going to know everything – probably the biggest shock to me upon arriving at university was thinking that there would be a defined amount of content I could learn and I would ‘know everything’ for that topic (as was my experience during A-Levels). This might be more true of qualitative modules. Despite putting a lot of effort in my work it felt like I wasn’t doing enough because there was always an argument, a paper, or something someone would point to and I would think ‘why didn’t I come across that? I didn’t prepare enough’. It is an iterative process, your understanding of particular topics will be deepened once you have covered more content even if they aren’t directly linked.
Become comfortable with feeling stupid – when something doesn’t make sense in a lecture or a class, do not panic. There’s going to be plenty of moments you feel stupid for not understanding something; welcome to LSE. This part of the process will definitely make you a more resilient person. The adjustment can be a shock, especially coming from an environment of acing papers at A-Level..
It is a marathon not a sprint – you don’t need to have it all figured out in a month, or a term, or even an academic year – the point is you try things and learn from that.
Treat university like a job – an analogy I like to use is that classes, lectures, and office hours are your ‘meetings’ so come prepared. Define your own working hours and see if your productivity increases.Try to experiment with different systems and see what works for you.
Look at the lecture slides beforehand – Especially for quant students.
Watch lectures twice – once to pick up lecturer’s comments for your notes and once for understanding.
Go to lectures in person – don’t fall into the habit of telling yourself you’ll catch-up
Use all the resources LSE has to offer – these are just a few of the resources that provide incredible help. Keep a lookout for anything that might be useful:
- LSE LIFE – you’ll be a master of referencing, essay writing, note-taking and so much more
- LSE Careers
- Department/society mentoring schemes
- LSE Students Union
Don’t buy into the finance/law/consulting career hype straight away – this isn’t a knock on those professions at all. Instead it is wise to look at a wide variety of career options, given the doors LSE can open for you, and explore what is possible.
Treat office hours as another lecture or class i.e. mandatory every week – this is your chance to have some 1-to-1 time with some of the brightest minds. Use the opportunity to deepen your understanding of the module or even to further your interest in that area of academia in general. Either way, build a rapport with the lecturers and class teachers and use them to the fullest extent you can.
Build a good relationship with your academic adviser – part of my (relative) success in managing my way through the contours of LSE has been because of my academic advisor. Their function isn’t strictly defined, mine tended to help me understand university regulations and act as a source of wisdom. They are a useful point of contact for you and if you have any LSE queries they are a good place to start.
Don’t learn for the exam – there are some parts of the course that a lecturer will teach you for the sake of education. Throughout the year adopt an attitude of wanting to learn for the sake of learning. Exam season will be the time to refine and prepare for the exam – it doesn’t hurt to learn something new.
Take an outside module – it’s an enriching opportunity to learn something completely different – definitely enriched my university experience. For example, I chose PH101 Logic in my second year and it was one of the most enjoyable modules I took. Having three GV modules that year was quite heavy so the switch to a completely different discipline was refreshing. It also piqued a lot of areas of interest, some of which I still reflect on today.
Don’t try to “game” your degree – don’t take a course based on how many firsts are given and therefore how ‘easy’ it is. Many students fall into the trap of taking first year courses like AC102/103 given the high proportion of firsts and end up hating it. Pick modules you like, don’t expect the grades to come easy, you are at the LSE after all.
For students living away from home: try to live as close to campus as you can – a walk or bus ride away if possible (finances permitting)– I went from living in Bankside house (20 mins walk away from LSE) to Zone 2 (30 minutes via underground) to Zone 4 (60 minutes via underground) and each year I hated my commute a lot more. In general it is more liberating to be less reliant on the tube and will be easier to manage your time. Two hours commute daily is two hours wasted.
Go to a public lecture.
Don’t be tricked by the seemingly sparse timetable – 4 modules with a lecture and a class for each, that is 8 – 16 hours of your time i.e. two days of a Monday to Friday 9 to 5. That leaves three whole days and a weekend of time.
Contribute in classes – a class can go one of two ways – excruciating silence and forced participation OR there is lively discussion. Either way you benefit from participating as you can chat practically 1-to-1 with an expert teacher, with real time feedback or do so with your peers.
Don’t think people know they have their sh*t together: they do not – you might be struggling with the workload for a few weeks and look around thinking ‘damn, everyone else has it together, why don’t I?’ In time you will realise some students genuinely are better prepared, but in general most of us are trying to muddle our way through it while dealing with our own problems.
Don’t half commit to a society – go all in, it is the best way to maximise your time – one of my biggest regrets was that I didn’t commit to the Debate Society as much as I could have. There were so many events that I opted not to join in. Looking back I wish I engaged more rather than just dipping my toe in.
Don’t just stick your degree cohort, branch out – by this I mean make an effort to make friends with people on different degree programmes and at different universities. Look out for inter-university society collaborations and other avenues to develop and meet new people.
Find a study space you like on campus and get there early.
Get to grips with degree regulations and how your degree is classified – understand the difference between a half-module and a full-module, how they are treated and what exactly you need for a first (or the grade you are aiming for). This can add a level of clarity and focus. All this information is easy to find on the LSE Calendar and if you are still uncertain then you can always speak to your academic advisor.
Understand that a lot of teachers at university are not full time, it’s only part of their job – most of your class teachers at LSE will be PhD students as opposed to dedicated teaching professionals at your sixth-form or secondary school. Therefore what to expect from a class will be different. By this I mean that it is more your responsibility to ensure you get out of it what you need. Don’t expect extensive monitoring of your understanding of the content – it is your job to seek clarification.
Routine. Routine. Routine – this isn’t LSE specific but a general axiom for managing a busy life.
Look at in-text references and bibliography for more papers on a topic – may sound obvious to some but something I only picked up in Lent Term of my first year and is now my primary way of finding literature beyond the reading list.
Take time for yourself and your hobbies.