LSE

[LilSebastien]

Dd has got an offer from LSE to study Politics and IR which she is ecstatic about.

I don't really know much about it though - I thought that only people who wanted to be bankers went there.

I've also read that the social life, academic support and teaching quality aren't great - does anyone have any experience of LSE?

You could ask at studentroom.com forum, there are lots of current studenst over there who will be happy to answer your questions.

Oops, sorry, it's the www.thestudentroom.co.uk. good luck!

I have a very ex boyfriend who went to LSE. He now works for Reuters in various far flung countries

Former prime minister Jim Hacker went there

LSE has a very good refutation. I would jump at the chance

Because of it's International reputation and location , it is popular with people who plan to work in the City and there's a significant percentage of students from overseas.

Going to university in London means that socialising is expensive and you have to travel more to meet up as people may be scattered around but getting employment during my degree and afterwards was easier.

LSE is a great place to study providing that she wants to be in London rather than at a campus university. It's very much part of the city so a different feel from some. She sounds as though she knows something about it (hopefully has visited). If not maybe she should go and take a look around. It's a world class college and most people who go there would have it very high on their list of choices.

It's a premier offer from a prestigious and well resourced, well respected institution, she should grab it with both hands! Whether she goes into politics, economics, finance, policy research/development or whatever, having LSE as her degree institute will go a long way.

I went there in the 80s. It didn't suit me and I wasn't happy there. Way too political! And the social scene wasn't great as everyone lived all over the place. I envied my friends who went to campus universities. But ... the standards there are outstanding and for the right students it's a real springboard to a fantastic career.

DSS is there. It has a good reputation but has received poor feedback in surveys from students about the quality of teaching and support. DSS does feel that it is very difficult to get access to his tutors if he has any issues with his work and he also says that lectures are absolutely huge with 1000+ students sometimes which is a bit of a shock when coming from tiny A-level classes. Most teaching seems to be lecture rather than seminar or tutorial-based.

He has also found the social life tricky. A lot of students, especially in his accommodation, are international post-grad students who are paying a huge amount to study there and understandably focus on their work rather than socialising. It also depends on what sort of person your DD is. London has endless opportunities for socialising but it can be harder to find your "group".

With hindsight, DSS has said he would have preferred a smaller, campus-bases university and he has considered dropping out. His original reasoning behind choosing LSE for the "prestige" of the qualification still holds true though and doubtless it will help him in any future career if he sticks it out.

I graduated from LSE in Government and International History in 2014.

Teaching and resources were good, the opportunities to mix and debate views with people from all over the world were amazing. Try studying the history of the Middle East with a class mix of 2 Russians, some Americans, couple of Brits, an Israeli, a Kazahkstani and a couple of people from SE Asia. The varied views are amazing and I believe unparralled and impossible to recreate anywhere else in the world.

LSE churns out more Nobel prize winners and world leaders than any other university. The social scene is tough due to the massive mix of people and the lack of campus feel but my tip would be to join a society for something that interests you and you will meet people with shared interests (debate, sport, wine, travel etc). I also found mixing in the wider “London” scene to suit me more, I took dance classes outside of uni and got into the theatre scene.

I now work in an investment bank (though in an operations centre outside of London) and people are still impressed at where I got my degree. The careers service and advice and knowledge they offer to get you into your chosen line of work (banking, consultancy, not for profit, IR, politics, law) are unreal and available to you for 5 years post graduation

Take it, do it, be aware that it’s not your typical university experience but it will open doors for the rest of her life.

Excellent universty with great career prospects.

It's ranked 35 in the world and in the top 10 in Europe. So it is definitely well regarded academically

It isn't a campus university so people live all over the city. For people who find London big and overwhelming, this may impact their social life, I suppose

It has a very international student body so again, is different from some other unis. The sports club rah drinking culture is less prevalent than some other places - not absent but the diverse student body it isn't as dominant as say, Bristol or Durham etc.

It does a lot of economics courses so yes, lots of people do go and work in the city but definitely not everyone. It used to be a politically active place but I'd say it is much much less these days.

I'd advise her to join a couple of different societies (sports, cultural, activities etc) as well as living in uni halls in the first year so she builds a range of friendships.

It's London so it is expensive but it is also easy to find part time jobs.

You don't sound very pleased for her though. It's a highly competitive uni to get into - she has done really well.

It's a bloody wonderful uni and your daughter has worked very hard to get there. It's not just for bankers. The library is incredible (and she'll be walking distance to the British library for everything else) and brilliant speakers visit there throughout the academic year. It gets everyone speaking there. Well done to your daughter.

It's a premier offer from a prestigious and well resourced, well respected institution, she should grab it with both hands! Whether she goes into politics, economics, finance, policy research/development or whatever, having LSE as her degree institute will go a long way.

This is pretty much the long and short of it. Well done your dd.

Has she gone to an open day / offer holder's day yet? That's the best way to get a feel for the place

Wow congratulations to your daughter!

DS is there. He is quite overwhelmed by the brightness of the students. There are a lot of seriously intelligent brains there. He has always been self-sufficient and independent so London life suits him but if you need a more nurturing environment perhaps London isn't the best place to be a student. There are loads of clubs and opportunities to socialise though. Would echo pp advise to join a club because then you have a central meeting point so it doesn't matter where you live. For connections, extra-curricular academics (e.g. lectures, talks, culture) London can't really be beat. Super-expensive though in terms of accommodation, but living expenses (food, travel etc) actually OK. Lot of free culture and recreation stuff . Plus lots of opportunity for part-time jobs.

You don't sound very pleased for her though. It's a highly competitive uni to get into - she has done really well.

It's not that I'm not pleased for her - it's more that LSE as a university was completely off my radar! I'm not sure I even knew it did undergrad courses until she applied. I always presumed she'd end up somewhere like Durham, Exeter or Bristol.

Has she gone to an open day / offer holder's day yet? That's the best way to get a feel for the place

She went to an open day last Easter with her dad and loved it. I didn't go as I was working, but I'll try and go to the offer holder day in April with her.

She also loves London so it sounds like it will suit her very well.

araiwa

I did my MSc there. Didn't like the uni much, didn't find it to be terribly organised or supportive, but I was taught by the leaders in my field and having it on my CV definitely contributed to me getting the academic post I have now. I chose to do my PhD at the non Russel group uni I'd attended for my undergrad degree, because I prefer the ethos and atmosphere of the place, but being an LSE alumni definitely adds a kudos to my CV that would otherwise be lacking. I wouldn't do anything differently.

I didn't go to the LSE but I did go to an awful lot of student union parties there as a 16 year old... It's not as social as the place I eventually went to as a uni student but it's not all work, work, work.

LSE is a great university and congratulations to your DD. It was always thought of as pretty left wing in my day and the people who I knew there definitely didn't become bankers. She just needs to decide if she wants to spend her student years hard up in the centre of London. It suits some and not others.

@user1471548941, would be interested where you got your stats from as I understood LSE had 18 Nobel prizes whereas Cambridge has 98 (one college alone has 32).

That's without counting Oxford, Harvard, Columbia or anywhere else!
Right, I'll get my coat now...

Can you afford it? The main drawback is the cost and quality of accommodation for London students.

Today 15:37 jay55

Can you afford it? The main drawback is the cost and quality of accommodation for London students.

Her cousin is at Central St Martins in London, and seems to be coping fine financially. His family is at a pretty similar income level to ours so I would've thought that we could probably just about afford it, especially if dd gets a job.