Student Ambassador, Simon Riggelsen from Copenhagen, is studying a Master’s in Management. After studying at some of the world’s best universities, read his own personal experience on why LSE stands out.

Welcome to my blog post! I’m Simon, a Master’s in Management student from suburban Copenhagen.

During the past four years, I’ve studied at some of the world’s best universities and, in this blog post, I outline why LSE stands out.

If you don’t have time for the entire story, my favourite thing about LSE is the diversity.

I chose LSE because I craved intellectual and cultural stimulation that stretched beyond the walls of the classrooms, and I’m enjoying it every day.

Now, before we begin properly, let me be clear about what you will not find below. This blog post is not:

• An objective truth. Instead, it presents my own experiences and reflections. That’s the beauty of a blog!
• An academic piece. If you are looking for a long list of references, I’ll probably disappoint you.
• Too long and tedious (hopefully)!

I chose LSE because I craved intellectual and cultural stimulation that stretched beyond the walls of the classrooms

Rewind to February 2020

I’m sitting in The Three Tuns. That’s the name of the student union bar, and I’m here on a Thursday evening. We’re in the middle of our Lent (Spring) term, and around me are 12 of my friends from the programme. Our backgrounds span multiple academic disciplines, and we represent 12 nationalities across ten time zones.

In this semester, two of our four courses are electives, so we don’t see each other as often as in the Michaelmas (Autumn) term. Therefore, we have enough to talk about, and the topics stretch from an upcoming trip to Oxford to how you enjoy summer holidays in our respective home countries.

Situations like this remind me, why I uprooted a pleasant and comfortable life in Copenhagen to move to London. After all, Denmark has free university education and ranks second globally in “quality of life” so LSE had a remarkable pull-effect.

Many universities excel academically, but the student body of LSE was the competitive advantage…

In September, I left for LSE with a newly-acquired Bachelor’s degree in “International Business” in my luggage.

This degree was academically rigorous, fast-paced, packed to the brim with memorable experiences, and 75% of my fellow students were Danish; just like I.

Yet, a summer school session at LSE in 2018, where I was exposed to radical diversity for the first time, saw me realise how you can learn from your fellow students, too; teachers and textbooks are only part of the learning experience. Many universities excel academically, but the student body of LSE was the competitive advantage (I am a business student, after all).

Homogeneity is comfortable, heterogeneity challenges and educates you; if you’re willing to embrace it.

A place of differences

With that, the point of my blog is that LSE is a place of differences, and differences accelerate your learning.

My MiM cohort is 75 people, and we represent 35 different nationalities from all around the world. Our backgrounds range from law and international relations to medicine and mechanical engineering. Similarly, my lecturers from the first two terms come from four different continents.

There is neither a typical MiM student nor a typical lecturer, and that’s terrific.

This environment breaks down stereotypes, cultivates learning from your peers, and celebrates both differences and individuality. Homogeneity is comfortable, heterogeneity challenges and educates you; if you’re willing to embrace it.

Back at The Three Tuns, the conversation still flows seamlessly. I’ve been here for three hours, and I ‘ve learned about Japan and Turkey without leaving my seat – and a few of my classmates have endured a lengthy sales pitch of the beaches on the Danish west coast.

This environment breaks down stereotypes, cultivates learning from your peers, and celebrates both differences and individuality.

Why LSE stands out

To sum up, again, there’s no typical member of the LSE community. Everybody fits in and we leverage our uniqueness, and this, to me, makes all the difference.

That’s why LSE stands out to me.

Learn more about our Master’s in Management programme