I am, at the moment, sitting ensconced in blankets and pillows in my childhood bedroom, a few hours before heading to work. I’ve been home for just over two weeks now, and have had barely a minute to rest. There’s been planning for trips (to Italy, next week, and across the USA with my brother this summer), there’s been doing taxes (my own personal contribution to deficit reduction), there’s been applications (for my honors thesis), birthdays (my mother’s, yesterday) and a whole lot of work in between.
So it’s been what you might call a working vacation. Tomorrow morning at 6am, I depart from Chicago O’Hare to Boston Logan, en route to my home University to visit with friends for a few days. Immediately upon return, on Thursday, I’ll head to the Palmer House Hilton in Downtown Chicago to watch my academic advisor present his paper at the Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA)’s annual conference. On Friday, I have two meetings in the city, and then on Saturday, I return once more to present my own paper at the same conference, this time in poster and not panel format, because I’m a lowly undergraduate.
And then, Italy! Between scholarships and plain old work, I’ve managed to afford a trip to Florence and Rome for seven days, which I’m pretty darn proud of. So there’ll be lots of Uffizi-ing, l’Accademia-ing, and Crypt-ing in the next couple of weeks.
(Don’t you love how we Americans can turn any noun into a verb? It’s a national past-time.)
After a stop in Edinburgh to see my grandmother and other aunts and uncles, it’s back to London, where the real work of the term starts in earnest. My exams will be over by June 10th, and I arrive back in London April 28th. It sounds like a short time, but I imagine it won’t feel that way: the longest 43 days of my academic life so far. I’ll keep you all updated with the revising as it happens.
In sum, then, it’s been an absolutely whirlwind few weeks, and I apologize that I haven’t had a chance to be as prompt with these updates as I could be. I can only rest comfortable in the knowledge that the extraordinary team of writers around you is keeping your demand for content and information well-sated in the interim 🙂
Dear Rian,
I am a student at the Lycée International of Saint Germain en Laye preparing my University application for 2014-15. I have a strong motivation to study International Relations and Politics, with a particular interest in Modern History.
I am involved in activities such as my school’s Debating League and Model United Nations which have helped develop my interest in this subject. I have also done an internship at the French Senate and an internship at the House of Commons. LSE offers exactly the kind of course and teaching I would be interested in.
I would be in London with my parents visiting Universities from Monday 29th April (arriving at 3pm) to Thursday 2nd May morning. It would be extremely useful if I could meet you at a time and place of your convenience to expand my knowledge on the University and the International Studies course.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Very best regards,
Matteo Violet-Vianello
+33(0)6 07 41 19 08
matteovioletvianello@yahoo.com
Hi Matteo,
Should Rian or Malika not have time to meet up with you, I just to let you know that you can visit the Student Recruitment Office Monday – Friday from 09.30 to 17.00 and a member of our staff would be happy to talk to you and answer any of your questions. Many of our staff members are recent LSE graduates and at least 2 studied International Relations.
We are based on the 7th Floor of Tower 3 – just ask in any of the LSE buildings and the reception staff will be happy to direct you.
Kind regards,
Sarah Alexandra George