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Kseniya

December 17th, 2018

LSE – A Brit’s First Impressions

0 comments | 2 shares

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Kseniya

December 17th, 2018

LSE – A Brit’s First Impressions

0 comments | 2 shares

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Having just graduated in July from the University of Birmingham and coming fresh out of an undergraduate degree, I thought the transition to Master’s at LSE wouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary – ‘It’s just another year at university,’ I told myself, ‘how different can it be?’ In answering that question, I was (pleasantly) surprised.

I’m a student from the UK, so I am no stranger to the British higher education system nor to London itself, but I discovered that the experiences of studying and living in London certainly do not compare with the impressions of a tourist or a student elsewhere. Everybody knows that London is a multicultural hub, but few places reflect the diversity of the city as superbly as the LSE campus.

In my student flat, in my seminars, and at various social functions I attended in the first few days, I was often the only British student – a remarkable impact of globalisation. Having studied and worked abroad in multicultural teams, I was excited by this unique opportunity to collaborate with people of such varied backgrounds right here in the UK!

Such a diversity of opinion and experience is essential for understanding the pressing questions of the past and of today, so I was delighted to find myself surrounded by exceptional people from all around the world, a diversity that is often lacking on humanities courses (I am studying an MSc in Economic History and I did a BA in History).

What also surprised me was the fun I could have while being a postgrad! Postgraduate life is often accompanied by stereotypes of long days (and nights) in the library and seclusion from other aspects of university life. While the former may still apply during exam season, the latter certainly does not hold true at the LSE.

Postgraduates make up over half of the student body, which is rare at British universities. Driven by this abundance of postgrads, I joined numerous societies at the Student Union without fear of being the only Master’s student in a sea of Freshers. So, if you regret not giving something a go when you were an undergraduate, then you’ll be pleased to know that a master’s is the perfect opportunity to try new things, and LSE is the perfect place, full of enthusiastic postgrads like myself!

This is only the beginning, and I’m excited to see where this journey will take me.

About the author

Kseniya

Kseniya is an MSc Economic History student at the LSE. When she's not puzzling over the latest developments in demographics studies, she enjoys travelling, writing, and searching for the most authentic Asian restaurants in London.

Posted In: Featured | LSE | Student life

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