My first year at university has not been what I expected at all. Although, I am sure none of us were expecting a global pandemic! However, as this academic year has passed by so fast, amidst all the Zoom classes and socials, I thought I would reflect on what I would like to get out of my (hopefully more normal) second year.

This year, I have been academically challenged and encouraged to think more critically – I have absolutely loved this! I hope to continue this into next year, studying more political geography, a special area of my interest as it is so topical. I also have my fingers crossed that the second year BA Geography trip to Havana, Cuba takes place, as the city is so geopolitically rich and I also look forward to travelling again (if we can).

Whilst this year has definitely allowed me to largely focus on my academic life, I hope second year allows me to have more opportunities the average university student has had in the past. Living at home, which I will continue to do so next year due to the uncertain times, has meant that I was not on campus as much, unless for my classes which tended to be in the evening when everything had closed down and socially distanced classes took place earlier in the academic year. I hope to get a proper chance to use the library to study and visit nearby cafes. I also hope to visit some of the local hotspots, such as Covent Garden and the British Museum.

I also hope for in-person socials, as via Zoom, it can sometimes feel a little harder to make friends (but you can find great tips on how to stay connected at LSE during the pandemic here). I hope to branch out and find those with similar interests to me, whilst also exploring new hobbies.

All of this depends on government guidelines and LSE’s plans for next year which will be updated in due course. Hopefully, the worst of the pandemic will be over and it’ll be back to normal (fingers crossed)! For frequently asked questions, please visit FAQs for students (lse.ac.uk).