For most first year courses studied at LSE, you choose a module from another department to do alongside your core course modules. Deciding which outside option to take can be a tedious task. It can be difficult to know whether you should pick the option that best compliments the rest of your modules, the one you find most interesting or the one which best fits your strengths. Here are some suggestions on what you could do to help make the choice easier:
1) Read the module summaries for the options
Each option has a link that takes you to an information page about the option. The page will include information on the content, teaching methods, and assessment for the option. This information is useful for learning what sort of themes, arguments, and ideas the module covers. I often found, when choosing my outside option in first year, that going off the titles alone was misleading as they often didn’t capture the full extent of what the course was. It was only when I read the course content that I could really judge if the themes the option covered was of interest to me.
2) Note how the module will be assessed
This was something I often overlooked when deciding what module to choose and though I still don’t believe it’s the most essential element, I do think that if you’re stuck between two options, this could be the edge that helps you pick one over the other. For example, if you prefer take-home assessments to 100% exams, then picking a module that has that as the means of assessment is probably the better choice for you.
3) Think about what you enjoy learning about
The outside option is a perfect opportunity for you to continue learning a subject you loved at A-Level but didn’t choose to do as a degree. For example, History was my favourite A-Level and I did think I would miss studying it at uni. Finding out it was offered as an outside option was perfect because it meant I could continue learning it without having to commit to doing a whole degree in it.
Alternatively, the outside option is an ideal opportunity for you to pick up a subject/topic that you have always wanted to learn about but never got the chance to. Either way, it is a chance for you to explore more of what you want to learn!
