As mentioned in part I of this blog series, each one of us walks into university with very different goals. Here we explore multiple aspects of finding our “why”. To see what we can do to make the most of our time at LSE to discover ourselves and our future. In the second part of this blog, we will examine this through the lens of  “exploring interests and likes”. In Part I of this blog, we analysed the angle of “career” and in the next one, we will analyse the angle of “your community”.

I need to start this blog with a huge disclaimer. This is written from the lens of an amateur to a co-student. For life advice or career guidance, please visit a professional. This will consist of some practical tips which will have to go hand-in-hand with thorough reflection, exposure, experience, conversations and networking, amidst a host of other things.

Your interest within and beyond academics

Given that LSE boasts of great facilities and scholars, now is a great time to follow anything and everything that excites you. See a professor or a research lab that does work that interests you? Find an opportunity to collaborate with them (read: create an opportunity to collaborate with them). The newsletters sent by the department usually contain a lot of opportunities, that when explored, lead to other opportunities that could be of interest to you.

This is also a great time to explore interests outside of academics. Enjoy wine tasting or chocolate tasting? Join an LSESU society! Interested in meeting up with strangers around London who share the same passion as you? Join Meetup. Look around, and a multitude of opportunities will present themselves!

Societies

Continuing on the path I stated above, there are a plethora of options in terms of societies and interests that you can pursue. Logging into the LSESU society page and spending a good amount of time just going through the list is quite beneficial. It is never too late to join. Reach out to the society on the links that are sure to be mentioned on the relevant description page to find out about upcoming events. The membership fee is usually nominal (depending on the society) and comes with a host of free activities that you are privy to and a few additional ones which will be discounted for you.

Dip your toes into every event

I am of the belief that there is something to learn from every opportunity. With LSE being determined to produce a breadth of opportunities and events for its students, an exploration of these events is a worthwhile investment of time.

Every week as I make my weekly plan, I make sure to go through the LSE Events page, LSE Life Events page, and the LSE Career Hub Events page to screen and choose events that pique my interest even remotely. As a master’s student, I get to spend only one year exploring the student life and so I try to dip my toe into as many events as possible to see what will resonate with me.

Be in touch with professors

New research and consultancy projects are always being created and you never know what you might stumble upon next! So being in touch with professors and sound boarding with them to explore your passion can be a great way to be on the lookout for the next big thing that might click with you. They might guide you to people who work on projects that might interest you or offer you a place in a project that they are working on themselves. Be sure to clearly communicate your passion and intention as it goes a long way into keeping you at the top of their minds should an opportunity open up.

See you soon with Part III!