If you are starting your degree at LSE soon, you may be wondering what happens during Welcome week. Welcome week is the week before Michaelmas term properly starts and its purpose is to make you feel at home on the LSE campus. There is so much to do during this week, and I can guarantee that your schedule will be packed. Speaking from my experience of Welcome week as a postgraduate student, here’s what to expect.

General events around campus

Last year, as welcome week returned to being in-person, there was lots going on. There were daily campus tours and multiple stalls to provide information and help you settle in. You will be able to speak to a lot of representatives from the school, for example, LSE LIFE or LSE Careers. There was even an ice cream van one day, so I would recommend coming to campus as much as possible during this week because there is always something going on.

Departmental events

Before your arrival, you will likely receive an itinerary from your department outlining different events they will have planned for Welcome week. When I started my LLM last year, there were several introductory lectures on how to navigate LSE and on an introduction to the English legal system. We had lots of opportunities to ask any questions regarding course selection, for example.

In terms of social events, the LSE Law School organised a legal walking tour around and a treasure hunt through central London. Besides, there was a drinks reception which took place at the Inner Temple. I would definitely make it a priority to attend these events as I met so many people on my course and had lots of fun.

LSESU Welcome fair

Taking place in the Saw Swee Hock Student Centre, Welcome fair is the place where you can get to know all of LSE’s student societies and sports clubs. There will be representatives from each society and you can ask them any questions to help you choose what you want to be involved in during your time at LSE. Personally, joining societies has really made my experience at LSE, therefore, I would highly recommend checking out the fair.

Preparing for your course

While Welcome week entails lots of fun activities, the start of your studies will be imminent. Most courses will only start seminars in Week 1 of term, the week following Welcome week. This gives you some leeway to get your readings done before your course kicks off. My advice is not to worry too much about working hard these first few days. It can be pretty overwhelming to see your assigned workload for the first time, but it will get manageable over time. It is much more important to take some time to settle in and pace yourself for the year ahead.