Believe it or not, many LSE students struggle and feel lost at some point during their time at LSE. This is perfectly fine, as we’re all transitioning from one stage to the next – either from high school to university, or between Year 1 and Year 2 of our degrees, and so on. If you’re also feeling the same, you should definitely check out LSE LIFE. So, what’s LSE LIFE anyway? Let me signpost some relevant resources by year level. As a side note – just because I categorised the LSE LIFE services by years, doesn’t mean that those aforementioned resources are only available to that specific year group!

Undergraduate Year 1: all those academic skills

Located on the ground floor of the LSE Library, LSE LIFE offers a wide variety of workshops and events. Workshop topics include making sense of your essay questions, how to make clear, critical, and concise notes, and many other academic skills which will come in handy. If you missed a session, don’t worry. They hold recurring sessions throughout the year, and some of them are also virtual.

If you feel uncomfortable sharing your questions or difficulties in front of others during these workshops, maybe a one-to-one session is for you. These sessions can be booked via the LSE Student Hub and last for 30 minutes. Although you can’t ask them to write essays on your behalf, they can give you support on any general study skills – including time management and researching. Just to give you all a heads-up, if you have specific questions about the modules you’re taking, you should consult your class teacher instead. LSE LIFE can support you in proofreading your essays and suggesting grammatical changes or different paragraph structures, but not in terms of module-specific knowledge.

For all first-year undergraduates, LSE LIFE may be a good place to receive support on your LSE100 event analysis summative. I found this one-to-one appointment very helpful, for it was quite difficult to book an office hour with my seminar teacher as the deadline drew closer.

Year 2 and Year 3: staying on top of everything, while taking some rest

By Year 2, we slowly start to grasp studying. Yet, the second and third years now have more responsibilities piling high – leadership roles in societies, extracurricular activities, and applications. For those of you who are running out of time to book in-person appointments, LSE LIFE also offers virtual appointments on Microsoft Teams, and a whole Moodle page full of resources. The Moodle page is where you can find all the slides and handouts given in the in-person sessions. Here, you can find support on managing your time, but also in terms of managing your stress and mental health.

On a different note, LSE LIFE isn’t just about studying. It also provides a wide range of opportunities to explore life in London. From a visit to Tate Modern to a Harry Potter Walking Tour, there’s lots of unique activities to get stuck in to. These ‘LIFE in London’ series are so popular that you’ll have to book them quickly to secure your spot. Signing up for their weekly newsletter might boost your chances of checking in to their events early!

Year 3 and postgraduates: ace your dissertation

I put dissertation support under the Year 3 and postgraduate category, as many students struggle with research. From the beginning of the year, LSE LIFE guides you through the different stages of your dissertation – from selecting your topic to searching primary sources and referencing. Given that your dissertation supervisor is only entitled to check whether you’re on the right path (other than reading and providing feedback on the length of your dissertation), LSE LIFE will take care of the nitty gritty that will lead you to successfully researching your project.

LSE LIFE is there for you between 9.30am to 5.30pm on weekdays. Everyone can make the most out of their studies at LSE by receiving any necessary academic support from LSE LIFE!