Inadequate mental health services, minimal contact hours, nice Hare Krishna. Discrepancies in standard of teaching across courses. Minimal financial support. Should include a diversity of assessment types

I enjoy my time at LSE overall. I am a second-year undergraduate and have found the academics very heavy, but also relatively fulfilling. We get a lot of reading (300-700 pages per week) for classes but normally I enjoy the topics discussed. Because of the intensity, it can be difficult to find time for social activities, but it’s just about trying. LSE can be very isolating with everyone keeping their head down in the library/working at home, but if you are in halls, join (and stay active!) in societies, and go out in London you will be happy.

LSE helps students to reach their academic full potential and allows them to succeed in terms of their careers and dreams. LSE continues to be the top university in the UK for human sciences. Not only do they support students to pursue their careers in international organisations, LSE also allows students to pursue their careers in banking and consulting firms.

I think the uni has an academic push, which allows students to reach their full potential and lots of resources, such as the library/academic teachers, online resources, etc. It also has good career help centres. Good student financial support too. A lot of societies and events.

I love it. LSE has lots of opportunities and support for students, amazing lecturers, lots of events, constant visits from industry-leading professionals, helpful staff. I’m really enjoying my Master’s here.

Coming to LSE from another continent seemed like a daunting idea but the challenge has been completely worth it.
I am studying Bsc. International Relations (IR) and the course has a fantastic design. I love the way my lectures are structured followed by the in-depth discussions in seminar. It has met my expectations. I also study history as an outside option but that course has not been satisfactory. The seminars are very structured but the lectures feel quite abrupt.
Overall, my course (IR) has been incredible. The readings for each week are challenging but still fun to go through. My understanding of the subject has increased immensely in just the first few months so I am very excited how this course enhances my knowledge.

In my field i.e. international relations, the LSE is well known. Professors from the department have been pioneering research in the field for years. What I benefitted from was the unique ability to access their research and even assist them with it. I had numerous opportunities to reflect on my academic education through these projects. Overall the LSE is research intensive and international. When you combine this with the high reputation of the school, you have an education that will serve as as asset throughout your career.

LSE has had a bad reputation for several years in terms of social life – I quickly found that to be a stereotype or just an idea people came with. LSE has the same social life as any other unis in London, just like Kings or UCL, you need to put yourself ‘out there’ in the beginning of the year and be open minded. Through classes, societies, halls, you meet amazing people. Everyone is new, it makes it easy to make new connections that slowly mature into true friendships. Events are regularly organized, the sports night every Wednesday are a big part of the LSE social life as well and they’re super fun! Trips are organized by different societies throughout the year as well! There are plenty of things to get involved with all around campus !

Academically, I have found my classes extremely stimulating and have never been bored – lecturers are amazing ( I am pursuing an International Relations BSc) and office hours have been super helpful.

Personally, I think LSE is a great RESEARCH university however when it comes to teaching and its ability to support you throughout the year it lacks the ability to make classes the most engaging, provide handouts or summaries of content and at times it feels super difficult to engage with professors and ask for help.

Coming into my first year of undergraduate study on BSc International Relations, the best advice I found online is ‘London and LSE are what you make of it’. Before starting university it seemed rather trivial and untrue, but seven months later I can say those people were right. LSE nowadays is known for two things – employers love LSE students but students do not love LSE. The university has one of the lowest student satisfaction ratings and perhaps deservedly so. The workload and academic pressure is high from day one, the environment is competitive and the Student Union has more issues than Vogue. LSE seems to be doing little real work to change the status and so students are left to their own devices to find enjoyment. However, my first year here was also one of the best years of my life. All the criticism stands but I knew coming into LSE that it would be difficult. Considering it is based in London there is no classic campus student experience with crazy parties put on by the SU, however there is a wide variety of societies you can get involved in. I was heavily involved with Model United Nations and have made a supportive network of friends and a solid social life. I am an incoming vice-president for Grimshaw Club and have learned many skills through that. Teaching on my course has also been very good and so far I’ve been taught by academic who publish books and are experts in their field. Not many universities can offer that to their students. Going back to my first point, ‘London is what you make of it’, the city may be expensive but it is possible to live on a budget and have fun. There are so many free activities to do around the city and Whetherspoons which you can find anywhere in the city has decent pint prices. It is a vibrant, multicultural environment with so much on offer that you cannot ever be bored. So to answer the question posed in the title – LSE deserves the low satisfaction ratings to an extent. It has its downfalls, however it teaches you to be proactive in creating a great environment in which you can thrive and have fun. So make sure to go out of your way in Freshers to meet people, test out different societies and commit to one or two and create friendships there too! LSE is ultimately worth the trouble and your money.