I took a course within the Sociology department which I felt was mislocated and should have been under another department. Otherwise, the professors were excellent, knowledgeable and caring of their students. The programme did feel rushed as I feel that one year is too little time for a Master’s. Career services were not very helpful at looking for jobs within the Human Rights sector as they did not have sufficient knowledge about it.

The course content was, on the whole, interesting, however the reliance on phd students as teachers is awful considering the tuition fees. The heavy workload and course organisation more generally favours students who can dedicate the entirety of their time to studying as they are not employed full or part time. Relatedly, there is also a lack of support more generally for economically disadvantaged students. Mental health services are also very poor and should be improved and made more accessible.
As a working class student, I find the atmosphere of the university very alienating and feel very isolated here due to lack of people like myself.
Overall, I have hated my experience here for a number of reasons, however the Hare Krishna man who hands out free food at lunchtime has been a constant source of light for me in a very depressing space.

– excellent research
– teaching lacking
– less career counseling/ prep workshops etc
– work life balance should be more addressed
– very international and diverse student body
– good reputation
– facilities could be improved

The academic environment is great, it is intense but that should be expected. There is a lot of academic and administrative support, and the university body is open to discuss topics such as mental health and sexual harassment and actually introduce measures. Due to the fact that it is based in London, you have to consciously make an effort to meet people and make friends, since it does not come as organically (everyone is rushing to get somewhere all the time), but the university, especially on departmental level makes efforts to create informal situations to help that. As well purely academically it is ok to take classes outside of your department which interests you so that is also great. The fact that the campus is in Central London does have an added value. Overall highly recommend it.

The LSE is a dynamic institution where you can be exposed to every kind of discipline imaginable at the highest level. The school develops ‘thinkers’ above anything else and is equips them to use their intelligence to innovate and develop solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. Having only been at the school for 5 months as an MSc student, I have already experienced immense personal and intellectual growth and can attest to witnessing the same in my peers. For these reasons, I highly recommend the LSE to anyone willing to push boundaries and take a step further towards self actualisation.

The study body is so diverse and interesting, social policy teachers are engaging and care about their students, and there’s lots of recourses for students (I guess because the LSE gets a lot of funding). It is quite career focused but personally I don’t mind this because I find guidance helpful, as someone who’s not sure how to convert their degree into a job. At the same time, many people have no clue what they want to do in the future!

I am absolutely shocked by the lack of social life at this university. I was warned about it and I saw the awful student satisfaction but I thought that given I’m a party girl I would find my people. I was wrong. I have lovely friends whom I adore but the university is very judgemental. There is such a range of backgrounds and a lot of these don’t approve of the British party culture. If you’re looking for a party I wouldn’t recommend it. If your looking to work a lot for 3 years and have no social life this is your place. The uni is also terrible, they don’t care about their students they don’t give you any help but because they are highly selective people get good grades, it’s the people, not the institution.

LSE is at the center of the world, hosts some of the leading academics and the most ambitious and talented students. I have definitely noticed the solidarity among the people at LSE, but also the competitiveness and the challenges the university fosters in the students. I definietly recommend the university for students wanting to gain independence in their studies, are proactive and able to utilize the resources the university provides.

Since coming to LSE three months ago, I have had an overall great experience.
Living in a uni hall has been a good way to meet new people and find a home in a city as vibrant and busy as London. The first term at LSE has been very intellectually demanding as the workload is relatively large compared to other universities – however, the professors have been a huge help. Not only do they encourage you to engage with the topic in the classroom but also invite you to their office hours to talk about your academics, life in general and your favourite movie.
While I consider the teaching good, I would say that it is not what makes LSE outstanding and world-leading: It is the people you meet and have the most interesting and stimulating discussions and deep talks with! Societies give you an opportunity to meet more like-minded people from other programmes and to socialise and relax after a busy day.
If you are interested in the social sciences, openminded and want to be in an international and challenging environment, then you should definitely consider applying to LSE.
Good luck!

I really enjoyed my time at LSE – academically it was great, however, it’s definitely not a typical “student experience” but I think that’s down to living in London. Having said that, I met some really interesting people from all over the world.