It was just like yesterday when I was asking for directions to the Library, study rooms and buildings on campus. It is astonishing how time flies, highlighting why we should make hay while the sun shines. As the curtain closes on Summer Term and the 2017/2018 academic session, with my degree programme gradually coming to an end (remaining dissertation writing and submission due in August), here are some activities I wished I had invested more time in during the academic year.
Preliminary reading list
A preliminary reading list was attached to my offer letter containing the basic and foundational readings for my course. But I was too carried away with other things and did little about going through some of them. This would have saved me more time and improved my understanding of my course materials beforehand. It would have also made my first few weeks in LSE less overwhelming. If I were to do this again, I would go through most if not all of the readings before resumption.
Sort out accommodation before resuming
Another thing that gave me a bit of a headache was accommodation hitches. I initially turned down LSE accommodation arrangements and decided to stay with a relative. Though this was cheaper, I came to realise that it was quite a distance from campus and I spent over an hour commuting to lectures daily. After about a month of this struggle, I decided to look for accommodation closer to campus. Fortunately, LSE Butlers Wharf residence had a number of vacant rooms and a number of my friends and classmates resided there.
Weekend excursions
London and the UK never runs short of having exciting places to visit. In fact, there is often a weekend excursion organised by a students’ body in London to places like Cardiff, Windsor Castle, Brighton and Stonehenge to mention but a few. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to join any of the weekend trips. My piece of advice to both new and continuing student is to make out time to relax and join these trips.
Programmes in other departments
LSE is always buzzing with one activity or another, most of which are free and open to all students irrespective of their department. However, I was more active in talks and conferences in my department and missed out in some interesting activities in other departments. The lesson here for continuing and new students is to be on the lookout for programmes in other departments. Most issues in our world today are crosscutting and require multidisciplinary approaches. It is also advisable to take a course or two outside your department.
LSE will remain home
While I and a number of other students will be travelling out of London during the summer, LSE will continue to remain home for all of us. I am excited about the ongoing construction works on campus and will surely visit to see the completed buildings. LSE's Director, Dame Minouche Shafik, has promised that the ground floor of the Marshall Building, which is presently under construction, will be an alumni centre to strengthen the bond between the School and its robust alumni network. London itself will remain a home away from home, and I have promised myself to visit the city often, for “when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life, for there is in London all that life can afford”.
Photo and words by LSE Social Media Ambassador Victor Agboga