Summer Term at LSE is known for its serious atmosphere. The Library and other study rooms are usually teeming with students frantically flipping pages of books or punching on the keypads of their laptops. It is the period of essay deadlines and final exams.
During the long spring break, I looked forward to Summer Term with excitement and trepidation in equal measure. It was going to be my first exam at LSE!
Spring Break Revision:
I used the spring break to update my notes and prepare myself physically and mentally for the exams. I drew a study timetable, joined reading groups and attempted past questions, testing my speed and accuracy for the real exams.
Mock Exams:
Several sessions of mock exams were organised by LSE LIFE and the Language Centre. I took one before the spring break to test how much I can write in one hour. The mocks exams are often simulated under real exam conditions with no external materials and strict time adherence.
My First Exam
My first paper was on the 1 May, a three-hour exam on Development History, Theory and Policy. I remember arriving the venue two hours before time and doing some light revision with some classmates to refresh my memory and gain last-minute insights.
At about 30 minutes before the start of the exam, the security team allowed us in. The exam hall was well-organised with our seat numbers pasted on the tables and huge screens in front of the hall showing basic information like time and the exam course code. All our bags were placed in front of the hall and our mobile phones switched off and placed under our table.
Several exam invigilators were also around to give instructions and answer pressing questions. The exam questions were pretty clear and straightforward but were at the same time open-ended. These allowed me flex my academic muscles by not just regurgitating theories but further reflecting on them, showing their relationship and applying them in case studies.
I still have a number of other exams to write before the term ends and I’m glad my first one went smoothly, putting me in the right spirit to brave the others.
Good luck to all of us!
Written by LSE Social Media Ambassador Victor Agboga.