Founded in 1885, the motto of the London School of Economics (LSE) is “Rerum cognoscere causas” . Rerum cognoscere causas “In other words, “to know the cause of things”.
Ranked 4 ème the world’s top university for accounting and finance in 2019 (QS World University ranking), LSE offers renowned multidisciplinary Bachelors programs.
Eva, a second-year student in BSc Management talks about his experience at LSE.
Profile
FIRST NAME : EvaNATIONALITY Frenchçaise
COURSE NAME : BSc in Management
UNIVERSITY NAME : London School of Economics (LSE)
TYPE OF BACCALAUREATE AND RESULT OBTAINED General baccalaureate with honours, specializing in mathematics and physics/chemistry
NAME OF YOUR SCHOOL Lycée Janson de Sailly, Paris
Study abroad
Why did you decide to study abroad?
I did two summer sessions at UC Berkeley and UCLA when I was in high school.
This made me realize that I wanted to go abroad and be in an international environment for my studies.
I also knew students at universities in France and realized that the international dimension I was looking for wasn’t always present.
Why did you choose LSE?
What factors were decisive in your choice?
LSE was my first choice. It was the best university I could have gone to. I didn’t want to go to preparatory classes or to university. LSE was what I needed in the field I wanted. I also talked to other students and loved the fact that there was a balance between academic work, personal projects and spending time with friends. I also chose the LSE in England because I hadn’t passed the Standard Admission Tests (SAT) for American Ivy League universities so I couldn’t go.
What were your other post-baccalaureate options?
I also applied to McGill University in Montreal, five universities in England and Bocconi University.
What was the admissions and selection process like?
I had a lot of trouble writing my personal statement because I wasn’t used to this type of rendering and instructions.
After two months of working on it, I asked Adam and Lawrence from Your Dream School for help.
The LSE was my dream school, and I really didn’t want to miss out on admission.
I also had to work on the IELTS because the LSE required a score of 7 for each test.
I had to retake it because I’d scored 6.5 in the written test.
How did you prepare for the new school year?
(Administrative and academic procedures…)
I had to fill out administrative and registration documents.
I didn’t have to do anything special apart from Pre-Settled Status last year with the Brexit.
1st year courses
What courses did you choose in your first year of the Bachelor’s program?For the first year in BSc Management, the subjects are compulsory and are semester-long courses.
Nous avons eu des cours d’Économie, de Finance, de Comptabilité et de « Leadership » et cours sur le « Supply Chain Management ».
In the second year, we had to choose two minors from among “Information systems”, “Human Resources” and “Marketing”.
I chose “Marketing” and “Information systems” because I’m interested in new technologies.
I also had to choose a subject for both semesters.
I chose Finance because I want to work in this sector.
We also have two compulsory subjects: Econometrics and Managerial Economics.
These are two very quantitative subjects.
It’s important to know that the BSc Management is a much more quantitative Bachelor’s degree than those offered at other English universities.
There’s a lot of mathematics and economics.
Did you find it difficult to adapt to the education system? I didn’t find the first year difficult. I only had online courses. I did, however, find it harder to write essays than my friends who took an OIB (International Option Baccalaureate) in English. Understanding English was not a problem. There are a lot of foreign students at LSE. I had no problem with the British accent, which can sometimes be difficult to understand.
Does LSE support foreign students?
As I was in an online course last year, I didn’t have the opportunity to discover all the resources and aids offered by LSE.
This year I’ve been able to discover new services.
In particular, I use the “LSE Careers which offers appointments with professionals who are LSE consultants.
Their advice is encouraging and relevant.
For example, I ask them to proofread my applications.
Another essential aspect of LSE is that when you want to move into a career related to financial investment or banking, there is a huge amount of support and help available.
For example a large community of alumni to call on.
Do you have a lot of work to do?
All the courses were face-to-face this year.
My exams are in June, but the other Bachelor’s exams in January are online.
The subjects are more difficult in the second year.
However, the workload is surmountable with good personal organization.
What’s more, we’re pushed enormously to have activities, extra-curricular projects and internships.
I find that LSE is an environment that really allows students to develop their professional and personal aspirations.
How many hours of lessons do you have a week?
I have twelve hours of classes a week, with four hours of tutorials and eight hours of lectures a week in the second year of my Bachelor’s degree.
However, just because there aren’t many hours of classes doesn’t mean there’s little work to do.
On the contrary, we have a lot of personal work.
Student life on campus
What’s student life like at LSE?
I love student life at LSE!
First of all, it’s a smaller university than King’s College or UCL.
As a result, it’s easier to meet people.
There’s a real community, especially in the university library.
It really helped me to integrate and make friends. It’s a very stimulating environment that pushes you to work.
They also give us a lot of advice on how to apply for jobs.
What’s the working atmosphere like at LSE?
Do you often work in the library?
I only work in libraries.
It’s a pleasant and motivating space.
It’s possible to work in groups or separately, and this gives the space a friendly atmosphere. It’s also a space that encourages students to help each other. For example, third-year Bachelor’s students often come to help us apply for internships or give us advice on courses.
Do you manage to make the most of your free time in London?
I managed to really enjoy London last year.
For example, during the first semester of first year, I worked 4-5 days a week in the library and had my weekends free to visit.
This year, I go to the library all day every day except evenings.
I have less time than last year.
Have you joined any student associations?
Yes, I’m involved in several student projects and associations.
I’m part of SABA Junior Consulting, a non-profit organization that operates like a Junior Entreprise.
I also organize a conference on artificial intelligence with some fifteen students, which attracts almost 700 people in February.
I’m also in charge of organizing the “Tech trip”, a week-long trip to Israel.
The aim is to discover innovations, incubators and new technology companies in this country.
Do you live in a student residence?
How did the housing search go?
In my first year of my Bachelor’s degree, I lived in a private student residence in London.
Nevertheless, I think it’s better to be in the LSE student residences because it’s a great opportunity to make friends. In my second year, I decided to share a flat with some friends.
The search was complicated by Covid, because the real estate offers were lower than the requests.
What do you think of London? I love this city. I can see myself developing professionally and living in London in the future. It’s a cosmopolitan, student city with many universities. It’s also a city that pushes me to always be active. However, this can be difficult for some people who have lived in smaller cities.
Into the future
What are your plans for the future?
I’m still thinking about my career direction.
When I arrived at LSE, I met a lot of students working in the banking world and that made me want to go into that field.
However, at the beginning of my second year of my Bachelor’s degree, I discovered the world of new technologies and start-ups.
So I applied for internships in Venture Capital (an investment fund for start-ups), which combines the fields of finance and start-ups.
What advice and recommendations would you give to a French student interested in attending LSE?
If the student comes from the French school system, I’d advise him or her to start preparing for IELTS early, ideally in Première.
I would also advise taking English classes outside of high school.
Having a very good level in maths is essential for success in Management at LSE, as there’s a lot of math in this program!
