After a year studying law in France, Stan, a French student, entered the Bachelor International Social and Public Policy and Economics program at the prestigious London School of Economics.
He tells us about his academic career and his student experience at the LSE.
Profile
FIRST NAME : StanNATIONALITY Frenchçaise
COURSE NAME : BSc in International Social and Public Policy and Economics
UNIVERSITY NAME : London School of Economics (LSE)
TYPE OF BACCALAUREATE AND RESULT OBTAINED Abibac, Baccalauréat Économique et Sociale summa cum laude (2020), specializing in Political Science
NAME OF YOUR SCHOOL Lycée Henri IV
Study abroad
Why did you decide to study abroad?
After my baccalauréat, I did a one-year law degree at the Université Panthéon-Assas (Paris 2).
However, I didn’t like it because I wanted to have an international outlook for my future professional career, and I felt that the law subjects limited me too much to France.
So I decided to switch to international universities in Germany, the USA or the UK.
In my opinion, English faculties represented a good balance between lower tuition fees than American and Asian universities and worldwide academic renown.
So I contacted Your Dream School to help me put together my application to universities in England.
Why did you choose LSE?
What factors were decisive in your choice?
I had applied to three English universities all located in London, University College London (UCL), King’s College and LSE.
I was admitted to all three universities, but LSE seemed to me to be the best of the three and the one that matched my academic and professional ambitions.
I had applied for a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations, but at the beginning of the year I decided to change to a Bachelor’s degree in International Public and Social Policy & Economics.
What was the admissions and selection process like?
For my UCAS application, I had to write a personal statement, which You Dream School helped me with, and I got my admission results in March.
In my personal statement I talked about politics and international relations.
I highlighted my international academic background, with a Franco-German baccalaureate, which would help me in comparative politics subjects.
I also talked about my extracurricular activities and my law degree year, and how this would help me understand political systems during my Bachelor’s degree.
1st year courses
Which courses have you chosen?
My Bachelor’s degree is divided into two themes, social policy and economics. Courses already defined and there are no electives in the first and second years.
The Economics and Mathematics courses are quite demanding at LSE, especially if you studied economics and social studies in high school.
My favorite subjects are those related to social policy and public policy.
I find that there’s a way of teaching these subjects that’s different from French universities.
They’re approached more through the prism of scientific research and statistics.
It’s not just a theoretical but also a quantitative approach to social and political sciences.
Did you find it difficult to adapt to the education system?
I think everyone has to adapt when they arrive at the LSE and in a new city like London.
I had a bit of difficulty at first with Economics and Mathematics, as I hadn’t had these subjects since high school.
The language barrier quickly disappeared, however, as students come from different countries and are able to understand each other.
There are more foreign students in subjects like Economics and Mathematics than in social policy courses.
My English wasn’t perfect, but I took the IELTS exam and my adaptation to English went very smoothly.
Do you have a lot of work to do?
It’s true that there’s a lot of work to do.
The key is to know how to adapt and understand how to get organized.
Above all, there’s a lot of personal work, because we have to follow the lectures online, then do exercises and write essays.
There’s very little “rote learning” compared to French universities.
It’s all about practice and reflection.
For example, we can even bring our own coursework to exams!
How many hours of lessons do you have a week?
I have both lectures and tutorials, for a total of almost 15 hours a week.
Student life at LSE
What’s student life like at LSE?
Student life is not exceptional on the LSE campus.
The advice I would give to students wishing to integrate and meet new people is to choose their student residence carefully.
There’s a very large French community at LSE and this can of course help with socializing.
Do you have any associations at LSE?
Is it an integral part of student life?
The university’s associations and clubs are an essential vehicle for socialization at LSE.
They are also highly valued on resumes.
For my part, I co-founded the Oxfam branch at LSE, an international non-governmental organization.
Do you live in a student residence?
How did the housing search go?
There are both residences reserved for LSE studentsThese include student residences run by several London universities and private student residences.
I’m in an LSE residence with Bachelor students that I discovered on the university’s website.
It’s advisable to register for a room as soon as you have your admission results, as the residences are very popular.
What do you think of London?
We often stay with LSE students.
London is a pleasant city with a multicultural atmosphere.
It’s a big city with lots of green spaces.
The only negative point is the high cost of living.
London can also be a daunting city for students who aren’t used to living in big cities.
Into the future
What are your professional and academic plans for the future?
In the UK, students start their professional career as soon as they finish their Bachelor’s degree, whereas in France it’s often necessary to obtain a Master’s degree.
It’s difficult for me at the moment to know what I’d like to do after my Bachelor’s degree, but I’m thinking of doing some internships to refine my project.
What advice and recommendations would you give to a French student interested in joining LSE?
I think it’s important to bear in mind that degrees that are valued in the UK are not necessarily those that are valued in France.
I’m thinking in particular of literary and theoretical subjects such as political science or anthropology, which can lead to the same professional careers as Bachelors in management and economics in the UK.
So I’d say to students who want to enter the LSE, it’s important to open up your academic horizons.
Many students choose the Bachelor’s degree in Management when other academic disciplines are just as valued in the UK.
If, like Stan, you would like to attend the London School of Economics or a university in Englanddon’t hesitate to >contact us to discuss your project!
