INTERVIEW | Cindy - London School Economics: BSc in management

What is your name?

Cindy

How old are you?

19

Where do you come from?

Paris

Which high school did you go to?

Ecole Jeannine Manuel - bilingual school in Paris, France

What kind of a student were you?

Top of class student

Choose 3 words that best describe you.

Nice, ambitious, organized

What was your number one dream university while in high school?

The London School of Economics.

What university do you go to now?

My dream university

Why did you choose this university?

It’s one of the best universities for social sciences and management in the world. I’m currently pursuing a bachelor in management

For how long have you been going to this university?

2 years

Was it your first choice university?

No, my first choice was Oxford in pure economics, even though I wanted to get into LSE more than Oxford.

What is your favorite thing about it?

I love the campus, it’s located in the center of London, next to Covent Garden. I also love the fact that you can meet so many new people from different places.

What courses are you taking, what is your major?

I’m doing a BSc in management. My 1st-year courses were: economics, finance, accounting, quantitative methods (mathematics & statistics), organizational behavior, and operations management. Second-year courses: managerial economics, econometrics, marketing, information systems, and I took finance for my extra option.

Is it academically competitive, do you find it stressful, are the classes intense?

It is academically very competitive. All the students are super intelligent and the classes are challenging. Coming from an ES background, it’s definitely hard to keep up with courses involving maths, stats & finance. However, if you put in the work and effort, you will be able to follow the courses. Courses that are not quantitative like marketing, operations management etc are quite easy to follow. During the year, there’s not that much workload, even though you have to hand in some important projects and do problem sheets every week. The most stressful period is definitely during exams at the end of the year because your whole year relies on those exams.

Do people help each other?

Yes, there’s a lot of help coming from students, class teachers and lecturers.

For how many hours do you study on a daily basis?

3-4H

What’s your advice to nail academic and social life?

During your first year particularly, try to attend to all social events, join a sports club, or a club that you enjoy. Try to work regularly during the year so that you’re not completely lost at the end of the year for your exams.

Was it easy to meet new people?

Yes, people are super outgoing. Living in a student accommodation for your 1st year helps for socializing.

Is it close to your home town?

I live in Paris so I can go there easily by train. It takes about 2h30.

How often do you leave campus?

I live outside of campus, so I just go there for my classes and lectures, for studying at the library and for social events.

Is it international?

Yes, it is very international, there are people coming from everywhere in the world. The most spoken language is English.

Do you often go to your university’s library?

Yes, I try to go every day on weekdays. It closes at midnight in the first term I think, but for the second term, it’s opened 24h. Most places are silent in the library, but you can also book rooms to study in, in groups.

What’s your favorite place to study on campus?

The library. it’s quiet so easier to work there.

On a scale from 1 to 10, what would you rate your campus?

8/10. It’s a small campus (compared to those in the states) but new buildings have been built that are very modern and big.

Are you living in your school’s dorm?

I lived in a dorm during my first year. It was great for meeting new people and keeping up with social events. I have met all my best friends there. I now live in my own flat with 2 of my best friends that I met at LSE.

What would you rate your school’s parties?

7/10

How often do people go to parties?

Usually, everyone goes.

Are you a member of a club?

I’m the Vice President of the French Society of LSE

What are your favorite activities at your school?

I love to participate in fundraising/charity events. I’m also in the French Society of LSE, so I work on that mostly.

Do people in your school tend to have a job at the same time?

Not usually, but some do. It’s completely manageable.

How athletic is your school from one to ten?

9/10 - there are a lot of sports clubs (football, basket, box, dance..) and there’s a thing called LSE Fight Night - it’s a popular boxing event organized by LSE.

Is it popular for a particular sport?

I’m not sure.

What the nearest city to your school?

It’s located in London.

What is the average temperature in the area?

Warm in summer, cold in winter and very rainy

Fun Facts?

Angelina Jolie is a lecturer at LSE. There are always conferences with very important people coming to LSE (CEO of Hermes, Total, Estee Lauder…)

3 words that best describe your school:

international, high standards, competitive

Is your life in the university what you expected?

Yes! I really enjoy my university life. I have met great people from LSE but also from other universities (Kings, UCL, Imperial…) People mix a lot, there are a lot of inter-university events which allows you to meet new people

Why the student watching should apply to your university?

It’s one of the top universities in the UK. There’s definitely a balance between work and social - during the year there’s a lot of work, but there are also lots of social events. LSE also gives you the opportunity to speak up, propose ideas and projects.

What would you tell the students who are interested in your university?

Definitely apply to LSE. It’s a lot of hard work but it’s worth it.

What would be something you would’ve like an old student to tell you when you arrived?

That LSE is very challenging. You will have a lot of freedom and responsibility. Unlike high school, people are not going to tell you to do your homework, etc. You have to manage it all by yourself. So you have to be careful between managing your university work and social life. Otherwise, you will have a very heavy workload at the end of the year, which is very stressful.