12 Sep 2024
Qiuyuan Guo, an outstanding graduate of NBCK Class of 2023, received offers from many high-quality universities around the world in the A2 application season, including North America (Waterloo Scholarship Co-op offer), Europe (LSE, UCL double offer, etc.), Oceania (University of Melbourne offer, University of Sydney offer, etc.) and Hong Kong, China (University of Hong Kong offer). Among the many offers from prestigious universities, she finally chose the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a goddess college in G5, to start her study abroad journey. This article is an interview with Qiuyuan in the form of a question and answer. It is hoped that through her description of LSE, it will help more juniors who have dreams of impacting G5 to better understand LSE. More information can be used to measure the compatibility of the school atmosphere with their own goals. We also welcome more juniors to apply to LSE in the future to expand our alumni team.
"I am willing to share my experience with our NBCK classmates. After the in-depth experience of the first academic year, what I want to share with you most is the unique learning atmosphere of LSE, a niche school. LSE, I have to say, is indeed a senior institution that pays great attention to multiculturalism and focuses deeply on the fields of liberal arts and finance, just as I knew before applying. One of the manifestations of diversity is that unlike the relatively single source of college students in general, LSE majors have students from Africa, Egypt, India, China, Europe and the United States, and of course South Korea and Japan. This international student composition not only makes our classroom discussions full of vitality, but also encourages us to cross cultural and regional boundaries and jointly explore academic issues under a global perspective, especially in the economic field closely related to Global Source. Our case analysis pays more attention to the specific situation of different fields and cultural backgrounds around the world.
However, the extremely high learning pressure at LSE is also necessary for it to be a world-class institution in related majors. It is a very specialized institution. Every candidate who can enter LSE is also very demanding in his or her major. My classmates are basically selected from the best of the best. So even in the first semester of my freshman year when I was admitted to LSE from NBCK with a lower GPA requirement, I have already experienced the intensity of learning here. The intensity of learning at LSE is controlled by oneself. The time for different courses can be arranged by oneself. Students study very hard. Many of them watch course recordings and notes while lying in bed. There are too many great people in this school, and the ability gap between grades is very large. Although this high-intensity learning mode makes people feel more stressed, it is also a big reason why LSE can cultivate talents. "
"I think the distribution of subject scores at LSE really strictly follows the typical British education model. Unlike the North American distribution of course work, which also accounts for the total score, the final exam accounts for a large proportion, up to 100%, which directly leads to extremely high learning pressure. Moreover, the examination culture of LSE is very direct and leaves no room for maneuver. There is basically no adjustment of scores, which invisibly increases the pressure of preparing for the exam. If you want to get a good GPA, you will undoubtedly need to invest great enthusiasm and effort. I have a suggestion or reminder for juniors who are willing to apply to LSE, that is, you must not wait until the last exam season to review, and you must keep up with the progress of every class. Otherwise, the candidates will feel quite miserable and unable to keep up with the progress during the Spring exam season in May.
Moreover, LSE has a "cold goddess"-like attitude towards this high-demand examination system. From the moment of admission, students will be clearly informed that their academic performance depends entirely on their performance in the final exam. Therefore, LSE has very strict requirements for students' academic ability. Basically, every student who can "survive" in LSE can have solid professional knowledge, good test-taking ability and high-intensity stress resistance. On the other hand, the high-intensity study at NBCK laid a solid foundation for learning at LSE, and now the high-intensity of LSE has also laid a foundation for entering the real workplace and society in the future. Isn't this one of the meanings of participating in higher education? 'Always preparing for a better tomorrow. '"
"LSE's resources are still very rich. The library is basically full, especially during the exam season. The library has both online and offline libraries, and the information is also very rich, covering books in various languages from various countries. The course is divided into lectures and seminars. Lectures are taught in a large lecture hall with hundreds of people. Seminars are divided into small classes where students can interact more with professors.
The professors at LSE are all top-notch. Some professors are very considerate and make the courseware very detailed. If you preview the courseware before class, it will be easier to understand the class. The professors' teaching quality shows their high academic level, and the course design is exquisite and the content is rich. As for the professors' speaking speed and accent, it is not as difficult to adapt as the outside world says. You may be a little confused in the first one or two months, but after adapting, you will find that this is not a problem. However, it is precisely because of the high level of the professors that the requirements before class will be increased accordingly. You must do a good job of previewing before class, especially reading relevant literature, otherwise you may feel a little strenuous in class.
The professors at LSE are also very friendly. They are very happy to communicate with students and are willing to provide constructive academic suggestions. They encourage us to use Office Hour to communicate with them more. A 15-minute conversation can gain a lot of content. Whether it is a question about the course content or confusion about the future academic path, the professors will patiently answer and give guidance. When I first came here, I had only a vague understanding of the Big Four and investment banks, but now I have a basic understanding of them. I know that competition in this industry is extremely fierce, and I am slowly making plans and preparations for myself. ”
"In my opinion, the most unique and attractive thing about LSE is its all-round and deeply rooted career-oriented job-seeking atmosphere. When you walk by a classmate, you can hear him discussing the Spring Week application with others. First of all, LSE's Career Service provides the most basic jobs to solve the living conditions, such as some on-campus job opportunities, covering internships in the library and cafeteria, and even opportunities to be professors' research assistants.
Furthermore, LSE's Career Resources are simply unmatched. A large number of Alumni Panels and Insight Events give us the opportunity to communicate face-to-face with industry seniors who graduated from LSE, and even have a cup of coffee to guide our career planning. I personally applied for and completed an internship at Lixin Accounting Firm in my freshman year, and I plan to make a good plan in the direction of specialization in the future."
"Then let me talk about daily life at LSE. LSE is located in the center of London. This prosperity makes commuting by subway and public transportation very convenient. Especially because the school is small, many students usually live in other areas. Although there are some small challenges in commuting, they can be easily solved. Another advantage of the geographical advantage of the heart of London is that there are many food choices. Although British cuisine is often ridiculed, London's multiculturalism means that we have no shortage of food choices. From the homemade cakes of Fleet River Bakery to the fragrant coffee of Monmouth, to the fast food lunch at Thai Takeaway, there are many choices. If you want to eat Chinese food, Chinatown is also in a very convenient location and you can easily go there. I often have dinner with friends there.
There is no lack of fun in LSE. Whether strolling in the market of Covent Garden and feeling the charm of the interweaving of retro and modern, or traveling through time and space in the British Museum and exploring the treasures of human civilization, it can relax our minds. In addition, there are many good places on the LSE campus. For example, the New Academic Building can provide a place for study, and you can also listen to music in the Shaw Library Lunchtime Concert. Of course, there are also many on-campus clubs and extracurricular activities in LSE, which are all good choices.
In the past, if you were also confused between working hard and lying down, and now you are in A2, if you are also struggling whether to sprint for every A* with all your strength, or lie down and win with the lowest Con. Please choose to work hard, because in the dimension of time, a beautiful dream school life and many career opportunities will belong to you. "
