On Thursday 10 November, students and staff were invited to celebrate the official launch of LSE LIFE, the School’s new centre dedicated to students’ academic, personal, and professional development.
The event was an opportunity to learn more about LSE LIFE, which is based on the ground floor of the Library and has been open since the beginning of Michaelmas Term. The LIFE team delivers 300 workshops, events and one-on-one appointments six days a week, helping undergraduates and taught master’s students to achieve their potential whilst studying at LSE.
As well as bringing together different services from across the School, LSE LIFE also offers students extra study space in the Library and drop-in support.
Just two of the many positive comments received by LSE LIFE include:
"I had to let you know that LSE LIFE is a gem! I had a session with one of the tutors and he gave me great advice regarding strategic reading of articles, time management, essay writing, study/life balance and contacting professors."
"Thanks a lot for helping me in streamlining my thought and choosing the appropriate class for my Masters program. It was great talking to an alumnus of this School who has had hands on experience with the same thing."
Interim Director Professor Julia Black, and Pro-Director for Teaching Professor Paul Kelly were also in attendance, and thanked Nicola Wright, Director of Library Services, Dr Neil McLean, Director of LSE Academic and Professional Development Division, and Dr Claudine Provencher, Head of LSE LIFE, for their hard work in making the centre a success in its first term.
This week, Excellence in Education Award winner Dr Damian Tambini tells us why LSE students are incredible and why being a good teacher means that there should never be awkward silences in your class.
LSE GROUPS is an interdisciplinary research project where teams of undergraduate students work together to create original research. As the programme doubles its number of places so that more students can get involved, undergraduate Robert Clarke, who alongside his colleagues recently won the prestigious Booth Prize at the LSE Research Festival for their work in GROUPS 2016, gives his thoughts on the research process and the benefits of taking part in the initiative.
After recently attending the LSE Research Festival, I’ve been reflecting on undergraduate research and my experience of LSE GROUPS. I think as an undergraduate you often come to LSE excited about research but sometimes due to the intensity of the day-to-day work, forget this passion and motivation.
LSE GROUPS 2016 was an intense two-week program that divided students up into groups that each had a good mix of disciplines. Initially I was sceptical of the value of working with students of other disciplines, but this quickly changed as they introduced me to the different approaches to research in the social sciences. As we narrowed down our ideas to find the perfect research question, it was fascinating to hear what other groups were doing and to see people becoming truly excited about their work. From fuel poverty to ethnographies of leisure centres, it was clear that competition would be fierce and that everyone’s work would be incredibly interesting. This year, LSE Groups will be held weekly across Lent Term to allow students to engage with it alongside their studies.
International Organisation Day 2016: advice to students
On Saturday, LSE Careers' held its 10th International Organisations Day (IOD), a unique event bringing together representatives from international organisations to offer students an insight into what they do, how they are structured and recruit, and what they look for in applicants.
This year, organisations in attendance included the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the International Committee for the Red Cross.
Follow the Storify to find out more about what advice these organisations and others gave to students interested in working internationally.
Did you know LSE Careers is now offering careers appointments until 8pm on Thursdays and on Saturdays to help fit around your timetable? Visit Career Hub for more information.
On the day that Donald Trump won the 2016 US Presidential Election, beating Democratic Rival Hilary Clinton, the LSE Department of Government asked some of their faculty to give their snap analysis of the result and it’s implications for politics in the US and beyond.
A new series of videos with has been launched by the LSE Language Centre.
Throughout the series Dr Catherine Xiang, Language Co-ordinator (East Asian Languages) has been interviewing LSE academics, in Chinese, about their research and ideas. From media industries to social policy change and future economic development in China, the first series involved eight experts at LSE. They are:
Discussing and sharing their research and ideas in Mandarin with English subtitles, LSE scholars are able to engage wider academic and non-academic users in all Mandarin speaking countries and regions. The LSE Language Centre Mandarin team aims to develop teaching materials based on the content of these videos so that a range of new Mandarin courses for Academic Purposes will be offered. It builds on the success of the student-led project Current Affairs in Mandarin, which has generated valuable open education resources for all.
Mental health interventions in pregnant women and new mothers have benefits There are clear economic and societal arguments for investing in mental health interventions for women during pregnancy and immediately after birth, a new report by the Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU) at LSE suggests.
Library update: Beanbags returned to Lower Ground Floor
Nicola Wright, Director of Library Services, explains why the beanbags were removed, and then returned after listening to student feedback.
We removed beanbags from the Lower Ground Floor in the Library during the summer due to concerns that some students were using them to sleep on overnight. We were worried that this could have a detrimental effect on the health and wellbeing of students, so with the agreement of the Students Union and in advance of a planned redevelopment of the Lower Ground Floor, we transferred the beanbags to the Student Centre.
We hoped that the new sofas on the Ground Floor would offer a suitable option for daytime seating and that the beanbags would not be missed. However, having listened to your feedback, we now recognise that is not the case and regret not having consulted more thoroughly before removing them. Therefore, we have decided to return the beanbags to their previous home on the Lower Ground Floor, until we complete its refurbishment next summer. We are very keen to incorporate your needs into the new improved environment we will be creating - so we will be consulting widely with you and the Students Union as part of the design process for the redevelopment. In the meantime, I hope you will welcome the return of the beanbags, and bear in mind the importance of leaving the Library to get a good night’s sleep.
Receive a £10 Amazon voucher for giving your views
Communications at LSE would like to hear from students about how you are communicated with at focus groups in Week 11 of Michaelmas Term.
Please contact communications.internal@lse.ac.uk if you are interested in taking part. All sessions will last one hour, and participants will receive a £10 Amazon voucher as a thank-you for your involvement!
Tell us your views on the Clement House new learning spaces for the chance to win one of two £10 Amazon vouchers
The new spaces can be found on floors 2 to 7 of the Clement House rotunda - the areas around the spiral staircase in the centre of the building.
Each area has a slightly different theme and is named after a different city. Creativity, self-study and group discussion are just some of the ideas behind each floor. You'll find whiteboards, lots of plug sockets, furniture of all designs, artwork and a Mac for your use.
Let us know your thoughts by completing this short survey.
Green your CV and get a free t-shirt
The Student Switch Off campaign are looking for volunteer Halls Sustainability Ambassadors.
Learn how to effectively communicate and get something extra for your CV. As a bonus if you stay involved in Student Switch Off over the year, you will receive an employment reference from the National Union of Students and be entered into a draw to win Eurostar tickets to Paris.
If you’re living in Bankside House, Butler’s Wharf Residence, Carr-Saunders Hall, Grosvenor House, Northumberland House or Passfield Hall, come along to find out more about the competition running in your hall and how you can get involved.
Register to attend a training session on Wednesday 16 November either at 2.30-3.30pm or 4-5pm and get a free t-shirt for attending!
Are you a second year undergraduate student or third year PPE undergraduate student interested in taking part in an exchange with the University of California Berkeley 2017-18?
Second year undergraduate students can apply to spend 2017-18 on a year-long exchange programme at Berkeley. Applications are now open and will close at noon on Friday 9 December 2016.
For more information (practical and useful tips on making a successful application) come to our Berkeley Exchange Briefing taking place in the Alumni Theatre, New Academic Building on Thursday 24 November at 10.15-11.45am.
If so, get some exam practice before the real day. LSE LIFE will be running exam workshops in weeks 10 and 11 of Michaelmas Term. Each workshop will be two hours long with a one-hour timed writing task in the middle. It will be a great opportunity to find out:
What it's like to sit an exam at LSE
How to manage your time in the exam
What key exam terminology means
What it's like to write with pen and paper!
You will be able to try out your exam techniques and experience what it's like to write under pressure without it being a real exam! The workshop will start with an introduction to sitting exams at LSE, followed by one hour spent working on your own exam question. The workshop will finish with a reflection on your experience and advice on time management and exam skills. All you will need to do is to bring an exam question/paper with you.
These sessions are for students with January examinations in the week of 3-6 January. More practice sessions will run in Lent Term in preparation for Summer Term exams.
Using others’ ideas in your work - with academic integrity
There is a paradox in academic work. On one hand, you’re asked to “be original”. At the same time, when you write an essay, you also need to build on others’ ideas. Indeed, you must make your argument in the context of the debates and definitions established in your field. Part of the challenge is how to express others’ ideas and combine them in an original way to make your point. "Academic integrity" means acknowledging that those ideas come from other thinkers - AND letting your reader know precisely where they came from.
In good academic practice this is done through consistent citing and referencing and putting others’ ideas into your own words to make your point. In this way you "stand on the shoulders of giants" (Sir Isaac Newton): use their ideas as a foundation - but don’t simply reproduce what they say.
If you’re interested in attending an LSE LIFE workshop but are unable to make it in person, then why not check out our online resources? You can access all materials from our talks and workshops on the LSE LIFE Moodle page. This means if you want advice on writing essays, reading academic texts or how to study in general then you can find recordings, PowerPoint slides and handouts to help. We also have a podcast series and a Study Toolkit, covering a range of topics, from time management and making convincing arguments in essays to revising and preparing for exams.
What’s on
Highlights from LSE's public events
Dr Justin Gest (pictured), Assistant Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University, and co-founder of the LSE Migration Studies Unit, reveals key findings from the first rigorous study of the social and political trends underpinning Brexit and the Trump phenomenon in the United States on Monday 21 November. This event will be webcast live online via LSE Live.
Other upcoming events next week include a discussion on The Lost Art of Listening with Professor Jim Macnamara, and Harvard’s Professor Kenneth S Rogoff on The Curse of Cash.
Tickets are still available to purchase for the LSE Choir and Orchestra Christmas Concert in association with the LSESU Music Society on Tuesday 6 December at St Clement Danes church. Get into the Christmas spirit!
Friday 18 November, 6-8pm, Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building Film introduced by the director, Gianfranco Rosi (via video-link)
Gianfranco Rosi’s documentary observes Europe’s migrant crisis from the vantage point of a Mediterranean island where hundreds of thousands of refugees, fleeing war and poverty, have landed in recent decades. Rosi shows the harrowing work of rescue operations but devotes most of the film to the daily rhythms of Lampedusa, seen through the eyes of a doctor who treats casualties and performs autopsies, and a feisty but anxious pre-teen from a family of fishermen for whom it is simply a peripheral fact of life. With its emphasis on the quotidian, the film reclaims an ongoing tragedy from the abstract sensationalism of media headlines.
The screening is organised by the Deptartment of Media and Communications, as part of the events to launch the Media and Migration project results. The screening is free and open to all - seating on first come, first serve basis. Watch the trailer here.
Monday 21 November, 6.30-8pm, TW1.G.01 Introduction from Marco Buti (pictured), Director-General for Economic and Financial Affairs at the European Commission Comments from Paul De Grauwe, John Paulson Chair in European Political Economy at the European Institute; and Mareike Kleine, Associate Professor of EU and International Politics at the European Institute.
Is the recasting of economic governance of Europe beset by intractable economic, political and institutional conflicts? When the euro was created, it was partly as a solution to the "impossible trinity" of simultaneously having free capital movement, a fixed exchange rate and independent monetary policies.
Join us to discuss whether there are ways round the various incompatible economic and political trinities, and, if so, what they imply for the next stages of reform of euro governance.
Are you using software to analyse your data? Would you like further training in qualitative and/or quantitative data analysis software packages?
The Workshop in Applied Analysis Software (MY591) offers targeted training sessions on software used in analytical research, including statistical analysis packages, qualitative analysis software, and tools for text analysis.
The workshop is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students. Each workshop session is between two and four hours long, and includes hand-on assistance and advice from Department of Methodology staff.
Students are free to choose which software packages and weeks fit their needs. For more information, please see the MY591 moodle page.
Part of LSE
Free Cycle Confident lessons
All staff and students are invited to enrol on a FREE one-to-one cycle lesson with a qualified cycle instructor. They will be running at two different locations, with sessions available over the next two weeks at both locations.
Watch this short video to find out what previous trainees thought of the training they received.
For more information and to book, see below:
Barnard Park, Charlotte Terrace, N1 0JQ Tuesday 22 November and Friday 2 December (best located for halls north of the river - Carr Saunders, College Hall, Connaught Hall, Grosvenor House, High Holborn, International Hall, King’s Cross, Lilian Knowles, Passfield, Rosebery) https://cycleconfidentmt16barnardpark.eventbrite.co.uk
Archbishop’s Park, Lambeth Palace Road, SE1 Friday 25 November and Tuesday 29 November (best located for campus, halls south of the river, and halls west of campus - Bankside House, Butler’s Wharf, Grosvenor House, High Holborn, Lilian Penson, Northumberland House, Nutford House, Sidney Webb, Westminster Bridge) https://cycleconfidentmt16archbishopspark.eventbrite.co.uk
What place makes you feel #partofLSE?
On Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, we’re showcasing a selection of students and staff sharing their favourite places on and around campus in celebration of all the wonderful places at LSE and across London.
As proud supporters of Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s #LondonIsOpen campaign, the initiative is an opportunity for you to tell the LSE community what spaces make you feel part of LSE, and remind the world that our capital is open to everyone.
Follow along every day for new stories, and share selfies of you in your favourite places with us on social media.
Get in touch!
If you have some news, an achievement, or an aspect of LSE life that you would like to share, we would love to hear from you - get in touch at communications.internal@lse.ac.uk or on ext 7582.
The next edition of Student News is on Wednesday 23 November. Articles for this should be emailed to us by Monday 21 November.
Microsoft prevents automatic downloading of images. You can set your Microsoft Outlook to download all pictures in emails from LSEmail. Please find guidance here.
Study Resources
