Understanding issues, changing outlooks
"One of the most exhilarating years of my life so far," is how SIM-UOL student Anchit Goyal has described the LSE General Course.
As a student majoring in Economics and Management, it is nothing short of a dream to study at the London School of Economics and Political Science, inarguably one of the greatest Economics and Management faculties in the world. Therefore, after viewing my results in the February preliminary examinations of my second year, I applied to LSE for the General Course.
What attracted me to this programme was the wide array of subjects that LSE offers. As a General Course student, we are permitted to choose any course from any department; and while I took courses from the Management and Economics departments, many of my peers took courses from Social Policy, Philosophy, Mathematics and so on.
I was able to attend lectures and seminars by some of the most prominent thinkers, academicians, politicians [and] economists.
I have benefited so much from the General Course. It has provided me with an opportunity to connect with some of the leading minds of the academic world. Being a part of the LSE community, I was able to attend lectures and seminars by some of the most prominent thinkers, academicians, politicians, economists such as Paul Polman (the ex-CEO of Unilever) and Amartya Sen (a Nobel prize-winner in Economics). It has allowed me to understand a lot of the issues that pose a threat to the survival of our world as it is, and this has most certainly changed my outlook towards a great many such issues.
Another prominent benefit was the status of being an LSE alumnus. The motto at LSE is ‘Rerum cognoscere causas’ which means ‘understanding the causes of things’, and for many decades, LSE has encouraged its students to do just that. It enables one to think deeper into the matter at hand, beyond the surface and to question every fact and outcome, an invaluable skill that the job market respects.
As captured by the popular maxim, ‘A smooth sea never made a skilful sailor’. Life at LSE is not easy, it is accompanied by its own set of hardships and obstacles, that one must learn how to overcome. At LSE, we were required to read many articles before we attend our classes so that we are aware of the issue that is to be discussed. At the end of the year, I had to submit a written paper for my summative exam, and while this might be common for some, it was something completely new for me and I had no idea of how to do it. With the help of my friends and LSE’s faculty, I managed to successfully complete these tasks.
Something that the SIM - UOL programme structure prepared me for was the mental stress of an annual exam. As a UOL student, we have one main exam at the end of the year which we mentally prepare for. However, many other students who are not privy to this form of examinations tend to struggle. It is important to note that most Economics Courses at LSE have two exams – one in January and one in May.
In conclusion, being in the LSE General Course has been one of the most exhilarating years of my life so far, where I have learned more than I ever thought I could, and made some lifelong friends in the process.
Anchit Goyal
BSc Economics and Management
Final year at LSE General Course, UK
This page was last updated on 14 December 2021