The LSE. An insitution of unrivalled research into the economic and social sciences; a pantheon of world-leading academics and scholars with a distinguished heritage of intellectualism. The strength of the school in contributing to solving society's problems is undeniable. Nonetheless, there remains a growing dissatisfaction amongst undergraduates; the topic of student experience is hotly-debated in and outside of campus. My alma mater recently scored some of the lowest points for teaching quality in the national league tables; where has this issue stemmed from? What can we do to find a solution?
Some of our most formative years are during our time at university; it is a period of growth, development, stimulation, freedom and learning. The student experience is arguably the most important consideration when applying to university. One applies to LSE in the full knowledge that it is a highly-esteemed insitution which is recognised worlwide and has some of the best departments globally for the subjects it offers. Understanding the reasons for which someone would apply here isn't rocket science (unless they begin to offer Aerospace Engineering as a course). However, what prospective students expect from their first few terms at LSE is drastically different from how the actual experience pans out. Firstly, there is a huge undercurrent of commercialism; from the very first weeks, one is invited to dinners and workshops with investment banks and corporate law firms before having even written their first essay. The resulting effect is that the university feels more like a training ground for bankers and investors, rather than a respected insitute of academia designed for the pursuit of knowledge as an end in itself. In fact, one is somewhat marginalised if they haven't even applied for a Spring Week with Goldman Sachs within their first month at LSE. Having spoken with current undergraduates at Cambridge, the experience is clearly very different; the pressure in first year is to keep up with 3 books and 5 essays a week, rather than internship applications.
Another aspect is the detached, cold feeling of the classes and the contact time, which ties in to teaching quality. There is a strong feeling that one is simply left to do the course with little guidance; this independence is, of course, a common feature among universities. However, at the LSE it feels as though the teachers and lecturers are more interested in either research projects or selling their academic books than developing students' subject knowledge. Other universities, such as Oxford, have a huge emphasis on student development which is administered through the tutorial system. Secondly, universities such as Oxford or Durham have a bigger push on pursuing personal and intellectual interests during first year, rather than a career in finance.
One can often feel like they are commuting to the office everyday rather than attending university. Of course, this is in large part due to the location of the LSE within the main financial and legal districts of the city. This has its own advantages upon graduation. However, what is lacking is a tight-knit community that universities such as Cambridge, Durham, Oxford, York and Bristol can all boast of. The detachment only fuels the feeling that you are a pupil at a training institute for JP Morgan or The Bank of America.
The final aspect I will highlight is the unimpressive administration that the LSE has. My personal experience entailed me attempting to change my outside option due to a timetable clash, and was subsequently given around 15 conflicting responses from the departments I was attempting to change to. The impact was me having to wait a month just to receive my full timetable. Admittedly this may differ from other students' experiences. Again though, one gets the impression that there is no real focus on the undergraduate experience or satisfaction. It is also inevitably important to remember that LSE is overwhelmingly dominated by postgraduates, which often makes the place feel like a masters research school, rather than a thriving undergraduate haven.
The LSE is an incredible place and has made some of the biggest contributions to society. One is hugely proud to attend this university, there is no doubt. However, the school has a long way to go in addressing these major issues outlined above. The solution? Less focus on banking, more tutorials, better administration and more money spent on the undergraduate experience.