My Student Tips for Living at Passfield!
Posted 17 hours ago
Wed 19 Aug, 2026 12:08 AM
As a student who has spent my last 2 years at Passfield, I both love this hall, and am keen to share all of my tips and insights for incoming students to making the most of all of its great benefits!
Your hall & its community is central to university life so I hope some of the following advice will enrich your upcoming year at LSE!
1. Making the most of the amenities & the catering
Passfield has a spacious dining hall, backing onto a lovely garden, perfect for early autumn, spring and summer.
I would recommend making the most of these spaces, taking advantage of Passfield's catering by showing up to dinner as much as possible to meet lots of new people. This is a win-win as Passfield's catering provides a range of options, with a veggie option, salad bar, soup, coffee machine, fruit and dessert option always available!
The common room has a variety of games to choose from, including board games, a Wii, table tennis, pool & ping pong!
Another great amenity to use is the computer/study room, open 24/7!
2. Special Saturdays
Another piece of advice I have is to take advantages of Saturdays, not only do residents get the once-in-a-week brunch, (which replaces dinner), which I found to be a weekly catering highlight with the sheer range of sweet & savoury options, from a full English breakfast, to a range of pastries, cereals, toast & jams.
Also, as dinner isn't available, this is a great opportunity to explore the local area e.g. the nearby Brunswick with many restaurants, and bond with friends! Alternatively, you can opt to get together in one of the floor's kitchens to cook together!
The next section of the local area has more of my ideas on where to go on your dinner-free Saturdays . . .
3. Passfield's location & the local area: Bloomsbury, Soho, Covent Garden & Holborn
Passfield Hall garden
These two gardens face Passfield, a great place to unwind & have lunch!
Passfield is in the Bloomsbury area, close to Soho, Fitzrovia, Covent Garden, Holborn, meaning many restaurants, from all different cuisines (& great TooGoodToGo opportunities!) are at your doorstep, only a short walk away.
Not to mention, LSE campus is only a 20-25 minute walk away, or an 8 minute cycle. This short commute is super convenient! Personally Santander bikes are a favourite option of mine, with a docking station adjacent/around the corner on Taviton Street and many to choose from on LSE campus.
My favourite street is Charlotte Street with the amazing Siam Central, Thai metro restaurants & ICCO along it!
A must-know is the Brunswick Centre, only a 5 minute walk away and close to Garden Halls & International Hall. It's home to Pho, Joe & the Juice, GBK, T4, Waitrose, Sainsbury's & many others . . .
4. Study spots: cafes & libraries
There are many study spots to choose from, the following are all only a 5-10 minute walk away, therefore perfect to squeeze in a study slot around your busy schedule!
Only a 6 minute walk away, Senate House is a great, historic place & change of scenery, with a library, cafe & lots of outside seating.
Free membership is available to all LSE students as part of University of London!
Opening hours:
| Monday - Friday | 09:00 - 23:00 |
| Saturday | 09:45 - 21:00 |
| Sunday | 09:45 - 21:00 |
Register online here before your visit!
A 5 minute walk away and a good place to study after dinner, especially given its closer proximity compared to LSE Library.
LSE students can receive free library membership too!
[Good to know: this library isn't available to non-UCL students in the month of June due to exam season]
Opening hours:
Monday-Friday: 08:30-24:00
Saturday & Sunday: 11:00-21:00
A 2 minute walk away, this is a museum and library which attracts over 550,000 visitors per year. It offers contemporary and historic exhibitions and collections, the Wellcome Library, a café, a bookshop and conference venues!
Opening hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday - Sunday: 10:00-18:00
For a more relaxed atmosphere and a chance to shop for books, art supplies & catch-up with friends over coffee!
Tip: Desks to work at are on the higher floors.
Opening hours:
Monday-Saturday: 09:00-19:00
Sunday: 11:00-17:00
5. Travelling around London
Due to Passfield's amazingly central location, many places to visit are only a short tube ride away!
Make sure to get a student oyster card here, approved by LSE & if you have a 16-25 railcard (for longer journeys across the UK), link it to your oyster for further discounts!
Great places for a weekend day trip include:
- Primrose Hill
- China Town & Leicester Square
- Richmond Park & Wimbledon Common
- Hyde Park
- Nottinghill
- Camden Canal
- Westfield
