A guide to LSE Freshers I wish I'd had last year!

So, you're going into LSE first year. First of all, congratulations on your acceptance! LSE is an incredible place, and you will likely love your time here. 

Once you get into the swing of things, LSE, and London in general, will grab your heart - but first you must get through the first week: Freshers.

Now, let’s start off by saying: Freshers week, although fun, exciting, new and free, is also scary. And lonely. 

Being thrown into a new place, sometimes a whole new country, away from family and without friends, can make Freshers feel like the loneliest week you’ve ever experienced; especially seeing your old friends posting pictures of their own Freshers weeks, or not clicking with your flatmates and seeing others become instant friends.

But if this is you: you are not alone.

Being at the end of first year and having experienced the ups and downs/trials and tribulations that come with beginning university, I now feel compelled to write a retrospective on Freshers week, giving advice and the top five tips I wish I’d had entering LSE last year.

Buckle up; I’m about to take you on a journey of the dos and do-nots and provide my own perspective.

NO. #1: Know EXACTLY what is expected of you by the university this week.

It’s not a lot; classes don’t start until the week after, but regardless, there are some activities and events you must attend.

For example, every fresher completes a 2-hour lecture on ‘consent education’ during Welcome (LSE Freshers), and this will likely be your first chance to meet some of your academic cohort as you are grouped with others on your course.

After my consent lecture, I went to the Lincoln’s Inn café with some of the others and it was my first time meeting some of the people who would go on to be my closest friends.

Other activities you may be required to attend (although this differs from course to course) are a few induction lectures and classes, as well as non-mandatory but important activities such as scavenger hunts – an Anthropology classic.

Of course, there is also the all-important ENROLMENT, where you will be assigned a specific time to visit the Marshall Building lobby during Welcome to enrol.

MAKE SURE TO NOT FORGET YOUR PASSPORT – I learned this the hard way :( 

Also make sure to complete your class selections before Week 1 on the website LSE For You.

If you're not sure how to access this, email the LSE support team sooner rather than later, or you won't be given any class times!

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NO. #2: Download the LSE app.

This will prove crucial to you throughout the year as you pick classes (and try to find the rooms for those classes…), it keeps your Student ID number on hand if you lose or forget your physical ID and it is also the place where you can book office hours with your professors.

The in-built calendar is particularly useful as it automatically notates all of your class and lecture times and locations, as well as any extra appointments or departmental events.

In a similar vein, try to set up your LSE email account as soon as possible, as all communications from departments and the university itself are sent via email and you may miss important notices without keeping up to date with your inbox.

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NO. #3: DO NOT BUY THE LONDON FRESHERS WRISTBAND.

You do not need it as you will likely spontaneously follow the people you meet during freshers to different events than those listed on the wristband, and will most likely not go out every night, thus wasting money if the wristband is purchased.

For myself, I ended up going out four times in Freshers week: to Omeara (bad), to Studio 338 (fine), to the O2 for the RAG ball (good) and to Ministry of Sound (great).

This was the perfect balance in my opinion, as most of the daytime was spent meeting new people and doing admin and I was tired! It turns out socialising when you don’t have previously established friends around you is a lot more draining than I previously thought, and I tend to be an extrovert!

Of course, you may decide to go out more, or less, but either way I would not recommend the wristband as it is more likely than not that you will lose money.

You must also be aware that companies use manipulative tactics to sell such products like pretending that a product is 'selling out' and so you must buy it now before it is 'too late'. 

They've also been known on occasion to plant people into university group chats to talk about how the wristband is the most important thing to get in Freshers week to make you feel anxious that you’ll be missing out. It’s simply not true.

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NO. #4: So, no wristband. What SHOULD you buy in advance for Freshers?

It’s important to note that there are SO many clubs and pubs in London that it doesn’t really matter if you don’t book anything in advance, there will always be somewhere to go.

That being said, there are a few places which always tend to draw people in Freshers, and which you may want to buy in advance.

• Firstly: SWAY, which is our Wednesday sports night bar. This is a club which does sell out, especially in the first few weeks, so make sure to book this in advance if you’re thinking of going. I will say however that most sports clubs tend to organise official SWAY trips in Week 1, as opposed to Freshers week, but a lot of people do still attend on the Wednesday in Freshers.

• Secondly, Ministry of Sound is a big hit with freshers, especially on Tuesdays. However, during Freshers week it is busy every night, and it is almost guaranteed you will find yourself at Ministry one night.

• Thirdly, you could possibly go on the Freshers boat party held on the Thames. This needs to be booked in advance but (having not attended myself) I have received mixed reviews on this night, and so possibly this may be deemed a skippable event.

Finally, there will likely be an event put on by a society, probably RAG, and this will need to be booked in advance. I would recommend this, having attended O2 with some friends for the RAG ball on the Tuesday of Freshers week and having a great time.

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NO. #5: Take time for yourself!

As I mentioned at the start of this blog, Freshers is one of the most fun, chaotic, stressful, lonely, exciting weeks you will experience in first year. 

Alone for maybe the first time, meeting all new people every day and going out a lot, missing home - these can all take a toll on you, both mentally and physically. On my first couple of nights in halls I slept awfully and just had to power through.

This being said, it's important to take some time to relax and do self-care. By this I do not mean scrolling Tiktok while lying in bed for hours, but actual intentional relaxation.

Switching off devices, having a shower, cooking something up, grabbing a book or a hobby like sewing or going for a walk with no music to let your brain take a break from information overload can all be really helpful methods of intentional mindfulness. 

Stay happy, health is wealth, and with that last tip my work here is done and the guide is complete. 

Enjoy your first year and always look on the bright side of life!