Everything is ending and starting at the same time. Chill!!

Okay so here we are. Term is almost over. Which sounds like a clean, happy ending, except it does not feel like it, because at the exact same moment you are supposed to:

1. Move out of your accommodation. Either back home, to a new flat in London, or into that limbo where half your stuff is in storage and you are not entirely sure where you live.

2. Start your dissertation properly. The thing you have been vaguely thinking about for months is now staring at you with a deadline.

3. Begin some version of a job hunt. Or an internship hunt. Or a what do I want to do with my life hunt.

Also, somehow, have a summer. Which is what everyone keeps telling you to enjoy.

If you feel a bit weird right now, that is why. Nothing is wrong with you. Several big life things are happening in the same six weeks. Here is how to get through it without losing the plot.

1. Plan your move out with time.

The temptation is to leave packing until the last possible second. Do not. Start small. One drawer a day. Bin bag for charity shop, bin bag for actual bin, box for keep. Future you, dragging suitcases through a London, will thank present you for starting early. Pro tip: Don't forget to look up your exam dates vs. your move out date so you can plan accordingly.

2. Pick where you are going to land

Going back home for the summer? Lovely. Different time zone, different fridge, different vibe, give yourself a few days to adjust before expecting peak productivity. Staying in London in a new flat? Equally lovely. Either way, decide where your dissertation is actually going to get written and make sure that place has wifi, a chair your back does not hate, and ideally some natural light. Check out the LSE summer accommodation vacancies here:

You can book directly via your student Accommodation System Hub – select the menu option “2025/6 Summer Vacation” to make your booking as shown above.

3. The dissertation is not as scary as it looks

Honestly. It feels enormous because you are looking at the whole thing at once. People start by writing paragraphs, and sections, and chapters, and eventually those things turn into a dissertation. Start with the bit you find most interesting, not the bit you think you "should" do first. Momentum matters more than order. Also, talk to your supervisor early and often, they want you to do well, that is the entire point of them. Don't forget LSE has a lot of options out there to help you. Here's a link!

4. Job hunting, gently

You do not have to have it all figured out by July. You really, really do not. But starting a little bit of something now, a few saved jobs, a tidied LinkedIn, a coffee with someone whose career you find interesting, makes the whole thing feel less like a cliff edge later. Aim for consistent and small, not heroic and sporadic. Two thoughtful applications a week beats a panicked Sunday spiral every time. And rejections are part of it, not a sign you have done something wrong. Everyone gets them. Move on, keep going. Be kind and patient with yourself.

5. Actually have a summer

This is the bit people forget. You have just done an entire MSc or 1 year of undergrad at LSE. That is a lot. See your friends before everyone scatters across the globe. Go to the cinema. Eat something nice. Spend a whole day doing absolutely nothing and refuse to feel guilty about it. Rest is part of the work, not a reward for finishing it. This is a picture I took from a trip I took to Edinburgh. Find balance!!!!

If it feels overwhelming some days, that is not weakness. Be kind to yourself, ask for help when you need it, and trust that you will get through this bit the same way you got through every other intense bit of this year. One thing at a time.