So you're saying that SOAS....

I did what you guys did and read into everyones comments on here. Don't worry about it, it's not as bad as they say. Sure there are a lot of people with right wing opinions, but unless you're actively looking to get into a debate with them, you generally don't hear them. Job prospects are based on your knowledge more than what university you go to, so If you study an overly specialised subject, then don't be surprised if your prospects are limited.

SOAS is a great university, but it does its best to make you work. if you just want to go out drinking and partying all the time, maybe you should have chosen a different university.

My biggest annoyance about SOAS was probably the student elections, but I'm guessing it will be the same in every other university. And for the record, I personally didn't have any problems at all with the admin, but I still have another 3 years to go.

That's pretty comforting Kukukichu! Just wondering what subject are you studying in SOAS?


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Hello
I started studying at SOAS in 2008 as a mature student and was very worried before I started and for the whole first year.
Studying there was not what I expected at all, but a totally different experience. I am an old "hippy" but I didn't really find many hippies there. What I found was fantastic lecturers who really pushed me to be professional and think deeply, they trained me to do my own research, to make documentaries and do far more than I thought was possible. The library is unique but rather warm so wearing summer clothes under winter clothes is recommended, ask for help if you can't find what you need as the numbering system can be baffling but the library is a treasure trove of cultural information you won't find anywhere else, and of course you can also join other libraries, like Senate house,Birkbeck, or the LSE while you are studying at SOAS.
I had a year out away from SOAS and I cannot wait to go back.
Before I went I thought I would be hanging out with the bar and making many new friends with other British people. But in fact what happened was quite different, the students I really bonded with came from the other side of the world. Some of the British students could be a bit full of themselves, but I always tried to keep my ego in check .I was so ignorant of life outside Europe and making friends with students from the other cultures was fantastic.
I started off doing a Masters, having not studied for over 20 years and was so clueless at first but now I am going back to do a PhD and am so looking forwards to it.
I feel I chose completely the right place because SOAS is not just a place to study but a place where all my ideas of culture and how the world works was enlightened and instead of the negative aspects of other countries highlighted in the news and media, I was able to enjoy the richness and beauty of other cultures as well as their unique ways of functioning. Through seeing the good and the ugly in other countries I could understand my own society better and refer to alternative possibilities to solving my own culture's problems.
When I first attended in 2008 there were some heavy political factions which could be oppressive to anyone outside them, but I have found that the student's union has become increasingly more positive, accepting and helpful to all. Don't expect to agree with everyone's politics, it's impossible.
The admin can be problematic at times but don't get disheartened, if one person can't help you, try another, dealing with problems by email rather than face to face or over the phone is the main source of misunderstandings I have found. So if you can make an appointment to sort out problems face to face, that is the best option.
I would recommend anyone to come to this University and whether or not I manage to complete my PhD I will have been proud to have studied at SOAS and felt it truly turned my world upside down, opened up my ideas to new possibilities and made me question everything in life. Sorry that was long!!!