LSE workload

hey,

i firmed lse for politics, and i really really love my subject, but i was just wondering if anyone could give me an honest idea of what the workload is like?? i’m prepared to work hard but i don’t want to be overwhelmed with stress for 3 years haha!! i only firmed it yesterday so i have time to change it to either bristol, kcl or southampton, which i feel may be less intense while still offering me good career prospects - i want to work in a charity and have no interest in banking/finance/law so i don’t want to stress myself out with lse if it isn’t even going to boost my career that much haha

Reply 1

Anonymous #2

i recomend watching imogen white on yt cause she has a lot of videos on life at lse and the workload!!

Reply 2

cateater

4

close relative at LSE. Still time for part-time job, sports and other societies

Reply 3

zaqzswxswxde

6

I'm a first year in the social policy department, but I take a couple of politics modules (GV100 and GV101). I've found the workload pretty manageable this year and I've been able to fit a part time job etc. around study quite easily.

In terms actual workload for my politics modules and LSE100, as they're likely to be the most relevant to you:
GV100 (political theory):

•

1 formative essay (2000 words inc. title page and bibliography) - due in Michaelmas Term

•

3 summative essays (2000 words inc. title page and bibliography) - 1 in Michaelmas Term, 1 in Lent Term, 1 in Summer Term

•

Lectures - lectures were all recorded this year so probably lasted longer than they would've if they were delivered in person, generally 2-3 hours per week

•

Reading - can be quite variable depending on the specific political theorist, but the reading list normally indicates a few chapters to read (can sometimes indicate a couple of hundred pages) + optional readings. To be honest, the reading list is normally more than you need, I haven't done anywhere near that amount of reading but I've done fine in all my classes and I've got 1sts on all my summatives so far.

•

Classes - 1 x 50min class per week. In my classes at least, there hasn't typically been any particular group or individual work set to complete before class

GV101 (political science)

•

1 optional formative problem set on regression analysis in MT

•

1 formative essay (1500 words not including title page or bibliography) - due just before Christmas break

•

1 summative essay in LT (50%)

•

1 exam in ST (50%)

•

Lectures - GV101 lectures were delivered live online this year and were generally around 1.5hrs

•

Reading - generally has a couple of journal articles of variable length and/or textbook chapters

•

Classes - 1 x 50min class per week. Each week has some pre-class activities/questions to consider, but whether these are used is very much down to your class teacher, my particular teacher didn't really bother with them

LSE100

•

1 summative essay due just before Christmas break

•

A group project and presentation due towards the end of LT

•

Lectures - this year at least, didn't have lectures per-se, rather a set of videos to watch and some reading to do, nothing hugely time consuming

•

Classes - (this year at least) 1 x 1.5hr class every two weeks

Reply 4

Lashby537

11

Original post by zaqzswxswxde

I'm a first year in the social policy department, but I take a couple of politics modules (GV100 and GV101). I've found the workload pretty manageable this year and I've been able to fit a part time job etc. around study quite easily.

In terms actual workload for my politics modules and LSE100, as they're likely to be the most relevant to you:
GV100 (political theory):

•

1 formative essay (2000 words inc. title page and bibliography) - due in Michaelmas Term

•

3 summative essays (2000 words inc. title page and bibliography) - 1 in Michaelmas Term, 1 in Lent Term, 1 in Summer Term

•

Lectures - lectures were all recorded this year so probably lasted longer than they would've if they were delivered in person, generally 2-3 hours per week

•

Reading - can be quite variable depending on the specific political theorist, but the reading list normally indicates a few chapters to read (can sometimes indicate a couple of hundred pages) + optional readings. To be honest, the reading list is normally more than you need, I haven't done anywhere near that amount of reading but I've done fine in all my classes and I've got 1sts on all my summatives so far.

•

Classes - 1 x 50min class per week. In my classes at least, there hasn't typically been any particular group or individual work set to complete before class

GV101 (political science)

•

1 optional formative problem set on regression analysis in MT

•

1 formative essay (1500 words not including title page or bibliography) - due just before Christmas break

•

1 summative essay in LT (50%)

•

1 exam in ST (50%)

•

Lectures - GV101 lectures were delivered live online this year and were generally around 1.5hrs

•

Reading - generally has a couple of journal articles of variable length and/or textbook chapters

•

Classes - 1 x 50min class per week. Each week has some pre-class activities/questions to consider, but whether these are used is very much down to your class teacher, my particular teacher didn't really bother with them

LSE100

•

1 summative essay due just before Christmas break

•

A group project and presentation due towards the end of LT

•

Lectures - this year at least, didn't have lectures per-se, rather a set of videos to watch and some reading to do, nothing hugely time consuming

•

Classes - (this year at least) 1 x 1.5hr class every two weeks

wow thank you so much for this it’s really helpful!! if you don’t mind, how are you finding the social policy bits as well?? i’m thinking of transferring to social policy and politics when i get there in september so it’s a coincidence that you have replied haha :smile:

Reply 5

zaqzswxswxde

6

Original post by Lashby537

wow thank you so much for this it’s really helpful!! if you don’t mind, how are you finding the social policy bits as well?? i’m thinking of transferring to social policy and politics when i get there in september so it’s a coincidence that you have replied haha :smile:

I've really enjoyed some of the stuff in social policy this year (+ its a really nice department)

SP100 (Understanding International Social and Public Policy)

•

2 formative essays (1,200 words, not including bib or title page), one due middle of MT, one due middle of LT

•

1 summative group project (make and present a poster + written supplement on a social policy issue), due at end of MT

•

1 summative blog post, due end of LT

•

1 exam in ST

•

Lectures - generally a one hour pre-recorded lecture + a live 1 hr q&a (I imagine they'll be back in person next year though)

•

Readings - generally a couple of journal articles or textbook/book chapters

•

Classes - 1 x 1.5hr class per week. Every week generally has some group work or questions to consider before class, though how much these get used in class varies

SP101 (Foundations of Social Policy Research)

•

2 formative essays - 1 in MT (500 words, answering a question about a specific research paper) and 1 in LT (1,000 words, must reference at least two studies)

•

Summative group presentation in MT

•

1 summative blog post (800 words) due early LT

•

2 summative quizzes in LT (one at start of term, one at end) - only your best of the two actually counts

•

1 summative essay in ST (2,000 words, must reference at least 4 studies)

•

Lectures - generally a one hour pre-recorded lecture + a live 1 hr q&a (I imagine they'll be back in person next year though)

•

Readings - normally at least one research article, often a related textbook section

•

Classes - 1 x 1.5hr class per week. There's normally a group activity to be done in advance of class, this was (for me anyway) pretty much my only class where these pre-class activities were consistently used in class

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 6

Lashby537

11

Original post by zaqzswxswxde

I've really enjoyed some of the stuff in social policy this year (+ its a really nice department)

SP100 (Understanding International Social and Public Policy)

•

2 formative essays (1,200 words, not including bib or title page), one due middle of MT, one due middle of LT

•

1 summative group project (make and present a poster + written supplement on a social policy issue), due at end of MT

•

1 summative blog post, due end of LT

•

1 exam in ST

•

Lectures - generally a one hour pre-recorded lecture + a live 1 hr q&a (I imagine they'll be back in person next year though)

•

Readings - generally a couple of journal articles or textbook/book chapters

•

Classes - 1 x 1.5hr class per week. Every week generally has some group work or questions to consider before class, though how much these get used in class varies

SP101 (Foundations of Social Policy Research)

•

2 formative essays - 1 in MT (500 words, answering a question about a specific research paper) and 1 in LT (1,000 words, must reference at least two studies)

•

Summative group presentation in MT

•

1 summative blog post (800 words) due early LT

•

2 summative quizzes in LT (one at start of term, one at end) - only your best of the two actually counts

•

1 summative essay in ST (2,000 words, must reference at least 4 studies)

•

Lectures - generally a one hour pre-recorded lecture + a live 1 hr q&a (I imagine they'll be back in person next year though)

•

Readings - normally at least one research article, often a related textbook section

•

Classes - 1 x 1.5hr class per week. There's normally a group activity to be done in advance of class, this was (for me anyway) pretty much my only class where these pre-class activities were consistently used in class

wow this is so so helpful thankyou!! last thing (i promise haha), are you generally enjoying the content?? is it fairly interesting? also i’m assuming you are in exam season rn, so i hope it all goes well for you!! :smile:

Reply 7

zaqzswxswxde

6

Original post by Lashby537

wow this is so so helpful thankyou!! last thing (i promise haha), are you generally enjoying the content?? is it fairly interesting? also i’m assuming you are in exam season rn, so i hope it all goes well for you!!

Thanks

I've generally enjoyed the content, particularly in SP101 and GV100 as those modules tend to lend themselves to the types of philosophical questions I find interesting. One of the benefits of ISPP w/ pol, I think, is just how eclectic a subject 'social policy' can be, there'll almost certainly be some policy issue/research methodology/approach to understanding policy that'll resonate with you, for me, it was mainly looking at ethnographic research methods and socialist critiques of capitalist welfare systems. It can depend on your class teachers, but most of mine have been pretty good at getting into discussions and stuff which link some of the more abstract ideas on the course to current issues/people's experiences/etc., and I think that definitely helps keep the course interesting.
Outside of the academics, the social policy department's really nice (not that I have any other departments to compare it to...), the programme team put on lots of social events (free meals, boat parties, receptions, films, etc.) through the year and we all got some free books and department branded stuff during freshers.

Whether you stay on politics or switch to SP, I'm sure you'll have a great time! Assuming you're also doing exams this year, I hope those all go well for you!

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 8

Anonymous #3

Original post by Anonymous

hey,
i firmed lse for politics, and i really really love my subject, but i was just wondering if anyone could give me an honest idea of what the workload is like?? i’m prepared to work hard but i don’t want to be overwhelmed with stress for 3 years haha!! i only firmed it yesterday so i have time to change it to either bristol, kcl or southampton, which i feel may be less intense while still offering me good career prospects - i want to work in a charity and have no interest in banking/finance/law so i don’t want to stress myself out with lse if it isn’t even going to boost my career that much haha

just wanted to know how you find lse because ive firmed for the same course now two years later!

LSE workload

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Articles for you