Studying Brexit in London at LSE

Garima Rastogi and Anoushka Agarwal write about their summer experiences in London. Both took the International Economics course at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Garima, Class of 2019 
Major at Ashoka: Economics, with a minor in History

This summer, like many students at our university, I made my way to a different country to study something new. I thought it was the ideal course to study in this city and at this university; I had wanted to study something that was directly influenced by the location of the course. Along with broader lectures on trade in China, the United States and even India, we had an exhaustive lecture on Brexit. We also had the opportunity to discuss interesting nuances with a professor who was directly involved in the debate.

The course content was interesting and both the lecturers we had were engaging. What I loved about the course was that they didn’t compromise on the course content due to the time constraint; we learnt an immense amount about trade policies, exchange rate determination, currency crises, etc. This was also because unlike most other summer schools in the UK, the number of hours we spent in the classroom were more. The downside to this was that there was a shorter amount of time for us to see the city.

Someone wishing to do a summer abroad solely to see the city should definitely not choose to do a 300-level course at LSE.

Despite the short amounts of time I had, London proved to be a wonderful place to explore. And with LSE at the heart of it, I could get to most places without spending much time on the road. Almost all museums and galleries in London have no entry fee and have some of the greatest collections of art and historical artifacts. I would also recommend anyone interested in theater to catch a play at the West End Theaters.

Anoushka, Class of 2019
Major at Ashoka: Economics and Finance

There are certain experiences in life that you cherish forever and Summer School at the London School of Economics and Political Science was one such experience for me. To be honest, the only reason I chose the course I took was that I found it the most interesting among the other 300-level courses on offer. As I found out, the course had more to offer than I had thought. It drew from my existing knowledge in both microeconomics and macroeconomics, and built on that with many interesting theories on trade, and how trade policies affect countries around the world.

Given that it was only a 3-week course, and that it was a 300-level course, it became pretty difficult to manage coursework, especially for me because I found the London weather to be different, and took some time to settle. But I found the Teaching Assistants and the Professors to be extremely helpful. Since the United Kingdom is still figuring its way out of Brexit, a lot of focus was given on the workings of trade the economic impact it will have.

London as a city is extremely picturesque and its architecture gives it quite an old world charm. Just like any metropolitan city we have seen here in India, London is bustling with activity, people rushing to work every morning. But what makes London different from my hometown of Delhi is that even though everyone goes about their own business, they are extremely conscious about others’ comfort around them.

Walking down the street, it is common to be greeted with cheery smiles and morning greetings, and this really makes your day! Everyone is courteous and polite. The traffic laws are also followed.

Must Do’s:

– If you are a foodie, don’t miss the Camden Market and Borough Market

– Harry Potter fans, Warner Studios is a big, big must! It’s advisable to book tickets in advance as the tickets are always in high demand.

– For lovers of Shakespeare and theatre, the plays at the Shakespeare Globe Theatre are wonderful.

Then there is always the usual touristy stuff: museums, parks, the London Eye, etc. are good as well.

If you are planning to go to summer school at LSE next year, do take up the LSE housing instead of Airbnb or other accommodations, because I feel that the real fun is living the hostel life; that’s where most of the interaction takes place and actual friendships develop. Overall, my experience was wonderful and London truly lived up to the expectation of the city of dreams.

Disclaimer: 
The Edict would like to thank Ms. Anuja Kelkar from the Office of International Programs for her support in making this series possible. Ms. Kelkar is the one-woman army at the office who helps Ashokans with the arduous process of applying for and attending summer school. If you wish to attend summer school during your time at Ashoka, it might be best to approach Ms. Kelkar as the first step.