GENERAL COURSE INDUCTION

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GENERAL COURSE INDUCTION

• Welcome

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The GC Student Body

• 300 GC students
• From 57 countries
• From 119 universities
• Part of the group of 5,000 new students at the
  LSE
• SoGC not exceptional except not constrained in
  course selection

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The LSE Whats on Offer?

• 23 teaching departments and institutes
• 44 u/g degrees
• 370 u/g courses
• Research-led teaching
• Only 1/3 economic, accounting and finance or
  management and related courses
• Somost teaching is in wider social sciences

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Whos Who at the School

• Associate Dean
• Student Services Centre
• Departmental Manager
• Departmental Tutor
• Personal Tutor
• Lecturer
• Class Teacher

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Whos Who at the School

• Associate Dean General Course
• Student Services Centre
• Departmental Manager
• Departmental Tutor
• Personal Tutor
• Lecturer
• Class Teacher

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Whos Who at the School
Associate Dean

• - academic and personal matters
• advice on course selections
• change of course, class
• department transfers
• advise on transfers to the LSE
• accommodation issues
• exam arrangements
• point of reference for other support services

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Whos Who at the School

• Dr Celia Phillips
• Office A201 (Old Building)
• Office hours every week - try to meet me once a
  term
• Appointments via list on door
• Or contact via email
• - c.phillips_at_lse.ac.uk
• NOT first point of contact

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Whos Who at the School

• Assoc Dean
• Student Services Centre
• Departmental Manager
• Departmental Tutor
• Personal Tutor
• Lecturer
• Class Teacher

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Student Services Centre

• Where?
• Ground Floor, Old Building
• When?
• Open Monday to Friday
• 9.30 17.15 (Wed till 15.45)

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Student Services Centre

• What for?
• Degree School Regulations
• Certification/transcripts
• Course choice
• Exam arrangements
• Financial support
• Further information and advice
• Much of this now done on-line

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Whos Who at the School

• Assoc Dean
• Student Services Centre
• Departmental Manager
• Departmental Tutor
• Personal Tutor
• Lecturer
• Class Teacher

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Whos Who at the School

• Assoc Dean
• Student Services Centre
• Departmental Manager
• Departmental Tutor
• Personal Tutor
• Lecturer
• Class Teacher

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Whos Who at the School
Departmental Tutor

• - academic and personal matters
• advice on course selections
• change of course, class
• approves department transfers
• approves transfers to the LSE
• point of reference for other support services

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Whos Who at the School

• Assoc Dean
• Student Services Centre
• Departmental Manager
• Departmental Tutor
• Personal Tutor
• Lecturer
• Class Teacher

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Whos Who at the School
Personal Tutor

• - academic and personal matters
• - advice on course selections
• - monitors your work
• point of reference for other support services
• but not a counsellor
• must meet at least twice a term

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Whos Who at the School

• Assoc Dean
• Student Services Centre
• Departmental Manager
• Departmental Tutor
• Personal Tutor
• Lecturerdelivers the weekly lecture, may also be
• Class Teacher

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Whos Who at the School
Class Teacher

• weekly point of contact
• will mark your coursework
• will mark attendance each week
• will mark your participation
• - based on these will provide overall class grade
  that goes on your transcript

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Structure of the Academic year

• Three terms of 10 weeks each
• Michaelmas Term
• Lent Term
• Summer Term
• Two long breaks
• Christmas
• Easter

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Structure of the Academic year

• Teaching in Michaelmas and Lent terms
• Revision and exam in Summer Term
• Four full unit courses (or equivalent)
• Usually one 1 hour lecture and one 1 hour class
  per week
• classes are compulsory
• Expectation of independently managed study time
• 6 8 hours per course per week

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Structure of the Academic year

• Exams in the Summer Term
• will run through late June
• you must sit all of them
• you must sit them here
• will show up on your LSE transcript
• DO NOT MAKE ANY ARRANGEMENTS BEFORE THE EXAMS ENDS

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Teaching Timetable

• Course selection on line via LSE for YOU
• Changes allowed up to end of week 4 of Michaelmas
  Term
• Audit range of courses in first few weeks
• Allows informed decision on appropriate course
• Ensures that there is no gap if you make any
  changes
• Broadens your horizons !

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Teaching Timetable

• Accessible via the Web
• via PCs or kiosks
• Lists by Modules
• Personal Timetable via LSE for YOU
• NOTE can not change assigned classes to suit
  your personal schedule
• Personal Exam Timetable via LSE for YOU

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UK Grading System

• Very different from US system
• To know more, attend 25th October
• Six broad categories of achievement
• First 70 and above ( A, A)
• Upper Second 60 and above ( A-,B, B)
• Lower Second 50 and above ( B-, C)
• Third 40 and above ( C, C-)
• Pass 34 and above ( D)
• Fail (F)
• NO grade inflation at LSE

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A Good GC Transcript

• Lists two letter grades for each course
• exam and coursework
• Exam Coursework
• EC220 Econometrics B A-
• EC210 Macroeconomics B- B
• EC315 International Economics B A-
• EH315 Africa and World B A-
• Economy
• home university makes decisions on credit
  transfers

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A Poor GC Transcript

• Lists two letter grades for each course
• exam and coursework
• Exam Coursework
• EC220 Econometrics F Inc
• EC210 Macroeconomics C- B-
• EC315 International Economics C C
• EH315 Africa and World D C
• Economy

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Change of Department

• Possible but not likely and you need to see me
  first
• Requires approval of department concerned
• Most departments oversubscribed
• especially Accounting Finance, International
  History,International Relations, Management
• only if students already assigned move
• Other departments willing to be flexible

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Transfer to LSE

• Possible but not automatic
• To know more come to meeting on 18th October
• Approval of Dept you wish to transfer into
• If accepted you will receive offer conditional
  on exam results
• ENSURE YOU HAVE FALLBACK ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE

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Student Support Resources

• Language Centre
• Other language teaching certificate courses
• English for Academic Purposes
• IT Skills
• LSE emails and login details
• Computer rooms
• Word Excel Outlook and others
• Supervised tutorials independent learning
• Library
• Newly renovated
• Teaching collection and main collection

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Student Support Resources

• Student Union
• Mentoring
• Teaching and Learning Development Office
• Advisor to Students with Disabilities/Dyslexia
• Register with advisor to received support
• Study skills support
• Strongly recommend to help acclimatise to UK
  higher education system

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Study Skills Programme

• Lectures in Old Theatre workshops in D209
• Wednesdays 14.15-15.15 (or 16.00)
• starting Wednesday 8 October
• reading and note-taking
• analysing concepts, critical reasoning, creative
  thinking
• essay writing
• making the most of lectures, developing reading
  techniques

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Study Skills Programme

• "Manage your studies" advice sessions
• One-to-one sessions
• Dr P Levin
• H417, Mondays 13.00-18.00
• just turn up or sign up on the sheet

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Paid Employment Internships

• Legally allowed to work up to 20hrs/week
• School recommends 15hrs/week max
• Not to interfere with your studies
• For details on internships, come to meeting on
  1st November
• For summer internships start dates after the end
  of the exam period

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Things to Do

• Select courses on-line
• Departmental induction meetings
• 1st meeting with personal tutor
• Personal teaching timetable via
• LSE for YOU
• Teaching starts Monday 2 October

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Q and A Sessions3 - 4.30 on Wednesdays

• Oct 4th- any problems? And how to volunteer, S75
• Oct 11th-How to manage your money, D502
• Oct 18th-Should I transfer to LSE? D502
• Oct 25th-issues of learning and understanding the
  grading system, D502
• Nov 1st-Internships, the full story, Shaw Library

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Other GC Induction Events

• Welcome Party !!!
• Underground Bar (East Building)
• Wednesday 27 September TODAY
• 17.30 onwards