CLICK LINE 2GENERAL COURSE ORIENTATION 2014

General Course Student Body

105 years old, 1909-2014 330+ General Course students From 45 countries From 131 Universities Part of the group of 5,000+ new

students at LSE So you’re not alone in being new!

Year long programme: no semester only study

250+ undergraduate courses Research-led teaching Majority of courses cover qualitative

social sciences – not just economics! A different academic experience

LSE: What you will experience?

Academic differences at LSE Structure of the year

October – June; three terms of ten weeks

Rhythm of the year Intensive periods of work separated by quieter periods

Teaching style Fewer contact teaching hours

Learning style Less direction, more independent study

Structure of the curriculum Greater level of assumed knowledge in advanced courses

Assessment Single exams at the end of the year

Dean of the General Course Academic Adviser Class Teacher Student Services Centre

Who’s Who at the School?

Who’s Who?Dean of the General Course

Mark Hoffman

Office hours every week in term time

Contact: gc.dean@lse.ac.uk Room OLD1.09 (Old Building) Tel: 020 7107 5197 Twitter @LSE_GC

Academic and personal matters

Advice on course selections

Change of course

Change of class

Accommodation issues

Exam arrangements

Point of reference for other support

services

Who’s Who? Dean of the General Course

Academic and personal matters Advice on course selections Monitors your work Point of reference for other support

services but not a counsellor

Meet at least twice a term

Who’s Who? Academic Adviser

Who’s Who? Class Teacher

Weekly point of contact Will mark your coursework Will mark attendance each week Will mark your participation Will provide overall class grade that goes

on your transcript Don’t be shy, make yourself known as a

GC student

Who’s Who? Student Services Centre

Where? Ground Floor, Old Building

When? Open: Monday to Friday 11:00 – 16.00

Who’s Who? Student Services Centre

What for? Degree & School regulations Certification/transcripts Course choices Exam arrangements Financial support Further information and advice

Much of this now done on-line

Structure of the Academic Year

Three terms of 10 weeks each: Michaelmas Term (2 Oct- 12 Dec) Lent Term (12 Jan – 20 Mar) Summer Term (27 Apr – 3 July)

Two long breaks: Christmas (4 weeks) Easter (5 weeks)

Structure of the Academic Year

Teaching in Michaelmas and Lent terms Revision and exams in Summer Term Four full unit courses (or equivalent) Usually one 1 hour lecture and one 1 hour

class per course per week Classes are compulsory Expectation of independently managed

study time: 6 – 8 hours per course per week

Structure of the Academic Year

Exams in the Summer Term exam timetable out at end of Lent term will start about mid-May will run through until mid-June you must sit all of them you are expected to sit them here will appear on your LSE transcript

DO NOT MAKE ANY ARRANGEMENTS TO LEAVE LSE BEFORE YOUR EXAMS END!

Teaching Timetable Course selection online via LSE for YOU

get course information via Moodle ‘courses with permission’ via ‘unlisted

course’ dialogue box + form

Teaching Timetable Course selection online via LSE for YOU

get course information via Moodle ‘courses with permission’ via ‘unlisted

course’ dialogue box + form 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!

Teaching Timetable

EC230: special arrangements 2014-15 Will be taught completely in Lent Term

1 two hour lecture each week 2 one hour classes each week

Will still count as full unit course Implications:

unbalanced teaching load complicate timetabling of other courses

Teaching Timetable Personal Timetable via LSE for YOU Changes via LSE for YOU allowed up to

end of Friday 31 October NOTE: you cannot change assigned

classes to suit your personal schedule If you need to change a class time meet

with the Dean Personal Exam Timetable via LSE for YOU from end of Lent Term

LSE Grading System

LSE class of degree % mark equivalent

Summary Class Grade

First 75+ A+ 

First 70-74 A

Upper Second 65-69 A-

Upper Second 60-64 B+

Lower Second 55-59 B

Lower Second 50-54 B-

Third 45-49 C+

Third 40-44 C

Fail 0-39 F

Very different from US system Five broad categories of achievement:

NO grade inflation at LSE !

A Good GC Transcript Lists two letter grades for each course, exam and coursework:

Exam Coursework

EC201 Microeconomic B+ AEC210 Macroeconomics B- B+EC307 Development Economics B A-EH315 Africa and World A- A

Economy

Home university makes decisions on credit transfers

A Poor GC Transcript Lists two letter grades for each course exam

and coursework:

Exam Coursework

EC201 Microeconomics F CEC210 Macroeconomics C B-EC307 Development Economics F C+EH315 Africa and World C C

Economy

Home university makes decisions on credit transfers

GC: Overview of Exam Results 1361 exams sat in 2013-14 49 failed exams = 3.6% overall

Down from 6.9% in 2012-13

88% of those in quantitative subjects EC201 17% failure rate [49%; 20%] EC210 31% failure rate [27%; 20%] EC220 0% failure rate [12%; 46%] EC313 12% failure rate [25%; 25%] EC315 0% failure rate [16%; 37%] FM300 13% failure rate [19%; 15%]

GC: Overview of Exam Results 1361 exams sat in 2013-14 49 failed exams = 3.6% overall rate

Down from 6.9% in 2012-13

88% of those in quantitative subjects EC201 17% failure rate [49%; 20%] EC210 31% failure rate [27%; 20%] EC220 0% failure rate [12%; 46%] EC313 12% failure rate [25%; 25%] EC315 0% failure rate [16%; 37%] FM300 13% failure rate [19%; 15%]

GC: Overview of Exam Results 1361 exams sat in 2013-14 49 failed exams = 3.6% overall rate

Down from 6.9% in 2012-13

88% of those in quantitative subjects EC201 17% failure rate [49%; 20%] EC210 31% failure rate [27%; 20%] EC220 0% failure rate [12%; 46%] EC313 12% failure rate [25%; 25%] EC315 0% failure rate [16%; 37%] FM300 13% failure rate [19%; 15%]

Change of Department

Possible but not guaranteed. You need to see the Dean first

Requires space in the department concerned Most departments are oversubscribed Change usually only possible if students

already assigned to a department move or other departments are willing to be flexible

Remember, only one course need be taken in your home department (two if in Economics)

Transfer to LSE Can I transfer and finish my degree at

LSE? NO. Really? Someone from my university

transferred in previous years. LSE Policy changed as of 2013-14.

Absolutely no transfers will be allowed.

But what if I really, really fall in love with LSE?

Come back and join us on an MSc programme

Student Support Resources

Careers Service Internships Jobs board – part time term work

• Language Centre Foreign language teaching; certificate courses English for Academic Purposes

Teaching and Learning Centre Advisor to Students with Disabilities/Dyslexia

Register with advisor to receive support ISSA covering teaching and exam

arrangements Student Counselling Services

Student Support Resources

TLC Study Skills Programme• Weekly set of lectures/talks/advice sessions/workshops Reading and note-taking Analysing concepts, critical reasoning, creative thinking Essay writing Making the most of lectures Exam preparation and revision See http://tlcevents.lse.ac.uk/ , Moodle and weekly email and Twitter notification

Student Support Resources

IT Services LSE emails and login details Computer rooms Laptop support Supervised tutorials; independent learning

British Library of Political and Economic Science

World’s largest social science library Teaching collection and main collection

Student Support Resources

‘Mentoring’ by 2nd & 3rd year u/g Students’ Union

support and advice for students social function: bars, shop café,

entertainments newspaper and radio station over 200 student societies Freshers’ Fair: Thursday & Friday

General Course ‘President’Students’ Union Rep Part of the Students’ Union executive

Represents GC views in SU decision-making

Helps promote/maintain contact amongst GC students

Coordinates social events with SU and Dean

Elections for the post in mid-October

Paid Employment, Internships & Voluntary Work

Legally allowed to work up to 20hrs/week

School recommends 15hrs/week max Not to interfere with your studies

For details on internships, speak to the LSE Careers Service

For summer internships: make sure you start after the end of your exams

For voluntary work, speak to the LSE Volunteer Centre

Opportunities to volunteer with Widening Participation Team

Things to Do Select courses on-line

get permission form signed where needed

Departmental induction meetings this week EC201/EC220 information session

Tuesday 7 October 4.00 – 6.00 tbc 1st meeting with academic adviser Personal teaching timetable via LSE for YOU

Teaching starts Monday 6th October 2014

‘Meet with the Dean’Drop in Sessions

Sessions run throughout October in OLD1.09

Information on hours via emails, Tembo, Twitter and on LSE Orientation website http://www.lse.ac.uk/intranet/students/your

FirstWeeks/orientation/home.aspx

General Course Orientation

GC Social Calendar lse.ac.uk/generalCourse

Cumberland Lodge Friday 3rd – Sunday5 th October ‘2014: Rerum Cognoscere Causus’ Waiting list in operation

Other General Course Events

Proscenium Tours Thanksgiving Dinner

Thursday 27 November Traditional Thanksgiving meal plus wine Limited number of tickets

End of year dinner Beginning of Summer Term

General Course Orientation Welcome Boat Party –

TONIGHT! Meet at the Tower Hill Tube at

6:00pm

General Course Orientation Welcome Boat Party –

TONIGHT! Meet at the Tower Hill Tube at

6:00pm Circle line from Temple No 15 bus

3+ hour boat cruise - 2 free drinks Bring photo ID !!

General Course Hoodies!Collect your exclusive FREE GC hoodie as

you leave the theatre.

Exit stage left for LARGE and

EXTRA LARGE

Exit stage right for SMALL/MEDIUM

Enjoy your year!