The Summer School Equilibrium: Balancing London Life and Learning

Like any good economist, I quickly discovered that the key to thriving at LSE Summer School in London was finding the perfect balance between lectures, seminars, and exploring the city.

The first thing that LSE Summer School teaches you is that time moves fast – really fast! In three weeks, you’re completing lectures, readings and assignments at a relatively intense pace. But, at the same time, you’re in the middle of London, a city that doesn’t make it easy to spend late night study sessions at the library. However, in my opinion, a successful Summer School experience doesn’t look like choosing one over the other. It’s about striking the right balance.

During my time at LSE Summer School, I studied LL204: the Foundations of AI Law and Regulation. For me, a typical day at LSE Summer School consisted of a 1.5-hour seminar in the morning and a 3-hour lecture in the afternoon. We were also assigned readings before each seminar to discuss in class. The pace was fast, with three weeks covering the content of a full module, so staying on top of the material was essential. But after the first few days, you begin to settle into a routine, finding plenty of time to explore London in the evenings in between classes and even parts of Europe on weekends!

A Day at LSE Summer School

As I stayed in private accommodation in London’s West Hampstead, my mornings usually started with a quick gym session or a walk around Hampstead Heath before catching the Jubilee Line to Holborn, where LSE’s campus is located. Each morning, I’d walk past and admire the iconic architecture of the Royal Courts of Justice right before entering the LSE campus.

Seminars in the morning encouraged active participation, where we discussed various debates surrounding AI laws. Summer School means studying with a very diverse cohort of students from every corner of the world, so it was a highlight hearing from everyone's own personal experiences and how their respective countries were addressing AI regulation. Usually, I’d have a couple of hours in between class and the lecture – and this was the perfect opportunity to explore some of London.

One morning, right after our class, a few classmates and I walked about 15-minutes from the LSE campus to the British Museum, exploring its vast collections before making our way to Harrods and enjoying a picnic at Hyde Park. We then rushed back to Holborn station to get back to campus for our afternoon lecture. As efficient as the London Tube is, sometimes it’s nice to travel outside – that’s why I sometimes opted to use the Lime Bikes (electric bikes you can rent around the city) taking advantage of London’s well-kept bike lanes.

Most days after our afternoon lecture, our class would head to our favourite pub, Shakespeare’s Head, or one of the many great pubs on campus to relax and rewind. This was also a great opportunity for us all to try the variety of cuisines London had on offer. A highlight was Dishoom – some of the best Indian food I’ve ever had!

Take Advantage of the Weekends!

As intense as the programme at LSE Summer School might sound, the weekends let you strike the perfect balance. Yes, it’s a good time to gather your notes, do your assignments and prepare for the exam – but if you manage your time well during the week, the weekends are all yours! With London as your base, the possibilities are endless, and with only three weekends per Summer School session to pack everything together it’s simply a matter of figuring out what to exactly do. Some of my classmates joined the Oxford and Cambridge day trips organised by the Summer School, while others ventured to Paris, Amsterdam and Scotland for the weekend.

For me, a highlight was attending the Ascot horse races with my friends from back home in Sydney and classmates from LSE Summer School. It was great to dress up and immerse ourselves in the English countryside and enjoy the festive atmosphere that surrounded the event.

The following day, we ventured out to East Sussex to hike the Seven Sisters, which was certainly a sight to see. Just make sure to bring a comfortable pair of shoes because you’ll be walking…a lot!

Having classmates from places like the United States, Spain, Algeria and Hungary reminded me of the best aspect of the Summer School experience: meeting people from every corner of the world and creating friendships that will last long after the three weeks together. On our final weekend after the exam, we all gathered for one final drink before we all parted ways back home.

Just relax and go with the flow

Summer School wasn’t just about what I studied, but how I experienced it. It taught me how to balance an intense and insightful course whilst taking up all the opportunities London had to offer. Visit the Portobello markets at Notting Hill on a Sunday morning, cycle around Westminster, eat the viral strawberry cups at Borough Market, and most importantly have fun and connect with people from all over the globe. Time really does move fast at LSE Summer School, so make the most of it. This is an experience you won’t want to miss!