Spark: My Experience

LSE Summer School was such an enriching experience for me. It was a place where I was challenged in many aspects and was able to get out of my comfort zone. I met lots of people from different countries and learned about their different perspectives. LSE Summer School offers an extensive list of courses in which you can explore other subjects that your university degree may or may not cover. Nevertheless, LSE Summer School doesn't stop there. It offers you more than classes, lectures, and credits. It allows you to grow other skills and abilities through Spark events.

Spark is LSE Summer School’s professional skills programme, which runs alongside courses and the social programme. Spark events are world-class extracurricular activities taught by experts that help you increase personal and professional growth. There is a huge variety of Spark events from which you can choose. Some events cover areas ranging from job searching to mental health and wellbeing. There is no limit on how many Spark events you can attend. Most of them are "express," meaning that you can intensively learn new things from different areas that you may or may not have been exposed to in a very short time. If you attend a certain number of events, you can earn a LinkedIn digital badge which is great for your CV and professional profile.

Personally, I attended various Spark events, and learnt a lot of things. The courses I found most interesting and helpful were "The Value of Networking & LinkedIn" and “Your CV: Maximising Effectiveness”. With the help of these events, I created an attractive LinkedIn profile for job recruiters, which will aid me when I am looking for a job. I learned how to make my profile better and clearer, and learnt about the importance of personal branding. With my CV, I just thought it was a paper listing what you have done with your life. Nevertheless, I learned about its importance and that it is so much more than that. It is a way, as well, to sell yourself, and it is your first chance to create an impression. To learn from an expert how to make yours is an opportunity of a lifetime.

My home university has no particular class or course where you can learn stuff like this. They only teach degree-related and academic subjects, and there is no focus on professional development. It was great to have the opportunity to develop these skills and learn from experts.

What I love about the Spark events is that they are open to anyone who wants to learn and acquire new skills. You can meet new people from all countries and all subject areas. I recommend signing up to Spark events because you will always get more out of them than you think. For example, you can explore different topics that you may like. The programme can help you choose what to study, a minor in something different from your degree, or even what master's degree to choose. It's always good to expand and learn because you may learn new things about yourself, like what you are passionate about or your top skills. And with this new information, you can start to decide what path you choose to take in life and start shaping it.

 

This blog was written by one of our 2023 Student Ambassadors, who are here to share their stories and help you understand the summer school experience at LSE.