It is also highly recommended that all General Course students read the Welcome Pack for General Course students| which can be found on the General Course website

HOW DO I REGISTER AT THE SCHOOL?

The school registry publish all the relevant dates for registration on the new arrivals webpage (a link to this website can be found above). It is imperative that all new students check the date, time and location for your relevant registration period and attend this. Once you have registered you are given your LSE ID card, details about how to create a LSE email account and information about accessing yourLSE For You |account (LSE's web-based self-service student administration system).

* Please note, school 'registration' and 'course selection' are 2 different things. Students must register with the school and then select courses to study.

HOW DO I SET UP A BANK ACCOUNT?

It is essential that all new General Course students begin the application to set up a UK bank account as soon as possible. British banks have introduced strict regulations about opening bank accounts and this can take a long time to process. Any General Course students who plan to bring a US$ cheque to cover the cost of living in the Uk initially, should be aware this could take up to 5 weeks to clear. Security procedures have been implemented which can lead to delays for students who try to open an account on arrival in the UK.

For further information about opening a bank account in the UK, please refer to the General Course welcome pack (the link can be found above).

HOW MANY MODULES DO I STUDY?

Students are required to study no less than, and no more than, four full-unit courses. Most courses are a full unit, however some courses are half unit. If you wish to study half unit courses, the total of all your units must still equate to 4 full units.

HOW DO I SELECT MY COURSES?

All students are advised to read the list of courses available| to General Course students and then read the course guide section| of the website for further information about courses which are of interest to you.

General Course Students are required to select 4 full units of study which they feel appeal to them. General Course students are required to select at least one full unit module taught in the department in which they are based. The three-digit codes used indicate whether the course is normally followed by our own three-year degree students in their first (100), second (200) or third (300) year of study, but access is not restricted for General Course students. We recommend that you read the course descriptions in full to ascertain if you have the correct level of ability in the subject. 300 level courses, for instance, are the equivalent of senior year courses at a four year institution and should consequently only be take by those with a strong background in the field.

There are more than 250 courses available to General Course students and you have the right to change your course selections up to the end of the fourth week of the first term.

During your first meeting with your personal tutor, you will be required to discuss the courses which you wish to study. Your tutor will then advise whether they think your selection is appropriate and may be able recommend other courses to better suit your needs etc.

Once you have agreed with your tutor which courses you wish to study, you will select these using LSE For You|. Your tutor is required to approve these choices, via Lse For You|, LSE's web-based self-service student administration system. After you have selected them. All courses are subject to approval and selection of any course is also subject to availability and timetabling constraints.

The online course selection facility will be accessible from early September and you are required to register for your courses by late October. After this date the facility will be switched off. More information about course selection for General Course students can be found in the welcome pack (a link to this can be found above) and we highly recommend you read this.

I HAVE SELECTED MY COURSES ON LSE FOR YOU, WHERE DO I GET MY TIMETABLE?

Timetables are generated centrally by the Student Services Centre. They are only available once both the student, and tutor, have inputted the course selection, and approval, on Lse For You|. Once this has been done, students are able to access their personal timetables on the web via Timetables at the end of week 1 of the Michaelmas Term.

I HAVE ACCESSED MY TIMETABLE AND I CANNOT MAKE THE TIMES OF MY CLASS.

Undergraduate classes are allocated centrally by the Student Services Centre.

Students may only request to change timetabled classes in exceptional circumstances. You can apply to change class online via LSEforYou by selecting the option 'Change Class Group' which appears within the 'Selection of Courses' tab. Please include all relevant dates and times in your request e.g. if your class change request is due to a recurring medical appointment, please list all days and times that you cannot make.

All requests to change class group must be approved by Hannah Wood. An email will be sent to your LSE email address from registry@lse.ac.uk| on behalf of the Department once a decision has been made on whether you have been permitted to change class group. If your request was approved, the revised class details will be posted on your individual timetable on the web within three working days.

Even if you request to change class, you must continue to attend the class you were originally allocated to until your change is authorised. A warning email is automatically generated if a student is marked absent from two consecutive classes. Your class teacher will advise you if your name does not appear on his/ her class register.

While we strive to accommodate students' needs and outside obligations we are unable to allow students to join full classes.

I AM REGISTERED ON A JOINT DEGREE, WHICH DEPARTMENT AM I REGISTERED IN?

The Government Department is the lead Department for the single honours degree in Government and for the joint degrees in Government and Economics, Government and History and Politics and Philosophy. All students taking those degrees have their 'home' in the Government Department and have a Government tutor.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO CHANGE THE COURSES I HAVE SELECTED?

The school encourages General Course students to attend as many lectures as possible during their first 3 - 4 weeks at the school. You should, after attending, numerous lectures be better equipped to make a sound decision regarding the best course choices for you. You are then able to change your initial course choice, if necessary. Any student who decides they do want to change a course selection, should first see their personal tutor and discuss this with them. After the first 4 weeks of term, you are committed to the four courses chosen for the rest of the year.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO CHANGE MY ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT ONCE I ARRIVE?

Not usually. All General Course students are allocated a department which the school feels is best suited to each individual students interests and their past study. However, you are able to choose a maximum of 3 full units to study in other departments .e.g. even though you may be registered in the Government department, you only need to study one full unit of study in the Government department.

WHAT IS A TUTOR?

Each Undergraduate student is allocated a personal tutor who will be an academic in the department in which you are registered. The name of your tutor, along with your first tutorial appointment, will be given to you at your departmental induction meeting. The department views the pastoral care of its students very seriously. It is hoped the tutorial system is a way for students to seek advice on a range of academic and welfare matters. The duties of tutors and their relations to their students are set out in your Undergraduate hand book (given to you at your induction meeting).

WHO DO I TALK TO IF I HAVE A PROBLEM?

There are various people you are able to talk to.

Dr Mark Hoffman acts as the Dean for the General Course. Mark is responsible for the pastoral care of General Course students and, once a student is at the School, provides advice on all aspects of their studies. Mark can be found in room OLD 2.01. Tel: +44 (0)20 7955 5197. Email gc.dean@lse.ac.uk|

The Government Department's Undergraduate Student Advisor, Hannah Wood, acts as the first point of contact for Undergraduate students seeking advice on academic related and pastoral matters. Hannah liaises closely with a range of departments to facilitate access to, and further enhance, the range of services provided to Undergraduate students. Hannah can be contacted during office hours (10.30 - 12.30 & 1.30 - 3.30pm during term time) in CON 3.18 and aims to advise and inform Undergraduate students on any issues which, directly and indirectly, affect their academic progress.

Your tutor is able to discuss various school, academic and welfare issues with you. All departmental staff hold office hours on a weekly basis (a list of such hours is posted outside the Government office, CON 3.18) or you could e-mail your tutor and arrange an appointment to meet with them.

The Departmental Tutor is also available to give advice and help on any matters of concern to students, and certain procedures (e.g. changing degree courses, suspension of regulations) necessitate the approval of the Department Tutor before they can be implemented.