Improving your mental health at LSE Summer School

Moving to a new place, leaving your comfort zone, discovering a new city, facing a challenging academic level - these are all stress factors that can put a strain on your mental health. LSE Summer School is well aware of this, and is here to help you and your mental health.

A friendly and welcoming environment

On the teaching side, listening and caring are a given. Lecturers are patient and make themselves available to you if you have any questions. They want you to succeed and are ready to help you get there.

On the administrative side, everything is put in place to avoid the slightest stress: everything from the front facing admissions team to security staff are kind, efficient and reactive which helps to put you at ease.

As for the students, mutual aid and solidarity are incredible common! The small seminar classes are ideal for getting to know people, and everyone there wants to make friends, so the atmosphere is very relaxed.

Spark events

Spark events are a real gold mine for helping you understand and manage your mental health!

One of the Spark pillars is Wellbeing, so there are a number of events that focus on protecting your mental health, including the Mental Health Panel and Dealing With Social Anxiety, Self-Care And Mental Health Stigma. These can help you in concrete ways: whether it's dealing with day-to-day stress, relaxation methods, or discovering yourself. My personal favourite Spark event in 2023 was the workshop offered by MindHug, an LSE startup, who created an essential tool for helping student’s mental well-being.

On another level, the other Spark events, focusing on areas from CV mentoring to interview techniques to programming, can help you to clarify your career ideas or even answer your questions and help you self-reflect. They can also prove an inspiring source of re-motivation, restoring confidence in one's career plans. For me, this was the case when I attended the Female Founders Evening, in which we heard from female entrepreneurs about their inspiring journeys.

Social Events

And last but not least, the social events organised by LSE Summer School are the ideal way to relax, exchange ideas and discover London life. These events are an opportunity to chat with new people in a more informal, fun setting.

Of course, the staff are always on hand to ensure the safety of all participants.

Whether you're artistic, shy, sociable, a party animal... there's something for everyone, so keep an eye out for tickets and sign-ups as soon as they open!

In conclusion, don't forget that you're not alone, and that there are tools and devices at your disposal to protect your mental health. At Summer School, everyone is in the same boat, and very open to connecting!

 

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.