Information for Offer Holders 2024-25

This information is for those of you who have been allocated to the Department of Mathematics for your stay here during the academic year 2024-25.

During the year, your General Course Tutor will be Professor Adam Ostaszewski who will be your General Course contact within the Department of Mathematics. He will contact you about arranging a meeting via email, to discuss course choice and any other queries you may have.

Departmental Support

Each student is assigned an academic member of the Department as an Academic Mentor. You can consult them with academic queries and pastoral concerns. You can also consult the administrative Programme Manager for your programme.

Our undergraduate students have a Departmental Tutor and our graduate degrees have a Programme Director. They monitor your progress, alongside your Academic Mentor, and oversee your programme.

Student Wellbeing Service

The Student Wellbeing Service oversees aspects of student wellbeing, counselling, disability and mental health support. 

The Disability and Wellbeing Service can assist you in studying effectively and maximising your potential, regardless of your circumstances, and help formulate inclusion plans for during your studies.

The Student Counselling Service can help with personal or emotional problems, whether they are related to your studies or not.

Other LSE Support

Located in the LSE Library, LSE LIFE is the place to discover and develop skills you’ll use as a student and beyond. They offer a range of study skills sessions, events, drop-in appointments, and also provide collaborative study spaces.

The LSE Language Centre offers English support classes throughout the year, in both speaking/listening and writing. They are tailored to academic studies and to particular disciplines, such as mathematical subjects.

This is just a partial list of available support. More information about general and personal support and academic support is available on the School website.

Preliminary Reading

We will share some preparatory reading lists and study advice with offer holders in the summer via email and on our programme pages. Books that are central to individual courses will be listed in the relevant course guide. Note that course guides are updated during August.

Buying Books

We recommend that you do not buy books for your courses in advance: 

• Many courses will not require books, and multiple copies of important books will be available in the LSE Library. 
• Courses are not finalised until close to the start of the year, and you may end up buying expensive books that go unused.
• Thirdly (for overseas students), used copies of the relevant books are usually cheaper in the UK. 

On campus, Alpha Books is a secondhand book store where you might find a good deal, and you can also access the LSE Library just around the corner. If buying online, Amazon and AbeBooks are good places to start.

Many of the places you might visit are within walking distance. This includes most LSE and University of London halls. London is a very safe city, but obviously you should take precautions where necessary.

Using public transport

The Tube and Overground services from around 5:30am until midnight every day, and several tube lines run for 24 hours on weekends. They cover a range of areas in London. Buses cover even more of London and run all day and night across most routes.

Contactless payment is available on the Tube, Overground, DLR, and buses. You can also use an Oyster card. If you use public transport every day, you may want to apply for a Student Oyster card for a discounted weekly or monthly rate.

Using the Citymapper app on your phone is useful to help navigate the city, using live information and suggesting multiple routes including bike hire and walking.

Licensed black cabs (taxis) are available to hail in central London at any time. Also, you can use Uber to ask for a driver to come to your location.

Arriving at the airport 

• Heathrow Airport: you can take the Heathrow Express, Tube (Piccadilly Line), or a cab or similar.
• Gatwick Airport: you can take the Gatwick Express or Thameslink services, before switching to the Tube or buses. You can also take a cab or similar.

For travel within the UK, it is usually easier to travel by train/rail than air. You can plan journeys and buy tickets for all UK train operators from National Rail. The two major coach operators are National Express and Megabus.

For international travel, Skycanner is useful for comparing flight prices and times. Eurostar may be another option, by rail. Megabus offers coaches to some European destinations.

Please see information on the School's website about visas and immigration.

Please see information on the School's website about health and dental care.

First year undergraduates and General Course students are guaranteed an offer of accommodation. A large number of master's students also choose to live in LSE accommodation. Priority is given to student with disabilities and special requirements.

There are many options beyond LSE and University of London residences. They include a number of privately operated halls of residence. Additionally, there are many options for privately rented accommodation, whether by yourself, with friends, or through collectives in a shared house/apartment.

London accommodation prices are high compared to many cities, but this does not mean cheaper options are not available. London has always been home to a large number of students and this means that housing providers are aware of the varied needs of students (e.g. shorter contracts).

Spending a little more time travelling to the School can mean a significantly cheaper rent in most cases. We suggest that you look at travel times from different areas, rather than just distance. LSE is in a very good location for public transport, and is close to stations with several Tube lines and a large number of bus routes. 

For more information, consult LSE Accommodation Office or talk to the LSESU Advice Centre.

Please see information on the School's website about money matters or the LSESU Advice Centre.

The range of things you can do at any time in central London is second to none. Whilst you are here to study, London will be a huge and very positive part of your experience, with our campus located at the heart of London.

Campus

There are more than 150 student societies at LSE, spanning a very wide range of interests, from politiccs and the arts to academia and charitable causes. The LSE Students' Union (LSESU) organises a range of events for all students, from young undergraduates to more mature students.

The School hosts a series of world class public lectures and events every year. Recent speakers include Aung San Suu Kyi, David Cameron, Noam Chomsky, the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, Bill Gates, Daniel Kahneman, Paul Krugman, Christine Lagarde, Thomas Piketty, and George Soros. The Department of Mathematics also hosts a range of events throughout the year. 

Student Central is open to all London students and provides even more recreational opportunities. It is located a few minutes away from campus in Bloomsbury.

Culture

The theatres, museums, and galleries are some of the best in the world, and they are greater in number than anywhere else! The West End is on our doorstep, the British Museum is a short walk away, and the Southbank Centre is just across Waterloo Bridge. To find out out about what's on, we recommend Time Out, Secret London and the London Evening Standard. 

Night Life

There are countless clubs, bars, and pubs, including three on campus, as well as as the legendary clubs and bars of Soho, which are a short walk away.

Food

London caters for all tastes, with its huge range of restaurants and cafés. Zomato and TripAdvisor are useful for finding good food on any budget. With your LSE ID or TOTUM card, you may even find some with deals and discounts!

Please see information on the School's website about visiting LSE.