https://www.instagram.com/humansoflse/

Humans of LSE, London (2026)

10/04/2023

"We are twin sisters from the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, India. We are best known as the Student Content Creators for LSE and we curated promotional and informative videos that were published on LSE's official social media platform. The opportunity to learn from the different experiences, struggles, and cultures of our classmates has truly added value and precious learnings to our life. What makes us feel part of LSE is the warm welcome with which LSE embraces all its students and staff irrespective of our different backgrounds. LSE truly appreciates and nurtures diversity.

Our biggest accomplishment is that we created history by becoming the first tribal students from our territory to graduate from LSE. We owe this achievement to the strong support that we received from our family and to the most influential person in our life; our father, Mr. Bhikhu Vansa Bhimra. Our father believed in the words of Nelson Mandela: "Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world". It was his dream to educate his twin daughters at LSE and bring back the knowledge and skills gained at LSE to carry out development work in our country and in our tribal territory. Therefore, the saddest moment of our lives was when we lost our father to COVID-19 in May 2021 before we started our LSE journey in September 2021.

We were disheartened that our father was not here to witness his dream of seeing his twin daughters study at LSE. Nonetheless, we strive to fulfil the vision of our father and bring development to our country and territory by using our knowledge and skills for the betterment of our society."

23/11/2021

Lunchtime. Football. Raining?

Manchester.

Definitely Raining.

“Alright lads, shall we just play Whites vs Browns?”. Nods all around.

“Mate, which team am I on?”. Looks down at the mixed skin tone of my hands.

“You can ref, Lawes”.

A moment that was so brief that you would be forgiven for missing it. Nevertheless, it was a moment that was to stick with me for years.

Every young person wonders where they ‘belong’ in life. Each journey is personal and profound to them. Growing up, figuring out my own identity has been one of my greatest challenges.

Repeatedly, I have asked myself, which team do I belong to? If one at all?

Indeed, until arriving at LSE, I struggled to find a space in which I could have an authentic voice. Over the years, I have immersed myself in very different schools, groups, and communities. In each of those spaces, people have suggested that I do not belong.

In many ways, that is why I have worked so tirelessly to create a space safe for young people, no matter their background, to use their voice. If I can empower just one young person to believe that they can voice their opinions in a space that they belong, irrespective of their background, that is enough.

I am therefore grateful that I feel that I can speak with an authentic voice here; I have gained a further insight into who I am and what I stand for. When I leave this institution and reflect on my experience, I am sure that will be the thing I am thankful for most.

Most importantly, I feel that I am in the strongest position I have ever been in to fight for the change I want to see.

I also understand that there is still a long way to go for many others to feel the same.

So, if you are reading this wondering whether you belong here; as a fresher who feels yet to have settled in, as someone who is on a journey to find their own identity, or a member of a community who feels disregarded. Please, remember one thing.

You’re on our team.

Daniel Lawes
BSc International Relations & History - Class of 2022

09/08/2021

"I can’t count the number of times I’ve had to say “No, not Economics” to someone asking me where and what I’m studying. Or the number of times I’ve had to explain that Anthropology is not Archaeology, and it’s not about monkeys, or elderly people, or insects. But I’m grateful in many ways for my rather atypical LSE experience.

Although I never expected to spend only half of my degree in London (as none of us did), my times there were some of the most interesting and surprising, even to myself. Me, a chronic introvert, handing out flyers, speaking to strangers, manning a free coffee stall and standing in the cold at 1am, outside an SU club night, giving out biscuits and hot chocolate? Or manning my first pop-up art stall thingamajig and selling Christmas cards and typography pieces? Performing with my guitar in front of a bunch of people?

I don’t know what I expected life to be like going to LSE, but I definitely didn’t expect to be pushed out of my comfort zone in such non-academic ways (and academically, admittedly, as someone who’d never really delved into the humanities/social sciences; no regrets though). And to have been able to play around and develop my hobbies too; an Apple Watch won from one of those lucky draws outside the SU building (which I later sold) and an insurance claim from delayed baggage on the way from Singapore to London just about financed an iPad which has been my steadfast Chief Procrastination Tool, Doodle Enabler and Publicity Assistant for .

I’m still waiting (4 months, now) for my belongings to reach home; it hasn’t really hit that I didn’t go back for graduation and won’t be back to London anytime soon, but it probably will once they arrive. Thursdays at the Faith Centre and at Nandos; studying in Rosebery’s dining hall till midnight; office hours with the loveliest professors; Chicken Cottage in Lincoln’s Inn Fields. It’s been a blessing to have been able to grow in and be a part of such safe spaces, and I know community’s what I’ll miss the most."

Yasha Lai
Social Anthropology - Class of 2021

06/08/2021

"I never actually intended to study at LSE. I was one of the least balanced kids in high school, where I dedicated my time towards acing exams, preparing for university interviews, and incessantly revising to top more and more classes. During this period, I refused to pick up any sport and I was unable to spend enough time with my family.

I faced bouts of depression throughout the past 5 years and I honestly didn't have many friends in school. I refused to accept that my role in this universe was nothing other than academia and intellect, encasing myself into a narrow bubble. When I received my rejection letter from Cambridge, it felt like everything I'd worked towards had shattered - because I naively believed back then that I was destined for one place and one place only. I even considered deferring my entry for a year, just so I could give it a go again. Reading every article about LSE's student satisfaction, the number of racist attacks against international students in London and the personal stories on Student Room about how depressing a non-campus life is made it even less attractive to start a year abroad.

However, my parents insisted that I give it a go and try LSE out - a year at home was too high of an opportunity cost for us to handle - so I listened to their advice and gave it a shot.

I took a deep breath, determined to make the most of the experience as I stepped into the doors of Peacock Theatre.

Three years later, I couldn't even imagine why I hesitated going to LSE - it was simply the best life-changing decision that I've ever made. If the Wye Yew 3 years ago saw that he managed to lose 20 kilograms, win dance competitions, lead a dance crew, run a half marathon, snagging a dream job, all while making lifelong friends along the way he would be in sheer shock. Plunging myself into the unknown abyss with an open philosophy to try as many things as I could has left me with a myriad of experiences, achievements and friends - something that broke the little bubble I once was Studying here has made me realise that university is more than just a degree - its a continuous iteration of our growth, maturity and experiences.

I have to admit - the first half of LSE felt like a rollercoaster but when COVID hit, so did all the things I loved to do at LSE. It was a huge struggle, being isolated from all of the hustle and bustle of what London had to offer - but in the end it made me appreciate how important it was to sometimes pause, reflect and adapt to the new normal. When I came back during lockdown in Malaysia, I realised I was spending more time with my family, taking time off for my mental and physical health, and started to reconnect with people from the past again. I used to despise Malaysia for being associated with all the bad experiences I had back in school, but I realised everything's just the same as before - the only change that made me enjoy it so much more during lockdown was my mindset.

To close it off, I'd like to thank all the people who've lifted me throughout the highs and supported me during my lows. I'd also like to apologise to the Econ department for how infrequent my attendances have been; maybe still not awarding me with my final grades is their little way of getting back at me."

Wye Yew Ho
BSc Economics - Class of 2021

📸:

22/07/2021

“I spent much of the first few years of my degree wading my way through a swamp of political philosophy, reading about hard-won liberties and intricately constructed codes of ethics. Freedom of expression, the right to protest, freedom of movement, the democratic power of the ‘people’ over their rulers; I won’t bore you with what everyone had undoubtedly been force-fed countless times. And yet, in a vein of thought I am sure many others have shared, the assortment of freedoms that my professors and peers spent hours opining about often appeared strangely ethereal and abstract; a dimension of thought separated from everyday life.

In my final year, it became clear how far removed these values and theories were from our daily lives. I watched with growing as bemusement as the government brusquely pushed these freedoms aside, accompanied by almost total silence from the very same people who had spent years teaching courses dedicated to demonstrating the value of our liberal political structures. How could one comprehend such total resignation from people whose entire lives revolved around explaining what was being so quickly demolished? It rapidly became unpopular to assert what we had so recently been told were the bedrock of our civilisation.

As I’m sure many people who know me will attest, I have a habitual instinct to defend indefensible positions, mostly for the fun of the ensuing conversational chaos; I was surprised, then, to find myself playing devil’s advocate on a topic I had wrongly assumed was generally accepted dogma: that our personal freedom had value and were worth ‘fighting’ for. I was reminded of something I read once from Susan Sontag: that the only interesting ideas are heresies. I find it rather an amusing irony that this particular heresy was also the content of my degree.

Despite this rather confusing period, I have now finished my time at LSE with a deep sense of gratitude for the many rewarding and rich experience that my time as a student has given me. Over the years, I’ve often thought of something a friend once said to me; that the only reason he wished there was a God was that there would be someone to thank for the strange twists of fate that drop unexpected gifts on your doorstep. Who do you thank when you stumble across precious moments and memories that you didn’t anticipate or expect? I have had many such experiences in the last few years, and I will always be thankful for them.”

Greg Dean
BSc Politics - Class of 2021

📸:

13/07/2021

"Coming back to LSE, after nearly a year and a half, for my graduation has made me realise how much I will miss this place. The fact that COVID drastically changed our second and third year makes me sad but also gives me hope that I will always be able to stay in contact and continue to learn from the incredibly diverse community at LSE, no matter what.

One of the things I am most grateful for, is the support I received throughout my undergraduate programme from professors, teachers, friends, sometimes even people I had never seen before - was it on an academic level, for an ambitious project I had in mind or personally. It is the openness, interest and kindness I encountered in other people around me that really shaped my last three years. I will never forget how I always walked home from campus with thousands of thoughts to digest, inspired by the different people I met, their backgrounds, the ideas and experiences they shared with me.

While being part of such a diverse and competitive environment could also be intimidating sometimes, I learnt to use it as an inspiration for building my own, individual goals. As a result, I became more confident to believe in myself and to follow my own path in my own way, no matter how different it might be from others.

Looking back to me in my first year, I would tell myself to enjoy this great city and university as much as I can, to say yes to opportunities of any kind. This is how I came to work at the Grantham Research Institute and made memories like singing in the Royal Albert Hall with the LSE choir and dancing salsa at rooftop terraces with people who will hopefully stay friends for a lifetime."

Alexa Beaucamp
BSc Environmental Policy with Economics - Class of 2021

📸:

12/07/2021

"What does going on a spontaneous trip to Bulgaria, meeting Nancy Pelosi and going day-drinking in Leicester Square dressed as a fortune teller have in common? Not much, but they are experiences I’ve had at LSE I never could have expected or anticipated!

Having lived in a small village for most of my life, the pace of life seemed slow, so but when I moved to London, having only recently turned 18, I was suddenly caught up in a whirlwind of activities and opportunities that seemingly never ended, in one of the most dynamic cities in the world. It was overwhelming but so exciting. One evening, my friend and I had been to the pub, got the urge to hire Boris bikes, and cycled into Trafalgar Square at 1am. We climbed one of the lions and looked out over London and I thought - there is nowhere else I would have been happier than London!

The butterfly effect is a fascinating concept to me, and looking at the people and opportunities in my life now, I can trace a lot of them back to a chance meeting early on in first year, or attending an event I perhaps wasn’t originally going to. While the pandemic may have limited these choices, I still couldn’t be happier with the ones I have made. I’ll look back on my time at LSE and be glad I plucked up the courage to ask a certain friend for a coffee, or put myself out there to be on a certain society committee. Opportunities at LSE don’t come to you passively, you need to seize them, and I’m so glad I did!"

Emily Douglas
BA Geography - Class of 2021

11/07/2021

"It is amazing to see so many happy faces in these challenging times: all my students graduating today, who carry with them the legacy of LSE! The best moment for a teacher is to witness how their students change the world and take a great passion in whatever they do, and this is what makes me enjoy teaching so much!

Five years back when I had my offer to come to LSE to do my Masters in Environmental Economics; some teachers, from my UG university in India, advised me against it. They said, why specialise in a subdomain like environmental economics in your graduate studies, you should do a Masters in Economics! Some others advised me the opposite. They told me, follow your dreams, do what you like best, for it does not matter what you study, it matters if you like what you study! I am glad, I took the latter advice.

To all my students who have graduated this year, and who will in years to come, this will be my message: it does not matter what you study or work in, as long as you are passionate about doing it! Just keep doing it. I am glad I was told this five years back, I have never had to look back and regret that decision!"

Sanchayan Banerjee
PhD student & Teaching Assistant, Department of Geography & Environment

10/07/2021

"My first encounter with LSE was not freshers, or the welcome talk in Peacock theatre, but rather about eight years ago when on a year 9 school trip in Holborn, visiting the Hunterian Museum next door. We came out, sat on the stairs of the NAB and ate lunch. I remember watching all the students in admiration, but thinking about how far out of reach attending a university like this would be for me. Eight years, a lot of words written, a few sambuca shots and a BSc later, I will never underestimate myself ever again.

As I’ve progressed through LSE, there became a shift in perspective. I was no longer just learning more about the world, but rather fully understanding how much there still is for me to learn.

Whenever I’m asked about what studying ‘Environment and Development’ really means, or where it’s going to take me I find it difficult to answer. If you asked each person also studying E&D you would get a different response as to what studying this discipline means to them. One commonality is this passion to make a difference for our space in the world. Passion is an energy which really can fuel you to surpass even your own expectations."

Amy Applin
BSc Environment & Development - Class of 2021

📸:

05/07/2021

"I’ve always been a fast walker. Perhaps it’s a habit nurtured from years of oversleeping for morning classes and realising I have to somehow complete a half-hour commute in 10 minutes — but regardless of my destination, once my foot is out the door I lock my eyes forward and rush straight ahead, tunnel-visioning my way through the streets of London.

Walking with my friends, however, has changed this habit. One of them is ever-so organized, always leaving home with plenty of time to spare so she can amble her way to school and lead me on “cute” detours through parks that I, if alone, would have dismissed as a waste of time. The other is constantly distracted by passing sweet shops, pausing every two steps to ogle at chocolates through tinted windows, making me notice hidden little cafes that I normally would stride past without a second glance.

As cheesy as it may sound, sometimes the journey is just as important as the destination — so I’m grateful to my friends for being easily-distracted slow walkers, forcing me to slow my footsteps once in a while and experience many more of the hidden charms of this city."

Cheryl Wong
LLB Laws - Class of 2021

03/07/2021

"I've learned a lot from my friends. I've witnessed moments of (reckless?) courage from my friend whom I encouraged and accompanied to get a cartilage piercing in between our criminal/contract lectures after having spoken to her for the first time. I've also witnessed marks of tender vulnerability from my friend who bawled her eyes out watching Zootopia because she felt sorry for the bunny. Covid perhaps took away opportunities for many activities, but I've come to appreciate the small errand runs with my friends. It's the quiet 'how are you', while we sip on our sixth coffee of the day, that invokes a genuine care and frank conversations about the most intimate parts of our lives. It's also the more lunatic moments of cackling deliriously at nerdy jokes in moments of exam existential crises that will be etched into my memories.

'Honesty is the best policy' is a strong underlying message we come across in many areas of law and life; it's a phrase we counsel others on, but often forget to abide by towards ourselves. LSE is undoubtedly marked by a career-driven focus, and it is all too easy to constantly put on a facade of neutral politeness, as if every person we come across is a networking opportunity than a chance to meet a genuine friend. I'm therefore grateful to have formed one of the substantively best friendships with people who unashamedly express themselves and encourage me to do so too."

Jacqueline Lee
LLB Laws - Class of 2021

02/07/2021

"My friends and I met in the first week of university, and today we took our last photos together at LSE in our mini-graduation celebration. As I stood with them, laughing over memories such as bombing my first moot in the moot court room we posed in, I came to appreciate the precious people I had met over the past three years. It is ultimately my time with them I will treasure the most; simple memories of leaving chocolates at my door in December to cheer me up during a tough week or undertaking dumb pull up challenges.

In mundane moments of silence, cooking together or getting coffee, I have come to appreciate their mere presence that acts as a constant in my life. So, as I take photos with them in my last few moments at university, I feel eternally thankful to them for making these tough years full of studying dry legislation and cases all day a bit brighter."

Varsha Kanitkar
LLB Laws - Class of 2021

Humans of LSE

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22/07/2021

13/07/2021

12/07/2021

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