I had a week set out in my time table only for orientations and I was all set to be the most energetic, lively and proactive version of myself for this week. I thought back to my freshman orientation and remembered smiling till my cheeks hurt and attending events till my calendar hurt. Having expected that again, my orientation at LSE was pretty anticlimactic. There were barely any events scheduled and most of the exploration was optional and self-guided.
This was when I braced myself for the new culture that I will be experiencing henceforth. Lesson 1: You must be self-driven to thrive here, do not expect to be spoon-fed. Once I did a little more homework, I learnt about a lot of events that are being organized for the orientation that I could voluntarily join, but were never specifically advertised. One of them was a visit to the Tate Modern museum, accompanied by a few second and third year LSE students to help us find our way and to answer our questions, and so I began my adventures.
The walk over to Tate was majestic and a wonderful initiation into what to expect from London. It was cloudy and gloomy, but the city was absolutely stunning within the clouds and despite the absence of the sun. All of my LSE peers were describing their favorite art pieces in Tate and such are the advantages of access to things that they don’t lay out for you about living in London. I learnt a very helpful fact about the city: Most of the public museums are free. And so I was off to this priceless experience. Tate did not disappoint at all. In addition to art, if you love skylines like I do, Tate is a wonderful experience. If you ever end up visiting London, remember Tate has one of the best views of London, and you can access this view for free!
Over such walks and experiences during these first few days, I began to get used to cloudy skies, impeccably dressed pedestrians and their overwhelming politeness. I learnt new lessons as I spent more time exploring the city: always carry your umbrella in London since it could start raining any moment. A few more orientation events took place here and there and the week passed by just like that. It was a good balance of getting to know the campus, peers and exploring the city. It helps that the campus is right in the center of the city. Nonetheless, at the end of this week of learning, exploring and getting used to, I feel pretty confident about the fact that I’m going to have a great time this year!
