5 Key Questions Answered from a London School of Economics Masters in Media & Communications Regulation Policy Grad - A ClearView from Alumni
University: London School of Economics
Major: Media and Communications Regulation and Policy
Degree: Masters of Science
Current Title: Associate Director, a Swiss Private Bank
1. What do you love most about your experience at school?
The friends I made, the diversity of people I met, and of course, London. LSE has a very international student body- made up of students not only from Europe (which top British universities typically have a lot of) but also Africa, the Americas and Asia. I was lucky to be living in High Holborn student accommodation which is a 7 minutes walk from school and in the heart of London and the West End. The charms of this exciting city - and its proximity to all other European destinations - constituted the bulk my LSE experience.
2. What was an unexpected surprise you found out about your school after you got there? What would you tell yourself if you were a 1st year all over again?
That the school is so small! Even though LSE is supposed to be a city campus, I totally did not expect it to be made up of only two streets. And the buildings were old and cramped. So clearly there was not much the school has to offer from a facility's point of view - except for the library, which was the only thing that impressed me.
If I were 1st year all over again, I probably would have attended more LSE Public lectures. These events usually invite top personalities (scientists, economists, politicians) to speak on every topic under the sun. It's a LSE institution, I usually try to go for one now whenever I'm in London, I wish I had gone for more when I was there.
3. What challenge(s) did you face while attending your school?
Money. Students are always poor but there was no better place that makes you feel so other than London, especially when the pound was strong. Also LSE is not a cheap university - some more popular courses, such as Accounting and Finance, are a lot more expensive than others.
4. Tell us about your major and how you felt it compared to other universities' programs.
I did a masters degree in Media and Communications Regulation and Policy. There are two components to this degree: one is media and communications, which literally means media and different modes of communications including mobile, TV, internet etc; while component pertains government and law - so we had law professors teaching us the basic principles of regulation and studying different regulatory models around the world.
This hybrid program was the first of its own - no other UK university was offering this combination then. It was very timely as the mid-2000s was the era of technological convergence of different communications and new media platforms: mobile and TV over internet, internet over mobile etc. On hindsight I got a lot out of it in that it laid the foundation for my understanding/interest on the current mobile platform war.
5. How has your school changed your life?
LSE is a great brand name - having that name on my resume definitely opened doors along the way.
LSE also offered an intellectual experience that made me feel constantly challenged - not only by the faculty but also my peers. While intimidating at times, but it also felt good to be in the presence of brilliant people.
Being in LSE and in London was also the year in my life when I partied the hardest - I'm glad now I know what makes a good party!
LSE has a reputation of churning out bankers by the truckload to the city ('the city of London" - UK's equivalent of Wall Street) every year. True that, judging by how many friends there ended up in banks after LSE. But for those who are not looking to do economics or finance, its very location in the heart of London also means lots of opportunities in other fields. A coursemate managed to get funding to start up his own TV network in the middle of the course is a case in point.
So - If you aim is to find a job in London (finance or not), make sure you start early, get an internship during the school term- don't just get wasted and wait for recruitment fairs!
But point to note: LSE career service wasn't very helpful back in my days. A much better job search would be from the seniors (either through some societies or people you know) so make sure you seek help through those channels.
Favorite Book in College:
Empire UK - a great read for the movie buff
Favorite Song in College:
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
Fongtien is a Taiwanese currently working and living in Singapore. A financial journalist for more than 5 years, she joined the dark side a year ago to work as the Devil's Advocate in a bank. Loves to cycle, swim, yoga and grab a drink with friends.
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