Happy holidays to all…

It is that time of year again when the office closes down for Christmas and New year and the Study Weekend draws near.

Office closure

The LSE office for University of London International Programmes will close from the afternoon of Wednesday 21st December until the morning of Tuesday 3rd January 2012. You may of course continue to write to us (uolip@lse.ac.uk) and we will endeavour to get back to you as soon as we return to the office. Please refrain from sending repeat enquires over this period as this will slow down the response time.

Study weekend 2012

The 2012 Study Weekend is fast approaching and will take place from Friday 3rd February to Sunday 5th February 2012.

If you have never been before, the weekend consists of short courses in many popular courses of the Economics, Management, Finance and the Social Science programmes. It has been designed to help students with examination preparation and technique. It is an excellent opportunity for students to discuss the syllabus with subject specialists, receive guidance on the curriculum, discuss issues of particular concern and share experiences with other International Programmes students.

 To read more about the study weekend, view the timetable and to book your place visit the website, here.

Please note that booking closes on Monday 16th January.

You might also be interested in watching a short film about the weekend:

You may also like to read the following blog posts:

My first Study Weekend – an External study staff member’s perspective

Study weekend 2010 a student’s perspective…

Study weekends have been designed to help you but lecturers will not go over the whole syllabus. The study sessions are an opportunity for you to ask questions and to alleviate any doubts that you may have. We have found that the study skills sessions are particularly useful and so we would encourage you to sign up for these, and they are free!  

We have also set up a Facebook event page, here. The Twitter hashtag for the day will be #swe2012

As usual we will be having a party on Friday evening and as ever we will be celebrating the successes of those students who have been given scholarships to study at the LSE and we will be inviting other graduates for you to meet.  We find that our alumni are a great source of support, information and guidance.  The party is a chance for you to relax and have fun so please do come.

Any enquiries about the event should be emailed to s.k.douglas@lse.ac.uk

Please check the FAQs about the Study weekend web page before making an enquiry.

At the Study weekend we are looking for students to participate in a video recording session which aims to bring the student study experience to life. We’ll be asking volunteers questions such as:

What is it like to study with us?

What do you like?

What are the challenges?

What advice would you give to future students?

How has undertaking the programme helped your career prospects?

Here is an example of the type of video that you will appear in:

Videos recorded at the Study weekend will be used on YouTube and in marketing material for the EMFSS courses and are likely to be featured on the UoL International Programmes website.

If you are interested in participating, please contact alice.ross@london.ac.uk

Examiners commentaries

Many of the 2011 examiners commentaries are now available in the VLE. These are important for you as they provide the ‘voice’ of the examiner, they will indicate how the examination questions should have been answered and in some cases indicate what a really good answer should look like.   Please read them carefully. There is a warning on every commentary to alert you to the fact that examiners can examine any part of the syllabus and to warn students against question spotting. Remember that you are studying for a degree not just for the examination.

Registering for examinations

Login to the Student Portal and under ‘My Account’ you will find instructions on how to register for examinations.

If you have not recieved your Portal login details or if you have forgotten them please write to uolia.support@london.ac.uk and remember to quote your student number.

Via the Portal you will be able to print off your personalised exam registration form.

The deadline for registering for examinations is 1 February 2012 unless you are coming to the study weekend where you may hand in your application in person.

It is crucial that you submit your examination entry form by the deadline for examination entry.

If you have any queries regarding examination entry you should contact the University of London examinations office (emfssexams@london.ac.uk) or telephone: 020 7862 8333.

The examinations timetable is currently being worked on an will be made available on the examinations website.

That just leaves us to say Happy holidays to all and we wish you a very happy and successful new year.

Happy new year blog from the Director…

Let me begin my wishing all students, lecturers and administrators a very happy new year from all of us at the LSE office for University of London International Programmes.

The new year is a time for new resolutions and I hope that the new years resolution students will make is to ‘work hard, aim high and to think deeply and critically about the subjects that you will be examined on this May and June’.

I have been traveling extensively for the past six months, visiting Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Malta, Turkey and Greece. I have enjoyed meeting many of you and learning about your key concerns and worries. We are always very interested to hear your views and gain feedback from you about the programmes and particular subjects.

I have discovered that some of you are making regular and good use of the VLE, whereas others have not yet accessed the Student portal at all. During my travels many students asked me how other students are doing and expressed their desire to find support from fellow students. I reminded them that the VLE and our Facebook page is the place to start to connect with other students and to find support in each other! Whilst at the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) I was able to meet the ‘famous’ Boon Pin and to say ‘thank you’ for all of the support and advice that he has given to students via the discussion forums of the VLE.

This weekend (4th – 6th February) over 300 students will be attending the annual Study weekend and as usual on Saturday evening I will be hosting an open forum where I will be taking student questions, discussing key issues and areas of concern. We would very much welcome your comments and ideas about any aspect of the University of London International programmes so that we can discuss these at the forum. Please feel free to post comments in response to this blog with any of your suggestions, or e-mail us at uolip@lse.ac.uk.

Please also note that there is a Facebook event page for the Study weekend where you can share your experiences and upload photographs from the event.

 This summer there will be a record number of students taking examinations with the University of London International Programmes. Examiners take their work very seriously and so you should make sure that you have ‘examined’ their commentaries from the past three years (which are all available on the VLE) very carefully to help you understand what the examiners expect from you. Far too often students prepare for questions that have already been set in the past and therefore are unable to answer a new question in the examination. We do not try to trick you but we do want to know that you have ‘command’ of the subject area and can apply what you know and understand to the questions asked. Please help each other via the VLE discussion forums or for those enrolled at an institution, ask your lecturer if you are unsure.

Finally, and importantly this is a time when we should think of our students in Egypt and in other places where there is turmoil and uncertainty.  We are constantly amazed by how our students succeed in spite of the many obstacles that are put in their way.  The year of the rabbit is a good year for peace and the resolution of conflict, however you should be warned about being too laid back. Work hard and enjoy your studies and then you can relax in June!

Best wishes

 

Rosemary Gosling

Director, University of London International Programmes at LSE

Happy holidays to all!

It is that time of year again when the office closes down for Christmas and New year and the Study Weekend draws near.

Office closure

The LSE office for University of London International Programmes will close from the afternoon of Wednesday 22nd December until the morning of Tuesday 4th January 2011. You may of course continue to write to us and we will endeavour to get back to you as soon as we return to the office. Please refrain from sending repeat enquires over this period as this will slow down the response time.

Study weekend 2011

For those of you who do not know, this years Study Weekend will take place at the LSE from Friday 4th February to Sunday 6th February 2011.

You can find all the information about this years Study Weekend and see photos from previous years on the Study Weekend website, which is also the place where you can view the timetable, reserve your place and pay for your sessions online.

Please note that booking closes on Friday 14th January.

For those of you who haven’t been to a Study Weekend before you might also be interested in watching a short film about it, which was recorded at the 2008 event.

You may also like to read the following blog posts:

My first Study Weekend – an External study staff member’s perspective

Study weekend 2010 a student’s perspective…

Study weekends have been designed to help you but lecturers will not go over the whole syllabus. The study sessions are an opportunity for you to ask questions and to alleviate any doubts that you may have. We have found that the study skills sessions are particularly useful and so we would encourage you to sign up for these, and they are free!  

As usual we will be having a party on Friday evening and as ever we will be celebrating the successes of those students who have been given scholarships to study at the LSE and we will be inviting other graduates for you to meet.  We find that our alumni are a great source of support, information and guidance.  The party is a chance for you to relax and have fun so please come. On Saturday evening we will be having our open house as usual and we welcome any ideas that you may have for this session.

Any enquiries about the event should be emailed to externalstudy@lse.ac.uk

Please check the FAQs about the Study weekend web page before making an enquiry.

At the Study weekend we are looking for students to participate in a video recording session which aims to bring the student study experience to life. We’ll be asking volunteers questions such as:

What is it like to study with us?

What do you like?

What are the challenges?

What advice would you give to future students?

How has undertaking the programme helped your career prospects?

Here is an example of the type of video that you will appear in:

Videos recorded at the Study weekend will be used on YouTube and in marketing material for the EMFSS courses and are likely to be featured on the UoL International Programmes website.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Alice.Mallick@london.ac.uk

Examiners commentaries

Many of the 2010 examiners commentaries are now available on the VLE. These are important for you as they provide the ‘voice’ of the examiner, they will indicate how the examination questions should have been answered and in some cases indicate what a really good answer should look like.   Please read them carefully. There is a warning on every commentary to alert you to the fact that examiners can examine any part of the syllabus and to warn students against question spotting. Remember that you are studying for a degree not just for the examination.

Registering for examinations

The deadline for registering for examinations is 1 February 2011 unless you are coming to the study weekend where you may hand in your application in person.

It is crucial that you submit your examination entry form by the deadline for examination entry.

For full information on registering for examinations and to download the registration form see the University of London examinations website.

The examinations timetable is currently being worked on an will be made available on the examinations website.

That just leaves me to say Happy holidays to all and we wish you a very happy and successful new year.

IMPORTANT: Exam paper changes & Subject guide revisions

Every year we publish two extremely important documents which you MUST take careful note of. Both of these documents are available to view from the home page of the Virtual learning environment or the LSE External study website.

List of Subject Guide revisions

AVAILABLE HERE

Each year a number of the Subject Guides are revised and supplements to current guides are published. This may be for a number of reasons, to update the syllabus or readings references for example. You should consult the  list of these revisions and supplements to ensure that, if you are studying any of the courses listed, that you are using the updated (2010) version of the Subject Guide and take note of the important supplements.

List of changes to Examination papers

AVAILABLE HERE

Each year some of the examination paper formats change. It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you check the list of examination paper changes every year.

If the course that you are studying is not listed, then you should refer to the most recent past examination paper and examiners commentary to discover the current examination format.

Please DO NOT assume that the examination format as outlined in the Subject Guide is correct since a number of our guides were published some years ago and thus the examination format may well have changed since publication. It is also important to note that the examination format, as outlined in the notes from a Study weekend session or from another activity or publication, may also be out of date.

So, to find out about the structure of the examination paper in May and June 2011:

FIRST refer to the list of examination paper changes. If your course is NOT listed then you MUST CHECK the examination paper and commentary from the previous year. DO NOT assume that any other source outlines the correct examination format.

It is also important that you take note of the warning on the Examiners commentaries in regards to question spotting. You MUST be aware that Examiners are free to set questions on ANY aspect of the syllabus. This means that you need to study enough of the syllabus to enable you to answer the required number of examination questions.

Examiners will vary the topics and questions from year to year and MAY set questions that have NOT appeared in past papers – every topic on the syllabus is a legitimate examination target. So although past papers can be helpful in revision, you CANNOT ASSUME that topics or specific questions that have come up in past examinations will occur again.

Moving forward in 2010/11…

 

Director, LSE External Study Rosie Gosling welcomes and encourages new students at the Singapore Institute of Management induction day.

Since the release of examination results this August, students have been experiencing a variety of mixed emotions, from elation to extreme surprise and disappointment.  Some  students have written to us for advice and so we thought that we should write this blog to give you some information and to help you understand what, if anything, you need to do. 

If you are surprised that your result was below your expectations,  you may consider having your marks checked.  However, before making a representation against your result it is important for you to be aware that you can only make a representation on administrative grounds. Our examinations are very carefully doubled marked and checked carefully.  Representations cannot be considered on academic grounds as each script is marked independently by two Examiners and the confirmed result is then determined at an Examination Board meeting. The decision of that Board is final. If you do wish to make a representation your script will not be re-examined by an academic but thorough administrative investigation will be undertaken. 

There have been a lot of successes this year with many students achieving first class honours in the degrees, or distinctions in the Diploma for Graduates, the Diploma in Economics and the Diploma in Social Sciences. Many students have been able to get new jobs or have been given promotion on the basis of their qualifications through the University of London International programme.  Others are getting ready to study in excellent universities in the United Kingdom, including LSE, and in the States and elsewhere. 

For those who are continuing with the EMFSS degrees and Diplomas, results are important as they can be very good indicators of your strengths and/or weaknesses. 

If you were surprised at your results, use the Examiners’ commentaries to see why you may have received the mark you did. The Examiners’ commentaries for the past three years are available from the home page of every course in the VLE. The 2010 Examiners’ commentaries are coming in thick and fast and will be available shortly. Reviewing the Examiners’ commentaries should help you to understand what the examiners expect of you to achieve good marks in the next set of examinations.  

If you have failed a subject, you may take it again (up to a maximum of two more attempts) on the degree, Diploma in Economics and the Diploma in Social Sciences, and once more on the Diploma for Graduates. If you failed a course this year, think about why you may have failed? 

• Some of you may not have understood the language or approach of the discipline. If this is the case approach the subject afresh, start again by reading the Subject guide and text books carefully and make sure that you understand the core concepts.  If there is a video on the VLE listen and watch carefully to see how the academic explains the approach that should be taken in your study of the subject. 
• Some of you may have ran out of time in the examination. If this was the case then you need to practice more, working through past and sample examination questions in timed conditions. In many cases students simply write down all they know, which is unfortunate because examiners want to see an answer to the question rather than read through all the material that they have written!
• Some of you will have done some question spotting and the questions you prepared for did not appear. Question spotting is very dangerous! Examiners can ask questions on any part of the syllabus and will do so; you must cover the whole syllabus (unless the syllabus specifically indicates otherwise).  Most examiners set questions across the syllabus and so you need to know and understand the material to apply it to answer the questions set. 

• Some of you may not have answered the questions directly. In our examinations this is probably the most usual case of failure. We ask specific questions and therefore the examiners require specific answers. For further advice on preparing yourself for the upcoming academic year, examinations and learning skills please do make use of the the resources designed to support your studies on the VLE and in Strategies for success. 

In all cases, think strategically, think sceptically and remember that you need to cover the whole syllabus in order to do well as examiners have a tendency to surprise!

I look forward to seeing lots of you at the Kick off day on the 25th September.

Best wishes

Rosemary Gosling 

Director, LSE External Study 

 

Study weekend 2010 & Exam commentaries

Greetings from a cold and windy London!

I hope that you are all well into your studies and are enjoying studying with the University of London. We are delighted that you are making good use of the materials we have provided and are using the VLE successfully. Please let us know what is useful and how we can improve what we are providing for you.

You can find information about this years Study Weekend and see photos from previous years on the Study Weekend website [external link], which is also the place where you can reserve your place online. You will not be asked to confirm and pay for your place until shortly after the booking deadline.

For those of you who haven’t been to a Study Weekend before you might also be interested in watching a short film about it, which was recorded at the 2008 event.

This year we have provided a timetable so that you can plan your weekend. We have tried to avoid any clashes but please do let us know if the subjects you wish to take are not available or they are being offered at the same time and we can attempt to accommodate your request.

Study weekends have been designed to help you but lecturers will not go over the whole syllabus. The study sessions are an opportunity for you to ask questions and to alleviate any doubts that you may have. We have found that the study skills sessions are particularly useful and so we would encourage you to sign up for these, and they are free!  

 As usual we will be having a party on Friday evening and this year we will be celebrating the successes of those students who have been given scholarships to study at the LSE and we will be inviting other graduates for you to meet.  We find that our alumni are a great source of support, information and guidance.  The party is a chance for you to relax and have fun so please come. On Saturday evening we will be having our open house as usual and we welcome any ideas that you may have for this session.

Any enquiries about the event should be emailed to externalstudy@lse.ac.uk

 

A number of examination commentaries are now available on the VLE and others will follow during the next four weeks. These are important for you as they provide the ‘voice’ of the examiner, they will indicate how the examination questions should have been answered and in some cases indicate what a really good answer should look like.   Please read them carefully. There is a warning on every commentary to alert you to the fact that examiners can examine any part of the syllabus and to warn students against question spotting. Remember that you are studying for a degree not just for the examination.

I am now off to Malaysia and Singapore to see students and teaching institutions!

Good Studying!

 

Rosie Gosling