Swiss Student Central
To help you make the most of your stay in Britain, we transmit recommendations, tips and tricks from one LSE generation to the next, from the weighty and practical to the peculiar and fun.
How many LSE students are from Switzerland?
For the past decade, the School has welcomed around 100 new student from Switzerland annually, with slighly more postgradudate than undergradudate students. Around 50 percent return to Switzerland immediately after graduation.
The Swiss LSE Alumni Association (SLSEAA), a private membership organisastion, transfers practical knowledge from one LSE generation to the next through this information resource and also offers several (career-related) benefits and services geared towards students.
The LSE Alumnae and Alumni Foundation of Switzerland (LSEAAF), a federally-supervised grantmaking institution, supports LSE students from Switzerland with scholarships and research grants.
Where should I live?
When it comes to central locations, the School's halls of residence are hard to beat. Most of them are bang in town. Nonetheless, we encourage you to look into other excellent accommodation options. We recommend ...
International Students House, colloquially simply known as "ish". One noted LSE alumnus, Jomo Kenyatta, the Founding President of the Republic of Kenya, loved to socialise there.
Goodenough College (shown in the above image) is not just "good enough" but excellent. The residential College is named after Frederick Craufurd Goodenough, the late Chairman of Barclays Bank.
Private flat share with some Brits. There is no better way to get to know the British by living among some of them. The School has a flat listing service and will agree to be your rent guarantor upon application.
Where do I eat?
Luckily, there are more places to eat than Bobbies on the streets in London. If you are a gourmand, you truly have chosen the right place to advance your education. As an appetizer, we present some of the favourite London eateries of LSE alumnae and alumni from Switzerland.
Fish and chips: There is a very big difference between French fries and British chips (what everybody else calls "chips" are actually "crisps"). One of the best chippies (the local slang for a place serving fish and chips) in London is the Sea Shell of Lisson Grove in Marylebone.
Full English breakfast: The "Full English" is a audacious creation of sausages, bacon, eggs, beans, mushrooms and toast with salted butter. Having it is often among the very first tasks of LSE alumnae and alumni returning to their alma mater. A fine full English breakfast can be taken at E. Pellicci on 332 Bethnal Green Road in the East End. The restaurant and its owners have been a London landmark for more than a century.
Bacon sandwiches: An authentic bacon sandwich is made from a buttered untoasted white bread roll, HP sauce and hot bacon slices. We much practice, you can make your own. To experience how it should taste, head before 11 a.m. over to St. John Bread and Wine on 94-96 Commercial Street in Spitalfields.
Roast: The British nation's most celebrated food tradition is the Sunday roast with beef with Yorkshire pudding and horseradish, lamb in mint sauce, chicken with redcurrent jelly and pork with applesauce. Get your Sunday roast fix at Blacklock on 24 Great Windmill Street in Soho.
Wild mammals or birds: Move the game at London's oldest restaurant, established in 1798, Rules on 34/35 Maiden Lane in Covent Garden. It was a favourite haunt of H.G. Wells, one of the founders of the School.
Ice cream: Sweeten your life with a gelato from Gelupo on 7 Archer Street near Piccadilly Circus.
How to fund my studies?
The LSE Alumnae and Alumni Foundation of Switzerland awards partial scholarships for study or research at the LSE. The Foundation was established by members of the Swiss LSE Alumni Association to enable Swiss citizens and permanent residents of high academic ability but limited financial means to enjoy the same fine LSE education as they have. LSE alumnae and alumni continue to contribute funds to the sizable endowment, income from which funds the scholarships at the undergraduate and postgraduate level.
The Fondation Zdenek et Michaela Bakala awards scholarships to students and research fellows from the Universities of Geneva, Lausanne, Zurich and St. Gallen, the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology Zurich and Lausanne and the Graduate Institute of Geneva for courses and research at the Master and doctoral level.
Should I open a UK bank account?
You can use your Swiss Maestro bank card in the UK. However, for convenience and if you want to lock in the exchange rate, you may want to open a UK bank account. We recommend the "Basic Account" with HSBC. HSBC is also a good choice for your life after graduation as a potential expatriate as the banking group operates around the world. Go in person with your stamped LSE course confirmation to the HSBC branch at 165 Fleet Street.
Why is there a LSE Students' Union Swiss Society?
Where can I spend a nice long weekend?
As London happens to be in Great Britain, do visit the rest of the country as long as still exists in its current form. We recommend ...
to visit Scotland, traveling in style on the Caledonian Sleeper, an overnight train from London to as far up as Inverness, and
to visit Wales or, as the locals would say, Ewch i Gymru.
As Great Britain happens to be an island, you also get to enjoy the ocean. Our recommentations for a weekend by the sea are ...
the dunes of Camber Sands (shown in the above image)
the white cliffs of Botany Bay
the sandy beaches of West Wittering
and the Great British seaside towns of Brighton and Hastings.
What and where is Cumberland Lodge?
How to do the British picnic?
The very British institution of the picnic is a lovely way to spend a summer evening with friends. Treat yourself to sandwiches, terrines, chutney, pulled pork, tarts, British cheeses and smoke salmon with a glass of wine. We recommend to head to one of the royal parks.
For an upgrade to the run-of-the-mill sandwiches, experience the culinary delights of a traditional picnic hamper. For that very special occasion or if you want to pop the question, the gourmet hampers from Dukes' would be a fine choice. A private butler will deliver the hamper to you in Green Park.
Can I meet a member of the Royal Family?
What's the Last Night of the Proms?
The Proms are a series of the daily orchestral music concerts held at the Royal Albert Hall each year during the summer. The series ends with the Last Night, a very British experience. "Rule, Britannia!" and other patriotic pieces are played to which the audience sings along. Union Jacks are waved. Encores are demanded. A wonderful night out can be had. The Last Night usually falls on the second Saturday in September, the first month of the (re)start of your studies at the LSE. There is huge demand for Last Night tickets. The deadline to take part in the Open Ticket Ballot is normally the end of June. So, if you want to go to the Last Night, you'll need to get active while still in Switzerland. Forget queuing for tickets as you will have to camp out at the Royal Albert Hall, possibly for several days.
If you could not get your hands on Last Night tickets to Royal Albert Hall, go instead for the Proms in the Park, Britain's largest open-air classical music event in Hyde Park with a live video link-up on a big screen with Royal Albert Hall for the finale.