Nicola Kielty, studying for an MA in Chineses Studies gives an insight into studying at one of the most cosmopolitan universities in the capital.

Being a student at SOAS

The School of Oriental and African Studies attracts a third of its students from beyond the EU and has become the home of a vibrant, multi-cultural student population in the heart of one of the world’s most ethnically diverse cities. The school has a warm atmosphere, in which you’re guaranteed to fit in wherever you’re from and offers its students access to the fascinating kaleidoscope of cultures of the world’s developing countries.

SOAS has a great location in Russell Square, with plenty of cinemas and theatres, the British museum and all the glitz of the West End enviably close. You can easily duck into the pleasant gardens in Bloomsbury Square across the road too.

Getting around

With the help of congestion charging and a better bus network, London is becoming an increasingly student-friendly city. A Student ‘Oyster’ card costs £5, and gives you a 60 per cent discount on each tube journey. For getting round fast, biking is another great option and London is well-catered for with bike lanes. Just watch out for the traffic and consider a face mask. The Brick Lane market, five minutes from the main school buildings, is the place to buy second-hand equipment. It’s also possible to walk from Russell Square to the student residences in 15 minutes.

Eating Out

“Doing” London on the cheap is fun and allows you to discover your thrifty “wheeler-dealer” side. Eating out can be as ethical, culturally diverse and filling as you care to make it. In the SOAS campus, the refectory does a passable full-English breakfast for £1.85. Next door, the ‘Russell’ offers swankier hot meals for £8. At the Union bar you can enjoy a pie or a pasty over a refreshing cup of strong milky English tea. In Bloomsbury’s streets you’ll find a plethora of Chinese and Indians doing ‘help-yourself’ buffets for under a tenner and ‘greasy spoon’ cafés for those hearty English staples.

For a well-earned study-break, the local cinemas show everything from Hollywood blockbusters to the most avant-garde and underground British films, with student discounts and free-film nights at the International Student House and The Prince Charles in Soho.

Courses

SOAS’s array of under-graduate course options might initially seem bewildering. Don’t despair however, because it’s really a win-win situation for you. Whether your first-choice course is Sanskrit, Sinology or Jewish Studies you’ll get invaluable easy-transfer skills and even core subjects like history can be jazzed up by specialising in a far-away region or learning with a language. In any case, Fresher’s Week provides the chance to shop around, attending various lectures and classes, and if necessary, chop-and-change, relieving the pressure.

Studying

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