London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Before arriving at LSHTM, we thought the year would be all about academics, spreadsheets and endless readings. And while that is definitely part of the experience, within the first few days, it became clear that LSHTM was about so much more.

We are Neve and Noemi, both pursuing an MSc Public Health for Global Practice (formerly MSc Public Health for Development). Our cohort is small, with only 34 students this year, but from over twenty different countries, and with an interesting mix of ages and professional backgrounds. 

Life in an LSHTM cohort

Within the first week of term 1, we went on a two-day retreat with our cohort and Programme Directors. Between a short hike, having a games night and sharing meals and wine together, we had a great opportunity to start learning more about each other and bonding.

Since then, our social life as a class has blossomed, with most of our closest friends in London now being from the course. We started a tradition of celebrating all our birthdays together, both with a home-made cake at the School made by a fellow classmate, and also maybe a party outside of the School, together with many other celebrations from all around the world such as our Thanksgiving potluck, and Divali and Asian new year celebrations.

To celebrate the diversity within our class, we have frequently done potlucks at people’s houses and occasionally at the park (definitely not in cold January). These potlucks have been a lovely opportunity to taste food from around the world and find out more about different countries, although beans on toast from the UK were not the most popular…

Now that term 2 is underway, we sadly see each other less because we are all taking different modules, but we have started to go to a weekly pub quiz and also created a weekly craft club, to be sure we all stay close throughout the second half of the year.

Wellbeing at LSHTM

LSHTM actively encourages us to organise social events with our class, as well as with the whole School. The School has a fund that classes can use to organise social events. For us we have been on a day trip to Canterbury, and, while the British weather was not exactly cooperative, it was a great day, full of sightseeing (with a tour led by our wonderful social reps), eating lovely food, and getting festive by visiting the Christmas markets. We are now planning a trip to the theatre for the second term, to watch a musical on the West End, a classic item to tick off our London bucket lists.

Last year, the School also opened up a new Pumphandle Social with a canteen open daily, where the students can chat, or maybe even play foosball, between classes and at lunch. There is even a bar within this space, open on Thursdays and Fridays after class, which is worth visiting for the cheap drinks alone, but also for the chance to mix with students from other courses. We have arranged joint social events here with different cohorts, such as quizzes and team games. And last but not least, very recently a new zone filled with comfy sofas has been added, perfect for relaxing and maybe even napping after stats classes!

Beyond social life, LSHTM is really committed to our well-being. They provide access to mental health counsellors and careers services, which you can read some more about. Twice a week we can also enjoy free yoga classes, where a friend from our class has now become one of the teachers.

Overall, LSHTM is not only a place for academic and professional development, but also an enriching community for us to connect with people from all over, make memories, and have a great time along the way!

• Discover MSc Public Health for Global Practice.
• Contact Neve and Noemi via our contact student ambassador page.
• Read more: 5 fun facts about MSc Public Health for Global Practice - Sidra's take & London and LSHTM: The first month unpacked