University league tables which are published by many major newspapers, or conducted by specific research bodies, give us an insight into what universities might be seen as “elite”. I was very privileged, and worked very hard, to be in a position to accept a place at the London School of Economics where I subsequently spent a year studying. The LSE would be considered in the category of “elite” by many and consistently ranks in the top ten in the world for many subjects.

My decision to leave was incredibly difficult but I, as did an unhealthy proportion of my peers, found the atmosphere stifling. I was very lucky to have the option to leave, as many students (particularly international ones) remain due to financial pressure, or the fact that many people ask incredulously “Why would you leave?”

After all, elite universities like the LSE hand you a Curriculum Vitae that will open all the career opportunities in the world to make as much money as you want. They give you an education that is “research driven”, teaching you “critical thinking” that will have employers courting you in droves. So why are students there so miserable?

By the end of my time there I was quite desensitised to people having nervous breakdowns or popping caffeine pills, and the many, many people around me who were on antidepressants or self-medicating with substances. Of the people I knew, they attributed their depression to the environment of the university that left us with no room to breathe.

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