Finding your rhythm: Balancing activism and academics at SOAS

Uduma shares their guide to navigating the vibrant activist culture at SOAS and balancing that with your studies. 

If you’re coming to SOAS, you’ve probably already heard the stereotypes: everyone’s an activist, campus is always buzzing with campaigns, and you can’t walk through the JCR without seeing at least three posters about Palestine, climate justice, or workers’ rights. Honestly? A lot of that is true.

Within your first weeks, you’re likely to encounter petitions, teach-outs, protests, and reading groups on every issue under the sun. It can feel exciting and energising – like you’ve finally found people who care about the same things you do. But it can also feel… a bit much. Especially when those seminar readings are piling up and essay deadlines are closer than you’d like.

Over time, I’ve learned a few things about balancing it all.

You don’t have to be everywhere

The pressure to show up to everything is real. A protest at 10, a panel at 2, a society meeting at 6 – all on the same day you have class and a draft due tomorrow.

Here’s the key: you don’t have to do everything to ‘count’ as an activist.

It’s better to show up consistently in one or two spaces than to burn yourself out trying to be visible in all of them.

Pick a few causes or campaigns that genuinely resonate with you and commit to those. It’s better to show up consistently in one or two spaces than to burn yourself out trying to be visible in all of them. Burnout doesn’t help you, and it doesn’t help the movement either.

Let your activism and academics feed each other

One of the great things about SOAS is that activism isn’t separate from what you study. The conversations you have at protests, in organising meetings, or over coffee after an action can easily spill into your academic work.

Your dissertation topic might grow out of a campaign you’re involved in. A module on international law might hit differently after you’ve attended a solidarity event. This isn’t about turning activism into a strategic way to get better marks; it’s about recognising that theory and practice are in constant dialogue.

Leaning into that overlap can make both your activism and your studies feel more meaningful.

Boundaries are not betrayal

During essay season or exams, it’s okay to step back. 

You can still show solidarity in smaller ways – sharing information, signing statements, checking in on fellow organisers – without being in the core organising group for every action. Movements aren’t built on a few martyrs who sacrifice everything; they’re built on people who can sustain their involvement over time.

Movements aren’t built on a few martyrs who sacrifice everything; they’re built on people who can sustain their involvement over time.

Protecting your mental health and your academic progress is part of being responsible for yourself and your community.

Find your own way of showing up

Not everyone has to be the person with the megaphone.

You might be great at research, social media, graphic design, logistics, or just reliably turning up when you can. All of that matters. There isn’t one ‘correct’ way to be politically engaged at SOAS.

The beauty of this place is that activism isn’t just an add-on – it’s woven into the fabric of the community. You don’t have to choose between being a student and being an activist. You just have to find a rhythm that works for you, and trust that it’s enough.

Header image credit: YK via Unsplash