My life at SOAS through one disposable camera

One disposable camera, one semester: Our students share moments from their lives at SOAS, their reflections and hopes for the new year.  

What does day-to-day life at SOAS really look like? To find out, we handed a disposable camera to a few of our students and asked them to capture moments that best represented their lives this semester. When you only have a few shots to play with, you have to be more intentional and focused. 

What they returned were not just photographs, but thoughtful reflections on growth, community, belonging, and the intentions they’re carrying into the new year. Here’s what they shared.

Asmo: Capturing fleeting moments, unlearning and relearning

"Honestly? Semester one has been social, intense, humbling, and so deeply educational. I’m learning things in depth, building on my undergrad, but also unlearning and relearning at the same time. It’s critical, it’s engaging, and it makes me think harder than I expected. The highlight has definitely been the people. SOAS makes it impossible not to meet someone interesting every single day."

"The first photo was a total accident, but not an accidental moment. I’d just left uni, stepped onto the bus, and saw someone had written SOAS into the fogged-up window. It felt iconic in the most understated way, like a tiny reminder that this place leaves its mark on people, literally."

"The second photo is one of my favourites. On my way back from SOAS, I saw two students nonchalantly taking pictures of the sunset, and I instinctively took a photo of them taking a photo. Something about it felt wholesome, like we were all trying to hold onto the same fleeting moment.

My hopes for 2026: More depth. More growth. More moments that feel like that sunset photo, quiet, beautiful, and worth remembering and capturing." - Asmo, LLM 

Linda: Making memories in my last year at SOAS

"My highlight of this semester is just being back! As I was away for my year abroad, I didn’t realise how much I missed my friends and the overall community here at SOAS."

"Our last first term - "felt cute might delete later” vibes. I decided to take lots of photos with my friends in them to display the vibrant, cosy, nostalgic feel of campus and my first semester at SOAS.

My hopes for 2026: I hope for more happy memories to be made as my final chapter at university is slowly but surely coming to an end. Class of 2026, we got this!!!" - Linda, BA Chinese

Adjua: Gaining confidence and fully enjoying the city

“When I first moved to London to start my SOAS adventure, I wasn’t only met with exciting classes or new adult responsibilities, but with a myriad of endless opportunities to pursue my hobbies in such a vibrant city. This picture of me standing in front of Pineapple Dance Studios in Covent Garden represents one of those opportunities turning into reality."

"Taking classes at Pineapple had been on my bucket list for a while, not only because dance is one of my main hobbies or because of its global prestige, but also because of its personal significance. Hearing my mum talk about how going there almost every day was part of her routine during her short time living in the city made the studio feel meaningful to me even before I arrived.

Doing activities like this in a new city can be challenging, but this photo reminds me not to be afraid to fully embrace what the city has to offer, and that sometimes the motto “do it scared, but do it” is the way to go when stepping out of your comfort zone."

"Being in my third year, I feel more confident with concepts that once felt new and better equipped with analytical lenses, making my modules feel more engaging, relevant, and intellectually stimulating. The connections between topics across different modules, as well as the quality of discussions in tutorials, have been a real highlight and have helped me feel more connected to my studies.

Knowing that this may be my last year in London for a while has encouraged me to be more intentional with my time, to reconnect with friends, and to fully enjoy the city. Another major highlight has been serving as co-president of the SOAS African and Caribbean Society and launching our magazine, The Black Bulletin, as Editor-in-Chief. Seeing the committee come together to create something meaningful has been an incredibly rewarding experience and one I’m excited to carry into the new year."

"In 2026, I hope to make the most of my time in London while also exploring more of the UK, and maybe even taking a couple of short solo trips, who knows. I want to fully enjoy my final months as a SOAS undergraduate, both academically and with the people I love, and make them as meaningful as possible. I also hope to successfully carry out all of my projects, and right now, especially those connected to the ACS, continuing to build meaningful initiatives, seeing the work of the committee come to life and carrying that sense of purpose through to the end of the year. 

Finally, I hope to graduate feeling proud of what I’ve achieved, even if reaching that milestone feels bittersweet, knowing it marks both an ending and the beginning of something new.” - Adjua, BA International Relations

Asmo, Linda, and Adjua remind us that university life is shaped by the people we meet, the courage to take chances, and the growth that comes from continually learning and expanding our worldviews. As 2026 approaches, it's a chance to reflect on the everyday experiences that quietly shape who we become.