<p>You do need to cover some of the basics in taught classes before you can contribute in a realistically worthwhile way to a research project.</p>
<p>The endowment issue is a bit of a red herring here. Most of UCL’s funding comes from the UK government; with some external money for research.</p>
<p>But obviously, if an LAC is now appealing to you more, that may be the right thing for you to do. But make your own decision - don’t take other people as your sole guide.</p>