This week I have been meeting prospective students at applicant days and interviews. I still can’t believe I’m in my final year at University and am telling people, who frankly look older than me, about Lancaster and my experiences. I remember the mentors at my applicant day and how mature they seemed and then I realise that I have actually matured over the past three years. I am more confident both in myself and in my ability and feel proud to have nearly completed my degree.

I remember my first day very clearly. I was so so nervous. I have always lived off campus so I didn’t know the campus as well as my course friends. As the first day talks were in colleges, I made a few friends in my college but the friendships were short-lived as none of them were on my course. Getting into my car to go home that first day was a bit of a relief, I must admit, as it all seemed so overwhelming. However, once the lectures and seminars started I soon got into the swing of things. I remember feeling like I was starting high school all over again, making friends and not knowing where my lectures and seminars were being held and generally panicking about the unknown. But soon enough I felt like I’d been at University for years and couldn’t imagine being back in a classroom. University allows you to be more independent, both in your social and work life, especially if you live in. But there are still support networks present.  You get assigned an academic advisor who you meet up with and can email or see at any time if you have anything you’re concerned about. There are also wellbeing, counselling and mental health services which can help in a variety of ways. My college, Bowland, also offers its own welfare services and peer mentors which ensure you get the most out of your time at University. So even though at first it may feel like you are totally on your own in a whole new place, you’re not really and support is always there if and when you need it.

I get asked a lot about the collegiate system at Lancaster and whether it’s similar to ones at other Universities. As I can’t really talk about other Universities’ systems as I’ve never been to one, I can tell you that at Lancaster we have nine colleges, each with a distinctive character. The colleges are made up of people on different courses so it encourages you to make more friends with a diverse range of interests. Each college put on their own events too which enables you to make even more friends and really feel like part of a family. Each college have their own accommodation and this may differ slightly in each one, for example County offer townhouses which provide a different experience to the flats offered by the other colleges. It’s all about choosing a college which you feel comfortable in and which provides the accommodation that suits you.

I also remember being asked by one of my future lecturers on my applicant visit day what I liked most about Religious Studies and I have to say I really struggled with the question. I liked learning about ethical issues and the government and religious legislation surrounding them but I didn’t really feel passionate about anything. Now I struggle to think of things I don’t like about Religious Studies. There are so many interesting components to religion and connections between religion and the other areas of society which relate in ways I’d never considered before. Media and politics play a bigger part in the existence and nature of religion throughout the world and understanding religion as part of the bigger context has really helped me to better understand the world in which I live.

The place of religion in the world is better understood when studied from a variety of angles in a variety of contexts and I feel that the PPR department itself and the module system at Lancaster really allows you to do this.

So Week 20 has finally arrived! I cannot believe I have my last ever lecture and seminar this week! This week is a bit different to my usual last week of term when I am usually trying to get all my essays tied up and finished for the deadlines. This week I only have one essay due as my mini dissertation and dissertation are due after the Easter break. That doesn’t mean I’m not trying to finish them, but it is just not quite as frantic.

I’ve done my Christianity essay which answers the question, is the Christian Church an institution for women who refuse to submit to male authority and who seek a career on equal terms with men? Although it is similar to my dissertation, I have approached it differently and I obviously don’t have as many words to give as much of an in-depth discussion. I have assessed the biblical representation of women which provide a foundation for the Christian teachings. I then move onto Christian theologians who are predominantly male and examine their views on women. I then examine the feminist theologians’ arguments who largely argue that Christianity can provide women a religion where they don’t have to submit to male authority but that it needs a revision of its ideology. However other feminists reject Christianity altogether as irrevocably patriarchal and oppressive. This is because of the consistent masculine language and the prohibition of women from ordination. It has been really interesting assessing the justifications for the oppression of women in the Christian church and the feminist reinterpretation of them. One of the key parts of my degree has been assessing religion in the modern world and the religion/gender debate seems to be one of the most prevalent debates. It has provided much discussion both within the church and external to it and is very relevant to today.

My mini dissertation is about the secularisation and sacralisation debate which is also highly relevant today. Many people believe society to be declining in religious significance. However the New Age spiritualities are increasing in significance and this suggests that modern society is just as religious as it ever was. Berger’s works are particularly interesting on this debate as he changed his thesis from the secularisation of the 1960’s to the desecularisation of the 1990’s.

Looking at these issues of religion helps me to understand the society I live in and the societies throughout the world and the place of religion within them. When someone asks me why I’m doing religious studies when it is so irrelevant today, I say it is as relevant as ever. It is unusual for religion to not be in the news. Being able to understand these issues in more depth is invaluable not only to my degree, but to my own understanding.

Now that my coursework is nearly done, I am looking forward to a bit of a break before I start my revision. I still cannot believe that this will be my last exam period. Let’s hope it’s a good one!

 

 

I am now fully in the swing of lectures and seminars. But I have done something slightly different this week. Not only am I a mentor for applicants, hence why I am writing this blog, I am also a mentee for the Career Mentoring Programme.

The Career Mentoring Programme pairs you up with a working professional, usually suited to your career interests or your degree. My mentor also did Religious Studies at Lancaster and now works for Lancashire County Council. He has been so helpful for me, in helping to update and change my CV. He has also given me invaluable tips on how to perform in an interview, the most significant being that just because you don’t get a job doesn’t mean your interview went badly. It all depends what the employer is looking for and doesn’t make you unemployable, only that that job isn’t right for you at that time. He drew on his own experience when he discussed this with me. He is now in a job which he feels suits him perfectly and one which he would not have been in had he succeeded in every job interview.

This week I shadowed him at his workplace, at County Hall in Preston. This was a really insightful and rewarding experience. I had never been in an office setting before. I have previously done work experience in schools as I originally wanted to be a teacher but have since decided to change my career path and I work part time in a bar, so this was a totally new working environment. I got to oversee what he does day to day, but as a policy officer, this changes week by week. At this point he was editing a visual diagram to be used in a presentation and booklet on the procedures for homeless teenagers. It was great to see how varied his workload was and how interesting each case is. I also got to speak to an apprentice who had been at County Hall for six months and really enjoyed her job and had learned so many skills in such a short amount of time.

Without the mentoring programme, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity to get a real insight into what working in the local government is like. Lancaster University has so many opportunities to enhance your career prospects, from the Career fairs, study abroad, Richardson Institute Internship Programme and the mind out programme. They care not only about you getting a good degree, but also making the most of your time here and ensuring that your time spent after university is best suited to you.

So, make sure that when you do get to Lancaster University, make the most of the extra opportunities available and make yourself the best prospective employee you can be.