Hi again! I’ve been pretty quiet with these blogs recently, but there’s been a lot going on!

Uni life has taken a bit of an unexpected turn recently. I landed a dodgy somersault in training at the end of February which has resulted in a dislocated and seriously fractured ankle, 9 pins to hold it together and 6-8 weeks in a cast. I’m nearly three weeks into the healing period and it’s getting much easier, although there is a lot more to an injury like this than I initially planned for! Everyday activities such as making food and general household chores, showering and even going up and down the stairs to the bathroom has required more planning, so I’ve been very lucky to return home until I’m allowed to put weight on my ankle again, and until I get better at using crutches.

At the minute, progress on essays has been painfully slow with the setbacks this injury has given me. I can no longer access the library, where I am at my most productive, and the concoction of painkillers I have been given aren’t exactly great for maintaining concentration! However, the department has been really supportive – I’ve been given extensions on my deadlines to make up for time that has been lost, and lecturers have been in contact over email so I’ve still been able to get the support I need, despite being away from Lancaster.

In terms of going back to the Trampolining Club, I’m still very uncertain at the minute. I’m aiming to be back in Lancaster full time by the end of April, so I’ll still be able to support them at Roses despite not being able to compete. If I stay for the MA Religious Studies then I might try getting back into it next year once I’m fully healed, although this might be an opportunity to expand my society horizons and see what else is out there!

That’s all from me for now, stay tuned for incredibly exciting recovery updates and hopefully the next part of this blog will have more to talk about!

Hello again,

We’re halfway through the term already, and life is certainly getting busier!

On the academic side, I’ve been narrowing down topics for my essays and meeting with lecturers to try and formulate a question. I have two 3000 word essays in week 10 and then a 5000 word essay (and of course my dissertation) due in after Easter at the end of April, so I won’t be short of things to do in the next few weeks! After that, I’ll “only” have five exams and then it’ll be the end of my undergraduate degree, which is a scary thought – I remember moving onto campus in my first year as if it was only yesterday…

It’s not all been coursework though! At the end of week four, I travelled to Nottingham for the weekend for a competition with the Trampolining Club. It was a little bit stressful and really tiring, but still so much fun! We stayed overnight and took part in the social with the other universities, which was really lovely as everyone gets along so well at competitions. However, as social sec, it was interesting to see how well I could herd twenty three people around a new city without losing them!

Valentine’s day has been and gone, and this year my boyfriend and I actually celebrated (albeit a bit late). Lancaster has plenty of opportunity for romantic clichés. Instead, we ate far too much tapas and threw shapes down the ‘Gaunt with a few pints of plum porter to the best funk band this side of South Carolina.

So the second week of Lent term is almost over, and it feels like time is flying by so fast! After three deadlines at the end of week 10, I had a lovely Christmas break that consisted of lots of food, wine, being reunited with my dogs, and smashing out some reading for my dissertation!
However, all holidays must come to an end, so I came back to Lancaster a bit earlier to cover some shifts at my part time job. Working at the same time as studying for a degree can be a little hectic sometimes, so I always think it’s a good idea to get some shifts in while you’ve got less on. That way, when I really need the time off, they’ll (hopefully) remember the favour!
The term ahead is looking like quite a busy one. Over the past two weeks I’ve been getting back into the swing of things, nervously awaiting feedback from my Michaelmas term essays (which turned out great, yay!) and working on my MA application for next year. I’m also on the exec of the Trampolining Club, which has been quite busy at the beginning of term as we try to promote the Club to potential new members and run the taster sessions. Since the introductory lectures and seminars for new modules are well underway, now is the time to really get stuck in with reading and planning essays alongside my dissertation. This term I’ve taken the modules Indian Religious and Philosophical Thought, Reading Islam, and a ‘special subject’ called Religions in the Modern World, (which is more focused on discussions/seminars than sitting in lectures) and they’re looking really interesting so far!
For those of you who are coming to the Applicant Visit Day tomorrow (does anyone read these blogs?) I’ll be there to give a little talk on what it’s like to be an RS undergrad at Lancaster, and have a chat about any questions you might have. I’m looking forward to meeting you all!

That time of term is coming! With three essays due in week 10, I’ve spent most of the last weeks of term in the library, which means I don’t really have anything that exciting to report. So, welcome to my boring (but hopefully helpful) tips for getting you’re coursework sorted as hassle-free as possible!
1. Plan ahead of time – Writing essays may seem like a daunting task, but if you come up with an idea of how is best to use your time, especially balancing between different subjects, it’s a lot easier! Personally I prefer to do all of my reading first so when it comes to starting to write up my essay, I have a really good idea of exactly what I want to put in it. However, everyone works differently, so don’t stress out if you’re at a different stage to your friends!

2. Find your best work space – This one is more important than you might think! There have been countless times that I’ve tried to convince myself that the best place to smash out a good piece of writing is at home… in bed…with the TV on in the background… and then I’ve not achieved as much as I’d set out to do. Again, everyone works differently, so spending time to find the best location, and even time of day, where you are at your most motivated is really helpful and saves a lot of wasted time!

3. Remember to take time out – You’re not a robot. Everyone needs some downtime to recharge their batteries. Some people will make trips with friends, go home to see family, or use societies and exercise as a way to unwind after a day of working. The great thing about first term is that its coming up to Christmas so there’s always loads of festive stuff to do as a break from the library!

4. Take full advantage of the help offered – In PPR, the lecturers are really supportive with coursework and are always up for a chat about essays to make sure you’re on the right track, or just to sound out your ideas. This is really useful so make the most of your consultations!

5. Try not to let the stress take over – Everyone needs some help now and then. If you find yourself getting worked up over deadlines, see what support you can get. Sometimes, no matter how small it seems, a coffee with a friend is enough to help you realise that you’re not doing as bad as you think!

Hello again! Leaving home to start uni can be a big step, although it isn’t as daunting as you may think! However, one thing I’ve definitely needed some practice with is learning how to adult. When it gets to week 7 and your washing is piling up, your diet consists of instant noodles and coffee, and you’ve run out of absolutely everything except toothpaste, you might start to miss living at home. So here’s some advice on how to try and be a functioning human being who doesn’t live solely on chicken nuggets!
The best thing to do is attempt to find a routine. This can be hard at first – you’ve moved into new accommodation with new people, and suddenly you’re the only person who cares what time you actually get up in the morning. Trying to stick to a routine will do you wonders, as going to bed and getting up at the same time is probably better for you than binge watching Netflix until 4am and then wondering why you’re knackered the next day. Planning your time will also help you sort out the little things that you might not have had to worry about at home, like washing clothes or shopping for food.
Another important thing is trying to eat properly! Usually when I get home from campus I don’t like spending a lot of time in the kitchen, so a really useful thing to do is cook things in big batches, freeze them, and then defrost them the night before. That way, if I spend all day in the library but then only have a short time to eat before a society thing or a night out, my food is ready to whack in the microwave, and it probably will be something that actually has veggies in it!
Not every single week is going to be perfect though, and that’s okay. To motivate yourself, just imagine how proud your mum will be when you go home for Christmas and can do more than just boil an egg.

Hi! My name is Mackenzie and I’m currently in my third year at Lancaster in Religious Studies. Long ago, in the distant past of 2015, I left my home and lovely dogs to study at Lancaster, and I’ve enjoyed it so much that I want to stay here another year for a master’s! This blog is to try and give you a bit of an insight to daily uni life, and my experiences in PPR (Philosophy, Politics and Religion) in particular. Also I’ve never written a blog before so, for the sake of adventure, here we go!
With Halloween just gone, I thought I’d talk a bit about the social side of uni first. As a fresher you will undoubtedly be introduced to the wonders of Lancaster nightlife, with 9 bars on campus for the lazy and the famous Sugarhouse! Those of you who aren’t down with the kids in terms of music taste, fear not! While comparatively small compared to the music scene in bigger towns, Lancaster still has something for everyone if you look in the right places. There are live events throughout the year, open mic nights across a number of pubs, and even societies in the uni that revolve around different types of music.
Alongside making friends with your flatmates and people from your course, a great way to get out there is to join a society! After a very lazy first year, I decided to join the Trampolining Club despite having no trampolining or gymnastics experience beyond leapfrog. It has been one of the best decisions I’d made at university (excluding the academic side, obviously!) It was a really fun way to get some exercise, push myself (way, waaaay) out of my comfort zone and learn new skills, and of course to make new friends. Despite being so nervous about joining, everyone was lovely and encouraging, to the extent where I’m now competing, which I never thought I’d be brave enough to do. Don’t hesitate to try something new when you get to uni, there are so many opportunities and it’s a great way to unwind after a week of lectures!

Hi everyone! This time we’re going to talk about adjusting to life with new flatmates! They always say that the friends you make at uni will be the friends you will make for life, and the people you move into accommodation with in freshers week seems like the best place to start!
For myself personally, I was really nervous moving into Lancaster for the first time. Being an only child, and sharing a house with just my mum and my two dogs (yes they count as family) for the past 18 years of my life, I was dubious to see how I’d adjust to sharing a flat with (in my case) eleven other people. I was used to my own space, how on earth would I cope with what is basically like eleven siblings?! However, when I moved in, I soon realised I loved sharing a flat with people who were all in the same boat as me. I experienced all of the new things at uni with my flatmates, and we saw each other at our best (and our worst!) Currently, in my third year, I’m still living with a few of them now, and couldn’t imagine eating turkey dinosaurs at 2am with anyone else.
Not everyone gets on with their flatmates however, and that’s okay too! Sometimes there seems like a lot of pressure to be best mates with the people you live with, but remember you’re allocated people to live with based purely on your choice of accommodation, so there’s always the possibility that your personalities just don’t gel. Some people are far closer with people they’ve met on their course, and also friends they make in societies, so it’s possible you’ll have more in common with those that you don’t share a flat with.
Following on from this, in first year you’ll be pressured by housing companies to find somewhere to live for second year straight away. Don’t rush into this! Take some time to really think about who you want to live with, and take some time to look around different accommodation options. If you’re nervous about renting a place for the first time, Lancaster University Homes is a great website that lets you compare different choices of accommodation from agents that have been approved by the University, so you can rest easy knowing you’re not signing up to anything too dodgy. (*disclaimer – I promise I’m not on commission for this website, I just think it’s a great idea!*) LUSU, the student union for Lancaster Uni, also have a letting agents called LUSU Living which is based on campus to make life easier as well. Either way, make sure you’ve settled into your first year before you rush to make any plans for the future!