Day: November 10, 2015

Blog: Week 6

/ Yasmin Burton

As this is my first blog post, it seems fitting to provide a short overview of who I am and the intention of my blogs, which will be published on a weekly basis. My name is Yasmin and I am in my third and final year, studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at Lancaster University. Over the coming weeks, I am hopeful that, via this blog, I shall be able to provide an insight into aspects of both social and academic life at Lancaster University. The focus will be, in particular, on the Philosophy component of my course and sharing any amusing or interesting anecdotes that demonstrate what it is like to study, live and socialise in Lancaster.

As is always the case at Lancaster, Michaelmas term passes by in a veritable flash; week six already and I can barely believe it! Already this term I have covered a diverse range of academic material. From Health Economics to Logic and Language and Game Theory modules; if there is one thing I love about my course, it is the diversity and variety it offers. Learning economic models, exploring philosophical theories and engaging in political enquiry is a fascinating mix- albeit a challenging one! Already, coursework deadlines and end of term tests are fast approaching and the pressure is on. As week ten nears, a period of frenzied revision, essay writing and time cloistered in the library ensues. Life at Lancaster University is not, however, without its social entertainments.

The fast paced nature of academic work is (thankfully!) offset by the large range of social events on offer, which often provide a much needed break. Just last week, I went to the University firework display, held in Lancaster square. Despite the drizzly cold and windy conditions, there was an impressive turnout and it was absolutely packed. Clearly, a small thing like the weather was not enough to dent our excitement! Refreshments, such as warming mulled wine and burgers were readily available for purchase, and many clutched paper cups of steaming tea amid a sea of umbrellas and raincoats. There was also a range of live music acts, including University pop and brass bands which proceeded the fireworks.

After the display, me and my housemates went to one of the college bars, where a charity auction was being held. There we bid for a chef to cook our house dinner the following night and all the proceeds went to charity. All in all, it was a very enjoyable night and the three course meal of the following evening definitely lived up to expectations!

The First of Many

/ Katy Tabero

So here is my first blog post and I guess introductions are in order; my name is Katy and I’m a third year PPE student at Lancaster University. I am also the treasurer for Lancaster University Rock and Metal Music Society (RocSoc) and Lancaster University Philosophy Society (PhilSoc). My intentions for this blog are to reflect on a few key thoughts or events throughout the week which I believe will give you a little insight into life as a student here, so without further ado on with the show!

One of the more interesting tasks of being on the exec for a society is persuading the fresh-faced and party hungry undergrads to replace you. You have to convince them that what they really want is to take on more work for free and be one of the few sober members at big socials. Despite this we had three people run for our bi-election to take the role of second DJ for RocSoc. Given the position, each candidate creates a DJ set-list lasting 15 minutes and then makes a short speech (we try to keep the speeches as early as possible otherwise they tend to be a little slurred…). Somehow all three of them managed to have picked the same bands, and even songs, for two out of four songs in their set-list so it was down to a popularity contest. The speeches were entertaining at least; we looked on disapprovingly as they made promises we know they couldn’t keep but said it in such an enthusiastic way that the crowd lapped it up and jeered on. As Treasurer I had the job, along with the President, of counting the votes which meant they floated around me nervously trying to pry information. Finally it was time to announce the winner, silence filled the room and then cheers as the winner took the stage only to be made to make another speech, poor guy. As it turns out the runner up was a single vote behind and had voted for the other candidate meaning that if they had voted for themselves it would have been a tie, luckily he didn’t seem too bothered.

Given the looming essay deadlines this has been rather an uneventful week aside from the bi-election. Most of it has been spent squirreling away on whatever sofa in the University I can find with a radiator and a plug socket trying to break through a bit of Nietzsche. I will admit I maybe snuck off for a coffee once or twice because after so long, words seem to stop meaning anything but otherwise I’ve been pretty disciplined for once. The main highlight of my week was the firework display on Saturday. A lot of people worry that given the size of Lancaster they will miss out on events that some of the bigger cities may hold, this is not the case and I would argue it can be even better as you do not have to compete with millions of people to get exclusive tickets or good seats. Lancaster laid on a fantastic firework show emanating from the castle which could be seen for free from all around. It made for the perfect evening with a few pints in a quaint little pub beforehand and stuffing ourselves too much in an expensive restaurant afterwards. Student life isn’t all work, no play.

Our first weeks at Lancaster: by Becky and Katie

/ Becky

Hello!

We just thought we would share some of our initial thoughts and experiences of our first few weeks at Lancaster uni and with the PPR department.

Lancaster university has nine different colleges (a bit like Hogwarts) and you become a member of one of them. Being in different colleges obviously our experiences aren’t exactly the same, however we both lived in the halls of our colleges in first year and so our situations were quite similar.

Becky: I was really excited to start uni but obviously nervous too and the thing I was most nervous about was who I was going to live with. When I first arrived everyone was really nice and I just kept on telling myself that everyone else was in the same position as me. After a few days everyone ‘came out of their shells’ and we started to become more comfortable around one another. Fresher’s week was full of activities and talks and me and my flatmates attending pretty much everything together. Even little things like cooking together in the shared kitchen helped friendships to develop. It was so important that everyone was just themselves and put themselves out there, even though sometimes it was quite daunting I feel that participating in as many things I could with my flatmates made a difference to my overall experience of first year. It was good to know that at the end of the day I could go back to the flat and feel comfortable around people. Obviously not everyone gets on with everyone but, if you are yourself, the chances are you will make friends really easily and click with people who you never thought you would click with.

Katie: For me, I had felt ready to move to university for a long time. However, it was only when my parents pulled onto campus that the nerves hit. Who would my flat mates be? What if my flatmates don’t like me? Will it be awkward? But as soon as I started meeting everyone I was going to be living with for the next year, I soon relaxed. Everyone there was as apprehensive as I was, and also as keen to make friends, so instantly we all had something in common. Plus, I don’t know why I was worried about it being awkward because there’s so much to talk about! The first few hours of conversation in the flat was about whee everyone was from, what they’re studying, what they did that summer, etc. It’s natural to be nervous, but rest assured that once you get to your new flat, it will soon feel like home. Your college will also play a major role in getting you settled in. Each college will hold events throughout Freshers’ week, and during the whole year, which are great opportunities to get to know other people in your house and college. In my Freshers’ week, we had several fancy dress nights including animal safari (I was an elephant) as well as events during the day.

Both of us settled in well, despite initial worries and it seems as if this is the case for nearly everyone we have met.

As well as settling into our accommodation, we also had to settle into our courses too. After having initial talks from the department and meeting the lecturers some faces became familiar. At Lancaster, in the PPR department, you have to do three subjects in your first year (1 major and 2 minors). This seems like a lot but it really is very manageable. The subjects don’t have to be directly related to your Major which leaves you the option to explore other avenues if you wish.

As faces became more familiar we gradually began to feel a part of our subjects and the department. Whenever we were struggling everyone was willing to help whether it was other students, our lecturers or our academic tutors. Facebook groups were made so that people in our subjects could talk to each other and ask each other questions – neither of us ever felt like we were stuck and alone. As we started to get used to the style of teaching in the PPR department, everything seemed less daunting as it was a big transition from sixth form. Everyone in the department was so friendly and you could ask anyone anything, and if they didn’t know the answer they would direct you to someone who would.

This week’s little piece of advice: be yourself. Uni is such a great opportunity, both academically and socially so don’t waste time hiding who you are: put yourself out there and you will make friends and meet some of the most amazing people. It is okay to be nervous of course but, after a while these nerves will shrink and you will look back and wonder what you were ever even nervous about.

Just don’t worry!

Becky and Katie x