Hi everyone!

I have recently embarked on the best part of university life… moving house! But Lumpy and I are back now and ready to get writing!

A few of you will have received your offer letters for Lancaster by now, so I thought I would tell you the story of how I got to Lancaster; buckle up, it’s a bumpy ride!

This time 4 years ago I received 4 letters; 1 from Cambridge, 1 from Durham, 1 from Bath and 1 from Lancaster. They were all acceptance letters, other than the one from Cambridge. Honestly, I was annoyed. but also excited because I now had the chance to choose which university to put as my firm choice…

Rather embarrassingly, I chose Durham. My main reason for doing this was that it meant I could have access to the theological college there, and could live in Durham Castle… aka Hogwarts.

Lancaster, instead, was my second choice. I loved the course, the people and the campus, but Durham was, well Durham. I was bamboozled by the ancient chapels…

Thankfully, fate intervened. I didn’t quite get the grades I needed to go to Durham. I was crushed, not least because my exam results were not what I expected. Instead, I had two weeks in which to totally reassess my plans for October, to rent accommodation, and to make contact with my new course mates.

It was difficult and unsettling having to switch plans and expectations. But once I got here I realised that it was far better than Durham ever could have been. Everyone was friendly and accepting of me and my oddness, the course was rich and engaging and the tutors were wonderful. I had accidently ended up in just the right place.

So, as the fan cliché goes… I never got my acceptance letter to Hogwarts… and I am glad! Lancaster is far better!

Congratulations on your offer letters! Think carefully about your choices, get in touch if you have questions, and enjoy the opportunities you have over the next few weeks; to think about and explore the universities you might go to… And remember, Lancaster is pretty great!

Kenneth and Lumpy (the Heffalump)

As I write this message to you, it is December 1st. Where has the time gone? – it’s been only two months since the freshers began their move to Lancaster!

The festive spirit is definitely starting to settle into campus as the end of term draws closer and the Christmas socials begin. Last week, the Swimming and Water Polo club had their Christmas social at The Crafty Scholar pub in the town centre. It is a fabulous opportunity to socialise with your fellow athletes over some super tasty food and drink. We ended the night as always in the student union nightclub – Sugarhouse. It was an amazing night, with a pretty famous band called Scouting for Girls playing there! I love to see live bands and it was a super fun event, so thank you Lancaster University Students Union for organising that!

Essays and coursework are also looming in the background, as week 9 comes upon us on Monday. I am feeling pretty relieved at the moment, as I have completed both of my assessed presentations for health economics and have got my essay for my international business module just about done. Only my two essays left to go on health economics and British foreign policy!

Whilst the stress is settling in a little, as deadlines draw closer, I have been making sure to set time aside to enjoy socialising with friends and continue doing all the things I love. It’s super important to take breaks and chill out from time to time, and with the festive season on the horizon, it’s a great motivator to persevere to the end of term!

I just want to take this opportunity to wish everyone lots of luck with their studies and I hope everyone has an amazing festive season!

Speak to you soon,

Orla

Hi everyone!

 

Hope everything is going well! I apologise for not uploading anything in some time, I’ve been really busy with the essays and the application process for my Master degree. I’m happy to say that I have been accepted here in Lancaster to do an MA in International Relations. I hope I will be able to learn even more than what I have already in my undergraduate course. Moreover, I’m sure I’ll be be able to develop myself here as a researcher, so that I will be able in the future to gain more employability in both academia and think tanks.

To be honest, these weeks haven’t been especially eventful. With the deadlines approaching, there isn’t that much time to do anything else other than spend time researching and writing. Luckily, the University Library offers many resources, from books to academic journals to help you with your research. It is a really good place to study as well, with a silent room and various pods in which you can meet up with your colleagues to do research together. The workload is quite stressful, but luckily this Friday there is a Latin Party in town, so I hope me and my mates will be able to have some fun and take our minds off the essays for a while.

 

I’ll keep you guys posted about how the term ends. Wish me luck!

 

Guillermo

Hi everyone, I hope you’re all doing well.

We’re just at the start of week 9 here at Lancaster Uni, the penultimate week before Christmas break. Many people have deadlines in week 10 before leaving for Christmas, so many are running around like headless chickens; but this year (the first in all three so far) I am not one of those people. Since two of my modules are specialist subjects (5,000 words each), and my third requires 4,000 words, it’s safe to say that I am stressed, for sure, but overjoyed to have the Christmas break to complete these essays (particularly as most of my attention so far has been directed at my dissertation). 

Tomorrow, 4th December, is my 22^nd birthday: I have two-two hour specialist seminars back to back: just my luck! Never-mind… because after that, I’m going to Kaspa’s deserts with my flatmate to claim my free birthday shake!

This weekend was written off for me to celebrate, since my good friend Alice came up to visit me from the Friday to the Sunday. Alice and I became friends in first year when we were put together in Aldingham (one of the Furness blocks), and we (plus four others from first year accommodation) moved in together for second year. Although we kept the house on for third year, Alice moved to Milton Keynes to pursue a year in industry, where she gained a position with Audi doing business analysis, reporting on market performance (within the supply and planning sector.) Pretty outstanding, right? There are wonderful opportunities to explore with regards to sandwich degrees and placements, and if that’s not for you, there are also plenty study abroad opportunities which I would definitely suggest considering. If I could change anything about my uni experience, it definitely would’ve been having the courage to go abroad in my second year. 

Anyway – back to me! It’s my birthday! 

Alice arrived on Friday afternoon, so we treated ourselves to a haircut, (although Prestige is quite good, they were fully booked. Because of that, we discovered Tao hairdressers, where we managed to get our cuts done at the same time. I would definitely recommend checking this out, I’ve definitely found my new favourite hairdresser). Later that evening we all went as a flat for a couple of casual drinks (I’m pretty much over the Sugarhouse/going out scene – but trust me, all of this is very much to look forward to if you are becoming a fresher!) Then, Saturday evening we went for a meal at Pizza Margherita, an Italian restaurant in town, which was followed by a bottle of wine and many more drinks… although I say I am done with the going out scene, we ended up in Generation and Hustle… Crafty Scholar… Mint… Cornerstone (formerly Sphere) is another, which I would definitely recommend on any night out if you’re looking for a more sophisticated vibe. Sunday we took a trip to the Manchester Christmas markets for a cheeky bit of shopping.

 

                                                     Manchester Christmas Markets

 

Later today I have to trek to Preston to apply for a National Insurance Number: Being from Jersey I was never given one on turning 16, but require one since I am now employed here in Lancaster. So, lots of travelling, but it’s refreshing to see some different scenery now and then. 

For my final birthday treat I am having a hot towel massage on Wednesday post-lecture. One group who make use of Lancaster University’s Chaplaincy Centre are the trained therapists who make up the Natural Healthcare group. I discovered Chryssie, who offers a fabulous range of massages in exam time last year. Chryssie is particularly great for anyone in need of a little help to destress during busy periods such as exam season. I think it’s fantastic that we have such services on our doorstep, and it’s important to make the most of them.

Forgive me that this blog became egocentric, but I hope nonetheless that it has highlighted some of the general features of living in Lancaster, and updated you sufficiently on what I’ve been up to. Next time I’ll try to incorporate something more academic/ philosophical, perhaps such as my final conquering of Sartre’s “Look”. 

Until then, take care, and go easy on the mulled beverages.

Ellie