In my introduction talk this week I couldn’t help but notice the emphasis on interpreting stories of the past – as a history student I’ll be considering the impacts of these tales in today’s society and the shaping of the rest of history. This idea seemed to translate allegorically, in my mind, to be an appropriate theme to this blog’s introduction as Freshers Week has drawn to a close.
With this in mind it is important to consider that each story needs a setting and Lancaster seemed the perfect backdrop for a new tale! It was a constantly fired question from friends and family: ‘why Lancaster?’ and the answer has never been particularly clear. I mean, aside from the importance of the course and the accommodation as contributing factors, the real, definite answer has been really difficult to explain! However, on arrivals day the fog had lifted! The entire feel of campus, the reassurance that this is the right course and the genuinely lovely welcome from everybody has made it very easy to begin enjoying the time I have here.
I have always believed that first impressions count – these impressions provide the building blocks for these great stories that I hope you have all begun to compose. “Hi! What’s your name? Where do you come from? What are you studying?” These three questions have cured any metaphorical notions of writers’ block that I have had so far in creating this story. (So, in an ambiguous way, I guess what I’m trying to say is that simply by jumping in with these questions it’s been a really great way start things off!)
In light if this last comment, it is probably appropriate to introduce myself properly! My name’s Eleanor, or Ellie (or, my flatmates call me Martha, in likeness to Martha from The Great British Bake-Off, because I really like baking and we made brownies on day 2!) and I’m from Weston-super-Mare, a small-ish town in North Somerset. I’ll be studying History and Philosophy, with EPR as my minor subject and I’m in County College. It’s really nice to virtually meet you all!
So, introductions and salutations over, I will get on with it! Attempting to describe the entirety of this week would prove a joyous task, but no doubt the finished article would be a couple of hundred pages long! So I’ll just skip to the best bits so I can retain your attention!
There’s no doubt that the first day of uni, for me at least, was scary, exciting, nerve-racking, worrying, liberating…tiring!