As I divert my attention to this week’s post I feel that I must break something to you guys. (I say this because I care and because I want to give you the most accurate impression of what really happens here at uni.) This week has been quite tough. Yes, there is always the constant reassurance from housemates that ‘everything’ll be okay’, ‘you’ll get through it’, ‘I have lots of work too’ and the friendly reminders from our housing advisor, ‘I’m available for a chat’, ‘drop me an e-mail’…(you guys probably know the deal) but that persistent feeling of worry just sticks. This is an opportunity for me to be candid: there is an awful lot to deal with in the first weeks of the course, not only getting used to the new timetable or style of learning, but adapting from major to minor subjects and comprehending what people are expecting of you. It’s worth highlighting that those expectations are ones that we, as students, also set ourselves – so maybe it’s all about living up to our own great expectations without tripping on the way up.

Unfortunately I have had a delayed bout of Freshers flu this week (yes, that really is a thing – not just a uni myth!) so I am currently typing with a hot cup of lemon and honey by my side! Due to this, I’ve had to take things easy! Despite being a little flu-y I’ve still had some eventful moments this week! It’s so funny how beyond lectures and seminars I’m still able to have debates and discussions of topics covered in the course. There have been several occasions in the past few weeks where I have found myself in the midst of a philosophical or religious debate in our social area. I think it’s important to healthy discussion and it has been a real chance to listen and contemplate the views of others beyond an academic environment. However, I have come to realise that there is a time and place for debate and 1o’clock in the morning is not the best time, no matter how interesting it may be! (Perhaps that’s why I’m a little run down – it’s all that deep thinking late at night!)

This week has thrown up a lot of challenges, there’s no doubt about it! I have now been set some coursework to do for the upcoming term. Hopefully in the next post I can fill you in with how I’m doing in that respect! I do have to be frank here and say that I am terrified of submitting my first essay! No matter how many times people tell me that ‘it’ll be fine’, or that ‘it’s only first year’ I just want it to be good! (I must mention in light of this, especially for the benefit of prospective students, that going to speak to your seminar leader is so ridiculously useful!) The first piece of coursework is going to be daunting, but speaking to somebody who has worked in close relation to you (even if it has only been for a few weeks) is really beneficial. There will still be challenges along the way but the reassurance is invaluable.

Speaking of challenges, I have also enrolled on the Lancaster Award this week (something else to keep me busy), so I will have to fill you in. I’m really looking forward to getting out into the workplace and gaining some experience in a new field!

Even though there’s more fun to be had, as the middle of term approaches I have been faced with essay deadlines and the scary task of navigating the uni library! Many people say that this is a learning curve – it’s about learning something new and how to deal with it, which is so true. There is a part of me insisting that when we’re thrown a curve ball we can’t just bat out. While at times this is easier said than done, I know full well that it’s true! Please don’t get me wrong, guys, when I say that things have been tough, it’s just finding that balance! There are times this week where I have felt a little lost, but there have been means and ways of picking myself up again. (Perhaps the biggest boost was getting a proper cuddle from my mum who came to visit today, all the way from Somerset!) There are bound to be moments like this for every student during their time at university and it isn’t about dwelling on the times of panic or worry, but it’s about pressing forward. My dad has always said to me ‘look beyond the event’, take the time to think about what’s to come; with this being uni, no other phrase could be more apt in times of doubt.

Thank you for reading, guys – I’ll let you know how I get on tackling these challenges in next week’s post!

History Hugs,

Eleanor

At the Freshers Fair in intro week the option to sign up for every society under the sun was far too tempting! There are societies that offer something totally new: a chance to learn a new skill, or develop an interest in something unusual, societies that offer the opportunity to extend prior skill or knowledge, societies just for fun and societies that offer an extension to our studies.

After much debating, I eventually decided to join the History Society (very cool-y named LUSH), the Philosophy Society, Ballet, the ULMS Choir, LUTG (Lancaster’s theatre society) and LUDANS (The dance society). Looking at that list written down seems like a lot, but I have to admit that taking the time out from studying and getting away from my desk (to a place that is not the kitchen) has given me a bit of space.

When attempting to describe something new it’s so difficult! I did find it interesting speaking to my flatmates this week about their society experiences too. A discussion about society ultimately becomes a discussion about new friends and experiences – so, clearly the two are linked. However, there’s no doubt that I had my preconceptions and fears when I went to my first meetings: walking into a room full of people who had already made friends and who already knew the ins and outs of the society: who’s who and what’s what, not being up to the standard expected and just being totally overwhelmed by everything new. Despite this angst I can sit here now and honestly say (well, type) that those preconceptions were demolished within the first 10 minutes of walking in.

Armed again with the three-absolutely-essential-questions survival kit, as discussed in my first post, it soon became easy to start chatting with people before the society meeting or rehearsal started. To share a few hours of the day with like-minded students beyond lectures and seminars is so great! I have met third years studying physics and post-grads studying international relations, as well as more Freshers (which is always good) – societies are a great way to network with people you probably wouldn’t come across otherwise. The welcome from each society was fantastic, we could get stuck in right away. In choir and ballet, as some examples, there was no shyness – everybody was so involved and it was so great to see! I’m just gutted that I missed the social this week thanks to a bout of the flu! I really must highlight though, the variation in what the societies have to offer. LUSH and PhilSoc provide such a wide variety of activities – there have been lectures, trips to Lancaster Castle, social events as well as opportunity for discussion and general chat. In fact, looking at the schedule there’s even the chance to go over queries from within the course, alongside peer assessment, which, for me, is wonderful. The fact that it isn’t the same thing every week and that there are social activities beyond the rehearsal room or lecture theatre will hopefully create a close-knit group of people.

At the end of my sessions this week, when I was all sung out or left puzzling over questions posed, I couldn’t help but wonder what was coming next week. For me, this indicates I’ve had a good time! Genuinely, I look forward to going and learning more each session. When faced with opportunities like this, where, as students, we can engage in something we love it is worth asking ‘what is there to lose?’ – In all honesty, from what I’ve learnt this week – nothing! It’s all unfamiliar for First Years, but these societies offer invaluable opportunity.

When I sat down to write this post I considered the importance of each society to me as a student. I had to consider what I wanted to get out of my time there: fun, new friends, an opportunity to carry on what I’d started and, I guess, guidance. Choosing a society was a challenge, a bit like a maze, but finding my way out into the clearing of socials, rehearsals, guest lectures and dance classes was a challenge worth taking!

After busy days of meeting lots of people, listening to great talks and getting lost around campus, the evenings commenced! I actually don’t drink (which may, or may not, be a good thing) but I have had a couple of amazing nights out this week! My flatmates and Freshers Reps have taken great care of me, always checking that I’m okay and that I’m enjoying myself (so if you’re reading ‘Thank you guys!’). Among other events, The County Bar Crawl was something to behold; I really enjoyed it.   After donning our yellow County T-shirts we caught the buses into town, chanting and chatting excited for what was going to happen – it was great to see people out of the lecture theatre just getting involved and the smiles (along with the neon face paint) could light up the campus, I think! Heading out to town on the Shipwrecked evening was cool too! Some of the costumes were great; I’d never have thought to bring a plastic shark or parrot, with a Jolly Roger t-shirt and matching eye-patch! In fact seeing some of the other colleges dressed to the nines in animal costumes, ghost outfits and even a Greggs sausage roll and a bottle of ketchup (?) really made me smile – I genuinely hope that everyone else had a great time! I also went to the chocolate and mocktails evening! It was so nice to take time to just listen to some music and have a chat, plus the chocolate’s always a bonus!

So, Freshers Week has left the rest of the university experience an open book, ready to be filled with memories (and, of course, lecture notes), but I know that I will definitely look back on it and smile…

Thank you all so much for reading; I hope you enjoyed it and that you’ll come back for more stories next week! History Hugs,

Ellie :0)

Rather boringly I spent my first evening making my room my own, complete with lots of stationery and files, But the second day and the rest of the week was full of more reportable events. I must set aside a section of this post to mention my flatmates and college advisor (who very kindly gave us biscuits, yay!). They are such a great group and speaking to other Freshers from other houses and colleges throughout the week, I get the feeling that I’m not the only person to be saying this either! I feel like I’ve known them for much longer than I have; it’s weird! There’s somebody I can turn to if I need a hug, or if I feel like baking brownies, or if I’d like a chat, if I need a giggle or some time to just relax. We’re all learning things from each other and it’s really great (tips on how to party are also coming in handy!)

The meet your major lectures on the first day were great and it was so interesting to find likeminded people who clearly share the same keenness for history and philosophy as me. Sitting in the lecture theatres also gave me that real, stereotypical image of a student; there were notepads and coffee cups at the ready!  The student-y vibe and energy from everybody was so fantastic – it’s great to be in an environment where people are so interested and interesting too. The minor sessions gave me even more opportunity to interact and make friends from a wide-variety of interests. Armed with the three-absolutely-essential-questions survival kit, it was so fun just to continue making contacts from other colleges and other courses. However, picking a minor was tricky – there are just too many interesting combinations to choose from! Nonetheless, I look forward to EPR!

As I was making the decision about my minor it really hit me that this was actually happening! It was strange that I’d been to sample lectures and things and I’d felt that student-y vibe: yet, as I walked towards enrolment I couldn’t help but think that this combination of subjects will help me to create the plot of my university story and will moreover effect the next stages of life’s story. Seeing the floods of students choosing their new subjects made me appreciate that university, like stories, will be unique and influential. Beyond these somewhat overwhelming events of choosing minors and enrolling on these potentially life-changing (*cringe* sorry, that’s such a cliché (and probably more so because I pointed it out) but, hey, it’s true and no other word sounds quite right) courses there was also an awful lot of fun to be had this week too! I don’t think I have laughed so much in a long time!

But, before I move on to talking about the ‘eventful’ (being one way to put it!) evenings we’ve had this week, I feel it is essential to highlight the awesomeness that was the Freshers Fair! They say that there is something for everybody and I’ve never known a statement like that to be so accurate! Everywhere I turned there were things I’d never heard of, or didn’t even think could be a society. The buzz from inside The Great Hall and in the queue, even, was incredible – honestly the genuine passion people had for football, or debating, or Harry Potter, or writing made me want to sign up for most things (and that is not a huge exaggeration!) I ended up signing up for a few societies and I’m really looking forward to going next week – I’ll let you know more in the next post!

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!

Eleanor will be blogging about her experiences as a first year history student from freshers’ week to the summer exams.  Follow her in what promises to be an entertaining insight into life as a fresher studying History at Lancaster.  Enjoy