I cannot believe I am about to type my next sentence.

I have finished my first year of university!

We made it through to the very end, guys; it’s been 30 weeks, 3 courses, 13 pieces of coursework, 3 exams (aaaah!) and too many memories to count. When I lay it out like that it seems so strange to think where the time has gone and to think of everything I’ve learnt here, both inside the lecture theatre and out. The experience I have had at Lancaster this year has been something really special and I’d like to use this final post as a means of reflecting on what being a Fresher has really taught me.

Nearly everybody will say that being at uni is the best time of your life and that it will shape who you are as a person – and as tacky as that sounds they say it because it’s true. I have learnt a lot about academic myself over the last 8, nearly 9, months. I’ve spoken to quite a few people in the run up to exams and so many of them have explained how liberating university will be for us as students and as young people interesting in the subjects we’re studying. As I reflect on these comments I can’t, in any way, shape or form, deny what they are saying. I came to realise as I was doing my revision and when I look back at the way I did my coursework, that I could take some of these questions in any way I chose to. Even though it is a case of sticking to some form of general exam or marking criteria, being at uni gives you the opportunity to manipulate the question and establish the premises you want to discuss. Due to this, I have started to understand the sort of factors I am interested in discussing and the types of history I would like to pursue in the future and this is something really important to the Fresher experience. I guess, as I was revising and writing my coursework essays, I found ways that I thought were effective (including songs about the French Revolution, as I said last post!) and ways that made me go ‘oh my God, what is this?’ and hopefully adopting some of the more effective strategies next year will put me in good stead.

Uni has taught me to try and ask questions, to teachers, or friends, and eventually they can guide you through the sticky spots of your degree. One of my fondest memories from this year is definitely submitting my first history essay and then getting it back. I remember staying up for most of the night trying to create something worthy of a good grade and attempting to do some justice to the course material that I’d looked at so far, and then panicking as I went to the essay submission box thinking ‘Oh God, they’re going to think that I was asleep in this lecture or something’, but as soon as I’d submitted it I did feel the greatest sense of relief and achievement – I had submitted my first piece of uni coursework! When the essays were returned to our seminar group I can recall the sort of churning, nervous feeling in my stomach, but when my tutor handed it to me and smiled, I knew that things were going to be okay.

While uni has certainly stretched me academically there is no way I can ignore the way it has stretched my social skills and tested me as an individual. If I were to give you a couple of my best memories from uni beyond academia I would find it harder and harder the more I thought about it – I have had some really, really lovely moments with my flatmates and with my friends from societies and my seminars. I wish I could attempt to describe all of the memories I’ve made here, but neither time, nor word restrictions will allow, so I will attempt to pin down three of my favourites:

1. Campus Fest

The buzz I had during (and after) Campus Fest was absolutely insane. The atmosphere that night and the smiles that people had on their faces were incredible; it was so, so, so great just to see people enjoying themselves in the crowd and to see the performers getting a real kick out of doing what they love: music, dance, drama, comedy – it was all there. Spending the day with the ballet girls and getting to know them all a little better was one of my Fresher’s year defining moments because being part of my society and really getting involved is something totally invaluable. I have been able to continue doing something I enjoy and I have made some really lovely friends in the process. The same goes for choir! Campus Fest was an evening where we all pulled together and collaborated to create a show that I felt was pretty fab. Listening to the crowd singing along to the Disney medley and seeing them gazing at the fireworks made me feel so happy and I knew then that being part of these societies was genuinely a very big part of my experience as a Fresher and will continue to be important as the next two years go by.

2. House 105’s Roast Dinner

This was such a cute evening! When I have been writing my blogs before I have always thought it a little trivial to tell people what I had for my dinner, but I will make an exception for this! I think I’ve said this before, but for any potential students reading, you must have a house roast dinner at least once when you’re at uni! We really came together when we made this meal – we had a couple of people on veg and gravy, and then one on Yorkshire puddings and stuffing, we pitched in with the roast potatoes and parsnips and then all sat down together, chatting and laughing and munching. You tend to see this sort of thing in coming of age films about people starting their new lives at uni (maybe not with roast dinner), but they spend some time just relaxing with their new flatmates. I felt kind of like I imagine those characters would be feeling; I felt ‘student-y’. I’d worked as a team with my new friends and we were really enjoying the results – and, knowing that people liked my gravy was a definite plus!

3. My Last Couple of Full Days in Lancaster

I spent my last day in the city with my closest friend from the flat, Becky. We walked to the canal in the centre and then all the way to the Roman ruins (which I didn’t realise existed until yesterday – terrible, seeing as I’m a historian in training!) and then up to the priory and the castle before heading home again. I am very, very lucky to have found a friend like Bex since I’ve been here. I came to uni really hoping to find a good friend and it’s so lovely to be able to chat about anything and everything, to have a dance partner for the cheese nights in Sugar and somebody to make cakes with! On the Thursday after exams we went to the Ashton Memorial in Williamson’s Park and it was really lovely. We walked all the way around the park, passing the duck pond and so many hidden gems – there’s a lot more to Lancaster than meets the eye! Hopefully next year, when we live in the city centre, we’ll be able to take a little break from studying and uncover a little bit more. That’s something else I have learnt this year – it’s important to take a little bit of time to explore and to appreciate the space that you’re living in. The campus and the city here are beautiful, really, and it’s worth taking a little bit of time (or a revision break) just having a little wander!

I can’t complete this post without taking a little paragraph’s worth of time to mention exams. Revising and reading and preparing for exams at uni is most definitely one of the most challenging things I think I have ever done. Looking back at the notes I’ve made in lectures and seminars and trying to make some sense of them to start branching out into further research is something that has really tested me. There were a few moments when I felt a little bit out of my depth, but going to speak to somebody like my tutor, or a course administrator (and particularly my parents who I must say a massive thank you to for putting up with the endless phone calls and Skype sessions with me panicking on the other end!, or simply making a poster with key ideas or themes (using felt tips!) was really helpful. I say this as a little bit of reassurance to any prospective Freshers because going into the first round of exams, for me at least, was something quite scary and nerve-wracking: but I made it and now I’m free! I did it and I feel so, so, so good! Coming out of that exam room on the day of my final exam for the year was the most amazing feeling – I could feel the pressure gradually lifting and I knew that summer was on its way.

I called my very first post ‘Stories’ and coming to uni is about growing up and taking time to write these narratives. A big part of my time here at Lancaster has been writing this blog – it’s a means of me keeping track of these new adventures and I can’t imagine not ever doing it. I guess in a way it’s my own little story and I really hope you guys have enjoyed reading it and that there have been some little nuggets of advice, or it’s given you a giggle, or some kind of insight to what uni life has been like. Thank you so, so much for reading. Next year is the next chapter and I hope that it’s one fantastic page turner.

Have a lovely summer, guys!

History Hugs,

Eleanor :0)

Firstly, I must apologise for my absence for the last two weeks; revision, ridiculous amounts of paper and attempting to stay calm have kept me away from my keyboard. But I have really missed writing the blog! When people ask me about writing the posts every week I always say how much I enjoy it because it helps me to get a bit of perspective on things. Sometimes just writing down my thoughts about what I have achieved in the week can be really beneficial and helps me to see that despite finding things tricky I have made it through in one piece.

I must admit that I started to compose this post a couple of weeks ago, so that there wouldn’t be a gap, but all I could think about was how nervous I was about my first exam. As I read the post back for editing that definitely came across, especially as the first sentence read something along these lines: ‘Okay, so my first exam is less than a week away. Feelings: terrified’. There is no way that I will deny that I was scared because I was. I am not too sure why, because I have been in an exam environment before, I have written essays before and I have been in revision mode before. Every student will know that taking an exam can be nerve-wracking but I am still unsure of why I was scared – all that stands between me and progressing into second year is three questions and an answer booklet. (I must say a huge thank you to my mum, if she’s reading, for reassuring me of this when I have called her up saying ‘help, help, help!’). However, I write this entry of the blog post-history exam! Feelings: aaaaah! (I don’t really know which adjective would be appropriate to describe how I feel at the moment, so if you imagine some sort of incoherent squeaking noise and kind of excited scream that should about sum it up.)

I cannot believe that I have completed my first exam! Seeing as it was my Hist100 exam it means that I have finished my first year of history, which is both terrifying (because I can’t think where the time has gone) and really exciting because it means that I have made it through to the other side! I’m not too sure how the exam went though, and I always hate it when people say ‘how do you think you did?’, because genuinely I don’t know. I thought the questions were challenging and I just hope that I managed to do some justice to an argument and to the content that I have been learning about over the last year. The French Revolution did come up in the paper though, and that made me very happy because I was able to recite a little song in my head that I had learnt in the revision process in order to get me through that horrible moment where you look at the question and go ‘oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! What do I do now?!’

Enough about the exam though! It’s done and I have two more to go, so the revision period continues and the felt tips are getting a good run! I have definitely learnt quite a lot about myself in this revision period because it really is different to the way that you revise for A-levels and for GCSEs. The fact that a lot of it is independent research guided by the framework of the lectures and seminars and there is room for you to make your own judgements means that the way you revise is quite different. It’s more about getting a grasp on what you think about something and thinking about what the implications of it are, rather than reading a textbook and cramming every possible idea, date and theorist into your head in order to jump through the hoops held up by your exam board. This has really been quite a steep learning curve, but I guess that is what first year is all about.

Revision does seem to be the most prominent part of my life at the moment, but I am really looking forward to summer. My friends and I have organised to go the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August and I am so excited! There are some really cool events this year and Jo Brand is one of the headlining acts, so maybe we’ll go and see her. I haven’t seen much of her material, actually, so it should be an experience if we do go to that gig! We’re also thinking of going to the zoo with a picnic (yay) and to King Arthur’s Seat, which will be beautiful, I think. (I just hope there’s a little bit of sunshine to accompany the beautiful scenery!) I’ve also been talking to my boss in the last couple of weeks and I am going back to work in the shop for a little while over the break and, as sad as it sounds, I cannot wait. I really miss my work family and just being behind the counter and seeing all the locals – the summer is always the best time though, because when we’re busy it’s really quite fun! I look forward to seeing my family and friends too, I feel like I haven’t seen or spoken to them in such a long time because my mind has been in revision mode, so when I go home I will hopefully have a jam packed diary, if people can squeeze me in. I am hoping to get some work sorted out for my Lancaster Award too, while I’m on break – which should be interesting as it will give me a chance to reflect on some of the skills beyond academia that I have gained during my time here this year.

Summer is nearly here and this is the final stretch of the climb (I have two exams to go), the view so far has been pretty amazing, so it’s about making it count and really going for it now.
 

Thank you for reading, guys! And sorry, again, for the gap!

History Hugs,

Eleanor :0)

Where did Week 5 go?! It feels too strange to be thinking that there’s just over a month until I’ll have finished my first year at uni! I have finished all of my lectures and seminars now, which is just so surreal – I can still remember the feeling of going into my first proper lectures! It’s kind of funny, I continue to find my lectures interesting and I do get excited when we are learning about a topic that I have an interest in, but I definitely feel part of the furniture now. (The one thing I don’t miss about first time lectures is leaving 20 minutes early to find the lecture theatre and realising that it’s only a 5 minute walk!) So from now on it’s just revision, revision, revision! I think I’ll have to find different places across campus to go and revise, so I don’t go stir crazy!

Revision seems to have been put on the back burner this week as I’ve been writing my gobbet…or attempting to write my gobbet. I have been doing source analysis now for nearly 6 years and I am still trying to fathom why I found the exercise so difficult (and it will probably show in my work, unfortunately). I would like to be able to fetch an answer to my own question there, but I am just stumped. Writer’s block just seemed to take hold. However, after speaking to my friends on the course I know I’m not the only one who seemed to be staring at the paper going ‘Oh my God! What is this?! WHAT IS THIS?!’ It’s funny, really, because I really enjoyed learning about all the material in this part of the course. The fact that we could choose which module we wanted to do based on our own interests was something that really excited me, as that is part of the reason why I chose to come here; I just hope that I was able to do some justice to the content of the course in my writing. Thinking about this we could perhaps put this one down to a learning curve. I can only hope that in future this curve will just go upwards so I can get the most out of these exercises.

When I haven’t been working, I’ve had a real laugh in the flat this week – mainly because of the County ducks, but also because of tea towel fights in the kitchen and dance-offs. Our house have decided to take feeding the ducks to the next level, (I’m not too sure why and Sainsbury’s must be making a killing on the amount of oats and frozen peas people are buying) – we have a big bucket of food by our door and the ducks definitely know where to come if they want a snack! However, as the weather’s been getting a little warmer and our door is open the little duck cohorts have been charging for that food like kids to a party buffet table – I have never seen anything quite like it! Actually one of our little friends was a little bit too eager and came right into our kitchen causing a lot of chaos when she was trapped behind the back door resulting in a rather uncomfortable situation for the duck, a lot of mess and screaming!

Even though I have been a little stressed out this week, the famous motto ‘there will always be cake’ (and other yummy food) definitely came in useful once again! On Friday evening when I’d handed in my gobbet *sniff*, my friend, Becky, asked me if I wanted to make brownies and if I fancied pizza for tea! Bex had had a test that day and the best way to reward oneself after a test or handing a piece of coursework in is definitely food. We had Pizza Express pizzas and salad and then made brownies and it was just the best thing. We had a little giggle and ate way too much, but it was just great – I had a really nice evening. She always knows how to make me feel better! It’s things like this that really make me smile: coming to uni isn’t all about the work, making really lovely friends, who will make you laugh, listen when you’re feeling a bit shaky and who will offer to make cakes with you, is something really fundamental to the uni experience too.

We had our last ballet lesson of the term this week, which was lovely but sort of sad too! Quite a few people in the society will be coming to the end of their degree this year and some are jetting off to America for a year abroad, so it means that it’s all change! We had a really cute last session because George, our instructor, brought us in chocolates and taught us some cool new exercises. We even learnt a little sequence that lots of ballet schools teach at auditions, which was pretty fab (although I don’t think I’ll be enrolling at the Royal Ballet any time soon!). I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself on a Monday evening now! The little voice inside my head is going ‘revision, revision’, but I’m going to miss my little ballet de-stressing sessions! Choir finished last week and it is too weird to have an empty schedule in the evenings! We do have an empty bedroom in our house, which we have vowed to use as a yoga room, so maybe I will follow up on that. Yoga should be a good way of relaxing me!

Now that we head into week 6, it’s all about seeing that light at the end of the tunnel – I need to regroup focus and keep my head in the books. Summer will be here soon – it’s all about looking beyond the event! Let’s do this!
Thank you for reading!

I hope you have a lovely week and that you enjoyed your bank holiday weekend too!

History Hugs,

Eleanor :0)