What I wish I knew before starting at Lancaster University

By Michael Robson, August 2024

So, you've finished your exams, received your results and earned a place at Lancaster University. Congratulations! Soon you'll be joining the thousands of students on campus and entering into our brave new world. As undoubtedly exciting as that is, you may well have some questions, concerns, or worries that you have before coming to campus in late September. University life does take a little bit of adjusting to, but I'm here to help to make the transition just that little bit easier with everything that I wished I had known before I started at Lancaster University.

Arrivals Day and accommodation

Alright, I won't lie, Arrivals Day may well be a little stressful; it certainly was for me! But there are a number of important things that you can do before coming to campus that will make your arrival a little less imposing:

• Research: have a look at where you'll be living, what books you'll need for your course, which societies on campus you may be interested in joining - taking care of a lot of this will save you some time when you actually arrive at university, especially during your welcome week, which is likely to be just that little bit hectic.
• Preparation: make a list of all of the things you think you'll need in the first few months of campus life - if you're living in shared accommodation on campus, be sure to check the website to see what's included in your accommodation and what you'll need to bring with you. Having everything organised well in advance will make moving on the day much less of a hassle.
• Relaxation: this may well sound a little silly, but do take some time to relax and have fun over the holidays. The hard part is over, after all! You've passed your exams; you've secured your place - obviously, make sure you're well prepared for arrivals day and the
  year ahead, but don't stress it too much.

Once the day arrives and hopefully you find yourself prepared, packed, and ready, you'll have to move into your accommodation - this is a little hectic, to say the least, but luckily there will be a multitude of staff and welcome reps on hand to make this process as smooth as possible - so do take advantage of their presence: ask questions, ask for help, and before you know it you'll be moved in and ready to take on Welcome Week.

You'll also be meeting your flatmates for the first time on arrivals day: these may well be your best friends for the rest of your time at university - but if there isn't that instant spark or connection when you all first meet, don't sweat it. In my first year accommodation, me and my flatmates were amicable and friendly enough towards one another, but we found people that we simply just got on better with outside of our flat. My advice is: don't worry about it all too much - have fun, talk to people; just be yourself and the right people will find you.

Campus Life

Even once you've settled into your accommodation and began to make some new friends, approaching campus life for the first time can seem a little daunting, to say the least. Campus is an entirely new environment that seems labyrinthine and impenetrable when you first arrive - but every new fresher is in exactly the same boat as you are. So, it can sometimes help to explore campus or do new things with other people. Not sure where the library is? Have a walk around campus with some of your flatmates to see if you can find it. Need a hand finding the shops? Take a friend to have a look with you. Doing this like this, whilst daunting, will allow you to have a better understanding of campus whilst also connecting with the people you'll be sharing that campus with.

One more thing to bear in mind about adjusting to campus life - the Internet is your friend here - particularly, the iLancaster app. It is invaluable in helping you understand campus better, particularly in those first few weeks: the app contains an interactive map of campus, complete with university facilities, room numbers, and shop opening and closing times, as well as allowing you to check into your lectures and seminars. If you haven't downloaded this yet, I would highly recommend you doing so - it really will come in handy!

Studying

Speaking of lectures and seminars, it's important that you don't forget about your studies in amongst the frantic rush of welcome week and its parties, socials, and events. Don't get me wrong, this is your first year - there is a comfortable amount of breathing room afforded to you here by your lecturers, particularly in those first few weeks - but you'll still want to be attending lectures, participating in seminars, and studying: after all, that is why you're here! Although I can't speak on the specifics of how each course operates and functions, given my background in studying for an English Literature degree, I can offer some universal advice that will be applicable to the vast majority of welcome week:

• Talk to your lecturers and your department if you're struggling. They are here to help, and - in my own experience - are incredibly helpful. Yes, this is undoubtedly easier said than done, but your department is here to help you with your studies. If you're struggling with keeping up with work, if you're dealing with personal issues that will affect your attendance, or if you are considering changing your chosen subject.
• Learn to use the library. This seems like an obvious one, right? But the number of first year students who were still coming to grips with the library even in their last term astounded me - don't be one of them. Either take some time early in your degree to
  research how the library works or, even better, take one of the tours during Welcome Week where the library staff show you how to do just that. When your assessments and exams start towards the end of the year, you really will be glad you took the time to explore the library and its resources early on.

Final Thoughts

I fully realise that even a guide like this is not going to be able to cover everything - and its entirely likely that this is not the first blog of this nature that you've read over the summer in an effort to be fully prepared for the year ahead. And, that's okay - research and preparation is invaluable, and those skills will be put to good use in your academic studies. But, with that being said, don't forget to have fun at university as well. Sometimes it's best to toss aside the preparation and go with the flow - go out, explore, make new friends, try new things; have new, exciting experiences. Make sure you enjoy it - that, in a nutshell, is the most valuable piece of advice that you need before coming to Lancaster University.