Lancaster Uni - honest views please

[BCBG]

Looking for feedback on Lancaster Uni from people who know it/have studied there please. My DC has an offer for law - having visited I was struck by the fact that almost every student in the subject talk (when the lecturer asked) came from less than an hour's drive away. DC would be more than five hours away from home. Not in its self a problem as siblings were at uni in the North of England, but is Lancaster Uni really as dynamic and outward looking as it claims - or is it more regional in vision and approach? Curious to hear other perspectives - thank you

@bringbacksideburns

My son was in County - he had his own bathroom and shared kitchen.

He says if you dont really know anyone and live miles away a ' town house experience ' is best, where you get to know everyone pretty quickly and make friends . Grizedale is best for that and has the best bar according to him!

Cartmel is the prettiest and most expensive Hall, the bar is in a converted barn and they used to do regular Sunday lunches. ( Early bird best as the food runs out quickly) But 15 min walk to lectures so further away. But lovely views.

Great transport link from campus to town and back.

Note how my son mentions Bars a lot!

Will have to take note of that with Cartmel, Sunday lunch sounds great :) Daughters chosen a townhouse so she cant wait to socialize :)

www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/results/dates/ interesting read here. tell you about the extended moving in dates.

My son went there for his first year in 2016; while he loved the way the courses worked he just didn't like the campus or city itself. He applied and transferred to Leeds for the rest of his degree and did get a First, and starting a masters at Edinburgh this year. At Lancaster he was studying Philisophy with Eng Lit and History making up the other two, the good thing was that he decided to do Eng Lit when he transferred.
I myself loved everything about Lancaster, I went to Durham so liked the smaller uni, and would recommend it even though DS wouldn't
Good luck to your daughter for September.

@sammyjoanne

www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/results/dates/ interesting read here. tell you about the extended moving in dates.

Thanks for posting. My DD is also starting at Lancaster and has applied for the townhouse accommodation (I fear it is very oversubscribed, so crossing fingers if they are even allowed back on campus, our DDs will get their preference: perhaps they will even end up in the same house?)

Feeling so relieved the grades lottery worked in her favour...

sammyjoanne and schmedz DD is very excited to be going - has chosen Lonsdale. Grades lottery was ok for her and she has been given the scholarship that came with her unconditional. Parents of her friends have been quite sniffy to us about her turning down a RG uni but I just do not get the argument and so far their student contact with DD has been outstanding including sorting out and arranging her DSA support well in advance. Roll inmoving in day peaceatlast

Congratulations to your DD! Mine has chosen Pendle as a backup as apparently the townhouses are oversubscribed.
I’ve also been impressed with the communication - a shame the short residential for ASD students can no longer take place, but hoping the support will be good nonetheless.
Hoping the issues with her DLA and student finance get sorted soon as she had to provide some extra paperwork at the 11th hour!
Yes the snobbery about RG is quite astonishing - particularly when looking how highly rated Lancaster is compared to many, with graduate prospects in her subject outstripping DOxbridge!

I loved the campus lifestyle. And the college system- created rivalry and a different feel in the bars. I was in fylde and the bar was just across from my block. It felt safe and friendly. I had people from London, Scotland, Birmingham in my block. A lot from the south.

DD also very excited about going and has applied for townhouses. I believe unconditional offer holders are guaranteed first or second choice accommodation? Hope she gets a moving in date soon - we have a DS to get back to Cardiff and we want to book a holiday (UK based I hasten to add)!!!

Schmedz does your DD have ASD? Our DD has ASD and ADHD which is a big of a challenge to be honest - and as she missed a full sixteen weeks of A level teaching time before her diagnosis I am amazed at her to be honest. Lancaster were fab at helping us get DSA sorted and seem very on the ball. She thought about townhouses but decided that she would find them too overwhelming so has gone for en-suite catered in college. Originally she wanted non catered but we won that battle as she would have very quickly forgotten to eat or organise food with everything else to manage.

BCBG yes, DD has ASD but on Open Day really surprised me by saying she would quite like to be in the townhouse as it would force her to make friends. She sounds like she has overcome amazing obstacles to receive an unconditional offer! Mine had a totally rubbish Y12 with clinical depression and was behind the 8-ball until mocks. Worked like a fiend since January and has made astonishing progress (and school realised she needed the extra time which helped) so I'm just relieved she earned the grades to get through on her offer.

It's such a big move for all the young people - I will have to follow up on whether DD is checking her emails as I'm not aware of much from Lancaster coming through (but she loved receiving her Welcome postcard on Friday!).
All the best as you and your DD prepare to start - mine is doing Medieval/Early Modern History. What is your daughter going to be studying?

She will be reading Law! Perfect subject for a very dyslexic ASD and ADHD student! justaswellimgreyhairedalready

@BCBG. I thought similarwhen mine chose English Lit, History and Philosophy and Ethics for her ALevels !
She plans to take Criminology as her minor as she is considering a Law Conversion course once she graduates - not sure exactly what work she wants to do, but plenty of time to work it out.

All the best over the next month or so. Perhaps our girls will become friends (not that we’ll ever know as we’re all anonymous on here!!)

Runningaway thank you for that. I worry a lot about the recruitment aspect to be honest, yes. I also worry about the fact that there's no getting away from the ASD/ADHD either - she has been at a top performing arts school where she won her place for drama, but she's abandoned that world for what she feels is going to make a difference. Handling the young and idealistic is not my strength especially when my own one seems determined to go her own way. But she hated private education with a passion, and she refuses to go RG just because it will help the recruitment aspect - so I guess she probably wouldn't be at home in a Magjc Circle firm anyway. DH has just retired as a lawyer (top Chambers in his field) and he's done his best to point out the pitfalls too but we are behind her all the way. I still miss the theatrical though but maybe she will find a way to let it rip again. Schmedz DD is easy to spot - she's six foot one!

choirmum and sammyjoanne what are your DD's going to study?

So happy your Dc are going and impressed with the contact.

Looks like they will be back on Campus before some of the staff!! Anyone not student facing is WFH for the foreseeable to keep bodies on campus as low as possible!

The food court area is all finished now which is lovely. We had amazing weather here March-May? June not bad either. I really hope they do not have to endure a horribly wet winter

I loved my time at Lancaster but I definitely did not want a huge city so the coziness of the campus and colleges suited me. I worked in the chip shop in town for extra cash. I loved in Fylde and I expect/hope my accommodation has been bulldozed by now as it was basic. £21 a week though.

I loved the pubs and clubs but it's a sleepy city and people went to Manchester for the big clubs. It does feel very small town and it rains a LOT. I made lovely friends though and am still friends on FB with a lot of people. I graduated in 1993.

@DuchessMinnie not sure what happened with Fylde but all the original Bowland accommodation of that era is now offices... I actually I think Fylde is the same?

They just knocked walls out so most is open plan with the odd original room as an office to keep the ceiling up they made the kitchens bigger by incorporating the bedroom next door

Was off returning after 25 years and sitting in an office that used to be a friends bedroom...

BCBG lots of opportunities for performing arts at Lancaster when societies can start up again. The drama society put on several plays a term, plus the dance, music and drama societies do a musical every year.

@RandomMess thank you so much for telling me that. Have to say that coming from a filthy, deprived childhood home my tiny room and desk was perfect for me. And my own wash basin! But it was very basic. I envied the lovely Grizedale and Lonsdale rooms.

Some of the academics have 3 to a room as an office!!!.

The windows are awful for airing the offices. Just bizarre because the toilets are the same etc.

@raspberryrippleicecream

BCBG lots of opportunities for performing arts at Lancaster when societies can start up again. The drama society put on several plays a term, plus the dance, music and drama societies do a musical every year.

Ooh that will suit my DD down to the ground. She has been a drama scholar in 6th Form and leader of the orchestra and chamber orchestra. MT fan through and through, to. What are the music societies like? Its hard to find info about them on the website...

ULMS is very active, lots of social events, several different concerts throughout the year. Normal times obviously!

BCBG my DD is studying MORSE. Should suit her down to the ground!

@DuchessMinnie
I went to visit Fylde and they had demolished the blocks. The bar in the same place though and new accommodation built. From sharing a bedroom to having a sink in my room was luxury😂
My dd decided she didn’t like the campus unfortunately whereas I would’ve loved her to go to a safe feeling campus.