When I started my course in October, I was excited yet completely uncertain about what studying at Lancaster would be like. Six months down the line, I’m at a place where I can say that I am genuinely thankful for this opportunity.

Here are some of the things that have made my time at Lancaster so valuable (in no particular order):

1) Part-time work opportunities for students

The school has numerous part-time opportunities for on-campus and distance learning students. This has been a complete God-send to me as I have been able to earn some extra money while studying full-time (remotely).

Opportunities such as these are very rare, so kudos to the Lancaster University Careers team for factoring in distance learning students and creating work-study opportunities for them.

2) Engagement with students

Lancaster makes a clear effort to foster community and takes note of what their students want. For instance, the Students' Union is very active in administering surveys, where students are encouraged to give feedback on their experiences.

Additionally, students can voice any concerns or questions they have via the ‘connect Lancaster’ feature on the iLancaster app.

Lastly, the school hosts fun mixers (including virtual ones) that allow students and staff to get to know each other better. I have particularly enjoyed this as I am studying away from campus and haven’t gotten many opportunities to get acquainted with my fellow classmates. It feels great to be a part of a university that is invested in its students.

3) Career resources

The school has great career resources for students seeking work and placement opportunities. These include 1-1 sessions and workshops on improving your CV, writing a cover letter, acing interviews and formatting your linked-in page.

Needless to say, I have been taking full advantage of these services!

4) Balanced course load

Many master’s courses require students to take up to 6 or 8 modules during the school year. In addition to my dissertation, I have only taken five other modules, which have been very specialised, focused and interlinked. In turn, this has allowed me to really absorb, critically engage, and retain all the new information I’m learning.

This is one of those cases where quality over quantity applies.

5) Guest lecturers

My course has invited such interesting guest speakers, including the former EU representative from Syria!

These guest speaker sessions have given me such great insight about diplomacy and international law, and have given me an opportunity to network with people whose career path I admire.

6) Unique courses

The University offers such unique courses! for instance, the programme that I am currently enrolled in (Diplomacy and International Law) is offered as a joint course between the Law School and the Politics, Philosophy and Religion department (PPR).

Despite diplomacy and international law being very interrelated, Lancaster University is one of the only few schools that offer this course.

Another notable mention for unique course is the Master's Degree in Quakerism and the Modern World.

7) Emotional Support

The school offers counselling services for students that may need emotional support during the school term.

In addition to 1-1 counselling services, the school has provided group therapy sessions for students that may be dealing with anxiety. Online meetings with the counsellor are also available, which means that these services are widely accessible to students studying on campus and online.

8) Great user interface

The registration centre (available on the Lancaster University website) and the iLancaster app (available on the app store) provide frequent updates on important information regarding the school.

I love these resources for the way that they centralise all my personal school-related data in a way that is convenient for me to access. They are also super easy to navigate!

These combined aspects have really enriched my time at Lancaster, even while studying remotely.

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Amy is studying LLM in Diplomacy and International Law by distance learning at Lancaster University.

Lancaster University employs students to create authentic content from a student perspective. All views expressed in this article are those of the students, and do not necessarily reflect the views or position of Lancaster University.

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