By Katie Lord, Graduate College, March 2026
Having initially studied my undergraduate degree at Lancaster, and progressing to my master's degree at Lancaster as well, I have truly found my place at Lancaster and it has been an enriching experience.
What helped me settle in when I first moved to Lancaster, for my undergraduate degree, were my Bowland college reps and JCR members. They took the time to plan events in fresher’s week, allowing me to find my people that I am still friends with right into my fourth year. Their mix of sober activities, walks, and night out events made sure there was something for everybody.
My standout memory from Welcome Week in my first year at Lancaster was doing karaoke at Bowland College bar. It has stayed with me because of how light-hearted and friendly the event was, with JCR members encouraging people to enjoy themselves and have fun. The friends I signed up to karaoke with are still my friends 3 years later, so I hold that memory close to me.
Welcome Week equipped me for my first term at university extremely well. Meeting lecturers and academic advisors gave me a sense of support regarding my studies. It also set me up with contacts and important information that were valuable for the whole three years of my undergraduate degree.
Planning and scheduling weekly activities on apps like Google Calendar help me balance university work and hobbies. I even schedule in times I aim to study independently in the library, so that I can stay on track and prioritise my hobbies as well as my studies, as I believe it’s important for my wellbeing.
Going to a range of events in welcome week set up by my college’s JCR members helped me make a lot of my best friends here. Also interacting with my peers on my course through online group chats and in person lectures in the first few weeks allowed me to find my group of friends.
I would describe Lancaster’s community as friendly, diverse and tight knit. With Lancaster’s campus university, the community feels extremely tight knit. I have become friends with people from different college’s, courses, and years, that maybe I wouldn’t have crossed paths with at other universities. The diverse and friendly community at Lancaster University creates a welcoming environment that encourages collaboration, inclusivity, and a strong sense of belonging among students.
Being part of such a diverse community at Lancaster has enriched my university experience by allowing me to meet people from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds, especially through the transition into my postgraduate degree. With many international students on my MSc Digital and Social Media Marketing course, I feel lucky to have met people from many different countries and learned about their cultures, traditions, and perspectives.
It has been interesting to learn about different cultural celebrations, foods, and traditions from friends, especially from Chinese New Year that happened recently, and it has made my university experience feel much more global and connected.
I believe that societies are an integral part of the university experience in many ways, as there is a society for everybody. With societies relating to media, music, politics, sport, arts, and academia, I believe that everybody can join one to make friends with similar interests, which may change their experience and help them enjoy university so much more.
I am part of Girls Training Together (GTT) Society. They run student-led girls classes like yoga, Pilates, running, and LBT (a lower-body workout). The membership to attend any classes and socials costed me £25 for the year which I thought was amazing value and I have definitely got my moneys worth. I knew which society to join as the activities interested me and things I had done in the past, and the exec members were friendly. I was also part of the newspaper society, SCAN, in my second year and became the Welfare Officer for the society. We discussed journalism and writing articles and gave students the choice to discuss ideas for what they would like to write for the newspaper and receive feedback. This was something that interested me because I have always been interested in journalistic writing and newspapers, and I believe it will strengthen my experience and insight in the long-term.
I felt as though I was extremely welcomed in the Girls Training Together society, as many girls are in the same boat attending classes and socials on their own and aiming to make friends. Group chats also help people put names to faces and communicate effectively. For example, people ask to walk to classes and social events together, helping to build friendships.
"With Lancaster’s campus university, the community feels extremely tight knit. I have become friends with people from different college’s, courses, and years, that maybe I wouldn’t have crossed paths with at other universities. The diverse and friendly community at Lancaster University creates a welcoming environment that encourages collaboration, inclusivity, and a strong sense of belonging among students." - Katie, Bowland and Graduate College
