It has been a year of excitement, enlightenment, personal development and making meaningful connections. If given the chance, I would do it all over again.

Here are a few tips to help you survive the year and make the best out of studying at Lancaster University:

What to pack

Culture shock would be the first thing you would encounter as an international student. Local foods and spices are essential when you first arrive in Lancaster, at least until you locate the stores to buy these spices from. Also, the weather in Lancaster is very wet, therefore don’t bother with jackets and shoes until you get here.

Making connections

The first two months are essential for how your year would turn out. This has a lot to do with the connections you make when you first arrive. Therefore, the Welcome Week events are essential for making these connections with fellow students and professors alike. Surviving in the world outside the walls of the University requires more than good grades. It also requires networking skills and the best time to network and make these connections effectively is in the first term.

Learning resources

Academic success requires hard work and access to relevant resources. It is important to make full use of all available resources from the academic writing zone to the library, to appointments with professors in order to aid understanding towards overall academic success. The resources are available, and everyone is willing and ready to help you towards achieving personal goals. In addition to academic success, we all desire career success and the careers team is readily available to guide you towards achieving that. Take full advantage of these resources.

Work-life balance

Finally, work-life balance is essential for all-round success. Engaging in fun activities and visiting fun places around and outside Lancaster can help refresh your mind. There are exciting activities to engage with in Lancaster. Student Union events and societies are a great avenue for networking and engaging in fun activities. There are also the Sugar House and Vibe clubs for a fun night out and pubs to relax and listen to music in. There are exciting places to visit like Lancaster Castle, Williamson Park and the Lake District. For football fans, there are the Manchester stadiums and other stadiums around Lancaster. If you love to shop, Manchester is a great place for that.

The highlight of my year is the connections I made, as they enabled me to make the best out of my study time here. I didn’t feel like I was away from home. I found a home away from home, and you can do the same.

Hope you have a great year.

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The opinions expressed by our bloggers and those providing comments are personal, and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lancaster University. Responsibility for the accuracy of any of the information contained within blog posts belongs to the blogger.