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Student in the Laboratory, Lancaster University
Lancaster University
Lancaster
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Applied to study Geography or Environmental Science 17/18?

Hi there,

My name is Jack, I completed my undergrad in Geography at Lancaster and I'm now studying for my Masters at Lancaster too. I also studied abroad for part of my degree if you have any queries about that.

If you want to know more about the department and these subjects or if you have any questions about your offer let me know and I'll do my best to help!

Look forward to hearing from you!
(edited 7 years ago)
Hi
I have an offer for Bsc Geography from Lancaster which is really exciting but I am trying to decide between Exeter and Lancaster. I really have no idea which one to choose and am getting so stressed out. I was just wondering what you could tell me about the Lancaster course and why you chose it and what makes it stand out from the rest of the courses? Also what the lectures and teaching methods are like?


Thank you!!!
Student in the Laboratory, Lancaster University
Lancaster University
Lancaster
Visit website
Original post by therosielea
Hi
I have an offer for Bsc Geography from Lancaster which is really exciting but I am trying to decide between Exeter and Lancaster. I really have no idea which one to choose and am getting so stressed out. I was just wondering what you could tell me about the Lancaster course and why you chose it and what makes it stand out from the rest of the courses? Also what the lectures and teaching methods are like?


Thank you!!!


Well congratulations on both, that's really great!

Sure thing. I really enjoyed the course at Lancaster because of it's flexibility. If you came to one of open days you might have seen a presentation on how the courses work but if not essentially, you as the student have the option to choose from a range of modules from the department. The department being the Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) which includes, geog, env sci, biology, earth sciences. I felt this was great because it really gives you the freedom to expand your learning and means you aren't stuck to a particular stream. It's suggested that in your first year you take both physical and human so again you can get a flavour for both but if you don't want to you don't have to, it's completely up to you! You also get to take minors which are additional modules in any other subject you please (to an extent). I think for BSc students you have the option of another science based study, so for instance I had physics for my minor in 1st year. If you end up liking that other course you can carry the study on or even switch on to that. Hopefully you stick with Geography but, again it's all up to you!

First year will be mix of lectures, seminars, tutorial and occasional workshops. Lectures are 1 hour where you'll be listening and taking notes from a professor about the topic. The idea is that it gives you the bones of the topic so you can fill it in with your reading. Seminars, often attached to the lectures, are more focused on the student so there's time for discussion and debate about the topics. Tutorials will be even more focused on smaller groups helping you with improving your work and writing styles, integrating you into the department and teaching you research methods and how to read academic information, etc. All lecturers are different and there's no prescribed Lancaster style meaning lecturers can teach using their own methods so I remember having lectures where the lecturer climbed on tables and explained geomorphological processes with cake. Educational and tasty.

I know that was a lot of text and I could say a lot more to be honest. I hope that helps, if you have any more questions, ask away :smile:
Original post by JackP_Lancaster
Well congratulations on both, that's really great!

Sure thing. I really enjoyed the course at Lancaster because of it's flexibility. If you came to one of open days you might have seen a presentation on how the courses work but if not essentially, you as the student have the option to choose from a range of modules from the department. The department being the Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) which includes, geog, env sci, biology, earth sciences. I felt this was great because it really gives you the freedom to expand your learning and means you aren't stuck to a particular stream. It's suggested that in your first year you take both physical and human so again you can get a flavour for both but if you don't want to you don't have to, it's completely up to you! You also get to take minors which are additional modules in any other subject you please (to an extent). I think for BSc students you have the option of another science based study, so for instance I had physics for my minor in 1st year. If you end up liking that other course you can carry the study on or even switch on to that. Hopefully you stick with Geography but, again it's all up to you!

First year will be mix of lectures, seminars, tutorial and occasional workshops. Lectures are 1 hour where you'll be listening and taking notes from a professor about the topic. The idea is that it gives you the bones of the topic so you can fill it in with your reading. Seminars, often attached to the lectures, are more focused on the student so there's time for discussion and debate about the topics. Tutorials will be even more focused on smaller groups helping you with improving your work and writing styles, integrating you into the department and teaching you research methods and how to read academic information, etc. All lecturers are different and there's no prescribed Lancaster style meaning lecturers can teach using their own methods so I remember having lectures where the lecturer climbed on tables and explained geomorphological processes with cake. Educational and tasty.

I know that was a lot of text and I could say a lot more to be honest. I hope that helps, if you have any more questions, ask away :smile:


That was so helpful! I live about 6 hours away so it wasnt really practical for me to go to an open day. I hope to go to the post offer day though which will be really informative. With the minor/major system can you pick any subject whatsoever so something completely unrelated like biomed or law or does it have to be something smaller?

Also I know this sounds really bad but the school I come from is really intense on getting to highly ranked and 'prestigious' universities, I really like the Lancaster course but would you think the opportunities after uni are still the same? So job prospects and such? I hope that doesnt sound pretentious I just want to honestly know so I can be a little reassured as I am such a worrier!

Thank you so much for your info its really useful because I kind of want to decide early on so I am not stressing about it later on so I don't mind long texts :smile:
Original post by therosielea
That was so helpful! I live about 6 hours away so it wasnt really practical for me to go to an open day. I hope to go to the post offer day though which will be really informative. With the minor/major system can you pick any subject whatsoever so something completely unrelated like biomed or law or does it have to be something smaller?

Also I know this sounds really bad but the school I come from is really intense on getting to highly ranked and 'prestigious' universities, I really like the Lancaster course but would you think the opportunities after uni are still the same? So job prospects and such? I hope that doesnt sound pretentious I just want to honestly know so I can be a little reassured as I am such a worrier!

Thank you so much for your info its really useful because I kind of want to decide early on so I am not stressing about it later on so I don't mind long texts :smile:


That's fair enough, I used to live about 4 hours away and I understand the journey can be long, have fun on the post offer day :smile: I think it's the still the same main system when I was in 1st year so it's suggested that you pick subjects that will be complementary to your major: hence the science/technology subjects for BSc and more humanities and social science for the BA. That's suggested though and I would say it's up to each department as to whether taking a minor from them would be suitable. To reiterate though, Lancaster courses (especially LEC) are very flexible so I wouldn't worry too much. I had friends that studied env sci, stats, chemistry, sociology, languages so I would say it's certainly possibly.

It doesn't sound bad, it's a valid question! I hope you love your experience at university and your course but at the end of it you want to know you'll have a good future which I firmly believe Lancaster can do for you. We were recently ranked in the top 10 of the 3 main league tables in the UK and we've retained our title of the 'best in the north-west' (http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/articles/2016/lancaster-tops-all-major-national-league-tables/) and for Geography we are 7th in the country also. I think also we're around 130th in the world. I believe I read somewhere that currently 97% of our graduates are in work or further study after 6 months of leaving. Despite this I actually feel we're an understated university as I had never actually heard of Lancaster before I applied. I mean that might just be me though! Anyway plenty of stats to go over and another long bit of text to read!
Reply 5
Original post by JackP_Lancaster
Hi there,

My name is Jack, I completed my undergrad in Geography at Lancaster and I'm now studying for my Masters at Lancaster too. I also studied abroad for part of my degree if you have any queries about that.

If you want to know more about the department and these subjects or if you have any questions about your offer let me know and I'll do my best to help!

Look forward to hearing from you!


Hi, I received an unconditional offer for geography with study abroad at lancaster, and originally I was completely set on studying abroad, but now I'm becoming sceptical. I was wondering how flexible the degree is? So, would it be ok for me to opt out, and is there any way I could study abroad for a shorter amount of time than a year? Also, in your experience how did you find returning from your year abroad? My main concern is finding somewhere to live with people I know, especially if I've had a year away from friends I made in my first year.
Finally, how do you find the social side in general? I know Lancaster is a relatively small city and the campus is quite small, which doesn't put me off, but I was just wondering if you ever find yourself bored, judging from a few other posts I've read? I've also received an offer from Bristol, which I really liked from the open day, so I'm struggling to decide which uni to choose between the two.
Thanks for any help you can give :smile:
Original post by Vicisobel
Hi, I received an unconditional offer for geography with study abroad at lancaster, and originally I was completely set on studying abroad, but now I'm becoming sceptical. I was wondering how flexible the degree is? So, would it be ok for me to opt out, and is there any way I could study abroad for a shorter amount of time than a year? Also, in your experience how did you find returning from your year abroad? My main concern is finding somewhere to live with people I know, especially if I've had a year away from friends I made in my first year.
Finally, how do you find the social side in general? I know Lancaster is a relatively small city and the campus is quite small, which doesn't put me off, but I was just wondering if you ever find yourself bored, judging from a few other posts I've read? I've also received an offer from Bristol, which I really liked from the open day, so I'm struggling to decide which uni to choose between the two.
Thanks for any help you can give :smile:


Hi, thanks for the comment and well done for the unconditional!

STUDY ABROAD: It's flexible to an extent, you have to be aware that studying abroad is popular so there are of course limited places so people can't be switching back and forth all the time. I actually opted in at the end of my first year which is harder than opting out so no worries for you there. We do run a system where if you choose not to go abroad you are then on the non-study abroad variant of your degree. Though as I said, if you decided after that to switch back onto the study abroad degree you may find it difficulty due to limited places/popularity.

I believe at Lancaster we only do years, not semesters though in my experience all of the people I met who were on semesters abroad wished they were able to do a year! When returning you'd actually be in a better position than I was since the degree is now a 3 year course. 1st year at Lancaster, 2nd year away, 3rd year back but for me it was 1st/2nd year at Lancaster, 3rd year away and then 4th year back. Meaning that when I got back all of my friends had graduated whereas yours would still be here. I know it's hard to make friends and then leave them for a year but you will still be friends with them and you can still talk to them. In terms of getting a house with them, it's just planning ahead I would say. Sort out what you'd all like to do and who you'd like to live with in advance so there's no rush when you return. There's plenty of houses with different numbers of rooms in town so I wouldn't worry. Just plan ahead essentially and you'll fit back in. For me I met new people and made new friends when I got back so you'll easily be able to reconnect with people you already knew. If you are still on the fence about it that's absolutely natural though I will say (unbiased of course) that studying abroad was an incredible experience and I don't regret a single part of it!

LANCASTER/SOCIAL: I think the campus is pretty big actually! The town also is very studenty as there's two universities (Lancaster/UCUM) based here so there's lots for us to be doing. I don't really find myself bored though that's really a subjective question! When I'm not studying, I play sports, I work, I go out into the town, go out into the country or just be lazy. You're also not that far from bigger cities like Manchester, Liverpool if you want more people so I don't think it's isolated or anything. I mean it does depend on what you like to do in your free time though I'm sure you'll find something for you.

Apologies, when I start writing I find it hard to stop! Anyway, hope that helps in a sense. Any more questions go for it! Also the department runs open days/visit days if you've not been here before which I would always suggest. They're running through February and early March if you're free at all.
@JackP_Lancaster


Hi, are there plenty of student-friendly part-time job opportunities in Lancaster/at the university? I would like to work whilst I study there but I also don't want to work somewhere that expects me to prioritise the job over my studies, if that makes sense?

Also, how long does it take to travel from Lancaster university to Lancaster town?

Thanks :smile:
Original post by LeCroissant
@JackP_Lancaster


Hi, are there plenty of student-friendly part-time job opportunities in Lancaster/at the university? I would like to work whilst I study there but I also don't want to work somewhere that expects me to prioritise the job over my studies, if that makes sense?

Also, how long does it take to travel from Lancaster university to Lancaster town?

Thanks :smile:


Hey!

Yeah there's several opportunities for students to work whilst studying and yeah for sure, you need to be balancing your work, study and social life in moderation. At the university itself, the employment recruitment service advertises student jobs on campus, you can see here https://temps.lancaster-university.co.uk/vacancies/vacancy-search-results.aspx

On campus there's lots of shops and cafes, etc which you could ask about or there's the campus bars which sometimes need workers. I for example work at the students union as well as studying. In town there's likely to be options for employment. It's not something I have looked at personally but I have plenty of friends who work in town so it's clearly all there. Remember, Lancaster has two universities (us and Cumbria) so there's a lot of students around meaning they'll be jobs for you.

Travelling from uni to town takes between 15 to 25 minutes depending on which bus you take and how busy traffic is but since there are busses every 10 minutes or so in the day it's not a worry. Or you could walk, takes about 40 minutes!
Hi Jack,
I was at the applicant visit day last week and you were really helpful but I have been to the other uni I am considering today and just have a quick query. The uni today mentioned the ways you can be assessed, I know this varies between modules but there were new methods (e.g. policy report) that I have not heard of before. I was wondering if you could just outline a few of the assessment methods at Lancaster. I don't know if I have a preference yet but it would be nice to know the options I would have when I came.
Thanks.
Original post by faireycakes
Hi Jack,
I was at the applicant visit day last week and you were really helpful but I have been to the other uni I am considering today and just have a quick query. The uni today mentioned the ways you can be assessed, I know this varies between modules but there were new methods (e.g. policy report) that I have not heard of before. I was wondering if you could just outline a few of the assessment methods at Lancaster. I don't know if I have a preference yet but it would be nice to know the options I would have when I came.
Thanks.


Hi there, glad to be of help. Sure thing, I'll do my best. So you're right for a start in that modules have different assessment requirements as will the differences between the more human and physical sides, but there are some commonality between them.

- There's the standard academic essay where you'll be asked to answer, discuss, analyse or argue a statement or question. So that'll involve reading around the topic, breaking up the question and providing a succinct answer.
- There can be shorter pieces of writing more in the style of an academic blog so less a focus on traditional essay structure and more about getting the point across in an easy to read sense (the website, The Conversation provides good examples of this).
- Reflective journals are sometimes asked of you where at the end of a module you might be required to write a more reflective piece of work on what you have achieved in the study and what changes you have seen. If any assumptions were challenged or how difficult you found it for instance.
- Very brief summaries of readings might be necessary for seminars so it fosters discussion.
- Some modules I believe do policy statements of a kind so either critiquing an existing one (say from a company) or suggesting improvements to it.
- More physical sciences may need laboratory reports based on experiments you undertake in the lab itself which follow strict criteria in formatting and also in style. Getting the information across rather than unnecessary waffle is often a key skill tested here.
- Field trips might ask for a write up after you're back at Lancaster so these might be a mix of essay style questions or if you carried out experiments in the field to write those up, all with reference to the field trip.
- There'll be elements of group work at times either in collecting data and analysing it as a group to then go on to individual reports. Or it could be a creation of a poster.
- You might have presentations to give, either to the class or your lecturer on a certain topic or essay plan.
- Depending on the module, there can be worksheets to be completed weekly and submitted (maths and physics does this I believe)
- I believe in the second year there's a module where you have to write and submit a CV and cover letter for an appropriate job which then gets graded.
- Exams are also common of course (sorry!) which are standard academic format though there are cases of in class tests or computer based practicals where you may be following a worksheet in a given time (GIS sometimes uses these).

I know you said a few but I think that's most of them! I hope that helps in a sense anyway. Anymore questions, just ask and I'll do my best :smile:
Original post by JackP_Lancaster
Hi there, glad to be of help. Sure thing, I'll do my best. So you're right for a start in that modules have different assessment requirements as will the differences between the more human and physical sides, but there are some commonality between them.

- There's the standard academic essay where you'll be asked to answer, discuss, analyse or argue a statement or question. So that'll involve reading around the topic, breaking up the question and providing a succinct answer.
- There can be shorter pieces of writing more in the style of an academic blog so less a focus on traditional essay structure and more about getting the point across in an easy to read sense (the website, The Conversation provides good examples of this).
- Reflective journals are sometimes asked of you where at the end of a module you might be required to write a more reflective piece of work on what you have achieved in the study and what changes you have seen. If any assumptions were challenged or how difficult you found it for instance.
- Very brief summaries of readings might be necessary for seminars so it fosters discussion.
- Some modules I believe do policy statements of a kind so either critiquing an existing one (say from a company) or suggesting improvements to it.
- More physical sciences may need laboratory reports based on experiments you undertake in the lab itself which follow strict criteria in formatting and also in style. Getting the information across rather than unnecessary waffle is often a key skill tested here.
- Field trips might ask for a write up after you're back at Lancaster so these might be a mix of essay style questions or if you carried out experiments in the field to write those up, all with reference to the field trip.
- There'll be elements of group work at times either in collecting data and analysing it as a group to then go on to individual reports. Or it could be a creation of a poster.
- You might have presentations to give, either to the class or your lecturer on a certain topic or essay plan.
- Depending on the module, there can be worksheets to be completed weekly and submitted (maths and physics does this I believe)
- I believe in the second year there's a module where you have to write and submit a CV and cover letter for an appropriate job which then gets graded.
- Exams are also common of course (sorry!) which are standard academic format though there are cases of in class tests or computer based practicals where you may be following a worksheet in a given time (GIS sometimes uses these).

I know you said a few but I think that's most of them! I hope that helps in a sense anyway. Anymore questions, just ask and I'll do my best :smile:


Thank you very much for your detailed response. This has helped me greatly to know that there is a wide range of assessment.

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