Calling all Lancs students: Here are seven essential life hacks for surviving uni life

Week three has begun at Lancaster University. Freshers’ Week and the introduction classes of week one are long gone already and things are starting to feel serious. Whether you’re a first-year fresher or a returning student who’s completely forgotten how to survive uni, we’ve got you covered.

From budgeting to preparing for each week to navigating the chaotic weather up north, here are seven useful life hacks to help get you through your degree at Lancaster. 

Saving money on buses 

Despite the increase in bus pass costs, there are still ways to save money on transport in Lancaster. For those living on campus, when planning on going into town remember a single ticket is reduced to a pound on Sundays. Additionally, there is a free bus to Sainsbury’s on Wednesdays to help you with your weekly shop.

Meanwhile, students living off-campus can also go home from university for a pound, if they wait until after 7pm. Sure, this might not be useful if one day you’ve just got one class at 9am. However, it definitely comes in useful after attending society meetings or later classes.

Alternatively, if you’ve got an hour to kill and the weather’s dry, cycling or walking between the city and campus is quite nice and completely free at all hours.

Take advantage of transport connections 

Having said that, when wanting to venture outside of Lancaster, the transport connections are actually pretty reasonable. The seaside town of Morecambe is easily reachable by catching the 100, 1, 1A and 41 buses. Or, if you travel by train and have a rail-card, an open return ticket is only £2.85.

Other popular places that you can catch a direct bus to from Lancaster include Blackpool and Kendal in the Lakes District. Plus, an open return train ticket to Manchester is only £15.85 with a rail-card. Perfect for a spontaneous weekend trip before the weather gets cold and the assignments start piling up. 

Always carry a raincoat 

Speaking of the weather, it rains in Lancaster a lot. I cannot count the number of times I have been caught in a sudden downpour and having to spend the rest of the day drenched even on days when I actually did check the Met Office. Invest a trusty raincoat or pac-a-mac that you can keep in your uni bag at all times. You will be grateful for it.

Pres and house parties

One of the best things about university is the freedom to enjoy the nightlife. However, if you’re trying to save money, hosting pres or house parties at home with cheap booze from the shops can be just as if not more fun.

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It can also be a great way to connect with your flatmates and form a group by introducing them to your other friends. Make the most of not living with your parents!

Use the uni’s Careers and Employability Service

Although partying is the best, one of the main reasons people go to university is to improve their chances of getting a job. Luckily, Lancaster has a really useful Careers and Employability Service that can help you write a CV or cover letter, schedule a private Careers appointment, support you with interviews and more.

It also has an Employment and Recruitment Service which regularly posts vacancies such as paid student ambassador and internship roles that are flexible around your studies and make a great addition to your CV.

Look for bargains where you can 

Saving money whilst being a student can be difficult, however, it is not impossible. The yellow stickers and clearance sections found in shops such as Sainsbury’s, Spar and Co-op are some of your best friends and can provide you a quick meal for next to nothing. The colleges also often host free food events for students.

These are called Where’s The Food? (WTF) and are advertised on the student portal. For clothes and other non-food items, Lancaster is also home to lots of charity shops, from Restore on campus to British Heart Foundation, Scope, Oxfam, St John’s Hospice along the city’s high street. Apps such as Unidays and Student Beans also provide hundreds of student discounts.

Keep a weekly planner 

While at university, you will have a lot of dates and events to remember. From weekly classes, society events, to assignment deadlines, it can be overwhelming, especially if you’re a forgetful person like me. The easiest way to stay organised is to use a weekly planner. This can be a physical one such as a paper planner, diary or wall calendar.

Alternatively, there are apps like TimeTree or just your phone’s calendar where you can keep everything in one place. I would also recommend dedicating a day to laundry, shopping and other chores as it can be easy to deprioritise these with everything else going on.

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