From colleges to unconditional offers: Debunking every Lancs uni myth

Did you really think you’d be going to the Lakes every other week?


Welcome the Freshers of 2021! The term is now in full swing and, if you’re new to Lancaster, you will be slowly learning the lifestyle of a true Lancs student. You may have come here with explicit expectations of what your Lancs uni life would look like, and you may be surprised to find out it’s nothing like you thought.

Perhaps you thought you’d be going out three times a week to then discover your liver is screaming after downing five Jägerbombs on a Whoops Wednesday sports social, and you are tucked up in bed early Friday evening without a single urge to go back to that sticky dance floor. Or maybe you thought you’d be tied to your college and never leave Trev bar, but now you realise The Mill is better.

We’re here to debunk all those myths and preconceptions you may have had about coming to Lancs Uni.

You’ll only make friends with the people in your college

Lancaster prides itself on its college system and brands it as one of the main selling points of the uni: promoting community and a shared identity. You think of them as a cult before you arrive, believing you’ll stay within the confinements of your halls and won’t make friends elsewhere. But the reality is you make loads of friends from all over campus, from lectures, to societies, random people you meet on a night out, and friendly people on the bus.

You don’t just have to make friends with those you live with or the people who invite you to their pres on the floor above you. Branch out. You never know, your future best friends may live in County. Who knew?

You’ll go to the Lakes every other week

We know you chose Lancaster Uni to be close to the Lake District, but come on, did you really think you would have the time and finances to travel to Windermere every fortnight? Your weekends will be spent healing a hangover with all your budget blown for the week.

Maybe you’ll get the train in the holidays and visit the Lakes as a nice mini break. But don’t fool yourself, you won’t go as much as you thought.

Everyone got an unconditional offer

This may actually be true. Everyone you speak to says they got in on an unconditional offer. Lancs seems to give these out like throwing confetti.

But there must be someone at the uni who didn’t get an unconditional offer. I refuse to believe everyone got one. Right?

Everyone here is Northern

This is not true. While there are many students who live up North and thought Lancaster was far enough away from their family but still a nice distance to travel back every now and then, there are people from all over the country.

The Southerners will stick out like sore thumbs. You will soon discover that your Southern flatmates with start a debate about whether it’s called “dinner” or “tea” time, and once you get used to their foreign pronunciation, you will start to understand them better.

You’ll get on with everyone in your townhouse

You won’t get on with everyone. You just won’t.

If the cracks haven’t started the show yet, just you wait. It’s impossible for that many people to be civil for the entirety of an academic year.

You’ll spend all your time in your college bar

If you’re from Grizedale, you won’t spend all your time in Grizedale bar, even if you chose that college for the bar. You’ll quickly discover that each bar is better for different things. If you want a cocktail, yes, go to Grizedale. But if you want food, go to The Mill. Or if you want to play bar sports, go to Trev.

Go on a campus bar crawl and try them all out. Sample what each college bar has to offer.

Sugar is the best club in town

This may be true to some, but every Lancs student comes here thinking that they will religiously go to Sugar as it’s the SU run club. Don’t limit yourself though. Try going to Generation or GLOW, you may prefer the music and the overall vibes. Yes, they aren’t students only, but that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy it.

The cage in Gen is truly iconic and Skint Mondays in GLOW can be a life saver. Don’t miss out because you think everyone just goes to Suagr, because honestly, they don’t.

People in Bowland are boring

This is a very well known stereotype. It is often seen as a red flag if someone’s in Bowland. But don’t let this put you off from getting to know people from Bowland, they’re often the life of the party. They may seem shy in your seminar, but once the disco lights come out and the shots are poured, you can’t tame them.

Cartmel and Lonsdale are miles away

When you choose your accommodation, it is advertised that Cartmel and Lonsdale are like a village secluded from the rest of campus so it feels like “going home” after a busy day of lectures. While this is appealing, many see it as too much walking and an inconvenience to be that far away.

Fast forward to second and third year, living in town and having to get a 20 minute bus to and from campus everyday. The idea of walking an extra five minutes from George Fox lecture theatre to your bed is blissful. Yes, it’s a longer walk than living in County Main, but Cartmel and Lonsdale aren’t miles away. Don’t complain that you have to walk all the way to the south campus, at least you don’t have to battle the rain waiting at Common Garden St. when all the busses are full.

Freshers have many preconceptions of life as a student at Lancs Uni. While some of them are true and you will spend all your student loan in Sugar, don’t be fooled by all the myths. A lot of them are just that; nothing more than a myth.

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