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Direct Enrollment at Lancaster University

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Lancaster University International Office
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About

Many students have studied at Lancaster for part of their undergraduate degree. Credits can be transferred to your home university and applied to your degree here.

- Lancaster University is one of the UK’s top universities given its consistently high ranking in the UK league tables and is established as a world player in research and teaching.
- Lancaster is one hour’s train ride from Manchester, two hours from Edinburgh and 2.5 hours from London.
- University accommodation is guaranteed to non EU study abroad and exchange students.
- The Lancaster campus is one of the safest in the UK.
- The Study Abroad Programme is fully integrated and you will study and live alongside UK and other international students.

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Questions & Answers

Reviews

95%
based on 2 reviews
Leave a Review
  • Academics 8
  • Support 9
  • Fun 9.5
  • Housing 10
  • Safety 10
Showing 1 - 2 of 2
Default avatar
Anissa
Age:
35
Female
Centreville, VA
9/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Great Place to Study Abroad

Dec 19, 2015

I studied abroad at Lancaster University for a year - 2005 to 2006. I was excited to experience a new setting and a new school, but I was nervous about leaving my friends and family for so long. I lived in dorm housing with a bunch of Lancaster students, so I felt like a bit of an outsider at first, but they were extremely welcoming and I made some great friends.

The curriculum was pretty challenging, but nothing unlike my classes back in the U.S. It was not difficult to manage my studies while leaving enough time to travel around England as well as to several other European countries. I saw a lot of places and met a lot of great people. I definitely recommend the program.

Default avatar
Jennifer
Age:
26
Female
Lake City, PA
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Life at Lancaster

Oct 15, 2014

I live with 7 other students in a flat consisting of a communal kitchen and single ensuite rooms. Even though we all have our own rooms, everyone in the flat is very close. We cook meals together, watch television and films together, tease each other and generally get on very well. We are a little family.

My classes are all a mix of lectures and workshops/seminars, which is wonderful because I get a chance to learn and retain the information, and then a session to put my knowledge to use. The lecturers and tutors are quite friendly and always open to questions.

The campus is full of shops so it is not hard to find everything you need for classes without going out of your way. There are two supermarkets, a charity shop, a book store, an office supply store, Greggs, Subway, several food joints, a free service travel agency, two libraries, and other such places that make student life so much easier.

There are more clubs, teams, and societies on campus than I have ever known a university to have! There is everything from sky diving club to tea appreciation club, from equestrian team to living history club, from two different dance societies to fandom based clubs, from football appreciation club to English literature club to animal welfare society. There is so much to do on campus and Fresher's Week is a blast! I would strongly recommend Lancaster University to anyone who is looking to study abroad. The town is safe, welcoming, and nearby (15 min by bicycle, 45 walking, or there are constantly running buses from the uni), the people are friendly, and the campus is wonderful.

What would you improve about this program?
The only complaints I have are that my flat is in the furthest corner of campus from everything else, but that is all luck of the draw and where you apply to live. I get a lovely walk anytime I need to go into the center of the uni, but it does take a good 15 min to walk to many of my classes. Also, because I am so far out, sometimes cell phone service is dicey. Other than my flat location, everything about Lancaster has been splendid.
Read my full story

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Jennifer Torrance

Program
Direct Enrollment at Lancaster University

Jennifer is a young woman from Lake City, Pennsylvania who attends Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, where she is a junior working toward her environmental science degree. She works for Allegheny College’s aquaponics system, is a swim instructor at the YMCA, and does some invasive species management on Presque Isle State Park in the summers.

She enjoys swimming, horseback riding, swing/ballroom dancing, and working on art and sewing projects.

female headshot

What is one piece of advice you'd give future students traveling with your program?

Drop your American pride and go in with an open mind, no matter where you go. You will learn so much more if you try to live and behave along with the culture of where you are studying.

Make friends with a variety of people; try new foods; stay in hostels; learn local phrases; listen to others’ ideas, visit small towns, not just tourist attractions; take a train and get off somewhere at random at least once; even if you don’t drink (I don’t) go to a club or two; enjoy a relaxed night in a pub chatting with locals or listening to live music; take any opportunities that come your way.

Really, just immerse yourself in the culture – that is how you will make the most of your experience.

Did you run into a language barrier? Did you ever think you knew more/less of the language?

When I first arrived, I could hardly understand anything anyone was saying, and they were all speaking English! It took a couple of weeks for me to be able to understand Northern accents. I tried to order a smoothie in a little café one time, and when the lady at the counter asked me if I wanted a whole, semi-skimmed, or skim milk, I just replied, “yes” because I didn’t understand a word she said.

I could not understand the bus drivers and just hoped for the best when I got on a bus. I was constantly asking the other American students if they understood what people said, and I remember being very confused when someone asked me, “Are you alright” as a greeting. Once I made some British friends; however, I quickly learned the accent and could even mimic the inflections within a couple of months.

Tell us about any interesting cultural tidbits you noticed about your country.

If the Brits ask “Are you alright?”, they are asking how you are, not worrying that something is wrong. When I first had someone ask me this, I replied, “Yeah? Do I look upset or something?” They just looked confused and walked away.

Similarly, if they ask, “Where are you from?”, it isn’t because they don’t know from your accent. It is because Brits don’t want to risk asking a Canadian if they are American by mistake. They really want to know what state you are from so they can try to place it.

Lastly, sarcasm. The Brits say everything so deadpan that it is hard to tell what is sarcasm and what is not. I still have no idea how they pick up on each other’s sarcasm. It always threw me off and led to awkward situations when I tried to explain myself after someone’s sarcastic remark.

Do you think your program changed you as a person?

Studying abroad taught me many things from how to maneuver through airports and new cities to how to cook, but most of all it taught me two very important lessons. The first is that listening to other people’s ideas about anything, from global issues to dinner recipes, is extremely rewarding. Listening is a key factor in learning and becoming more cultured. It also makes friends.

The second thing I learned is that I have not really seen much of the world. I have now been to eight different countries, but I have really only seen snippets. There is so much more out there to experience. The world is an endless source of knowledge, culture, and social and physical experiences. Studying abroad gave me a hunger for new ideas and experiences that will motivate me to strive for more in my life than I would have ever thought to do before.

Location

Location:
England
Currency:
English Pound
Weather:
Jan-Mar
52 F / 36 F
Apr-Jun
70 F / 41 F
Jul-Sep
73 F / 52 F
Oct-Dec
61 F / 37 F
Airports:
London-Heathrow
( LHR )
Manchester
( MAN )
Birmingham
( BHX )

From Buzzing London to tranquil Grasmere, England is accommodating to all different travelers. If you are here to see the tourist destinations, London will gladly keep you busy; however, if you want get off the beaten path, rent a car and drive around to get a true look at England -- don't forget to stay on the left side of the road!

About Lancaster University International Office

Students have been coming to Lancaster on short term study for credit since 1968, four years after the University was founded. Each year approximately 400 students from North America, Australia, Hong Kong, Europe (through the Erasmus Programme), and elsewhere in the world study at Lancaster for one term (10 weeks), two terms (6 months) or a full...

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