My Fresher’s Fair Highlights
The madness is upon us! Freshers’ Fair is my highlight of Freshers’ Week and marks the beginning of an exciting new year.
It’s the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself into the wealth of activity campus has to offer, though can be somewhat overwhelming.
Here are some hints and tips to make your experience even better, with some recommendations of where to go, who to see, and what to look out for!
Student Media
A cornerstone of campus activity, our student media teams have been here since the dawn of Lancaster University. Comprising of four unique student groups, our student radio (BailriggFM), television (LA1TV), newspaper (SCAN) and cinema (Take2Cinema) offer a unique offer of events, skills, experience and opportunity unlike any other group on campus. Be sure to have a chat with them at the fair and how you can get involved and be a part of history!
Read more about Student Media here.
Academic and Departmental Reps
Everyone is a member of their department, and most departments at Lancaster have a dedicated student group for like-minded course mates outside of lectures. Being involved in my departmental society, both as a member and on the committee (shout out to LECSoc!), I found it a great place to meet people from my course, talk to older members about module choices, and have another community of people to relate to.
Memberships to Departmental Societies tend to be cheaper than other groups, and meetings always occur outside of lecture time. Make sure to take a minute to chat to your departmental society!
Read more about Academic Reps here.
Sport at Lancaster
Some call me biased, but I’m certain you won’t find a better institution in the world for being in a sporting community compared to what you can find at Lancaster. We offer 48 unique sport clubs; each ran by die-hard student executive committees (exec’s) who go above and beyond in their duties.
Competition varies between teams and clubs, from weekly fixtures to weekend events and tournaments, and community leagues.
The majority of our sport clubs compete at the start of Summer Term in our annual varsity event versus the University of York, aptly named Roses (see the 15th -century War of the Roses). This year is the 59th annual competition, with Lancaster leading 29 vs. 28. A round-up of last year's event can be viewed online which sums up sport at Lancaster quite poetically.
Look out for sport clubs showcasing what they have to offer on our outdoor pitches during the fair, and don’t forget to go along to taster and trial sessions at the weekend.
For more info about Sport at Lancaster, check out the Sport Rundown.
Lancaster University Students’ Union (LUSU)
You’ll find our stalls in the centre of the fair. Come over and say hi to get to grips with what gives campus it’s vibrancy.
All arms of the Students’ Union can be found at Freshers’ Fair, including...
Our nightclub, The Sugarhouse,
Our sustainability team, LUSU Green,
Our free, non-judgemental and confidential support service, LUSU Advice,
Our student housing agent, SU Living,
Our on-campus corner-shop, LUSU Shop,
Our Academic Representation team, who coordinate students to make change,
Your College JCR,
And, of course, you will be surrounded by our incredible student sport clubs and societies.
Hints and tips…
Some words of wisdom for navigating the fair...
Have patience! Freshers’ Fair is attended by thousands of our students each year, meaning a bit of patience is required from time to time.
If you’re particularly interested in a club or society but their stall looks busy, feel free to wait a minute or loop back around and chat to the exec. They’re there to talk to as many people as possible too so would love to have a chat!
The fair can be somewhat overwhelming at times, so make sure to take breaks and collect as many leaflets, handouts, Instagram handles and email addresses as you can. If after the fair you feel like you’ve missed a group, feel free to send them an email or reach out on Instagram for the run-down.
Week one isn’t make or break. All our clubs and societies take on members throughout the year, and we host a re-freshers fair every January to give this society or sport business another go.
Finally... just take it all in! Freshers’ Fair is just one small part of your time at Lancaster. The Students’ Union is here to support you throughout, so if you have questions or aren’t sure about anything, just come and have a chat to someone dressed in purple.
This year’s Freshers’ Fair is sponsored by Dominos.
Written by Jack Watson
ACTIVITIES OFFICER