Georgia S., Bachelor of Creative Industries
Lancaster University, England (Semester 1, 2018)
In semester 1 of 2018 I went on exchange to Lancaster University in England. It was an amazing, life-changing experience and I am so thankful I took the leap. I made incredible friends, got to travel to beautiful places, and had the best time of my life.
Accommodation 
Lancaster University is located about a 10-minute bus ride from the little town of Lancaster. It is a relatively small university town but it has everything you need!
I lived on campus in a flat, my room was really nice and newly renovated – I got my own bathroom and shared a kitchen with 7 other people. If you do decide to go to Lancaster University I would recommend trying to get into a townhouse, I wasn’t in one myself, but I had friends in one and I think you definitely get a better social dynamic as the whole bottom floor of the townhouse is a community area.
Living on campus was awesome, I loved being so close to my classes and so close to my friends! If I was ever bored in my room I could just walk five minutes and be at my friends’ houses. I made some amazing life-long friends that I spent my whole exchange with and traveled with.
Studying at the Lancaster University
I also really enjoyed my classes at Lancaster. I did all creative writing units at the university and absolutely loved it – the classes were all workshop style with a maximum of 15 in each class and were focused on improving your writing, they were so beneficial and I learnt so much.
Traveling and Transport
Another big benefit of going on exchange in England was the travel I got to do. The trains are amazing (if you go to England get a 16-25 rail pass – makes the trains cheaper for you and you definitely end up getting your money’s worth). My friends and I caught the train and spent our weekends in Edinburgh, Glasgow, the Scottish Highlands, Manchester, Lakes District, York, London, and Chester.
Another awesome thing about Lancaster – it is only about an hour away from Manchester Airport via train, so often we got cheap flights out of Manchester and flew to places in Europe. Lancaster had a one month mid-semester break so one of my friends and I flew to Europe and spent the month catching the train around, we traveled to about 10 different countries.
My friends and I also flew to Iceland for a week – amazing – and to Ireland as well where we hired a car and did a road trip. The travel I did was better than I could have ever imagined, and something I would never have been able to do if I wasn’t on exchange and living so close to it all.
Exchange changed my life, I grew so much as a person, and got to make some amazing memories. I am so glad I took the leap and went – yes, it was scary, but it was so worth it. If you are unsure my advice is to just do it! It is a once in a lifetime opportunity and you will have the most amazing time.
