A 2nd year international student here. Lancaster University was my first choice.

Lancaster Uni has a long history of teaching creative writing (almost 50 years if not more), a good standing in the subject tables and is not pretentious. That’s the reason why genre fiction can flourish among students and they are not looked down on. So if you write YA or romance, it can be a great place to study as the department has dedicated modules. There’s also a Science Fiction module for English Literature students and I think they are introducing even more similar modules so it’s extremely genre-friendly if you don’t want to delve into literary fiction writing.

Some English Literature and Creative Writing modules can be hit and miss, but the department is highly responsive and will make according changes. Creative Writing seminar groups are small and students have an opportunity to go to 1-to-1 tutorials with their tutors, but I whish they there longer and held more frequently. The quality of Creative Writing seminars can also fluctuate, depending on the level of the students, but my overall experience is positive. Definitely coming out of the programme as a more confident writer.

English Lit side is challenging, demanding, but rewarding. Lectures are informative and interesting. I’d say the biggest win is the programme itself: spending equal time on English Lit and Creative Writing is the perfect combo for aspiring writers.

Whilst covid has ruined the degree programmes of a lot of my friends, my experience at Lancaster University has been the entire opposite. Our collective struggle has brought the community together and the adaptability and support I’ve have been given cannot compare. I have had assurance and support at every corner and always felt like I could contact anyone in the university. The opportunities from societies, and the close-knit social scene in the city means everyone has the choice of who they want to be. We have international students from all over the world, speakers from high profile universities and a college system that centres community and competition at the core of the university. Our Moodle website means all information can be found together, and the student run newspapers means every one gets a say. For my course personally, my choice of subjects and topic flexibility means I can change my degree how I want, whilst the wide ranging specialist lecturers allow me to simply book an office appointment and have an intimate chat about my ideas. This is made even better by the beautiful campus, and events such as Roses which give the university it’s name. Although Lancaster isn’t the biggest city, the high employability rate comes from its supportive staff and community that ensures everyone gets where they want to be.