September is upon us again, meaning that the countdown to Freshers is on! 

Our new Social Media Assistant, Lily, gives you her 5 top tips on how to make the most out of your time with us!

To our returning students, Welcome back! Here’s to a new year of hard work and fun ahead!

For our new students, Hi and welcome! 

Starting in a new place can be scary, especially if you don’t know anyone or have travelled miles away from home for the first time. However, the SU has a few ways of making that transition into university life a little bit easier. 

As someone going into their second year (who was also a very nervous fresher last year), here’s a list of my top 5 tips on how to make the most of your first year or to make the most of whatever time you have left with us at UCLan! 

1. Make the most of Freshers' events!

As most people believe, Freshers is just for the first years. But that is completely wrong! Here at UCLan, Freshers is for everyone to enjoy, no matter what year you're in or what age you are! 

The SU have lots of events going on from September 22nd, where you have opportunities to make new friends and have some fun or come along with friends you may have already made from your flats or course. 

With the rebranding of the SU’s student social space - Lampworks, and the new use of 53°, there are going to be many opportunities right on campus for you to socialise. So for people who don’t always enjoy a night out on the town, or people who are looking for a quiet night out of the house, the Union definitely has something to appeal to everyone! 

Some of the events happening in the next couple of weeks include a Silent Disco, the Craft and Food Fair, Karaoke Night, Poster and Plant sale, a Weekly Quiz and my personal favourite, Bingo Lingo!

You can view all upcoming events here!

2. Join Societies!

The best decision I made last year was joining a society, and I have already renewed my membership for this year! Societies provide ways of enjoying hobbies that you already have or finding new interests. Societies also provide an opportunity to meet new people from a variety of courses and year groups, and there are always opportunities for social nights out and meet-ups throughout the year! There is truly something for everyone so there is no need to worry about not finding something that interests you. 

There are over 70 societies currently in the Union, but if we don’t have something to your taste or interest, you’re always welcome to create your own!

You can find out more here!

3. Join Sports Clubs! 

For all you sporty and athletic people out there, The SU has over 35 sports clubs for you to join. And even for those of you who haven’t really played a sport before, you can still join!

If you are a beginner or have never played a sport but want to join a team, all the clubs cater for any skill level, whether you have never stepped onto a field or pitch before or whether you have been playing since you could walk - there are opportunities for everyone! 

Our sports opportunities cater for those who want to play competitively and those who want to play for a bit of fun. There are always events going on for ‘Turn Up and Play’ sessions for all sports throughout the year, so there are always opportunities to try before fully committing or if you just fancy a bit of a play. For those who want to play competitively, UCLan are part of BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sports) leagues and play against other teams across the UK weekly. 

The biggest event of the year for the sports clubs is the yearly Varsity tournament against Edge Hill University, where teams from across both universities compete to win the Varsity cup at the end of the day! The last winners of Varsity were UCLan (obviously) beating Edge Hill, with the final score being 27-23. #TheBlueClan

You can find out more here!

4. Socialise in Lampworks!

As the new year begins, The SU is completing the finishing touches to the rebranding of what returning students would know as “Stop-Gap” to the brand new “Lampworks”! Lampworks is situated in the centre of campus right next to the main Students’ Union building, providing food, entertainment, drinks and an amazing social space for you and your friends to have fun in. Make sure to visit the events page on the Union website to find out what is going on in Lampworks!

You can find out more about Lampworks soon here!

And finally, 5. Just Have fun!

This one seems quite self-explanatory, but the best thing you can do whether you are a new or returning student is just have fun and explore everything that you can - not only within the SU but around Preston and the surrounding areas including, Manchester, Liverpool and Blackpool, which are all easily accessible via train or busses which run frequently around town. 

The main thing to take away from this is that even though starting in a new place is scary and daunting, everyone is in the same boat as you or has been in the same position as you at one point - we were all freshers once! To returning students, be a friendly face, if you see someone who might look a little lost or is sitting on their own, offer to help them out or start a conversation, a little goes a long way!

And that's it, if you're around the Students’ Union at any point this year, make sure to say hi and enjoy Freshers! 

Lily 

For more information about the Union, Societies, Sports and anything else that we offer, have a look around the Union website or come in and have a chat with one of our helpful members of student staff!