Graduate College is a great place to study and live. As a member of the College, you are invited to join a whole host of activities with us, from social nights to sports, day trips to arts, crafts and cultural activity. We also run a monthly research event, the ‘PGR Cafe’ as well as an annual Postgraduate Research Conference - both of which are accessible to all postgraduates in person and via Teams.
Visiting & Living in Graduate College
Graduate College is located on the south-west of campus also called Alexandra Park. This is a residential and social area of campus. All teaching and departmental spaces are located on main campus, which is a short walk from Alexandra Park. Whether you are living on campus or locally or a distance learner who will be visiting less frequently, all the college facilities as well as the main university facilities are open to you.
Before you arrive - checklist
- Download the free iLancaster App. It’s available for an iOS, Android or Huawei device and is an invaluable tool for anyone visiting or living on campus. You can view your digital ID card, academic timetable, campus bus information, launderette availability plus information on upcoming social events and much more. You can also access the fault reporting system if you ever need to report any repair needed in your accommodation – a great tool to help you with university life!
- Join an online Q&A Session. If you have any questions you would like to ask, we are hosting an online Question & Answer session with staff and some current students who will be happy to help. Details of the Q&A sessions can be found on our .
- Complete the online induction courses. Training is provided on topics that are important to the University community and our core values such as Bystander Intervention, Consent, and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, alongside digital wellbeing and information security. You can find out more here and access the courses.
- If you are joining us at the beginning of an Academic year - Bookmark the Welcome Week site.Here you can find all the welcome and induction activities and events from the College, sports centre, student services teams, and departments. We also encourage bookmarking and the – where we duplicate information about most events in order to make sure as many people as possible know about them. Where possible, we offer events online as well as in person.
- Bookmark the . This site can help you find part time work while you study – to supplement your funds and help you gain experiences and meet others. There are lots of opportunities advertised here throughout the year, which will fit in with your studies and any visa requirements.
- Download the app if you are going to be parking a car on campus - this is particularly important if you are arriving outside the main September/October arrivals period. Full information about parking on campus is on the parking webpage here.
Arriving on Campus
- From Manchester Airport If you are using the Airport transfer service from Manchester, this service will bring you to a point on campus close to the college. You will then be directed to the college and key collection point by student ambassadors. Outside the main arrivals times, you will be able to catch a direct train from the airport to Lancaster. The will help you plan your journey.
- Driving When you arrive by car, come onto campus via the as this is closest to . You will be able to bring your vehicle up into the college for a short time to unload, and then relocate to the large car park to make room for others. If you use a taxi or uber, they will not need to pay parking fees if they are just here for a short time to drop you off.
- Parking fees on campus will not be charged during the main arrivals weekend or welcome week. Outside this time, anyone parking on campus will need to pay via the app. Campus uses at all the entrances/exits, so please make sure you don’t forget!
- By Rail/Bus If you are travelling into Lancaster railway station, this is located in the city centre so you will need to use a , taxi or uber to travel on to campus (approximately 2 miles from the city). You may also be able to share your taxi/uber with other arriving students to save money, and they will be able to drop you off close to the key collection point. are the local bus operators and the closest bus stop to Graduate college is on . They have an app, accept contactless payments, and you can use cash (we recommend coins or small value notes to make the payment).
- Key Collection Everyone living in Graduate College will collect their keys from the . Key collection is available 24 hours a day so please do not worry if you are arriving very late or super early! Don’t forget to bring your Arrival Code with you – this can be on your phone, tablet or printed and you can download it from the .
- Family Flats If you are going to be staying in campus family accommodation, please refer to the information from the accommodation team to ensure you are going to the correct key collection location.
Social Activities & Events
There are plenty of opportunities to socialise in Graduate College, with weekly activities, a dedicated social space, a social/study space for student families, and a bookable group cooking & dining space.
Everything we do is advertised widely through various digital and physical media - links to all the digital event and news sources are here
College Sport
The College has sports teams for , and , including Pool, Darts, and Dominoes. These teams compete with the other 8 colleges at Lancaster in inter-college leagues. Contact them direct to find out if they have any openings for players.
International Students
Graduate College has a large international community. If you are new to the UK, we provide guidance and support to help you settle in, as well as a ‘buddies’ programme where you can ask questions and make new friends. Find out about life as an International student
Membership
Lancaster is different to many other universities – we have a collegiate system and everyone at Lancaster (students and staff) become members of a college when they join. As a postgraduate student, you are a member of Graduate College. Once you have completed the online university registration process, your college membership fee will be added to your . Information on the college membership fee is available via the . The membership fee provides funds for college activities and events which are open to all postgraduates, college sports, improving and maintaining facilities, and much more throughout the full calendar year. Distance learners, students attending pre-sessional courses and exchange students are not required to pay the fee, which is only charged in the first (or only) year of any course.
Representation & Getting Involved
(LUSU) is a separate organisation to the university and college, with a focus on student representation and support at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Linking Colleges and LUSU are elected teams of students – for Postgraduates this team is called the Postgraduate Board (PGBoard). Their primary role is to represent all postgraduate students whether they live on or off campus, whether they are part time or full time, whether they are here as an individual or with their partner/spouse/child(ren). They represent all of you, so they need board members from all of these postgraduate populations. If becoming part of the Board is of interest to you then look out for elections in Term 1 or speak to LUSU at any time to find out more.