UK – Chelsea
Student: Chelsea
Course: Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws
Program: Lancaster University Global Summer School
In June 2025, I spent three weeks at Lancaster University studying International Commercial Law over the trimester break, and it was honestly one of the best experiences I’ve had.
Coming back to Australia partway through Trimester 2 was a little bit of an adjustment. It’s never ideal jumping back into uni after being away, but I had done some Deakin work while I was over there which made a big difference. When I got back it was only Week 2, so I wasn’t too far behind and was able to catch up pretty quickly.
A typical day over there was really balanced. Most days we had seminars, so we’d all walk to breakfast together and then head to class. After that, we’d usually grab a coffee and either go to the library for a bit or just explore Lancaster and spend time together. The workload wasn’t too heavy, which gave us the chance to actually enjoy where we were. Lancaster itself is such a beautiful place, especially with the castle and the surrounding areas. It didn’t feel like a typical uni setting at all, especially when campus is surrounded by farming land. One thing that surprised me was how quiet the campus was. Because it was summer, there weren’t many regular students around, mostly just people doing exchange programs like us. I would have loved to have experienced it during the university semesters.
Making friends felt really natural. I became close with people in my program but also met others from different courses. The university hosted social activities like badminton and game nights, which made it easy to meet people at the start. After that, we’d often go to the pub together or just hang out, so it didn’t take long to feel settled.
Apart from making friends and learning more about myself, a big highlight for me was travelling to the Isle of Man during our four-day break. The island was so beautiful and interesting, and it is somewhere I do not think I would have gone to if I wasn’t already so close to it. Lancaster is in such a great location. Some friends travelled to Scotland or London, and others went to Greece!
To afford the trip, I moved back home before going so I could save money. I had already saved with the intention of doing a longer exchange, so I used those savings, and I also accessed a government loan that goes onto HECS to help cover costs.
If I had to give one piece of advice, it would be to go in open-minded and without too many expectations. It might not be exactly how you picture it, but that’s kind of the best part. Just take every opportunity, say yes to things, and make the most of it!