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Emily Phillips

History Major, Graduated 2005

When I first chose Lancaster, I have to say my reasons were mainly social. The intimacy of campus and college life were a big attraction to me, especially coming to university as an independent student with no parental support. I definitely found what I was looking for, Pendle college soon became like home (with the bar as my living room). However, what I didn't expect was the huge support I received from the history department, who became like a little extended family to me! Throughout my three years the department staff and tutors helped me with everything from academic to personal  to financial problems. I was lucky enough to receive several bursaries and prizes during my studies, without which I would have really struggled. However, like in any good family, you have to pull your weight, and although getting down to some hard academic graft was quite low on my priority list as a fresher, I  actually found it hard not to get motivated. My course on the Fall of Rome at Part One was an ideal place for me to get to grips with my own intellectual style and ability, having such a massive scope, I was really inspired by the course to develop my own thinking about history, and I went into part two with a real enthusiasm for my degree. Again, I was not disappointed- the real highlight for me in second year was the unit on Indian history, which gave me a completely different (non-western) perspective on how to think problems through. I used this perspective to write a sort of source based-cum-historiographical dissertation, which in the end, didn't really fit any kind of pigeon holes. That is just the thing about history at Lancaster- you can run with it any way you like. And if, after the first two years, all the gentle encouragement and assistance to help me think differently and for myself didn't work, then my third year course on life and death in the modern world (which takes no prisoners) gave me a good intellectual kicking. Indeed, it was in my third year history of science options that I was really able to find my feet as a historian. Being a hardcore humanities girl, I was a little daunted by the topics of medicine and science at first. However, I quickly learnt the most important lesson that a historian of science will ever discover, that is, these areas are simply arts in themselves, albeit in disguise and with words that are harder to spell. But the slightly scary terminology shouldn't put anyone off- our tutors don't win prizes for nothing you know!

Three years ago I wouldn't have even dreamed of coming out of uni with a first and a scholarship to study an MA in London, but then three years ago I didn't know the delights of studying history at Lancaster!

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