Application process
The application process was very quick and straightforward. After about 10 days I had already been given a place at the university, which was very pleasant because I could then start planning. The university only wanted to have the scans of the respective documents that had to be uploaded to the application portal and did not want to see any original documents afterwards. However, it has to be said that some documents are required (as is the case with most other universities): 2 letters of recommendation, 1 letter of motivation, IELTS testand certificates, if necessary you have to have them translated into English. Therefore, it is best to plan enough time before applying so that you have the documents to hand in good time. There are no fees for the application itself, as is customary at some other British universities.
Education
In general, it can be said that Newcastle University really has its good reputation, and rightly so. The course itself is well structured and the organization works without any problems. You get a lot of information about course selection, exams, etc. and there are great lecturers. As at all other universities, there are of course one or two black sheep here whose course I personally didn’t like that much, but you can find that everywhere. The course size varied from very small seminars (6-8 people) to large lectures (approx. 100 people), which surprised me a bit, as I assumed that the general course size would have been smaller.
It must also be said that the master’s courses in England are very international in focus. The students really come from everywhere, a large number of them come from Asia. This is of course not a problem in itself, but you should be aware that you hardly have any British fellow students. Of the 100 or so students on my Masters program, 3-4 actually came from England.
Personally, I found the workload for the master’s degree quite demanding, especially at the end of each semester you really dig yourself into the library. Depending on the course, you either have to hand in a lot of homework in a short time or you have many exams. However, this certainly varies from course to course. I’ve heard from a few other students that they didn’t have that busy and others had more to do. In general, it can be said that studying in England is really very schooled.
Regarding the learning atmosphere, one could mention that the university is well equipped. The library has a much better collection of books and databases than I was used to from undergraduate studies. There are computer clusters in almost all buildings and the seminar and lecture rooms are all equipped with good technology. Then you can really see where the high tuition fees are going. On the other hand, the university offers a huge selection of societies and sports clubs, where everyone can find something suitable if they feel like it. The Student Union also organizes many excursions and events.
Living
I had rented a room in an apartment in advance through the university because I didn’t feel like having to search on site. In retrospect, however, I would not recommend doing it the way I did. At first I found the apartments to take some getting used to, the rooms are on average much smaller than in Germany, hardly isolated and I heard from some of them that they had bad mold in the room. So maybe you should visit the room first before signing a contract. The contracts usually run for a year and you can’t cancel the room earlier or move out if you don’t like it there.
According to ehuacom, good residential areas are Jesmond and Sandyford, which are very close to the city center, so it is easy to walk to the university. It is a little cheaper to live in Heaton, but then you have to walk for 30-40 minutes.
The bus system is a bit confusing, there are no clear bus or route plans and it is relatively expensive. There is a metro, but it has only a few stations in the city. But she drives directly to Tynemouth and you are at the beach in 20 minutes.
Life
I really liked Newcastle. The city is not too small, so there is a lot to do and not too big, so that it becomes confusing and you can reach most of it on foot. It is also the location of Newcastle great. You can get to the beach very quickly, but other cities such as Durham and Edinburgh are not far away and definitely worth a trip. In general, the area around Newcastle is very beautiful. If you long for the big city, you can be in London in 3 hours by train. Traveling by train is quite expensive in England, but you can either get a Railcard or take the bus. But then instead of 3 hours it takes a good 7 hours.
I have mentioned the high costs a few times now, they are simply part of life in England. Everything from food to transport and rent (plus electricity, water, etc.) is far more expensive than in Germany. But it has to be said that Newcastle is a comparatively very cheap British city. Further south, life quickly becomes even more expensive.
When it comes to evening entertainment, Newcastle lives up to its reputation as a party and student city. Those who like to party will get their money’s worth. There are countless clubs and bars in the city and there is actually something for everyone. Anyone who has checked out ‘Geordie Shore’ before will find that this is not just television, it really is! But I have to say that the Geordies are generally incredibly friendly and helpful and make it easy for you to get used to them. You quickly get used to the amiable but difficult to understand accent.
On the whole, I can only recommend everyone to go to Newcastle. Newcastle simply impresses with the good university and the city itself. I had a really great year there and in the end I could hardly believe that the time was over so quickly.
