Preparation
After getting my bachelor’s degree in media studies, I really wanted to do a master’s in economics. Since a Master of Science with a Bachelor of Arts is not easily possible in Germany, the decision was made relatively quickly that I would do my Master’s abroad. In England there is a group of leading research universities that have a particularly good reputation – the so-called Russel Group. So I looked at the universities in this group and chosen Newcastle University because I liked it best in terms of course / tuition / city. I then asked MicroEDU for help with my application and was provided with all the necessary forms and information material. For the application you had to write a letter of motivation and I also had two letters of recommendation from former professors. The application was made online and within three weeks I was offered a place at the university. Then I had to take the IELTS language test (IELTS or TOEFL are almost always required at English-speaking universities) and then nothing stood in the way of starting my studies.
Arrival and introductory week
The course was initiated with a one-week orientation week. During this week we got to know our study coordinator and our contact person for the master’s thesis. Since the master’s degree took exactly one year, we were prepared for our master’s thesis right from the start. In the first week we got all the information about the timing of the upcoming studies and had numerous opportunities to get to know our fellow students better. The university generally offers a variety of activities, workshops and “social gatherings” in the first few weeks, so that it is actually made as easy as possible for everyone to find their way around the new city and the new surroundings. The university also has a huge portfolio of societies such as the Fashion Society, Marketing Society, Tennis Society, etc., which you can join. In the first few weeks, all societies organize so-called “socials” to recruit new members so that one has the opportunity to get to know different societies and their members better.
Accommodation
Newcastle is known as a student city with its two universities (Newcastle University and Northumbria University) and therefore also has a huge range of student residences. I had already booked my dormitory (iQ Collingwood) from Germany and was able to move in comfortably on the weekend before the orientation week. The student dormitories are always furnished and in my opinion are the best option for foreign students as they are a) affordable and b) really uncomplicated. My student residence was located in such a way that I could actually reach everything on foot, which made my stay a lot easier. So I can really only recommend living in a student residence hall.
Course of studies
The course itself was divided into three semesters, two of which were teaching semesters and one semester for the master’s thesis. In general, the course content was very interesting and exactly what I had in mind. I have to admit, however, that I underestimated how stressful the year will be. Because the Master’s is done for one year, we had no semester break the whole year and the amount of work during the semester was really big. The first semester almost seamlessly merged into the second semester (the last exam of the first semester on Friday and the lectures for the second semester started on Monday) and parallel to the lectures, we had to constantly work on the preparations for our master’s thesis. I don’t want to scare anyone off because I have absolutely no regrets about the decision and, to be honest, it’s a really, really good feeling to have made it. I just want to say that a Masters in England cannot be compared to, for example, a semester abroad is because you simply have significantly less free time.
Newcastle student city
According to iamaccepted, Newcastle is often called the Vegas of England as it is an absolute party town and many English people go there for their hen parties. Basically, I can confirm that there is always something going on in Newcastle and that you can really celebrate there. The whole night life is also really very student-friendly, as drinks as well as admission etc. are really cheap. I can really recommend the city to students, especially because you can be at the beach within 20 minutes.
Conclusion
All in all, the master’s was the best decision I could make. It was by far the toughest year I’ve had so far, but it was absolutely worth it. I got to know great people, Newcastle is a great city for students that not only has a lot to offer, but is also really really beautiful, and the university also met all expectations.
