Ryan from United States
MA Cross-Cultural Communication and Education
Academic Year: 2011-12
The Course
The course is fantastic. There is no chance back home of sharing my opinions with international students but here I can do that. As I form my opinions from my American background, it is very self-reflective. I feel challenged which is also important. I like the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences. The administrative staff are helpful and keep us well informed about lectures. The academic staff like to keep the students close knit. They are willing to chat about the subject out of class and I generally receive responses to my emails within an hour. There is a social group which I run and it is promoted by the tutors. It makes it feel more like a family than just going to classes every day.
Why Newcastle?
I chose to do an MA in the UK as it one year compared to two years back home and is also significantly less expensive. There is also a lot of prestige attached to a UK degree. I want to pursue a career in international education and Newcastle appealed to me as the programme content was perfect for my career path. I also spent six weeks here the previous summer at the International Summer School. I really enjoyed it and got to know the city and the University well. The Humanities and Social Sciences staff all did a great job and the Summer School was a big contributor in me deciding to study my MA at Newcastle.
University Facilities
The King's Gate building is great and the staff are very helpful. Any issues I have had have always been resolved quickly. The Robinson Library is fantastic. In the US, you generally have to buy your text books so it is amazing to have them all in one place to loan. You can also access online journals within 24 hours which is really useful. The School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences also has a learning resource centre with books and computer facilities specific for my course.
Students' Union
I have used some of the new soundproof booths in the Students' Union which are great for group work. My coursemates and I are also holding a social festival in there in February and the Union offers a good venue at a low cost. I also like the nice cheap drinks in the newly refurbished MENS bar.
Accommodation
I live in Leazes Terrace. It is great for postgraduate students as it is quiet with a good computer cluster and study lounge. We have also just made a games lounge with an X-Box. It is nice and clean and close to the school. The reception staff and senior residents are all helpful and friendly.
The City
Newcastle is a great city, similar to my home town of Baltimore in the USA. Everyone is pretty friendly and it has a lot to offer in terms of art and culture. There is good nightlife with pubs and clubs. The Quayside is beautiful and places such as Tynemouth and South Shields are close by and are almost like a mini vacation site, reached easily by the good Metro system. It is a very close knit community here - a nice medium somewhere between Edinburgh and London. In my spare time I go running on the town moor and like to cook group dinners for my flatmates.
Future Plans
After I finish the course, I plan to go back to my home town and work in international education.
Advice for Future Students from the USA
I would advise American students thinking of coming to Newcastle to be open minded and don't expect things to be the same as back home. They should embrace the culture instead of constantly comparing it and take advantage of every opportunity they get given.