Rachel Marketing and Management BA Honours
Course Dates: 2008 - 2012
Choosing Newcastle
I chose Newcastle University mainly due to the range of business courses they offered and with the University being a city campus. Newcastle's nightlife also played a huge part in my decision as you need a good work life balance. I knew from the start of my degree that I wanted to take a placement year and Newcastle promote this whole heartedly as a University.
Studying at Newcastle
I have thoroughly enjoyed my course throughout the years I have been at Newcastle. Last year I completed an internship with IBM, which I would definitely recommend doing. I have gained so much practical business knowledge and skills from this and everything I have been taught at Newcastle I could put into practice.
In regards to surprises, I didn't realise the range of modules was so vast on my course. There are an abundance of different pathways that you can choose i.e. you can do more management modules, languages etc.
As for facilities, Newcastle University has just built an outstanding state of the art brand new business school, directly in the city centre. It finally feels like the business school has its own identity now we are all in one building. The school caters for everyone, whether you want a computer cluster, a quiet space to work or you can simply chill out and chat with friends in the social areas.
In 2nd year I took part in an extremely worthwhile module 'Business Enterprise'. The aim of the module is in groups to set up your own company. It is a real life simulation of what starting up a company is like. Myself and 3 other students started up an Events Management company and organised a charity ball for Cancer research UK.
As part of my degree in Marketing and Management, you can choose to take a year abroad on an Erasmus exchange or you can choose a placement year. I chose to do a placement year and was lucky enough to be a global social segment marketing assistant with IBM. I thoroughly enjoyed my placement year and learnt so much from it. I was given the opportunity whilst on placement to organise two global events in social services and social security, which were held in Vienna and Paris, and I was able to attend both, which were a great opportunity to network.
Living in Newcastle
Newcastle as a city is a fabulous place to be at University. It has numerous different areas to go out in, and caters for very different music tastes. It also has your areas such as Osborne road or the Quayside where you can go for drinks and nice meals, and then it has The Gate and the diamond strip for all your clubbing nights out. During the daytime Eldon Square is a great place to shop and spend your student loan.
I live in Jesmond which is a ten minute walk out of the city centre. It is a hub for 2nd and 3rd year students to live and has a great choice of wine bars and places to eat for very reasonable prices. Osborne road is the place to be, especially when they have happy hour on.
Accommodation Tip - Don't worry which student accommodation you get put into in first year, as every accommodation block is what you make it. I applied for Victoria Halls and Windsor Terrace, but ended up being given a room in St Marys. Living in halls was one of my favourite years at University. Everyone in St Mary's got on extremely well. We would all socialise together on an evening, either in our communal areas or in the social space if we weren't going out. Just go into halls quite open minded, and prepare yourself for a tiring year of very late nights, but nights that you will remember forever.
Socialising at Newcastle
I'm with friends on Osborne Road or chilling at one of our houses. I also go to fitness first gym as the University gym is quite a trek from Jesmond. In 2nd year I was out most nights of the week, so would spend my spare time recovering. However 3rd year is very intense, so most of my spare time is spent doing work if I'm not going out. Most students have part time jobs as well, to help fund the student lifestyle.
Best thing about Newcastle
The opportunities open to me. University is what you make it, and Newcastle offers you plenty of guidance and opportunities to make the most of your degree and student life.