Student Profile

About me

Name: Anne
Course: Economics and Business Management BSc
Study mode: Full time
Where I’m from: Norway

Choosing Newcastle

Using the EQUIS accreditation website, I chose from the business schools that seemed most interesting. It was important to me that the University and the business school had good rankings. In addition, I was aiming at going to a university in the north of England as I was told it was a cheaper place to live. Newcastle had courses that appealed to me, as well as being a university located in a city centre. I had never been to Newcastle before I moved here, so except from academic reputation, all my choices were based on reading about past student experiences and information from the University web page. Luckily it turned out to be an excellent choice.

Studying at Newcastle

I definitely enjoy the economics modules the most; the way of thinking and reasoning suits me more than the business modules do. Except from that I have to say the professors (or some of them). There is just something about sitting in a lecture theatre and listening to someone who is so interested and caught up in the subject they are teaching. A lot of them have a good sense of humour as well. I don’t think I have one favourite module, but I do have favourite professors though. In fact, some of the modules I chose in stage two and three were partially based on the professor teaching it.  

Recommending Economics and Business Management

It’s the best of both worlds. I thought that business management was what would interest me when I started, but I quickly found out that I actually enjoy the economics part best. In stage two and stage three you are able to choose some modules to personalise it more to your interests, so you can end up with a 60/40 share of economics–business modules or even a 80/20 share. Incorporated in the degree is also the choice of having a placement between 2nd and 3rd year, to gain some work experience. This is a great opportunity, and the Business School will be of big help when applying for internships. I think this module is a great choice for people who don’t want to choose just economics, or just business management. It might also help you gain advantage in terms of jobs. 

Funding my studies

I get a loan/part scholarship from my government at home, which covers my tuition fees and my rent, and I fund living expenses by working over the holidays when I’m home. Honestly I am not the best person at budgeting, but I’ll try giving some tips… Do one (BIG) food shop a week or every other week; make packed lunches, as buying lunch every day eventually turns out quite pricy; realise that you don’t need a new outfit every time you are going out; if you need to buy books, buy second hand, if not the library has an excellent selection (that is if you’re quick enough); if you live outside the city centre, get a bike – there are many places that also sell them second-hand.

Other than that I know of many people who get a part time job whilst studying - working weekends and/or some weekdays - and that is absolutely plausible way to earn some extra money. Overall it is not the most expensive city to live in, for instance £10 is enough to survive on a night out. 

Accommodation

I lived in Central Link (Liberty Plaza), which is situated behind the Business School. I shared living room and kitchen with five other people, however I had my own bathroom, which was nice. I know there is a lot of bad stories out there about students ending up with people they absolutely don’t get along with, but this was not the case for me. My flat got on like a house on fire! My favourite time was to come home and have chats with them in the living room before we went to bed. There are three flats like that on each floor in Central Link, and early in freshers week we made friends with the other people on our floor. We became such good friends that we’ve been living together since. 

Living in Newcastle

What I like most about life in Newcastle is the fact that the city is so vibrant. There is always something on, whether it is a Tuesday or a Saturday. You have all you need in the city centre, and it is super easy and quick to move from A to B. The people here are known for their friendliness, and there is a reason for that - being met by a “hey love” and “thank you pet” in stores just has its own charm.

Furthermore, there are so many events happening that capture all types of interest, whether it is a vintage market, a vegan food festival, a German “bierfest”, obstacle runs, fun fairs, world food stalls, comedy nights, theatre, concerts etc. Also, my favourite place in this city, Grainger Market, is a gem that needs to be visited! The city is in no way boring, and deserves to be called one of the best (and happiest) student cities in the UK.

Getting involved

With the wide range of societies and clubs, I am sure there is something there for everyone – ranging from high performance sport clubs to social sport societies to specific interest societies. I’ve been part of the Womens Basketball Club for three years, and I can honestly say that has made my experience here ten times better. Apart from the trainings and games every Wednesday, the sport clubs are really known for their social events.  We have nights out with fancy dresses, sober socials where we have food and just relax and Christmas/award balls. This is of course different from club to club. I was also part of the Scandinavian society in my first year, where I met other students from my home country. They normally hosted events that were based on traditions we use to do back home, as well as going on trips and explore areas around Newcastle. 

Sports

I’ve played for the women’s 1st basketball team since my first year, competing in the BUCS league. Basketball has received major support over the past two years, which have really shown results as we have gone from being a mediocre 1a team to a premiership team. We are now part of the 8 best female university teams in the country. Sadly the court at the Sports Centre is too small to play on under premiership regulations, so we have had to book an outside court for our home games during this year, however this was organised for us by personnel at the Sport Centre. Luckily, there are plans for a new sports hall, which will be bigger and better than the one we have now!

BUCS Wednesdays are very important, and the day sport-teams week revolves around. The university, the Sport Centre, and the AU officer help promote as many games as possible, as well as results the next day. The University newspaper, The Courier, has a sport section that reports the biggest games every week, which is good advertisement for the teams. 

Playing sports at Newcastle is a serious matter; you are expected to perform and to continuously improve. The fact that the university cares about sport performance is what makes Team Newcastle so strong and help us keep climbing up that BUCS table.

Career goals

First of all I am planning on continue studying and doing a master degree. I’ve always been sure I was going to study further but never really found what I wanted to do. This last year at Newcastle has made me seriously consider doing an economics master, as I’ve enjoyed it so much over the past years. As for career aspirations, I have the philosophy that I will not find my dream job unless I try different things. And obviously, with a good degree from Newcastle I believe I will be a strong applicant, both in terms of the job market and for getting into further studies.

In general though, Newcastle University, and also the Business School, host several job-fairs every year. Ranging from a major job-fest in St. James Park, to smaller “gatherings” just aimed at business school students. In addition to job-fairs, the university has an excellent careers service department, which help you with your CV as well as informing about available positions at different companies.