Student Profile

About me

Name: Alessia
Course: International Marketing MSc
Study mode: Full time
Where I’m from: Italy

Choosing Newcastle

I wanted to study my postgraduate year abroad, as I have always been fascinated by multiculturalism and studying in the UK was for me a great opportunity to improve my English as well. In particular, Newcastle University seemed to offer me a great education, with its triple accredited Business School and well-prepared lecturers.

Studying at Newcastle

My course is very international, which I love! I have the opportunity to work with people from different countries and different cultures, which gives me a taste of the future career I want to undertake. The course is well structured, and adapted to people who have not studied marketing before. It helps to develop multiple skills such as how to work well under pressure, delivering presentations and working in groups. We get to see the theory we study in practice.

My course is quite big, with many people from different cultures, which gives me the opportunity to learn a lot! The first semester gave me a basic knowledge of marketing and the opportunity to settle and adapt to this new life. The second term has just started and seems very challenging with the dissertation, exams and group work to prepare in little time, but I am sure it will help me to learn how to work under pressure and how to manage time profitably.

Compared to undergraduate studies, postgraduate study is more difficult and you get less time to do the work in. This Master’s requires a lot of hard work and many skills to be enhanced, as combining social life and study is not always easy, but it is definitely worth it!

Postgraduate Community

There is a postgraduate community on Facebook, but I prefer to meet people in social events the University as well students organise. We took part in the Greggs challenge where we competed to devise a product and got the chance to compete for the opportunity to meet with the CEO of Greggs. We also have opportunities to meet companies and see the work we study in practice.

In the Business School there are lots of people from different cultures and there are plenty of student parties where we can get in contact with new people.

Funding my studies

Since I finished my studies last year, I did not have time to work: I wanted to do a Master’s course first and because of that, my parents funded my studies.

NUBS however offers several scholarships that help people to pay the fees. I gained the Business Excellence Scholarship due to my past marks in my undergraduate studies, this was worth £2,000. Receiving this scholarship really helped my self-esteem.

Career aspirations

I don’t have a clear idea of where I want to work when I finish my Master’s but I am sure of one thing: I want to work in the international marketing field!.

The workshops Newcastle University offers will help me (How to Write a CV, Preparation for Job Interviews etc) which will allow me to clarify my ideas and be well-prepared for my future.

Accommodation

The first two weeks of the semester I lived in Henderson Hall, student accommodation the University provides in Heaton. As it was quite far from the city centre and required much time to reach it, I decided to move to Easton Terrace, another student accommodation, very close to the Robinson Library and quite near to the city centre as well. Every time I had an issue with the accommodation, the accommodation service was very patient and ready to help in very little time.

Living in Newcastle

I like the city very much, as it is not as big as I thought at first. You can reach most places by walking and the means of transport work perfectly being always on time and clean. It has many things to do, especially during the weekends. Furthermore, the city is well-connected with the other cities around, such as Durham, York, Edinburgh or London, which gives the opportunity to students like me to travel around and fully enjoy this one-year experience. The region has many museums, many cathedrals – at first I thought there wasn’t enough to do here but I have found there is lots to do. I really enjoy meeting my new friends at the pub.

Remembering Newcastle

I still have six months of this experience left and I am very sure the city will have many other adventures to offer. However, what I will remember in the future about Newcastle and its University is the people, open-minded and always ready to help you. British people are known, at least in Italy, for being “cold” and unfriendly, but that stereotype is absolutely wrong!.

There are many highlights of my postgraduate experience. I like British people very much, every time I have been in need they have helped me. I remember I got lost once and a women helped me by calling a taxi.