The American at Hogwarts
Newcastle has been a rollercoaster of emotions, packed with fresh and cool experiences. Now, it's study time. The Hogwarts-like enchantment takes a backseat to lectures and seminars, while reality sets in. Coming from the US, British university life surprised me. The campus is comprised of 1800s architecture, with the main eyecatcher being the Newcastle Arches. Yet, finding your way around? A puzzle. Some buildings hide signs, share names, or are scattered across the city. My Marketing class? A 30-minute walk from my dorm, 10 minutes from campus, and next to the Business School. Tip for future Newcastle students: map out your classes, know your walking route, and time how long it'll take to walk from point A to point B!
Navigating any university can be tricky, but the real game-changer is how campus life and classes work. It’s ok if you're a bit late; professors record lectures and start 5 minutes past the hour and wrap up 5 minutes early. At Newcastle, it's not 'classes' but lectures, seminars, and independent study sessions. Lectures cover main textbook stuff for the whole class. Seminars break it down, letting you ask questions and dive into smaller group discussions. Then, independent study means hitting the books, journals, and prepping for exams or projects on your own. Initially, you might think you have loads of free time, and you do, but the key is to use it for independent study and prepping for major projects or exams, because that's what you'll be graded on. Now, the grading system at Newcastle is a bit different. Below 40 is a fail, 40-70's average, and 70 and up is award winning stuff. So, don't stress if you get a 55%, that's normal! When you eventually get hungry, you've got two choices: eat at the campus restaurants or cook your own food. No meal plans or cafeterias here, so cooking is the way to go. I've personally started cooking more and managed to whip up some salmon and basic spaghetti with meatballs.
(Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs)
While everything I've just said can sound daunting, in the end, you'll have an amazing time with the amount of people you'll meet and talk to. The professors here are interesting and have a passion for their field that can come off as them being "quirky" in a good way. Along with the professors, most people here come from all over the world and are great to have conversations with regarding different views and opinions about life at Newcastle. Overtime, I've noticed that the majority of students are either from the UK or are from Asia. I've met people from Ireland, Japan, China, India, Thailand, South Korea, France, Lithuania, Sweden, and of course different parts of England. I have had so much fun chatting and exchanging social media with these students that I believe even the shyest person can make at least one good friend here. A good way to meet people here is to join a club, here called society. With over 200 societies, you can find people with interests in bee keeping, sports, baking, video games, Dungeons and Dragons, fashion, religion, debate, theater, llamas, yoga, and so much more. Overall, Newcastle is different, but in a way that is sure to leave you with new friends, new adventures, new ideas, and a bit of true magic.
(Group Trip to Tynemouth)
Comments
Post a Comment