Martyn

Choosing Newcastle

I went to several open days, and Newcastle just clicked for me. I loved everything about it, from the city, the campus, and the actual course itself. Every student and staff member I met encouraged me even more to come to Newcastle University. It was a no-brainer by the end.

About your course

The course is very challenging. We are at the University a lot, but the course is interesting and the long hours have helped bring everyone together. I’ve made some great friends amongst course mates and had some great times with the course society. My favourite module is Plant Design in the third year, as it presented a great chance to bring all my knowledge and learning together and apply it to a large scale project.

The lecturers are fantastic and really enthusiastic about the course and the subject. They are so intelligent and literally leaders in their field and you get that feeling right from lecture one in the first year.

Recommending Newcastle

If you want an interesting, challenging and social course, come and do Chemical Engineering and do it at Newcastle University. We work hard and we play hard, and the long hours are made great by the people you spend them with, both lecturing staff and students.

Living in Newcastle

The social side of Newcastle is simply the best bar none. Especially after a hard day’s studying, there’s such a wide range of activities to do in the University and the city to wind down and relax, ranging from karaoke at the Union to plays at the Theatre Royal to Newcastle’s famous nightlife. No one does it like we do in Newcastle!

Clubs and societies

I absolutely loved getting involved with the Chemical Engineering Society and the Athletics team as well as intra-mural football and hockey sides (Up the Panthers!). I’ve had some great nights out and made friends for life from both. They’ve added value to my CV, but even if they didn’t, I couldn’t recommend either enough - I’ve had experiences that will never leave me. A highlight has to be competing in the Olympic Stadium, with not only the support of the crowd but also that of my team mates; it was sensational.

I was Athletics Captain and am President of the Chemical Engineering Society, and have loved every single second. There’s no better feeling than not only being a member of a society but being actively involved and helping everyone to have the best experiences they can. I’ve toured the country and the world competing and going on trips/socials with both athletics and Chemical Engineering.

I couldn’t recommend anything more than joining societies and sports clubs; you’ll have the best time of your life!

Accommodation

I lived at home for most of the first year. My commute was a 30 minutes bus ride to the University. It was a bit more difficult than some students who lived five minutes' walk away, but I never missed any lectures or socials, as I always had a floor or a spare bed to sleep in.

In my later years, I lived in various student houses from Gosforth to Sandyford to Heaton, with a range of people, from course mates to local friends. It was easy to sort out and I never felt like there was a shortage of houses to choose from and at very reasonable prices.

Student finance

Always budget, know what you’re going to buy food wise, give yourself a budget for social activities, and then don’t go nuts with it.

The University is really good at advertising and giving the students one-off work such as helping out at Open Days. I had a part-time job for my first two years and also worked as an ambassador for Chemical Engineering, so I earned bits of money to top my student loan up.

There’s always loads of opportunities during the summer, both within University and outside to earn some extra money - don’t waste those chances.

Career aspirations

I plan to stay at Newcastle and go into academia to carry out research and hopefully lecturing. I have also looked at graduate jobs, and the University has been incredibly helpful with both. The Careers Service is invaluable, and organise employer presentations, provide CV checking services, and conduct practice interviews.

They have definitely made the whole transition into the real world a lot easier and a lot less stressful. Newcastle has set me on the path to my career goals because of the dedication of its staff and the tremendous industrial links that the lecturing staff, school, and the University as a whole have, which has definitely opened doors.

On a non-academic level, the University and university life has let me grow and develop and has taught me so many vital life skills that I will use throughout not only my career but my life in general.