Student Profile

About me

Name: Ruta
Course: Modern Languages (German and Spanish)
Study mode: Full time
Where I’m from: Lithuania

Choosing Newcastle

After attending one of the Open Days, I loved how beautiful the Newcastle campus looked – the old red brick buildings on the outside and very modern on the inside, it combined both elements perfectly. It also caught my attention how green the campus was and I loved the fact that it wasn’t too big or small – just the right size.

I thought that the lecturers were very professional yet warm, and above all inspiring. They talked about their subject areas with so much enthusiasm, I couldn’t help but be excited to study here! The same goes for the students – they seemed genuinely happy to be at Newcastle and were very encouraging. The place just had a ‘’home-y’’ feeling to it.

Studying at Newcastle

I think the teaching quality is excellent. What I enjoy most is definitely the close relationship between the lecturers and students.

All of my lecturers have either written books, completed PhDs or have done extensive research and that reflects well during the classes – often the lecturers will share first hand experiences when discussing a foreign culture or refer the students to some captivating articles.There’s a high level of mutual respect and professionalism.

At the same time the lecturers are very approachable and always willing to help out outside of the classroom, which is wonderful! That kind of commitment is really appreciated and valued by all students, in my opinion. 

Student life

I’d say if you’re looking to enjoy the student life to the fullest whilst still studying at a university with great resources and opportunities, Newcastle is the place for you. Personally, I feel like Newcastle combines the two elements perfectly – the city is wonderful and packed of things to do and the university is located right in the heart of it. At Newcastle the language department is just the right size – it’s not so big that you feel lost and unimportant, but it’s big enough to offer a great range of languages. I have really enjoyed the fact that it’s incredibly flexible in terms of module choice as well.

Living in Newcastle

I believe that considering how compact Newcastle is, it’s got all the necessities of a big city – there’s a great number of pubs, restaurants, cafes, shops and the entertainment is great too, if cinema, bowling, casinos and so on are more your kind of thing. Another thing I’ve noticed is how friendly Geordies are – especially towards students! You can easily stop people on the street and ask for directions or recommendations. The friendliness is perhaps most apparent when you get into an Uber or a taxi, if you’re still using them, - there will never be an awkward silence at the driver’s end, they’re interested to know what you’re up to or just chat about yesterday’s match, anything really! I have to mention how it’s generally very safe, even at night when half of the town is out. Finally, the weather is a bonus too – there’s not that many rainy days and winters are pretty mild.

Career aspirations

Right now I am looking into a career in translating or interpreting or even teaching. At Newcastle, there are countless opportunities to enhance your CV. For example, there’s the NCL+ Award, helping you reflect on the skills you’re gaining whilst taking part in extracurricular activities.Moreover, the student mentoring scheme is a great organization to get involved with as well, as the mentors actually go to schools and run sessions on different aspects of university life, which is a great experience and it enhances your communication skills.

The University also organizes many talks and presentations by employers from all sectors and has other schemes you can get involved with, such as the Newcastle Work Experience (NWE), Rise up, Volunteering, NCL+ Advanced and many more. Finally, Careers Service provide a lot of help when it comes to applications, CVs, cover letters and other employment-related documents. To summarize, there are always many exciting opportunities that you can take advantage of here at Newcastle and I highly suggest you do so!

Accommodation

I now live in a huge house in Fenham and I absolutely love it!

In my first year I lived in Marris House and it was lovely – very close to university and conveniently right next to the Sports Centre – no excuses NOT to exercise every day! You might initially be shocked at the size of the rooms, but you’ll soon find yourself getting used to it. Besides, there’s a huge lounge for you to hang out in with your flatmates, and to be honest, this is probably the place where you’ll spend most of your time!

Funding my studies

I would say generally, be honest with yourself and assess your financial situation before entering university. Although Newcastle as a city isn’t expensive, try and work out a weekly budget and go from there. If you’re getting quite short on money, there’s an abundance of part time jobs available, you just need to look for them! Also, make sure you look into the financial help offered by the university, to make sure you’re not missing out on a grant you might be entitled to.