Why did you choose to study at Newcastle University?
When I was applying for university one of my main reasons was to find a university that was not too close to home. I wanted to have some independence. I was also unsure if I was ready for university studies, so I decided to choose a university that offered me a Foundation year as part of my degree.
I chose Newcastle University because it ranked high for Mechanical Engineering. I also had great reviews from one of my teachers about the city and the university as well.
Has Newcastle University lived up to your expectations?
I don’t think I had any expectations with university apart from having a good degree. I will say though that I didn’t expect the connection between the people of the city and the students. I heard that this was a friendly city but experiencing it was different.
Having friendly people played a major deciding factor when I finished my foundation year.
I guess I will have to say Newcastle university has lived up to my expectations, as the people of the city makes university life all the better.
The friendly nature that I expected was met and that is all that I wanted. When I started university, I wanted to have freedom without fear of judgement, and Newcastle university was able to provide me with that.
What has most impressed you about the University?
The most impressive thing for me about university has to be the openness of conversations between staff and students.
When I started as a course rep, I was not sure if any of the issues that I reported Would be listened to. However, sitting in the meetings with staff members proved me wrong. Having the discussion to see how they can improve our learning experience amazed me.
The staff were actually interested in hearing what feedbacks we had. I don’t know about other universities but to me this was impressive.
Also, the job opportunities that Newcastle university offers their students. They provide support for people who want to start their own business as well as after school jobs that don't interrupt studies.
How supportive are academic staff on your degree programme?
The support that I have received has been outstanding, I can attest to this as I have been a course rep for three years. The academic staff not only offered help when it came to modules and degrees. They also supported any university life questions that we had.
The staff members have been amazing any support I needed I was able to find, and they are easy to approach and talk to. You are able to approach any staff member with your questions and concerns about the degree and life.
If you had any concerns, they made sure that you got the right help, and didn't give up until the concern you had dealt with.
What has been your favourite experience at Newcastle?
In Stage 2 we had this big project submission for our design module. We had to complete the design within a week; we all spent the week at the library!
It was the first that I felt like a proper engineering student. The week before we all spent time at the library and made it into a big study group session. Seeing the entire Stage 2 together laughing as we did our designs was a nice feeling.
After the submission we had a big night out and enjoyed the stress that comes with engineering.
What advice would you give to your younger self about university life?
I will tell my younger self to relax and have fun. Having a good degree is amazing, but you can have fun as you are doing it.
Also don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, university is where you make lifelong friends. Also, everyone is as nervous as you to speak, so start by saying hello and the rest will become easy.
I will also say practice a lot of maths - engineering can be as hard as they say.
