What’s Newcastle Uni Really Like?

So I’m currently in my second year of being at Newcastle University and I’m studying Marketing and Management. I picked Newcastle mainly because my dad and aunt live up here and I wanted to be close to family but I didn’t want to stay in Lincolnshire for my degree. This has worked out great for me as I get to see this side of my family a lot more than what I used to do and I also think I’ve had a much easier time adjusting as I was already fairly familiar with the city. If you’re thinking about applying or have already decided here’s some information about what it’s really like at Newcastle Uni.

Newcastle campus is based right next to the city centre, although I never actually realised this until I was applying as the buildings are all in one place and its mostly students who spend time there. The main campus ends right next to the end of Northumberland street whereas the Business school is a 2-minute walk from Eldon Square which means during any breaks from lectures you can go grab food or run errands really easy.

We have some stunning buildings in Newcastle, Greys street is definitely somewhere you should check out if you come here, but it’s not a city full of huge buildings and there’s plenty of green space if you know where to look. The main place close to campus is Leazes park, there’s also Exhibition park north of the city and if you’re moving to near Jesmond there’s Jesmond Dene. If you want to get out into the countryside though you can also get a bus to the surrounding areas, for example I love going to and volunteering at National Trust’s Gibside estate which is around a 30-minute bus journey from town centre.

Speaking of buses, there’s loads of them and they often run every 10-15 minutes for certain routes during the day. It’s really cheap as well in my first year it was actually cheaper to get the bus for £1.85 to my dad’s house with my washing than it was to use my accommodation laundry room. There’s also the metro which a lot of my friends who live in Jesmond buy a monthly pass for which is really good. The metro goes to the coast as well so if you wanted to take a trip to the beach you can! Although note: it’s usually really cold during term times except for spring time. Taxis are also really cheap, and we have Uber although I normally go for a local company such as Blueline or Budget.

The majority of city centre is currently building more and more student accommodation so you’ll definitely be able to find somewhere to live. In my first year I lived in the View which was the most expensive that the university offered at about £130 a week, this was shared but with ensuites. I currently live in a studio flat which takes about 10/15 minutes longer to walk into town for £135 a week so it really depends on whether you take the uni’s offers or find somewhere else yourself. Unfortunately I didn’t take photos of the View but I did a blog post on what my current place looks like if you want to see. Also if you house share in second year it’s a lot cheaper, but I like living on my own so I decided that the cost was worth it for me personally.

Overall the city is fairly cheap, especially when you go out as drinks are normally on offer or there’s reduced or even free entry to clubs. There’s loads of student discounts, and often fresher’s week and restaurant week so many places are just trying to get you in the door with discounts, coupons, free drinks etc.

People always mention the weather when they talk about the north, and yes Newcastle is very cold during winter. We’re right next to the River Tyne and we’re not that far from the coast so it can get very windy. It doesn’t rain more than the midlands where I grew up, but because it gets windy it feels worse, and it usually breaks your umbrella so I recommend investing in a warm hooded coat before you move here.

I think that’s everything, if you have any questions about going to Newcastle University or if you just want to move to Newcastle then comment or message me on social! I’d be happy to help!