Meet Elliot

What I love about Newcastle University

I love the campus; everything feels very interconnected and the walkway near the Armstrong Building is beautiful. Even though I'm not a huge fan of going out in the evening, if I wanted to, I would easily be able to find a restaurant, pub or bar that fits the vibe I like or want at the time. I feel that the city itself is incredibly walkable and also has everything I could need. I love going through campus and seeing people relaxing on the grass when it gets warmer and also, I enjoy that brands occasionally visit and provide freebies!

What surprised me about Newcastle

I had never been this far up North before coming to Newcastle University, and honestly how similar and/or cheap food and drink is here compared to back home in Lincolnshire took me by surprise. Also, I had no idea the city was this close to the coast! Having the beach a short ride on the metro away is AMAZING. 

Student support services

I accessed the wellbeing support when I was having issues with one of my modules, the person I emailed was extremely considerate and kind when walking me through each step of the process. 

Paid work opportunities

In second year, I applied to an internship running and creating for the School of Arts and Cultures accounts online and it has been incredibly successful and enjoyable to do. The pay was reasonable and the experience I gained from doing this will be very helpful for my later life after uni. Doing this internship has brought me closer to different areas of university and also given me access to buildings and staff that I would have never even seen without the job, and building connections is incredibly important especially in the field of work I want to go into. 

Social activities

I love spending time in The Grand, the onsite café. The price for the cake and a hot chocolate is affordable, and I just love how friendly the staff are. I enjoy spending time with friends at Spoons on campus, going to Boardgames society or sitting in the café. 

Boardgames society is always great fun, especially since I made a nice group of friends from being a part of it. It is just really good to sit there for a couple hours and relax with some mates, playing a massive range of games together. I also do the radio (Newcastle Student Radio) with a friend which is always the highlight of my week, having a whole hour to do what you want on-air is great fun. Plus, I have met so many lovely people by being part of student media, and even have just been awarded the role of Station Manager for NSR! 

About my degree

My degree is a mix of practical and theoretical study, with 1st year being independent work and 2nd and 3rd year being mainly group work. It is a very collaborative course and having a smaller group of students in each lecture or workshop makes doing work or asking for help so much easier. Also, even though I'm not a massive film buff, I still enjoy discussing films and how everyone enjoys them or hates them, depending on the context. Doing the media side as well is extremely beneficial as I have access to a wider selection of theorists and ideas by doing both courses, plus I enjoy the mix of topics like horror, representation, feminism, and more. Also, doing this degree gives you the full experience of sitting in a massive lecture hall as well as a much smaller classroom. 

I love the wide range of topics covered in the media lectures, and the practical work in some of the modules for the film lectures. This degree gives me a lot of experience practically which will be valuable when trying to find work after university. 

Funding support

The bursary I received has meant that I don't have to feel as much pressure when it comes to paying for food, rent, etc. Since my parents do not have a load of money, I would feel awful having to ask them to help out. So, the bursary helped massively. 

Course application top tips

Because I got my place through clearing it was a very different experience to most students, but by all means not any trickier. After getting my grades and not getting into the university I initially wanted to go to, I spoke to a friend who had already done the open day for Newcastle University, and he gave me lots of reassurance that it was a great area to study. I went online and spoke to a chat bot, and later transferred to a real person who spoke to me through all the steps to apply through clearing. And in about 15 minutes from when I spoke to the bot, I had an offer! For anybody going through the stress of clearing, after panicking for a solid hour on what to do it is completely normal to feel scared on where you might end up studying. But it is easier than you think, and the process is not nearly as terrifying as you think it is. 

How Newcastle helped me realise my future

I got into my volunteering role as a presenter on Radio Tyneside when the Media and Journalism society invited Dave Nicholson (the owner of the station) to do a talk, I then emailed him afterwards with my CV and later became a presenter. Taking part in this society briefly helped me get to where I am now, and also gave me reassurance that I may have a future in Radio and TV. 

Why a student should pick this degree

A student should pick this degree as it is a fun, engaging course that also does not have any maths or equations involved. The staff have a lot of connections and the students in the course are happy to help anybody who needs it.