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Duration
at BRGS Sixth Form: 1999-2006 |
Previous
school: BRGS |
| University
you are at, why you chose this university,
and give one interesting fact about your university: |
|
| Newcastle University I chose Newcastle because I love the city and thought the university was fantastic. Newcastle has the best Fresher's Week in the country! | |
| Best things about your university city: | |
| Great places to shop and the metro makes it easy to get to loads of places, including the beach. | |
| Worst things about your university city: | |
| The wind! It doesn't rain much though. | |
Social scene/nightlife in your university city?: |
|
| Fantastic! Newcastle univeristy's union is great and we can also go to Northumbria's union, so between the two there are amazing things every night. In the city there is something for everyone. It's also very cheap. | |
| Popular activities at your university/ in your university city?: | |
| There are hundreds of societies to choose from, from the normal to the unusual to the downright bizarre. There's a huge new sports centre on campus offering everything you can imagine. Every year there is the Stan Calvert cup, a huge sports competition between the two universities in the city. | |
| Favourite places to shop | |
| Eldon Square in the city centre, and the Metro centre in Gateshead which can be reached easily by train or bus (only £1.40 return!). | |
| How much on average per week do a) Halls of Residence, b) Renting a house, cost in your university town/city? | |
| The
average in halls is about £65 a week.
I paid £55 in a self
catered 6 bedroom flat with a shared
bathroom. It was about 10 minutes walk from
university and the city centre,
and there was plenty going on - it might not
have been the nicest place but there was always
a party to go to! To rent a house the average is around £70 a week in the most popular student area of Jesmond, but living just outside this area brings the cost down to around £60. |
|
| What is the accommodation like in your university town/city? | |
| There is loads of accommodation to choose from so you can have it as posh or as basic as you want! You get what you pay for. Most places are within 20 minutes walk of university and the centre. | |
| How much on average do you spend on food shopping per week? | |
| It
depends on how I shop! At the supermarket I
get carried away and spend about £25. Doing it online and splitting the delivery cost with friends means I can keep track of what I spend. I've recently started going to the market for most things so I'm only spending about £15. |
|
| What is the course you are studying? - Was it your original choice when applying for university? | |
| My course is architecture (techincally Architectural Studies). | |
| How many years does your course last? | |
| 3 years, plus 1 year work experience | |
| What you enjoy most about your course/ what impresses you about it?: | |
| It's
so flexible and I can work
when I want to - I only have lectures
one day a week, and tutorials
another day. My work is mainly design which
I love, and I've only had to write
one essay in the 2 years
I've been at uni! We also have very
few exams - I think 3 this year, compared to around 12
throughout the year on most other courses. Most people work in the studio which creates a great atmosphere and a huge support network. |
|
| What you enjoy least about your course, and what could be improved : | |
| At the end of a project when we have to present our work there is never enough time to get everything finished without doing a few all nighters! Most people move into the studio for a few days, catching a couple of hours sleep under desks. | |
| How
do you rate the teaching standards on your
course, and do your tutors/lecturers/the university give you the right support for your studies?: |
|
| With 24/7 access to studios and support from other students, as well as tutors being available from 8-6 most days, there is always plenty of support. | |
| What A Level Grades/UCAS points did you have to achieve to be accepted onto your course? | Why did you choose the particular course you are studying? |
| I
needed AAB but I actually
got ABB |
I wanted to be an architect! |
| Best thing about being at university: | Worst thing about being at university: |
| Meeting new people all the time, and having independence. | Never
having enough money! |
| What do you plan to do after you graduate? | |
| I have to do work experience for a year, and then if I want to be a fully qualified architect I'll have to do another degree. At the moment I'm thinking about doing a course in set design. | |
| If you were to recommend going to university, what would you say? | |
| If
you have the opportunity to go to university
you should go for it! You not only learn
about the course you choose to study, you learn
about life, and you make some fantastic friends. |
|
| Do you get homesick? If so, how do you deal with it? | |
| I've never really been homesick, but my mum rings and texts me quite frequently and I go home every few weeks. | |
| Do you think you made the right choice? Or looking back, would you have gone to a different university/started a different course? | |
| I'm happy with the choice I made. The university and the city are great. Whilst I might not end up being an architect the course is a great start to learn about every aspect of design. | |
| What have you achieved whilst being at university? | |
| I've
become so much more confident about meeting
people and made some amazing friends. I've improved my drawing and design skills, and I'm gaining confidence in my work. |
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