I’m a lover of lists. I love to make them and then to go through and tick things off. I find them incredibly satisfying. That’s why having completed my first semester at Newcastle University I wanted to share my ‘DONE’ list for you.

My hope is that those of you who are new can share my satisfaction in seeing what you’ve achieved, and that those of you who are planning to join NUBS next year can see a bit of what you’ll be up to for your first semester.

· Moved in, unpacked, and settled

· Met my flat mates

· Experienced the madness that is Fresher’s week, including paint-balling, lots of food and drink and cocktail making classes!

· Started to do things for myself (cooking, washing, cleaning etc.)

· Went to my first lecture

· Met and make friends with people on my course

· Got to know the city: found places I like to eat, shop and hang out

· Joined a society and met people through that

· Experienced everything that Newcastle night life has to offer

· Completed my first assignment/essay

· Found people to live with next year and bought a house

This might seem like a simple list but these make up some of the big changes and achievements that have helped me feel settled and at home here in Newcastle. Now that we’re in to semester two I know I’ll soon be adding ‘sat my first university exam’ to the list and no doubt many other things.

I’ve found University to be a very overwhelming experience at times, and it came with a lot of changes however thinking back on my experience so far I couldn’t be happier to be here. This simple list sums up massive developments I’ve undergone and skills I’ve gained.