It was more than 4 months ago that I stood at the airport in Munich and prepared myself for my big adventure. I can honestly say that I am having an absolutely great time in this town so far. And I really enjoy my Master’s degree ‘International Human Resource Management’ here at Newcastle University Business School.

 

Newcastle – a fantastic city in the North of England

The people of Newcastle are famous for their friendly and helpful attitude. I find that they are quite laid back and always like meeting someone new, which is really fascinating for a city that is as big as Newcastle. Newcastle offers so many different things. The city centre is beautiful and there are many interesting cultural sights like a castle and an ancient city wall. You can also find big shopping malls, a lively coffee bar culture and of course many great pubs. Oh, and I can promise one thing: the weather is not as bad as people think 😉

 

Being a German student here – a great learning experience

I also really like the University itself and especially the Business School. All the equipment is up-to-date and the learning atmosphere in the Business School is also fantastic. There are group study rooms with huge flat screens, modern PC pools and a communal area to socialise or relax.

The structure and content of my course is quite different to other degrees in Germany. Instead of having mostly exams, we are actually supposed to write many essays. I quite like this approach, because it gives you more freedom and the opportunity to formulate your own thoughts. Also, this allows you to engage more with a topic by focussing on the area that you want to specialise in.

One of the things that I like most about the university is the familiar atmosphere. German professors are usually very busy and there is often a huge inter-personal distance between students and staff. Here, things are completely different. The lecturers are so friendly, helpful and also very approachable. For example, it is not an unusual thing to discuss the latest progress of your paper over a cup of coffee.

 

There are also great things to do

But of course, Newcastle also has so many more things to offer. I am an absolute food-lover and I can certainly say that Newcastle is a heaven for ‘foodies’ like me! There are authentic Indian street-curry shops, Brazilian BBQ bars, and Chinese tea houses. They also offer one of the best pizzas in town and of course traditional British food. Moreover, the central food court ‘Grainger Market’ offers really great but cheap take-away. And if you prefer to cook these things yourself, it is also there that you can get the various ingredients to make these great international dishes.

There are also many other things to experience around Newcastle. After only a very quick metro ride, you can find yourself in Tynemouth. It is a small town very close to the sea where you can admire the English coastline and have the freshest ‘fish & chips’ ever. And if you like to visit bigger towns, you can also take a quick trip to other beautiful cities like York, Edinburgh or Durham.

 

So altogether…

… I am really having a great time here in Newcastle. Coming here was one of the best decisions ever and I am enjoying every day. I can honestly say that Newcastle already has a special place my heart.