Thriving Not Surviving

8th August 202326th July 2023

Language Barrier- English as Second/Third Languange?

By: Caroline Elaine

There are approximately 6500 languages in the world, each with its own distinct characteristics that distinguish it apart from the others. Most international students at Newcastle University come from all over the world, from Asia, Europe, and so on. They grew up speaking a language other than English and only began learning English in school. Some people will become really fluent at it, while others will not. Therefore, the language barrier is one of the reasons why studying in a foreign country can be difficult.

23rd March 202320th April 2023

How is Stage 2 Different from Stage 1?

By Caroline Elaine

Hello everyone, my name is Caroline, I am a BSc. Biomedical Sciences student. I have finally begun stage 2 of my course after spending a year in Newcastle adjusting to a new life, making new friends, and doing other bits and pieces. The seminars, lab practicals, and lectures have been ongoing for more than two months now.

So I figured it’d be a good time to evaluate the differences between stage 1 and stage 2.

22nd March 202322nd March 2023

5 Easy Recipes

By: Marcelle Reis Rosmaninho

Starting uni comes with a whole lot of changes. For most of us, an unexpected change we must adapt to is learning how to cook for ourselves. Cooking is a daunting experience, especially for someone who has never cooked before. After seeing my flatmates in the first year constantly eating frozen Tesco pizza, I thought it would be a good idea to share my 5 easy recipes that can be taken to uni on a busy day!

26th September 202226th September 2022

5 things I wish I knew in first year

By: Maria Kartali (BSc Biomedical Sciences)

Starting uni can be quite daunting, everything is new, and you don’t know what to expect. Although it is a fun adventure, there are times you might feel alone and quite lost. Having been through that I decided to compile a list of a few things I wish I knew in my first year.

I thought I would start with the usual ‘Everyone is on the same boat as you’ and ‘Everyone is looking to make friends.’

But while that is true and everyone truly is looking to make friends, I am sure it is something you have all heard about 500 times.

So instead the first piece of advice I will give you is:

2nd September 20225th September 2022

From Tehran to Newcastle

By: Shayan Safaei

I would like to start this by emphasising that I was not paid by Newcastle University to shower them with compliments here. This is me genuinely sharing my experience of studying the BSc Biomedical Genetics (Hons) at Newcastle as an international student.

I chose Newcastle as it was the best affordable university/city to study medical genetics with the centre for life and northern genetics hub located there, and I had been fascinated by some of their published research. On my first visit to the city, I found Newcastle very green, friendly, and peaceful. I was pleasantly surprised by how nice ‘Geordies’ were, and I am proud to call myself an ‘honorary Geordie’ now as a graduate.

A view of Kings Gate, photo by me. ~2016

15th May 202221st June 2022

Best Kept Student Study Spots

As a prospective or 1^st year student, or even a 2^nd year who’s had the joy of online teaching for the majority of your university experience, then this post is for you! With the help of some friends and fellow blog interns, I’ve come up with a few of the best study spots in Newcastle. Whilst you may have heard of some of these, there are some hidden gems that I’ve discovered that I’m kindly sharing with the rest of the student cohort…so please don’t swarm my favourite study spots all at once!

8th April 202223rd June 2022

Homesickness – Going home? Or not?

By: Caroline Elaine

It is very normal to feel homesick after being away from home for quite a long time. We miss our parents’ home-cooked meals, our never-ending quarrels with our siblings, our childhood best friends, the celebrations with our large families and friends, the happiness, the bickering, and the feeling of being at home. And here we are, in a new place and environment, trying to adapt and make new friends while also pursuing our education, goals, and dreams.

If you live in or near Newcastle, you are lucky! It is easier for you to go back home or for your parents to visit you. However, if you are an international student like me, who spends a day or two traveling by plane to get to Newcastle, going back home is complicated, especially during the pandemic because the rules for traveling to the UK and our home country are constantly changing.

If you are not returning home, remember to call your family frequently and spend time bonding with them. But if you aren’t going back, here are some ideas you can do if you aren’t going home for the holidays and some things you should do if you are.

25th March 202225th March 2022

Look on the sunny side! It’s Easter!

We can all agree it’s been an eggs-hausting term (brace yourself, I have so many egg puns it’s not even bunny!), but we’ve made it through the dark winter mornings and January blues, and Easter is finally in sight! Some of you might be desperate for this break, I for sure am, and some of you might be desperate for a month of exam prep and catching up on lectures…but it’ll come as no surprise to you that I am once again preaching about balance!

12th March 202227th June 2022

Become a Productivity Powerhouse By Elysia Marrs

As students, we’re all striving for the balance between work time and down time. However, many of us fall into the procrastination cycle where your down time is seemingly fighting head on with your work time. But what if I told you it doesn’t have to be this way? Your hobbies and work schedule can coincide synergistically, resulting in a happier, less stressed version of you. In this blog post I’m going to outline a few tips to help set yourself up for success with a foundation of healthy habits, and to make more time for the things that are important to you.

11th March 202221st March 2022

How to conquer the kitchen…student style!

By Elayna Hugh-Jones

One of the most exciting, or perhaps daunting – depends on your perspective, parts of moving away from home, is that you can eat whatever, and whenever, you want. Now, I understand that the freedom to eat chicken dippers and potato waffles every day may be very appealing to you, however, with this freedom comes great responsibility…to keep yourself healthy!