I've had a really great 3 years at Newcastle. I ended up here through clearing, but i'm glad I did because I wouldn't want to be anywhere else! The locals and the other students are all really friendly, and Newcastle itself is a really great place for shopping, clubbing, culture - you name it!
I was in halls in my first year, which were about 20mins bus ride into town, although most halls places are only 5mins walk. halls were ok - the food could have been better, but on the other hand I made frinds there who I will probably keep in touch with for the rest of my life.
in 2nd year six of us were in a university flat at Richardson Road- basic, but they are being renovated. the atmosphere was great, even when the girls in the flat upstairs bought a pogo-stick and kept us awake until 3 in the morning! This also had the advantage of being only 5mins walk from the Uni, although we did have to put up with one another's cooking .
This year we are living in a privately rented, uni-approved house in Heaton, about 15mins bus ride or 40mins bike into town. The house is great, the neighbours are all really friendly, and I'll be sorry to leave at the end of the year. The landlord (Ken) is also really nice, and the rent is about £47 a week.
My course has been good fun as well as informative, covering just about any aspect of English Lit you could name. After a year of obligatory modules covering various periods, I have been free to follow more or less my own agenda in the 2nd and 3rd years, doing modules on such diverse subjects as TV Comedy, Ghost stories, Travel Writing and Arthurian Legend as well as more 'normal' stuff like Shakespeare and Jane Austen. The structure of the course means the 2nd and 3rd years each count for half your final mark, and you can avoid anything you really hate- I've done no poetry since 1st year, and no Dickens at all! At the moment I'm working on a dissertation on Religious and Mythological influences in Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, and next year I will go on to do a Masters in Library and Information Studies at Loughborough Uni.
During my time at Newcastle I have also been a committed member of the Gilbert & Sullivan Society, just one of the many varied societies and clubs that the Uni has to offer. There is something for everyone here, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Newcastle to anyone!