Newcastle University
speciality: History

Studying History at Newcastle University has been a mixed experience. The course content itself is interesting, with a good range of modules across different historical periods and themes, and many of the lecturers are clearly knowledgeable in their fields. Seminars can be engaging when they are well-led, and the degree does encourage strong critical thinking and research skills.
However, the course is extremely independent, with very few contact hours each week. In some semesters, you may only have a small number of lectures and seminars, which can feel disappointing given the level of tuition fees. A large amount of learning is expected to be done independently, and this is not always made clear at the start of the degree.
The workload can also feel intense despite the limited timetabled hours. You are expected to complete a significant amount of reading and research in your own time, and deadlines often cluster together. While this does help build self-discipline, it can sometimes feel unsupported, especially when feedback on assignments is brief or slow.
Overall, Newcastle University offers a solid History degree with interesting material, but it is best suited to students who are comfortable working independently and managing their time well. Those expecting more structured teaching or regular contact hours may find it frustrating.

Good experience at Newcastle university. Some lecturers very researched focused and less bothered about teaching but on the whole good standard of teaching. Amazing city to be in as a student. Would recommend to anyone. Only downside is I believe that compared to the other Russel group universities it is not as well respected.

Newcastle University is a great place to pursue undergraduate studies given its holistic experience. The facilities at the university are great, you can walk through impressive historic buildings that encapsulate a modern interior where it’s a pleasure to learn. I always found staff to be really interested in what they’re teaching and more than willing to help you out with any issues or queries. I’m addition to studying, Newcastle University and the city itself offer you the chance to live in a vibrant and diverse community with so many clubs, societies and volunteer opportunities.

Ncl is great, the fact that it is with in the city centre leads to the university having a feeling of being very much in touch and involved with the city that it is situated in. The buildings are beautiful, and most of them are very close together, making for ease of access and transfer between lectures. The staff are approachable and helpful. The library is 24 hour and has a cafe onsite; when this is not in operation, the seating area is still open, as are several vending and coffee machines. The social life is amazing, there are a myriad of societies and a lot of clubs, bars and student friendly activities. 10% of Newcastle’s population are students so this makes sense (there are two universities in the city). It is also cheap, as it is ‘up north’; the rent on my house is £78 per person per week, plus bills. Obviously this is significantly cheaper than London, and even Edinburgh. This cost difference translates to food and transport fare as well. Overall, a great university in a great city. It’s even near to the sea!