Student life
Whilst the main reason for coming to Newcastle is to study, in our experience involvement in non-academic activities will help you adjust to life in the UK and allow you to develop a network of friends to make your stay more enjoyable. The INTO Centre, University and City all offer a range of activities and events for you to get involved in.
INTO Social Programme
Monthly Excursions: If you are a ‘culture vulture’ who enjoys seeing different places then our monthly excursions to different cities around the UK will be of interest to you; destinations include Durham, Edinburgh, York and the Lake District.
INTO Football Team: If you are into sports, then the INTO Football team provides an opportunity to meet new friends, play against other students in the University’s intra-mural league and understand why the British love the sport so much! Why not read the team's blog here?
INTO Choir: If you enjoy taking part in music, then the INTO Choir could be for you. The club practices every Thursday and is led by teacher Tom Albans.
INTO Astronomy club, led by Science and Engineering teacher Adrian Jannetta. If you are interested in science, or want to learn more about astronomy then this club will be for you. Last term students learnt about the solar system in preparation and visited Hauxley Observatory in Northumberland in December, where they got some hands-on experience of using a research grade telescope to view Jupiter and its moons, star clusters and distant galaxies. Check out the pictures in the left hand bar
Keep up to date on all the events happening at the INTO Centre via Facebook here
University Students Union
There is also the Students Union, the social centre of the University. There are many events happening each week, from live acoustic music evenings, quiz nights, karaoke and popular club nights.
With over 120 student societies and the 60 sports club, there is truly something for everyone social interests, which is one of the reasons why Newcastle was recently voted the University with the best social life in a survey of more than 22,000 full-time undergraduate students from across the UK (Times Higher, 2007). Find out more here.
University Sports
Sport plays a major role in student life at Newcastle, second consecutive top 10 finish in the British Universities and Colleges Sports (BUCS) league, confirming its place among the top UK universities for sport.
The Athletic Union (AU) and the Centre for Physical Recreation and Sport provide excellent facilities and an extensive programme of competitive and recreational sporting activities for students. You will be eligible to join the Athletic Union, and there are around 60 sports teams to choose from, ranging from traditional sports such as football and badminton, to more adventurous pursuits such as sailing, tae kwon do and ultimate frisbee.
All INTO students receive free recreational membership of the University Sports Centre, including use of all indoor and outdoor facilities owned by the University, with the exception of the Health and Fitness Suite. Recreational membership enables you to play badminton, basketball, indoor football, netball, volleyball, squash, cricket and table tennis at the Sports Centre, as well as to participate in a wide range of exercise and dance classes.
The City
Newcastle’s vibrant nightlife attracts visitors from all over the world. There are a huge range of restaurants, bars and clubs in the city centre, Jesmond and the Ouseburn Valley, and you’ll never be short of something interesting to do.
There are plenty of live music venues throughout the city where international artists and up-andcoming bands perform. The recently refurbished Northern Stage on the edge of the University campus and the impressive Theatre Royal host some of the biggest theatre productions. Smaller venues, such as the Live Theatre, put on performances with a strong regional identity.
Film fans can catch the latest blockbusters at the Empire cinema in the Gate complex. For something different, the Tyneside Cinema, which recently re-opened after a £6.75 million renovation project, offers a wide range of art house and foreign language films
Find out more on what's going on in the city of Newcastle here