Grace Ahn
UMBC Exchange: Newcastle University
Major: Information Systems and Psychology
Predeparture
Soooo I missed ‘International Welcome Week’…
One week before classes begin, the uni (short for university which is used more commonly) holds events for international students to get to know one another and go over important information relevant to campus. Unfortunately, the move-in date for my accommodations and travel arrangements didn’t align with the dates for welcome week. I had to coordinate with staff about my absence, reschedule a meeting, and stay up to date with the materials that they sent. I haven’t left yet, and it’s already not the start I had imagined. But that’s ok! I have more time to spend with friends and family, and I trust that I’ll be able to adjust and make new friends when I arrive.
Lesson learned: Be flexible and willing to set aside expectations 🙂
In the meantime, I have to deal with my emotions to prepare for this new experience. For starters, it feels surreal that this is actually happening.. For the longest time, I wanted to study abroad. The idea always seemed enticing because of the opportunity to live in a different country, learn in a completely new environment, meet new people, and explore. What I didn’t expect? The amount of stress and preparation leading up to departure. Despite having countless tasks such as securing accommodations, gathering documents, and packing accordingly, both UMBC and Newcastle provided abundant resources to ease the stress of ‘what else do I need to do.’
The fall semester is officially about to start, and I’m excited to get involved and join different clubs and societies. My personal goal is to step out of my comfort zone and take advantage of the resources that are readily available whether it be professional, academic or an adventure.
Stay tuned to follow along as I share my experiences throughout the semester!
Update #1
Hi from Newcastle! Classes here don’t start for another week and all I have is time to explore the city. Luckily, the weather has been beautiful- sunny, clear skies and a little windy. Which is unusual for fall here, or so I’ve been told. I think my favorite way to explore a new city is to simply start walking. Being in a walkable city allows me to have a general idea of where I’m at while stumbling upon various historical sites and new places.
One of the top attractions that Newcastle is known for are the seven bridges located on River Tyne. But I think the main two bridges would be the Tyne Bridge and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. Fun fact: The Great North Run is the largest half marathon in the world and takes place in North East England (between Newcastle and South Shields)! In addition to the river, Newcastle is close to the coast which is perfect for beach lovers. Each beach along the coast has its own characteristic that makes it slightly different from others. For instance, Long Sands Beach is right next to Tynemouth Priory and Castle!
Now, this one is for the football fans. If you didn’t know, Newcastle Upon Tyne is home to Newcastle United. Through uni, I had the opportunity to tour the stadium- St. James Park! The tour led us through all the major spots that every fan would want to see. The tour took us to see the locker rooms for both the home and away teams, see the view from one of the suites, climb up to the top of the seats, walk onto the field via the tunnel, and even the pressroom where all of the interviews take place.
Update #2
One thing about me is that I love nature. Especially if I ever want to get away from the city. So when multiple people recommended Jesmond Dene as a nice place to go for a walk, I had to go. My opinion after visiting? I can confirm that it indeed is beautiful and peaceful for a nice stroll. Unlike Newcastle, Jesmond is more of a residential area which is a perfect break from the city.
While we’re on the topic of nature, there’s no way I can leave out the northern lights.
Personally, traveling to Iceland, Norway or Finland to see the northern lights is on my bucket list. So the last thing on my mind was the chance to see them in North East England.
Ironically, for someone who has a life goal of seeing the northern lights, I actually found out at the last minute. I got to talking with one of my flatmates and we made the spontaneous decision to go out. Now, the best place would be to go to the coast, but the metro doesn’t operate 24/7. 
With our options limited, we decided to go to a park to reduce the amount of light pollution as much as possible. We definitely were not dressed warm enough, but the cold kept us awake. After being out for hours we got hungry, and decided to eat at McDonalds (also referred to as “Maccies”). Now, by this time, it was 3am. Interestingly enough, we ran into another flatmate of ours! What were the odds haha. The next day was a bit of a struggle, but the adventure was 100% worth it.
Fun fact! I saw a lot of people in the U.S. post the northern lights being mainly red or slightly purple. But, it was a mix of green and red with a lot of stars here!
I know studying abroad in itself will be a core memory for me, but that night of seeing the northern lights will be one I’ll cherish.
Update #3
One of the many things that Newcastle has to offer for students would be the countless discounts for students. Not only for food and drinks, but also music and entertainment. There are a variety of options based on your interests!
In particular, the Theatre Royal is perfect for those interested in watching musicals, ballet, opera, or other genres. On the other hand, the Glasshouse International Centre for Music is great for individuals that prefer listening to live music whether that be an orchestra or opera. Recently, I was able to attend a show/performance at both locations.
At the Theatre Royal, I watched Romeo & Juliet performed by the Northern Ballet. It was my first time watching a ballet, so I didn’t know what to expect. Watching the show brought back a lot of memories from reading the play in middle school, and it was interesting how much I remembered! Overall, it was amazing to watch the Royal Ballet convey the emotions encapsulated in the play.
At the Glasshouse International Centre for Music, the Royal Northern Sinfonia performed Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night. The building itself is big and beautiful, but I was shocked at how small the venue was for this performance. It was quite intimate as the audience was smaller and upper levels were seated even directly above the performers. My seat was one of the few that was right above the orchestra which was something I never thought I’d get to experience. I could see the facial expressions of many of the performers and see each member play. Each individual had they own way of expressing the music and seeing that pulled me into the music even more.
Update #4
I love how accessible transportation is here…besides the stress that comes with a delayed or cancelled train, of course!
Now, I wouldn’t be mentioning this unless I’ve been through it, and I did in fact learn my lesson- the hard way. But before I get into it, here’s some background.
We have a week-long fall break that’s referred to as ‘reading week.’ It’s a time for students to read materials for class, get work done, or travel. So, I made plans to visit the Lake District, hoping to hike a few trails and enjoy nature. Unfortunately, by the time reading week came along, the weather forecast was rainy, gloomy, and cold. It’s not impossible to go hiking under such conditions, but I did not have the proper gear to endure the weather.
You might be wondering why I decided to go to the lakes instead of exploring a city like London. Well, Lake District is one of the most popular national parks in England and is known for its beautiful scenery. And I love nature, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to take a break from the city. I was hoping that the weather would cooperate, but it was too late to cancel train tickets and hotel reservations.
My backup plan? None! The only option was to simply make the most out of the situation- which included a spontaneous day trip to Manchester. By train, it takes about two and a half hours to travel from Newcastle to the Lake District, and less than two hours from Lake District to Manchester. Previously, I never had any problems with getting from point A to point B. That is, until all of my return trips didn’t go as planned. 
For starters, I got on the wrong train from Manchester, so I had to figure out how to get on another train to make my way back in the right direction. On my way back to Newcastle, the train got cancelled, and the next train to arrive was delayed. What was supposed to be a three hour travel time became five. Lesson learned: Double (or even triple) check that you’re headed in the right direction. If not, get off as soon as you can. Also, unlucky for me, I was off by one day to fully experience Manchester’s Christmas Market. But it was cool to see how much preparation goes into setting up for a Christmas Market.
Despite the challenges, it was amazing to explore a new city and recharge before going back to school.