Hi there,
I haven't read all the replies but I do hear ya -- I have also just started a PhD at an NE University (feel free to PM me if you ever want to chat), after moving from elsewhere, changing subjects quite considerably, and having been away from academia for three years. I do want to say that whatever Uni you're at, both Newcastle and Durham are fantastic cities and the North East has a heck of a lot to offer. I've moved around the country a lot but it hasn't taken long to feel like this is home.

I do feel much older and out of touch with other students though -- I'm 8 years older than the new undergrads and 3 years older than my other PhD students, which doesn't sound much but in terms of outlook and expectation it is. It's weird being treated like a student again and knowing nothing at all about the subject (and therefore feeling all the time like my prior expertise isn't counting for anything). People keep asking me about my A Level results as well. I keep trying to politely explain to them that my BSc and MSc and my professional certifications and the three years work in the real world mean a lot more to me than some past exam results... but that's just me. Grr.

Anyway take care, and deep breaths, the NE is great. Even if the Uni / subject stinks (and neither of mine do, it's just the change of attitude that's hard), you'll almost certainly make tons of friends and have a really good time. After all, you have a strong incentive to.x

Cheers Heifer and Cornflower.

Heifer - Great tips on local sites and much appreciated! I will def follow advice up about the gym (from that you can probably deduce what city I am in!) as I have been looking for a decent one. I will also check out local museums over the next week or so as I have plenty of free time. Nice to hear from someone who has moved around departments as well. And I think you are spot on about the research community being more important than Uni status. Puts my mind at ease :-)

Cornflower - Good to hear you have settled well in the NE, I am hoping I will find my feet as quickly as you. It sounds as if you are in a similar boat to me with regards to socialising with UG's. It is not so much that I dislike who I am living with, more that I find it difficult to relate to them and probably vice-versa. You don't realise how much you have matured yourself until you are confronted with what you were like at that age. Still, living with just one person who likes sports or decent music wasn't too much to ask was it?? :-/

I have had two 'gap' years if you like (one after my BA and one after my MA) so I know it can be hard getting back into an academic mind-frame, let alone the prospect of living hand-to-mouth. Let's hope I hit the ground running :-S

I will pm you sometime.

Best.

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Double post

Hi all

Fantastic thread - thanks for bringing all the newbies together to help you out in your moment of need, Malcontent! I'm starting in two weeks at a northern English uni! It's where I did my BA and in the same city as where I did my MA so I'm having none of the worries that you are, especially since I have my own house and social scene, having been here for more years than I care to tell you all (OK, OK, 16 years since I moved here from Middlesbrough to go to uni!). You'll note I am a north-easterner therefore, and I am sure you'll love the area pretty soon - people from the North-East haven't got a reputation for openess and friendliness for nothing.

I wonder whether people worried about their social lives should look further than what their university offers. It was in my final year of my BA that I started joining in music clubs in the city and that started to make me feel like I belonged. You need something to take you away from the joys of lit reviews so find something in the city (esp since we've all now worked out which city you're in - it's an awesome place!!).

However, saying all that, I'm still worried - I'm continuing research in the area I did my MA in but feel I'm likely to head into an early case of Imposter Syndrome... I scraped a 2:1 in my BA but after a few years working I think I came to my MA with a more professional outlook. However, my MA was taken at an institution with less of a reputation than where I am enrolled for the PhD so I've kinda got the opposite problem. What if that distinction was a fluke - if they just graded me higher and if I'll struggle to keep up now...?

I guess we all have our issues!