From a small town to Newcastle: why does moving away feel like becoming someone new?

As a first year at Newcastle University,  the short time I have been here has been a whirlwind. I remember driving over the Tyne Bridge with a fully packed car, feeling so daunted and wondering if I was ready for this new life. Settling into a busy northern city from a small southern town has been a journey I, and I’m sure many other students, anticipated to be overwhelming. I expected moving away to mean adjusting to a new city and a new routine surrounding new people. What I didn't expect was how much it would change the way I saw myself.

Coming from a place of routine, predictability and comfort at home, shifting into a place where everything is unknown, I couldn’t help but feel a part of myself would get lost as I moved away from that chapter of my life. My school friends, the familiar surroundings and the little home comforts I'd always taken for granted were no longer within easy reach. For the first time, I had to navigate everyday life without the people and places that had always made it feel familiar.

I quickly realised that being a fresher seemed to come with an unspoken expectation to make the most of everything. From striking up conversations with new people in lectures, to joining societies and making plans with people I'd only just met. On top of that, the large load of responsibilities, and requirement to be independent, forces you to be someone you didn’t have to be at home. I was suddenly having to put myself out there, make decisions for myself and become comfortable with situations I might never have encountered at home. And I don't think I'm alone in feeling that pressure.

I’m beginning to understand why so many previous students say this uncomfortable state that thousands of people are put in each year can also be the most empowering time for yourself.  That constant uncertainty of not knowing what I’d do, who I'd meet and how I'd feel each and every day also created space to discover what I enjoy, who I connect with and the kind of person I want to become.

Somewhere along the way, the unfamiliar starts to feel a little more natural. I've found myself starting conversations, discovering new coffee shops and pubs, and joining in with the traditions that make Newcastle student life what it is. Whether it's embracing the Wednesday social costumes, getting introduced to red pints or making trips to Whitley Bay, these little experiences have become part of a life that, only a short while ago, felt completely foreign to me. Together, these experiences have helped me grow more confident in stepping outside my comfort zone.

I will always cherish the part of me that comes from a small, quiet, suburban town, but now, I have a whole new chapter of my life ahead of me. Moving away hasn't erased that version of myself, nor do I want it to. Instead, Newcastle has given me the chance to discover parts of myself that I might never have known otherwise. Perhaps that's the strange thing about moving away from a small town to a big city alone: sometimes, you have to leave the place you know best to begin to understand who you really are.