Life at Leeds
General
Leeds is the business capital of northern England , the largest city in Yorkshire, which in turn is one of
England's largest and most varied counties. The city has something for everyone – bars, clubs, opera, theatre,
international concerts. On the campus itself, IMS students have the use of their own computer-equipped study
room (the Le Patourel Room), whilst PhD students have the use of facilities in the
Faculty's Humanities Research Institute. The medieval postgraduate
community – currently around 45 – organises its own discussion groups on languages, literature, and theory.
There is a staff-student-friends Medieval Group
that organises events and visits, and a winter season of
open lectures by UK and international
speakers, with social events to follow to enable you to meet them.
Students automatically become members of Leeds University Students' Union with access to its facilities, societies and benefits. The Union is the recreational and social centre of the student community. It creates a stimulating background to academic life and acts as a home to over one hundred student societies. The union hosts exhibitions, concerts and social events, and houses cafes and refectories. Also under its roof are book and stationery shops, as well as an optician, travel agent, financial advice, supermarket, laundry and dry cleaning, and banking facilities.
Leeds has good sport and recreational facilities both on campus and close to the main halls of residence. There are competitions within and between universities. The city's international swimming pool (50m) is only 10 minutes from the university campus.
International students registered on courses of six months or more can be treated by the UK health care system, called the National Health Service (NHS). On arrival at the university you will be advised to register with the local doctor, known as a GP (General Practitioner). If you are on a course of less than six months you should seek medical insurance. The University also has its own Medical Service.
The University has a Disability Services Unit and there is a range of services for people who require them (tel. +44 (0)113 343 3927 or check www.equality.leeds.ac.uk for further details).
Welfare
Pastoral support is available within the Institute through a personal tutor. The Student Counselling Service is also available to discuss personal or academic-related problems, and those living in university housing can also approach the warden of the Hall of Residence or the advisor responsible for the particular University flat.
Accommodation
All international students may apply for university-owned accommodation. Rooms are reserved for international students on a first-come-first-served basis. The experience of international students in the Institute has been that arrival by the mid-September date set each year by the University Accommodation Office has ensured a wide choice of university-owned accommodation.
University accommodation is available in the form of Halls of Residence, where a student can take meals produced by the university, or in self-catering university flats (blocks of 5 single rooms with shared or private bathrooms and a shared kitchen/dining room). Applications should be made by completing a university accommodation form. The completed form should be returned to the university's Accommodation Office as soon as possible.
For EU/UK students wishing to find private accommodation, UNIPOL Student Homes is the best place to start. UNIPOL's telephone number is +44 (0)113 243 0169. UNIPOL provides information about vacant flats and houses including rent costs, facilities, numbers of bedrooms, location, etc. Although UNIPOL houses are usually let to groups rather than individuals, staff will usually be very helpful in putting you into contact with people who have spare rooms in their house. UNIPOL also arranges house-mixing days for postgraduate students wishing to share accommodation. Other places to look for accommodation are advertisements in shop windows, Student Union notice boards, and the local newspapers.
Accommodation is available all over the city. Headingley, the area north of the city centre, has such a thriving student population that it has become known as the 'student village' and offers an instantly friendly welcome from fellow students.
Pre-arrival information is sent to all International students, including details of the University's meet-and-greet scheme, and International Induction Week. You may also like to check the University's Pre-Arrival Guide, available at www.leeds.ac.uk/international/brochures, which has lots of useful information, and the University's Money web-page (http://www.leeds.ac.uk/students/money.htm). We can put incoming students in touch with our current students for advice on studying, living and finding accommodation in Leeds.
Induction and Registration Day All returning and incoming MA and PhD students attend our Induction and Registration day in September, when further information is given about events for the year, including field trips. The day includes a social event when new students can mix with returning colleagues, and meet their tutors and supervisors for the first time.
Taking part There are many opportunities to participate in the life of the Institute through involvement in organising events, including our annual Student Symposium, by joining our Student-Staff Forum, or assisting at the IMC.
Beyond Leeds
For medievalists Yorkshire is a paradise, with cathedrals, churches, castles, abbeys, museums, and matchless landscapes within easy reach. The Institute runs free study visits to different parts of Yorkshire through the year. York , Harrogate (gracious spa town – a kind of northern Bath ) and Ripon are easily accessible by bus (frequent services), York and Harrogate even more so by rail. The lower Dales can be accessed by bus either direct from Leeds or via Harrogate or Ripon. Rail access to Scarborough is easy.
Looking further afield, Durham is only an hour away by train, London two, and Edinburgh about two and a half. Walk-on long-distance rail fares are expensive, but if you book ahead you can travel cheaply, and long-distance buses are very economical indeed.
This page is owned by Institute for Medieval Studies and was last updated on 2 March, 2010