Leeds felt like home to me
When I first visited Leeds, I loved that it’s a campus university on the edge of the city, giving me the best of both worlds. The campus felt like home, and this cemented that it was the university for me.
There are so many great spots to study on campus like Brotherton Library, and facilities are always being modernised and improved. There’s also lots of greenery and places to socialise like Leeds University Union.
Before university, I was nervous about making friends, but there were so many opportunities to make connections. I went to welcome events, lived in student accommodation, and joined student societies.
Living with other students gave me a sense of community
In my first year, I decided to move accommodation, as I didn’t feel like mine was the right fit. The accommodation team and my academic personal tutor gave me lots of support with the move and I felt much happier and met some great friends. Having the city so close to my student accommodation was also a real perk as there was so much to do and explore.
I loved living in a shared house during the rest of my time at university. The student areas felt like a big community. I enjoyed making a home with some of my best friends, hosting board game nights and cooking together.
I was given the support I needed
Initially, I was nervous about my studies and how university worked. However, everyone is in the same position, so you learn together. There’s also lots of support available and my academic personal tutor was a good starting point for anything I needed. I also found support hours ran by lecturers useful to get clarification on topics covered in lectures.
At Leeds, I learned from experts, who were developing the research that I was studying. The flexibility of the courses at Leeds allowed me to try a healthcare module in my final year, and this sparked an interest to work in medical negligence law. This led me to secure a training contract at a firm highly reputable in medical negligence.
There’s more to Leeds than academics
The social side, the independence you gain, and learning new life skills are all invaluable aspects of going to university.
Outside of my studies, I enjoyed being a member of the Music Society. It was refreshing to spend time with a completely different group of people compared to those I saw every day. A favourite memory was Leeds Ball in my final year: it was a great chance to celebrate three years at Leeds with friends.
Leeds has helped to grow my confidence
Now I’ve graduated, I’ve secured a training contract with a law firm specialising in medical negligence. This success was supported by the University’s careers service.
Before I start work, I plan to spend a year travelling Asia and Australia. Leeds has helped to grow my confidence and independence so much. Before University, I would never have considered travelling, but now I have a flight booked!