- Course
- MSc Environment and Development
- From
- Peru
I chose the University of Leeds because it had a great reputation and a programme I wanted to pursue. All I knew is that I wanted to study an environmental Masters degree and that the UK was my preferred destination. I chose this university because after doing my research, I found that has a lot to give to the students (national and international) for academic purposes but also personal. The number of opportunities and programmes for the student convinced me that Leeds was the right choice for me.
My experience has been great at the University. My school (Earth and Environment), the Leeds University Union, the Link to Leeds ambassadors and the International Office have made my arrival easier. They gave us the support we needed, organised lots of events and are happy to help to answer any enquiries we have.
What I liked the most is that before coming, the International Office created a chat group of all the Latin American students that were coming to Leeds this year. This let me make friends even before coming here and get to spend time with people that have similar cultures and also concerns about moving to a new continent. Now, I have great friends from Latin America that feel like family.
Studying in Leeds is totally different from other experiences I’ve had. The academic system is different than the one I had in Peru. Here, the University promotes that students are autonomous in their learning. We learn in class, but also before and after, and there are lots of materials and multimedia information to complement our academic development.
Outside classes, there are so many things to get involved with. The city is very student-friendly and multicultural. It is an easy place to live because everything is close together, it is cheaper than other cities in the UK and we can find people in the same situation as us.
The best thing about my course is that we learn environmental and social approaches to the ecosystem and how people develop actions to improve both fronts. I like that my first semester is mostly focused on research tools and the social aspect of the environmental management, because we will be more prepared the next semester when we study specific topics in the environmental field.
In my spare time, I enjoy getting to know new places in the surroundings of Leeds. One thing that I love about the city is that it’s very well connected to other cities, national parks and transport. It is a beautiful country and I would like to get to know it as much as I can. I usually go on fieldtrips on the weekends with my friends.
Other thing that I do is try to get involved with the Leeds University Union societies; I like to see what’s going on in the ones that I’m interested and go to their activities. I was in a play with the Theatre Group, and it was so fun!
I also enjoy doing sports, using the gym in my accommodation and have a walk through the city. It is a lovely place!
I like Leeds because there is a lot to do and because it has a small city centre, so everything is walking distance. There is very cool restaurants and bars, with good prices where I like to go sometimes with my friends. There are places of different kind of food and from different countries. I also like that is very diverse so you can see people from many places around the world that live here.
And of course, I love that it is so beautiful and has great views. The city is up hills so at some points you can see the surroundings, the buildings, and the different colours from the higher spots.
My favourite places are Hyde Park, the University of Leeds and the city centre. I like to walk in the three of them.
If you are considering coming to study at Leeds, get involved with as much as you can! There is lots to do here, there are many people that are in the same situation, moving from other countries (some so far away like mine) and there is always going to be someone that has something in common with you and that will listen.
I would also recommend that all the new students follow the social media pages of the University, because they helped me when I was still in Peru. I got to see what the campus and city were like, what activities are usually organised in the city and also hear the advice of the ambassadors and staff. I made a list of the societies I wanted to reach and the places I wanted to know before coming here thanks to the social media. It also helped me to be more confident before coming, so it might help you too.