Transcript for the video embedded on Haleemah Alaydi’s profile page.
[Music]
[In an informal study / social room with a large global map on the wall, students are sat chatting at chairs and tables. A student walks towards the camera and sits down, smiling. Text on screen says the student is Haleemah Alaydi, MA Writing for Performance and Publication.]
[Haleemah speaks. Throughout, there are various shots of Haleemah and other students on campus, walking in the outdoor spaces, in a café, in a lecture, in the library.]
[Haleemah says:]
Leeds is absolutely amazing. It sometimes doesn't seem British to me because you have a huge community of international students from different countries and different societies whose behaviours, whose traditions are different than yours, so there is a place for anybody and everybody.
Before coming here, I contacted the University about the course itself the requirements and also information about getting the visa. I signed up for the meet-and-greet service - we found this team at the airport they helped us find a taxi to the University, so it does really like… it helped me like relax a little bit the first week I arrived here.
I signed up for this international week. They were very informative in giving me information about studying in the UK: if you need any academic support, professional development as well as also like being an international and how you can get involved with the University in terms of like signing up for societies. You know the whole thing about being just involved and it really helped me like know where am I going as a student.
When I first got to know the whole thing about Global Café, I was like I'm really interested to be part of that because it's for international students, even like even local students or home students, they come there. So we talked about culture, we talked about studying the UK different topics and actually you become friends with so many people. It's a very relaxing environment. Everybody talks and enjoys their time.
I also remember signing up for the libraries and they have lots of workshops about critical thinking, about self-development, time-management as a student, so it's all been very helpful.
Currently I'm working as a link to Leeds ambassador. It’s you telling the international students interested or coming to study in the University of Leeds about your experience as an international in the UK. It helps the students and knowing about life in Leeds, about many opportunities that the University provides, so it’s a very great position in terms of like also giving back.
Sometimes I would say like “oh my God if I didn't apply to Leeds I don't imagine myself like anywhere else.”
[Music]