Gina Li

I am Gina from Taiwan. I am currently a postgraduate student in MA Human Resource Management. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Taiwan and around four years of working in a local consulting corporation. I started my student life at the University of Leeds from the pre-sessional course in July 2022. 

What aspects of the pre-sessional course did you enjoy?    

The pre-sessional course provided me with the foundation of academic work and student life here. There were two parts worth mentioning during the period. One was building the critical concepts in HR Management. The other was one-on-one tutoring, which supported me in this unfamiliar environment. 

How did studying on the pre-sessional help you on your degree course?  

Because I had yet to experience the British educational environment and 2022 was the year I came to the UK for the first time, the pre-sessional course gave me comprehensive preparation for me before my postgraduate study. 

The course lead and tutor arranged the contents step by step to build our academic language and skills. Even the most essential aspects, such as how to use sources and take notes. Furthermore, I did a presentation at the end of the course, and there was also a session talking about presentation skills in academic style specifically. 

What were the teachers like on your pre-sessional course?  

I am lucky to have both module lead and tutor support on my pre-sessional course. My module lead was humorous when doing the lectures and warm when we had one-on-one sessions. My tutor engaged me to share the ideas on the seminars and gave feedback to me immediately. 

What have you enjoyed the most about your time at Leeds? 

My journey at Leeds has been meaningful and valuable. I had a clear schedule and handbook to follow in my course, both my pre-sessional and postgraduate. I met new friends worldwide, like Japan, Turkey, Iran, India, Nigeria, etc. Additionally, my programme directors and professors support us in our academic and daily life. 

How do you think the skills and knowledge you’ve developed at Leeds will help with your career plans? 

Besides the theoretical and academic knowledge from my lectures and seminars, cultural awareness is one of the skills I learned at Leeds, especially since my original environment was fairly homogeneous. This skill is not easily quantified, but it is important for me. 

What advice would you give to someone who is unsure about studying the pre-sessional? 

I understand that it is a challenging decision to pay extra fees to study abroad in advance. But if you are as unfamiliar with British education as I am and have been out of campus for years, a pre-sessional course is worth considering. Taking six weeks in the pre-sessional course before the degree is a sufficient period to settle down, be familiar with the environment, and, of course, the academic foundation.