Constance Campbell

I chose St Mark’s because it’s a postgraduate residence and really close to the University. I wanted a quiet place to study – that’s important when you get to Masters and PhD level, and St Mark’s has plenty of quiet, relaxing space. We’re all at the same point in our academic careers and it’s good that there’s always someone to chat to or have a cup of tea with.

The residences are modern with good facilities, so you can do most things you want to here. It’s nice to have somewhere clean and well-maintained to come back to when you’re working hard.

My room is en suite, with a double bed, a desk and lots of storage space – great for international students because we come with all kinds of stuff! Each flat has a shared kitchen and dining/living area, with a big table that we can all sit at. Loads of people bring friends round to have dinner and study, so it’s nice that we’ve got a common area. 

There’s a good social side to St Mark’s too. There are lots of other international students here, so there’s plenty of fun, cultural exchanges. There are so many people from all over the world – you get to try out lots of different things, especially food. I’m president of the hall executive committee and we organise events – like karaoke, movie nights, cocktail-making classes and a charity day festival – and more everyday things, like yoga in the common room. This is a nice addition to my academic work because it's given me a chance to be creative and meet lots of people. 

The accommodation feels very safe and supportive. The University’s security services are on call 24 hours a day. The site staff at St Mark’s are fantastic too. If you’re ever having any kind of difficulties they’ll help. 

I think the University is incredibly supportive of students of all sorts of backgrounds – it feels like Leeds cares.