Why I wanted to stay local and be a student in Leeds

My family home is in the borough of Calderdale, a short drive west of Leeds and about an hour by train. I grew up in a small village in the countryside and when deciding on university, I knew that I wanted a change and to move out into halls, but I didn’t want to travel too far away from my family and the things I was a part of back home. With all of this in mind, the city of Leeds was a perfect location and Leeds Beckett was a great option for me.

Well connected travel

A major reason I wanted to stay local to where I’m from is because I wanted to be able to travel home easily. Staying within West Yorkshire means that it is affordable for me to make multiple journeys when I need to. I always make sure I carry my student rail card with me alongside my West Yorkshire bus pass and other cards to get discounted travel. The fact that travel is affordable means that I am still able to easily see my friends and family and go to my Explorers group which has been a major help for me in my first term. The travel to Leeds from my home is also a relatively short journey and on a quick train the journey home is usually half an hour to 45 minutes.

Local knowledge

My knowledge of the local area was a key factor in why I wanted study in Leeds. It’s a really nice city, I’ve spent a lot of time in Leeds even though I am not from here and I often met mates in the centre as it was a middle point for us all. So, I felt confident knowing that I already knew my way around the city and university before I had even arrived. I knew how to get to the university from the train station and from the bus station to Headingley campus. As well as already knowing my way around, my local knowledge of good places to eat and which pubs to go to was great too. I’ve used this knowledge for the times when I could meet with my friends that I’ve met at uni who weren’t from around here and so didn’t know the area that well yet. 

Convenient university campus location

The Leeds Beckett campus location was another reason why I wanted to stay local and study at LBU. I knew that my course, Filmmaking was taught at the city campus, which is in the middle of the city centre and within walking distance to my accommodation. This was appealing to me as it meant I didn’t have to shell out what little money I had on a bike or public transport to travel a long distance from my accommodation to reach my campus, especially because for my course I rent out filming equipment which then I have to carry back to my accommodation. The campus is also a short distance from the train station which means if I need to go anywhere or back home after lectures it's about a 10-minute walk at most for me to get to the station and get a train.

The city

The city of Leeds was another reason why I wanted to study here as it’s such a diverse place to live. The different types of restaurants, the different street markets, and lots of festivals and events including Leeds Pride add to the diversity of the city. The city is easy to find your way around and it’s easy to find things to do, from bowling and cinemas to bars, pubs and night clubs.

Altogether I think staying local and choosing Leeds Beckett was a really good idea as it’s got cheap and well connected travel options, I live in an amazing city and campus and I have knowledge of the local area which has helped both me and the people I know who have come from further afield. Leeds is a great city live in whether you stay local like me or you’re coming from further away. The student areas are great and the change from countryside to city was a big but welcome change.