Why Leeds Beckett should be in your top 5 UCAS choices

Support, guidance and feedback

Although student life, location, and the general vibe of a university are probably the main factors you may think about when filling out your UCAS form, one point which often gets overlooked is the support of the lecturers, who aim to guide you throughout your course.

At Leeds Beckett, all the teachers aim to make sure that every individual student understands the content of work, is comfortable with the course and has knowledge of where and when to seek guidance and help. 

Regarding work I have handed in so far at Beckett, I have always received efficient feedback including both constructive criticism and positive comments which subsequently aids me with my next piece of work. I have been given clear guidance for each module of my course, and I have always received help very quickly when I have asked for it. I've found this really useful and it's so important at university, especially if you have deadlines coming up.

Student accommodation

Many of you will choose to spend your first year in student accommodation and so it is important to pick a university with a range of different accommodation offers which will suit your preferences and needs. Luckily at Leeds Beckett, there are many different options to choose from. You could choose to live near the city centre or further out in Headingley. As there are two different campus locations, you have the flexibility to look at locations of halls depending on your course. You can also decide if you want to stay in a single studio, 2-4 person flat or 6-8 person flat, depending on the type of experience you are looking for. All the Leeds Beckett accommodations will offer something for everyone and it's all within your control as you choose your room. When making your decision you can also see who else has already applied to live in that flat, so you can check if you're a good match before committing. A lot of them offer fun activities/clubs too and often hand out freebies which you won't want to refuse! I am currently in student halls and I love it. From making new friends to being able to shop and cook for myself, it has definitely increased my levels of independence which I didn’t get back at home.

The city of Leeds

Leeds is a great city filled with friendly students and has many unique selling points, such as the perfect mix of green spaces and bustling high streets. Hyde Park is a great park located between Headingley and the city centre. Since being at uni, I've really enjoyed hanging out with friends there during the summer months. It's also the perfect place for running which I used to love doing in autumn. One of my favourite places to visit when I have a day off from uni is The Trinity shopping centre in the middle of town. It has lots of shops and restaurants such as The Trinity Kitchen which is ideal when you’re out with friends, as you can all eat different types of food from different outlets but still sit together. No need to make compromises on where to eat anymore!

Societies

Leeds Beckett offers many diverse societies which are a great opportunity to make friends, learn or enhance new skills, and to take a break from your university work. Societies that Beckett offers range from sports societies to course-related societies to creative and art related ones too. To give you an example of the types of groups available I have listed a few below:

• Beer pong society
• Climbing society
• Equals society (LGBTQ*)
• Filmmaking society
• Kpop society
• Radio Beckett
• Roller skating society
• Vegsoc

As well as those already created, Leeds Beckett also gives you the freedom to build your own society. This is something my flatmate and I have done, and we can’t wait to get it up and running!

The website

This final point may sound weird, but the Leeds Beckett website is AMAZING. Having a website that is easy to use and navigate is extremely important when you're at uni. Not only does it have a clear layout, but it has many different tabs offering exciting opportunities for students. For example, there is a whole page on graduate opportunities and CV help. Alongside that, there are also volunteering and placement opportunities. Although most universities offer a website, Beckett's is different. It is easily accessible, meaning you don’t have to find the answers yourself. This has saved me a lot of time and effort and has allowed more time for university work as I spend less time searching for answers, everything is right there. 

I hope these points help you to see why Leeds Beckett is a great university for many different reasons and why you should definitely consider it as one of your top five UCAS choices. Also, make sure you give enough time and thought towards these choices so that you don’t have to stress too much about it when the deadline comes around. Good luck!