I am a student at Leeds Metropolitan University, studying English Literature. I am 20 years old, and love music, going to gigs, socialising, and meeting new people.
In a time when the collapse of your own society is imminent, with thugs and hooligans scuttling the streets on the lookout for any freebies in which they can grab in the war like zone of riots, it is worth clasping on to the positive side of your community. Leeds Pride is more than positive, it is oozing confidence, and freedom for all, not in the ‘I’m here to claim my taxes back’ way either. Whether you are straight, bisexual, gay, lesbian, transsexual, or just fancy a brilliant day out, Leeds Pride caters to you.
In the six years it has been running, Leeds Pride has proven popular with the crowds, bringing in 23,000 people on to the Leeds streets, and earning it’s fantastic colorful status. With the marchers proudly waving the rainbow flags of diversity, the atmosphere is exceedingly high. It is times like this in which you stop, look around, and finally see the true meaning of acceptance, and, once again, I fall further in love with the city of Leeds. The rush of solidarity seeps through the streets of Leeds City Centre with the march, and the enthusiastic vocals of the acts on show provide an even louder voice of achievement, and diversity. This event will never have one bored with popular DJ’s, entrancing cabaret, and celebrity drag acts to name but just a few of the events exciting goings on.
Walking through the wet streets of Leeds, under the ruling of a grey blanket in the sky, you almost want to crawl back into your bed, to the guaranteed warmth, however, as you get closer to the centre, and the streets start to become wallpapered with rainbow flags, it is hard to remain frown faced, as the feeling of ease in which many of the Leeds Pride followers feel, is inspiring. It is increasingly rewarding just to see such feeling of contentment on every individuals face in these crowds. With fantastically outrageous outfits, this years theme for the festival is ‘Glam and Glitz’, and everyone competes for the most shiny, glamorous outfit.
This event is free, meaning that you have no excuse not to join to in with the fun, even if, like me, it is just to show your support to the LGBT community. In this day and age, it is great that we can all celebrate our differences, because afterall, it our differences that tell us apart, and make us all special, Leeds Pride knows this, and not only shows the pride in their individuality, it celebrates individuality itself, hell it is the emblem of individuality! So come on down, and join in on a great day, you have a whole year to prepare your jazzy outfit for the next Leeds Pride, but you also have a whole year to make sure you grab a day off to join in on the fun. Take my advice and do not miss out on this event, bring your friends and make the most of such a bright, sunny day, no matter what the weather.
Written by Charlotte Owen, Leeds Metropolitan University.
With two years first hand experience of financial depression being a student, I feel I could probably offer some credible advice for students needing to make some dollar, fast (ish) to keep up with their busy social lives. Starting my University experience with a substantial amount of wages in which I had saved up to prepare for the expected shudder of social events that are often compulsory if you wish to settle yourself int the student way of life, and then watching in panic as it vastly dissolved into minus figures as my first batch of rent cruelly snatched it away before I could enjoy any of it. Over this time, I have made a mental list of all the ways I could milk some money out of various household objects, or living situation, providing a temporary escape from the dreaded student overdraft.
Ebay
A widely popular website for people of all ages and backgrounds, Ebay.co.uk not only offers objects stemming from categories such as Jewellery and Beauty, to Sports and Leisure but usually at a fantastic price. This website is known for its ticket selling, aswel as CD’s and DVD’s, providing customers with cheap prices for objects which are normally much higher. Ebayer’s have the chance to either buy their objects immediately, or participate in an online auction in a bid to win the wished for object. For students, this site is a perfect chance to sell any unwanted objects. The easy steps in which it takes to set an account up, and upload their objects for sale, it is a quick way to get a bit of pocket for that pair of shoes in which you will never find the opportunity to wear. However, beware, this website c be incredibly addictive, and some students have been known to join Ebay n an attempt to sell their unwanted items, and gain some money, but found themselves entranced by the never ending list of items available on this site, and have awoken from their hypnotised state to find that they have somehow ended up purchasing several more pairs of shoes that they just could not resist for such a great price, placing themselves back to square one.
Shoes Galore!
Amazon
The worlds largest online retailer, Amazon is very similar to Ebay, with many categories, it is extremely likely that you find anything you could ever want on both these websites, whether it is a mouse shaped cheese grater, or a poster of your favourite band to elegantly stretch over your dull student walls. Like Ebay, customers have the chance to sell their belongings online, providing another opportunity to gain money from that sweater your aunt knitted for you last christmas, and somehow made its way to the bottom of your wardrobe. Amazon is known for its extensive book selections, and therefore, if , like me, you are in the sort of university course that expects you to complete extensive reading and analysis of an estimated five novels per week, you can imagine how the books pile up at the end of the semester, making Amazon your online best friend for not only getting rid of the fire hazard that has been plaguing your room, but make money on it too. Be careful though, make sure you do not need what you are selling in the future, you might find yourself having to look for that book you thought you no longer need to look at ever again.
Envirofone
A broken phone, is unfortunately one of the hazards of being a student. It is accustomed that you are not a fully fledged student until your beloved phone breaks and you are sent in to a deepened state of mourning, for a day or so, until you realise that you have found an opportunity to get the latest new phone with the best camera, and the new Facebook Application (because, lets face it, even though it is boring, we are all slaves to Facebook) But how will you afford this new phone? Parents? Overdraft? Wages? Whichever way you manage to collect the funds, a paying contribution could actually be the broke phone itself. After playing a beloved child of yours for a substantial amount of time, it is only fitting that you should pay it one last tribute, and send it to phone heaven, and get some money for it! Although there are many phone recycling sites, Envirofone is a personal favourite of mine, and believe me, I have had to send two or three poorly phones to this site, in return for a bit of cash, and a positive side to my waking up and finding my beloved Tocco Lite swimming in a puddle of water. All you have to do is fill out the form online which gives you an estimate of what you will be paid in return for your phone, when your envelope arrives, you say a solemn goodbye to your old friend, and send the envolope back, with the phone. Your cheque will come within a week or so.
Oh dear...
Living Social.com
In the risk of sounding soppy, living social.com is the love of my life. Obviously, it is not, but its close. Every morning, I wake up, look at my phone, and I have received another beautiful awakening from this website, providing me with incredible deals in Leeds, from Resturaunts, bars, hair salons, fitness classes, and anything you can think of. I can not remember a day in which I did not look at my daily email from Living Social, and sighed in surprise. Okay, so its not going to give you an around the world trip for fifty pence, but it really does have the best deals, especially for a student who has to scrimp and save for just the phone bill every month. Todays offer? Almost £250 off a Teeth whitening treatment, amazing or what?
Flyering/Ticket selling
A great quick money maker for students, is flyering, or selling tickets for a student club night in their city. Only a few hours standing around, handing out artistic pieces of card, promoting a great club night to passing strangers may sound boring, but it is mostly always paid, and is hardly rocket science. Plus, you get to meet, and work with lots of different people. In my first year, I handed out flyers for F.U.E.L, and also sold tickets for a Headphone disco night. It involved a lot of talking to strangers, trying to keep an enthusiastic personality even after being rudely told to ‘bog off’, but it really does earn you some quick cash, and you can mostly choose your hours too. The people you will work for will understand and appreciate that you are here to study more than anything, and will therefore work with you to suit your needs, aswell as theirs. Plus I ended up handing out flyers with a really nice, chatty guy, who, after hours spent vulnerable in the snowy kiss of the cold, we ended up going for a lovely hot chocolate afterwards.
Written by Charlotte Owen, Leeds Metropolitan University.
For 16 years it has become a trend to blend and combine all the talents, interests, and many personalities of the people within the Hyde Park community in Leeds, in the free and annual event of Hyde Park Unity Day.
This year, held on Saturday 23rd July, Hyde Park Unity Day is a communal celebration, run by the community itself, relying on volunteers, and fundraising events in the run up to the annual festival. If you are looking for an event to welcome you into Leeds with open arms, you have found the event for you. With stalls advertising peace, harmony, and love, you find yourself floating around Hyde Park with a harmonious glow, with the taste of unity raw in your mouth. It is hard not to feel proud of such an amazing event, each stage represents a different taste in music, with the crowds feeling a magnetic pull towards the Reggae stages pumping out lively beats that dissolve any negative energy, you cant help but find yourself joining the strangers with the unconscious dances, and not really caring who sees.
Popular for its student friendly crowds, Unity Day unites people from every spectrum of the community, even with a children’s play area, and the romantic echoes of world peace in which this event channels is incredibly contagious. Taking place at a time of year when students are either just settling in to Leeds, or looking for something to do over the summer, it is an event not to miss. Where else can you watch a football match with Reggae and Ska beats vibrating through the air, or look on as the guys on the skate park perform tricks to Hip Hop, Dub, and Drum and bass? It is by far one of Hyde Parks coolest events, and just exemplifies how proud Leeds is at celebrating different cultures, arts, and music. If you are a Fresher coming to Leeds in preparation for your first year, make sure you invest yourself into such events, these events are not only life changing, but cast away all those fears that newcomers harbor, these events are a metaphorical hug from the community, to all its future, and present community members.
If just attending this event is not good enough for you, organisers are always on the lookout for volunteers to either raise money, design and distribute flyers, or help out at the actual event, why not help out at this event, and be part of something incredibly exciting, and morally rewarding. There is no better feeling than seeing a community at its strongest, and positively sharing the love, and appreciation of one another, and Unity Day incorporates this greatly. When I attended this event for the first time, I felt incredibly proud to have chosen such a genuine, welcoming city, which values each and every inhabitant, and rewards them with such delights. There is never a dull moment in Leeds, even in the city centre, with organisations constantly scouring the surrounding area of the shops promoting their offers (and, usually handing out freebies generously) you are always aware that you are an important part of something big.
As previously mentioned, this event is open for anyone, with people of all ages integrating within the crowds, and even pets lay next to their owners as they catch some rays and breathe in the positive atmosphere, Unity day really does not prejudice in the slightest. Activities such as the Unity Day Dog Show shed the welcoming light of importance on to the owners of some much loved pets to proudly display their canines and their beauty and abilities. The Football tournaments, which are dependent on age groups, are a great way for kids passionate about football to show off their skills, with teams having to be previously enrolled to contribute. Netball, and Cricket matches are also available, encouraging the community to take part, and have as much fun as possible. Unity Day inspires a passion for the London 2012 Olympic and paralytic games, encouraging all members of the community to display the spirit of play, and light-hearted competition, and therefore there are even Spots v Stripes giant games in the Quake cafe area.
So, if you are interested in spreading the love, or even just passing some time when you are in Leeds, make sure you visit Hyde Park Unity Day, or, if you missed the chance this year, similar events celebrating the same community togetherness such as; Leeds Carnival celebrating the beautiful Carribean cultures. Light Night celebrating the art of today’s generation, and many more. Be part of something big!
Written by Charlotte Owen, Leeds Metropolitan University.
July. For most people, this means ‘schools out for summer’, baby lambs, and the beginning of the ‘dog days’. For students, it is a glistening mosaic of scantily clothed sunbathing, barbecues, and beer gardens. July seems to erupt the senses, with everyone fighting cunningly for the best summer outfit to show the most legs, or the brightest colour, it seams to be the most sociably sought after month. In this month, the sun is expected to welcome its avid followers to crawl from under the cesspit of work, or, realistically, hangovers, and enjoy the romance of the heat in crowds on the nearest park. During a time under the suns reign, you can often walk past any piece of grass expecting to see people sleepily stretching over their jackets, with a cheeky bottle of fosters at their side.
For me, it usually means an annual trip to St Ives, however, this year, due to unfortunate circumstances, the trip is cancelled. Therefore, in my semi-coma like state of dissapointment, I rolled through all my favorite places to go in Leeds for a nice enjoyable picnic with my friends, or just a nice day out;
Kirkstall Abbey
A beautiful archaic building, screaming tales about the many possible histories that occurred within those crumbling walls. Surrounded by a picturesque green area with wildlife buzzing with fertility, the river at the bottom of Kirkstall Abbey has been visited many times by my friends and I, looking for somewhere peaceful to chat away whilst munching on our food, but also not be completely isolated. Kirkstall Abbey also hosts many exciting events such as the BBC Three’s ‘Frankenstein Wedding’ which was performed live at Kirkstall Abbey by cast including Andrew Gower, Lacey Turner, and David Harewood. The Abbey is also a venue for music events such as Keiser Chiefs live at Kirkstall Abbey. This building has come a long way since it was founded in 1152, originally by Monks, before it was closed by Henry VIII in 1534 under the ‘Dissolution of Religious Houses’. An popular, eye catching destination for both students, and families in Leeds, it is definitely worth a visit.
Clarence Dock
Just a few minutes away from my first year halls, this was a very popular spot for fellow first years, wanting an uber cool place to show off their bodies in the sun. Clarence Dock is one of the more up market destinations, and as you walk through this area you are given the false sensation of feeling very cool indeed. The Dock also makes for an interesting sunbathing spot, as you get to watch canal boats pass by dreamily. The cafes/restaurants/bars in this area proudly boast of highly regarded food and drinks, with not so highly regarded prices, however they are worth a visit just to sit in with a small coffee, and take in the stunning surroundings. This place is also amazing at night, with a very christmassy feeling, it is easy to fall in love with what you see.
Hyde Park
Sharing its name with the famous park in London, Hyde Park in Leeds is one of the main visits for student sunbathers on a hot day. Propelling you into an almost american world (skate park, tunnels of trees etc) this is the kind of park in which you hope to bag a space on underneath the rays of the sun, listening to everyone chatter away. Situated between both universities and Headingley, a village popular for its second and third year students, it is no wonder that this park can get pretty crammed very easily. The surrounding area of Hyde park also presents students living nearby with some attractions, such as the Hyde Park Picture House, an Edwardian art house cinema, and the Brudenell Social Club, a popular social club widely known for its fantastic list of live acts such as Kate Nash, Franz Ferdinand, and the Kooks.
Roundhay Park
Originally a hunting park for the De Lacey family during the 13th Century, Roundhay park is one of the biggest city parks in Europe, with 700 acres of parkland, woodland, lakes, and other such secret delights such as a Tropical world under its belt. This park is a fantastic destination for a day out, with lots to take in and explore, it will take more than a day to settle your enthusiasm and intrigue about this place. A simple bus ride from town, this park is a must for every student in Leeds to visit, and to take in that breath of amazement as you look down upon such a vast area of beautiful scenery.
WRITTEN BY CHARLOTTE, LEEDS METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY.
For the past month now I have forcibly drowned my financial fears with the angelic lulls of a brilliantly talented Swedish band, echoing around the house in which I share with three other people whose music taste is in total disagreement with mine. Such songs enable me to create a temporary world parallel to our own, in which all that mattered was being dressed in loose clothes, barefoot on a beach with your friends, dancing sleepily around an entrancing bonfire as the light gently kisses the shadows of you and your fellow human beings.
...In another life maybe.
However, I am rudely awoken back in to the real world with a bitter thud, as I check the latest situation concerning my bank account, and almost collapse with a fierce shortness of breath shuddering through my body as I am reassured that I can only withdraw enough money to last me a further week. Fear not, I told myself whilst I begrudgingly handed over some of the aforementioned money to cover the cost of some much sought after yoghurt bars, I would find a job and be able to afford anything I liked.
He needs a dollar, dollar is what he needs.
However, in this moment of mad confidence I failed to remember that I have been looking for a job for the past few months and have not succeeded. The intense frustration, and, at some points panic would haunt me to the point in which I was unable to sleep, and the rejection of any job application, if just one, is a hard blow to ones feelings. This vicious circle is a growing trend in the lifestyles of students at this time of year; with the application of grants and loans thanks to student finance it is common behaviour for the typical student to spend a subsequent amount of such funds on holidays, festivals, or other such exciting activities, or, in my case, a few weeks after receiving such financial aid, you find yourself looking at your account and thinking to yourself “where has it all gone?”. In my experience, rent and bills are the main parasites with regards to your money situation, and yeah, admittedly quite a bit is spent on nights out, or alcohol, but hey, when students, behave as students do huh?
The Arc in Headingley; a stop in the famous Otley Run, and a students cryptonite.
Someone once told me that applying to jobs online was like sending a message in a bottle, in to space, and, in a way I do agree with this. Nowadays, it is barely heard of that an organisation is hiring jobs such as Bar Staff, or Shop Assistants in person, and the online applications leave you feeling categorised and the light of your hope dimming further after every button the multiple choice answers provide you with. The overpopulating awareness that the rates of unemployment are growing by the minute, it is no shock that every job opening is regarded with increasing importance and you find yourself clasping the ever more distant possibility of beating other likewise desperate applicants and being the successor of the job.
A student can easily get frustrated with their job search, however, there are people at the University whose job it is to help and encourage you in your careers and ambitions. At Leeds Metropolitan University we have a ‘Job Shop’ at both the Headingley and City campuses, which also provides an online job search on the Leeds Metropolitan University website. These people help to build your confidence, and ensure that you are fully aware of what opportunities are available for you, and what you can do to shine yourself in the best light possible. This Jobshop is very helpful and I constantly receive emails regarding jobs newly posted on the online Jobshop giving a wide variety of occupations and therefore appealing to every member of the sea of students struggling to swim in the raging sea of unemployment.
Leeds Metropolitan University also provides you help with anything that is bothering their students, and just strengthens the student’s relationships with their University. You leave appointments with such ‘Helpzone’ staff members feeling less stressed, and more determined, with a head full of advice you will take in to consideration. Talking from the experience of my own loan and grant failing to be paid to me for a considerable amount of my first year, I have visited one of the Helpzones at Leeds Met for financial advice, and arrived in such a quivering ball of panic that I almost believed that the staff member I had booked an appointment with was a councillor for me to vent every strand of worry on to, however, thanks to the fantastically friendly personality of this staff member, I went home happy in the knowledge that I knew exactly who to ring, who to shout at and who to keep on my good side, and it paid off, within a few weeks I received both my grant and the rest of my loan.
My advice to any student in a financial rut, please do not suffer on your own, find a staff member of which is qualified to know exactly how to deal with such a situation, or who will advise you where to go on campus to guide you. My advice to a suffering student at Leeds Metropolitan University, find a Helpzone at either Headingley, or Civic campus, the staff are paid to help you, and are friendly people who understand what you are going through, hell, we are only human afterall.
Leeds Met Headingley Campus
WRITTEN BY CHARLOTTE OWEN, LEEDS METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY.
The sensation of confusion pulsates in the darkness of my room this morning, I sit up and recollect what happened last night. I remember I returned to a personal favourite club of mine, accompanied with my “gig buddy”, and several bottles of Fosters (classy, I know) to contribute in an exciting annual event for music lovers of Leeds. Cockpit is a club and music venue managed by local promoters Futuresound Music, and situated underneath the Leeds Railway arches, adding to the romantic mystique of the place.
From the outset, Cockpit may look like a seedy doorway to hell, and the arched ceilings, and blackened rooms echo that of a cave, but this just makes the place even more beautiful. Since its birth in 1994, Cockpit has played host to not only some of the most well known names in music; The Hives, Coldplay, Queens of the Stoneage, Crystal Castles to name just a few, but also shining a maternal and guiding light on new bands hoping to establish themselves in to the music business.
BROTHER live at Cockpit.
Over ten dates in July, Cockpit is opening its music loving arms to several local bands, who are hoping to win the chance to play a set on the Festival Republic stage at Leeds and Reading Festival, and if that is not enough, the five runners up will play on the BBC Introducing stages at both Festivals, giving them a chance to place their feet on the musical runway.
BBC Introducing stage.
Last night was Heat Five of the competition, and I was humbled to contribute to such an important night for these bands, I could taste the anticipation in the air. The crowd was a willing slave to all four bands that nervously strutted on stage, and played their hearts out in the hope of getting closer to this wonderfully exciting opportunity. This venue generously fills their rooms with such opportunities for bands still learning to walk, and thus is a fantastic venue for students, either who are in a band themselves, or thrive to have a more involved interest in the latest and freshest of bands.
Cockpit presents to you musical cocktails with ingredients spanning from almost every music genre that exists. Tuesday night is Cockpit’s Slam Dunk night. For the bank friendly price of just £3, you are provided with music varying from Hardcore Metal and Ska, to Dubstep and Hip Hop. With bottles just £1.75, and everything else £2, it is hard not to fall in love with this secret music heaven, regardless of what kind of music you listen to.
Friday at Cockpit holds The Session; A sandwich of guitar fuelled hits that will have you and your mates forgetting all your worries, and letting your hair down to the hypnotising sounds of the guitar riffs, from bands such as The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, and Talking Heads.
Every Saturday night Cockpit hosts The Garage; A Rock/Alternative bomb that ignites as soon as you enter, and explodes and settles in your ears like a kiss from a musical God. It is worth stretching into your wallet and paying the higher entry fee of £5 to experience songs from the likes of Blink 182, Nirvana, and Linkin Park shudder through your chest, however, there is also music from acts such as Tinie Tempah and Beastie Boys to keep your dancing shoes warm. If you are more a pop lover than indie addict, Cockpit has a night especially for you. Every Saturday, depending on which week of the month it is, the venue has a room with a music alternative to rock, for example, every second Saturday The Garage blesses its faithful followers with All Dubbed Up night; DJ sets by various local DJ’s and artists that provide a safe haven for people who find the main room overbearing.
Every student in Leeds should at least try Cockpit once, and although it does form a deeper relationship with Rock and Alternative music lovers, it still welcomes everyone with an open heart, and has a night assigned especially for you. If you are in need of somewhere new and exciting to go in Leeds, try Cockpit, it is not only a music venue, but a place where there is always something big happening, and to the bands competing for the chance to play at Leeds and Reading festival, big it most definitely is.
There is nothing so utterly addictive for a student than rotting away in the middle of a river of mud, with live music pulsating through a crowd of fashionably scruffy looking strangers. That rush of energy in the undertone of agreed amazement is a feeling that no student should miss out on, neither is the chance to get covered in grass, half naked, while the headlining act are serenading the millions with their beautiful melodies.
The temptation is oh so much bigger with living in Leeds, every student has but one subject on their mind as the term ends, Leeds Festival. With, in my opinion, an ever amazing line up of acts preparing to surrender themselves to students, it is no wonder that tickets are valued highly in Leeds, and the subject of such festival is on everyone’s lips. Leeds Festival Website
Music festivals are the student’s equivalent of a middle aged man at the brink of a breakdown, purchasing the latest sports car, then parading it around his mates like it is the second coming, it has to be done at some point. Thus follows a holiday to an exotic destination with a handful of your craziest friends, to laze around the pool making eyes at the bathers on the other side, while sipping the straws of an alcoholic beverage. No student life is complete without one fulfilling these experiences, to the full extent. Many years later you will look back, and, with great pride, tell your grandchildren about how their grandparent got up on stage in a cross dressing Spanish bar, and licked sugar from the soggy arm of the host of questionable gender.
But how do students afford these great experiences? In my breed of students, it is as likely as Amy Winehouse wanting to go to rehab, than your parents offering to pay for such purchases. No doubt every student has, more than once, had to listen to those ear ringing lectures on how you appear to be out of pocket all year, ringing your parents up for pity money every week, and yet have somehow scraped enough change together to afford a music festival and/or a holiday. Unfortunately, not many parents find it plausible that you found £500 underneath the couch, next to the TV remote, and mouldy crumbs.
My source of wisdom for fellow students? Shop at the market. The market has everything you want, at a more student friendly price. Who can get better than the enticing student deals on the butchers row of Leeds market? With a note of five, you are provided with the basic necessities of a students weekly meal; with minced beef, sausages, pork chops, steak, and chicken to name but a few.
In the market, you can get fresh vegetables, fruit, and meat, for under a tenner, with an added bonus of particular high street products being much cheaper than normally expected on random stalls.
I always enter Leeds market with the naive illusion that I am walking into the future of student lifestyle, and to be honest, I have yet to be convinced otherwise. Since my first visit to Leeds market, I have recognised more of my friends, and course mates, rejecting their initial snobbery, and falling in love with the cheap deals in which the place offers.
Not only are the prices student friendly, but there is a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere in the market, very much parallel to the ashamed feeling I am provided with as I innocently enter a more highly esteemed and upmarket store. Every time I exit one of such stores, I am left with the unwelcoming guilt of trespassing somewhere I thought I had the right to shop.
Although, upon first arrival, one may have a slight snobbery towards the market place, and a haunting smell that parades around your nostrils is screaming for you to turn around, you are only provided with good food, for great prices, by friendly faces. I have established many basic friendships with the butchers of Leeds market, who are friendly, bubbly chaps always in want of a new friend to pass away a couple of minutes a day, indulging themselves in their customers life, and asking about that festival, or holiday they are saving up for.
So not only should a student take full advantage of the opportunities in which is placed upon holidays, and music festivals, and basically gathering crazy experiences they can reminisce about in their old age, but I believe they should do so with the help of the market. The market not only saves a student more money to spend on that holiday in Kavos, or the tent for T in the park, but welcomes you with open arms regardless of which stereotype you fit in to, if any. Therefore, add ‘Go to the Market’ to your list of things to do as a student, you will not be disappointed.
The life changing transition from a small, rather unknown village, to a thriving, busy city, is a big choice; however, many students do it every year. Kids from all over the spectrum make the decision to move away from their hometowns in order to follow their dreams. This is something I am familiar with. My name is Charlotte; I come from a very small valley that scarcely scratches the map, and two years ago I decided to take that leap into the big city of Leeds. Leeds, to me, offers everything I have wished for in the dull landscapes of countryside; cultural diversity, lively nightlife, much more opportunities to see your favourite bands play live, and a feeling of living somewhere important.
I walk through the centre of Leeds, and I can feel the excitement pumping, nothing is ever the same in Leeds. One night you could be doing the Otley Run with all your friends, and getting to know the local pubs, another night you could be in the mosh pit banging your head like a child, to the latest new bands, the next night you could be experiencing why Leeds is regarded as such a good city for nightlife. Like any other city, there is never a dull moment in Leeds, and this is why I love it so much.
...to the City.
I am a second year English Literature student at Leeds Metropolitan University. I believe it is a really good course, but some people I know have changed their courses because they believed it was not the right course for them. Since starting university, I have learnt that it is important to listen to your heart, in a city so big, it is easy to lose yourself in the crowd, however what better opportunity to express yourself? I have met many people at university who, at first, did not think that they were capable of what their courses expected of them, and I’ve watched as they proved themselves wrong, and flourished in to a confident student who believes in their ideas. I think that, as a student, sometimes you are vulnerable to your own weaknesses, and this stops you from reaching your best, my advice is that, although you may feel like you are getting nowhere, stick at it, believe in yourself, and you might just prove yourself wrong too.
I am very passionate about music, which is another reason why I enjoy Leeds. The University Student Union provides the opportunity to watch my favourite bands, at a price that I can afford, and the atmosphere is magical. The small capacity of the SU ensures that the gigs are personal, and it gives you a chance to bond with your fellow students, there is nothing like that moment when your realise you do have something in common with the boy that always answers your lecturers questions, or the girl that sits in the corner, awkwardly. The Student Union is like a second home, it provides a relaxing environment for each student, regardless of their individual personalities. With student nights such as F*U*E*L on a Friday night; giving students with a taste for alternative or classic rock, or even a love of pop, an eventful night, it moulds together the two extremities of music taste, and blends them together like a cake mixture, never before have I seen a punk, clad in a leather jacket, with a Mohican, bopping his hair to Lady Gaga, or a group of preppy-looking girls banging their head to Nirvana. F*U*E*L, transforms into a place where it is acceptable to just let go, and be yourself, no matter what music you are in to. If that does not persuade you to visit this student night if you are in Leeds on a Friday night, there are even dancers that can eat fire, and use props such as angle grinders, for you to enjoy.
Coming from a small village, I was not used to such a diversity of people, and felt slightly out of place with my friends, who followed the same fashion trends, listened to the same ear melting music, and liked the same things. When I moved in to halls, it was such a thrill to realise that there were people that listened to the same music as I did, and liked the same clothes as I did, and suddenly, I felt like I belonged. That is the great thing about Halls, you can be sharing a flat with someone completely different to you, and you just accept what is different about each other. Everyone came together in the evenings, and we would all go out and have fun, and share the new opportunities of Leeds together regardless of what they looked like, what music you listened to or where you are from.
I am now currently living in a house with several friends, something I find an achievement in itself, I have learnt how to pay bills, learnt how to cook for myself, and other people, and basically grown up. University not only gives you skills needed for your course, but it also encourages you to grow emotionally, and prepares you for the real life, the one you will lead when you graduate. They also say you don’t know someone until you have lived with them, which is true, I now fully appreciate the friends who I live with, because I have seen them at their best, and worst.
The Student Channel 
