Email Joceline: joceline-link@leeds.ac.uk
Hello! My name is Joceline and I’m from Jakarta, Indonesia. I’m a third year Medicinal Chemistry student at the University of Leeds, currently doing a placement in Durham.
Before attending the University of Leeds, I was a student in the Leeds International Study Centre doing my foundation programme in Science. In my first two years in Leeds, I lived in Lovell Park in a private student accommodation. I chose this place as the rent is cheaper and it’s only a 5-minute walk to Morrisons, making grocery shopping a breeze. It’s a 20-minute walk to the University, which means I get to stay active every day and get some fresh air.
Before coming to the UK, I considered various universities, both in and outside of the UK. I eventually came to the decision to attend the University of Leeds for three main reasons.
The first one was as a Russell Group university, the University of Leeds has a lot of focus on research and produces quality research papers. This is a great opportunity as I am incredibly passionate about research in my field of study. Additionally, there are various research facilities in the University, such as The Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, that support the research being done in the University.
My second reason is that the University of Leeds is ranked high in employability. The University provides various support and activities to increase employability. One of them being the Careers Centre, which provides services such as mock interviews and CV checks (and helped me land my placement!). The platform, Leeds for Life, also encourages students to develop their personal skills along with their academic skills.
My final reason is that the University of Leeds has a diverse student community, with students coming from different parts of the world. This provided me with an opportunity to interact with different people from different backgrounds and expand my knowledge.
Outside of my classes, I’m actively participating in various things. I was a member of Enactus, which is a student-led organisation that creates sustainable enterprises that bring change to the community. It’s a great opportunity for those who are passionate about social issues and want to make a difference.
I was also in the Intercultural Ambassadors programme, where international and local students come together and create events around the theme of interculturalism. In this programme, we develop cultural awareness and develop team-working and event planning skills. I am also a Course Rep which provides me the opportunity to improve the learning experience of other students through feedback.
Apart from my studies, I enjoy exploring Leeds with my friends. Leeds is a vibrant city with various things to do. One of the great things about Leeds is that it has an amazing food scene. There are amazing Chinese, Thai, Italian and many other restaurants all within reach. I personally love shopping at the Asian supermarket, Taste the Orient (or Hang Sing Hong), as they have a wide variety of Asian ingredients which makes it easier to cook food from your home town!
The annual Leeds Light Night is a great event to check out various art installations and explore the city as well. The Leeds Christmas Market is an amazing place to walk around with friends, and make sure you try the mulled wine! Overall, Leeds is such a wonderful place to live in and study as well.