UQ Programme: Bachelor of Laws
I am so pleased that I chose to undertake a semester at the University of Leeds. It not only provided me the opportunity to take subjects that are not offered at UQ but also the chance to see parts of the United Kingdom and Europe.
I was lucky in that I still had two non-law electives up my sleeve, which made it easier for me to receive approval for credit. I chose to take two medieval English history subjects. It was great to learn something that allowed me to place various tourist attractions I saw through my travels in England, like castles and churches, into a historical context.
I also chose to take two law electives while on exchange, animal law and environmental law. I did have some difficulty enrolling in law subjects and arrived in Leeds without a place in any law classes. Within the first few days of semester, however, I was able to sort out these problems in person and was able to choose from a wide selection of law electives.
I lived in student accommodation about five minutes from university called St Marks Residences. Although very basic, I enjoyed staying here very much as it houses a large number of international students. In my flat alone there was an Argentinean, a Brazilian, a Canadian and a Swede. It was so great to get to know people from all over the world.
The most notable difference between UQ and the University of Leeds is the academic calendar. In contrast to our usual weeklong mid-semester break, Leeds gave students an entire month off over April. Despite having major assignments due in the first week back, most exchange students jumped at the chance to use this time to travel throughout Europe. I spent the month traveling through Scotland, France and Italy.
[A word of advice to any students who choose to go to Leeds: make sure you make space in your suitcase for costumes. One of the first things I noticed when I arrived in Leeds was the vast number of people in fancy dress wandering around in big, rowdy groups. The ‘Otley Run’ has become somewhat of an institution in Leeds. It involves getting a group of friends together, deciding on a theme, getting dressed up and having a pint in every bar on Otley Road (one of the main roads that lead to uni). There are usually several happening on any given night throughout semester. So please don’t be surprised if a group of 20 guys dressed in ball gowns enter a bar and no one looks up from their drinks. It’s completely normal.]