Making the most of your time at Leeds
You are attending one of the top universities in the world and it would be a shame to not take advantage of all it has to offer. Alongside your learning try to push yourself out of your comfort zone.
Embrace all the university experience has to offer and if you are not sure where to start, please get in touch with the Lifelong Learning Centre (LLC).
We recognise that being a mature student can bring along challenges when it comes to balancing study with life. You may feel overwhelmed and worried that you may miss out on what the university has to offer. The Lifelong Learning Centre delivers events with mature and part-time students in mind and we would encourage you to try and attend one or two activities each semester, if possible.
Get to know campus
We recommend trying to find your favourite places to study, meet friends and generally spend time in your first few weeks of being here. Whether it be Common Ground in the Leeds University Union Building, one of the group study rooms in the Laidlaw Library or the Student Common Room on level 12 of the Marjorie & Arnold Ziff Building, try and make the most of the spaces on campus.
If you would like to explore but don’t know where to start, keep an eye out for our 'Explore with the LLC' events or Hidden Campus tours on our events page. Alternatively, you might fancy picking up a Public Art Trail map from the Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery in the Parkinson Building. This is a really nice way to discover new places on campus.
LLC Events
The LLC holds a variety events throughout the year. These include Mature Student Hour, various workshops relating to academic skills, careers, wellbeing and IT and adhoc social events such as our popular Games Nights.
We run several events outside of term time to help the transition between levels and semesters. These include our ‘Becoming a….’ series, Jump into January and Step into September.
We also recognise that alot of our students are local to Leeds so we also run family events out of term time.
All our upcoming events can be found here.
If you have any ideas for future events or would like more information about any of the above, we would love to hear from you lifelonglearning@leeds.ac.uk
Leeds University Union (LUU)
LUU is the representative body for the students at the University of Leeds. It is led by a group of six student officers known as the student executive, supported by volunteer students acting as reps and a large body of staff, both full-time and part-time. The organisation's aim is the advancement of education of Leeds students, by representing, supporting and advising students to improve their welfare and promote their interests and through the provision of social activities.
Why not apply to be a LUU Rep? There are loads of different roles available from School Rep, where you represent the students in your whole academic school to Community Reps that represent views on the university community. All role holders are given training and supported by LUU. It is a great way to enhance your university experience and develop your skills.
The LUU also has over 300 student led societies that fall into 13 different categories. There really is something for everyone and if you are not sure where to start, Give it a Go sessions run throughout the academic year that you can attend to have a taster. These are a great way to meet new people and if you really enjoy it you can join the society and even take on a role as president or secretary.
LUU events are also a great place to get involved. Visit this page for more information.
If you are interested in any of the opportunities above, would like more information or are not sure where to get started, please email lifelonglearning@leeds.ac.uk