Starting Uni in Leeds, what should I expect?

Posted by Accomplished-Act-219@reddit | AskABrit | View on Reddit | 52 comments

Hiya! So I've been coming to the UK to visit my grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, the whole shebang pretty much every year. Now I'm in my second year of uni in Australia, I'm finally able to come over for a Semester abroad and chose Leeds based on feedback from the fam. I'll be starting in September and just wanted to know what to expect I guess? Any tips, tricks, and things to do much appreciated.

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Big_b_inthehat@reddit

I’m not from Yorkshire, but Leeds isn’t far from the Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales, and is still not super far from the Lake District or the North York Moors, so if you’re a fan of a walk it’s very close to some fantastic scenery. Also good rock climbing country in the Peak District, as the modern sport originated in Sheffield. Also you’re quite central in Britain as a whole if not England, so you’re not in a bad place to explore the island during your breaks.

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Accomplished-Act-219@reddit (OP)

That's really good to know, I really like bushwalking in Aus, and would be excited to see the difference between the Granite belt and your moors, the scenery seems super different and I can't wait to explore it. I hadn't thought of rock climbing, will def check it out!

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Valdred_@reddit

Castleton (in Derbyshire) is a good little town to visit. Amazing scenery both above and below ground. Tours of blue john cavern and speedwell cavern are great. Plus, there's peveril castle that you can look around.

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Accomplished-Act-219@reddit (OP)

I'll check it out, thanks for the rec

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DaveBeBad@reddit

The direct train from Leeds to Carlisle passes through some of the best landscapes in the country - showing the edge of the Yorkshire dales heading towards the Lake District. If you like history, York is 30 minutes from Leeds and full of medieval architecture and history. You’ve also got the UNESCO sites of Saltaire, Durham and fountains abbey relatively close. Haworth and Hebden bridge are also worth a look. Further east, you’ve got the Victorian seaside town of Scarborough, where you can get some tasty fish and chips. Whitby is also popular but harder to get to (either train to Middlesbrough and then across, or train to Scarborough and bus shopping the coast). Leeds itself has some great music venues and concerts - the Brudenell, project house, O2 and arena have regular music and comedy. The old woollen is a little further out, and you’ve got modern shopping and bars in the city centre and student areas.

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SnarkKent8@reddit

This does mean he'd have to get off in Carlisle though...

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DaveBeBad@reddit

Get off train. Walk to next platform. Get back on train. Although - and tbf I’ve never been - doesn’t Carlisle have some Roman ruins?

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SnarkKent8@reddit

Haha, I think it does. I was being mean since I have friends from there. I actually believe one can find interest/beauty in all manner of unexpected places.

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Big_b_inthehat@reddit

Have a good time

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ref1ux@reddit

20 years since I went to Leeds Uni. Damn, I'm old. There were some difficult times, but overall it was great. Met some wonderful people and made friends for life. It's a very very good city to be a student. Lots of stuff to do and see. And surrounded by countryside which can be good for walking if that's your thing. From my memory, I would recommend warm clothing in the winter. Be prepared to sit on the bus quite a lot depending on where you're living. And try and be a bit discerning on where you're living - some of the landlords will take you for a ride. Otherwise - enjoy, get stuck in, cos you probably won't have as many opportunities for fun and friendship in front of you again!

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Accomplished-Act-219@reddit (OP)

Uk uni sounds so much more fun than Aussie Uni. I'm in Charles Morris, which seems to be on campus, so should be good on the bus. Any tips for making friends or fun places in Leeds?

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ref1ux@reddit

Throw yourself into things. The best thing about being there is that whatever you're in to, you'll find others into the same thing. Be that gaming, sports, drinking, swimming, walking, crochet... who knows, someone will be doing it! The Uni Societies are a good place to start.

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Dennyisthepisslord@reddit

Watch the inbetweeners which starts off a little younger. The movies are more their uni age. It's about as close as you can get.

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Accomplished-Act-219@reddit (OP)

I'll add it to the watch list, I've only seen some clips so look forward to checking it out.

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Darrowby_385@reddit

Maybe also Fresh Meat. Students in a house share in Manchester.

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Accomplished-Act-219@reddit (OP)

Sounds fun

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someonehasmygamertag@reddit

Its painful how accurate Fresh Meat is

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Mammoth-Squirrel2931@reddit

I am at Uni in Leeds albeit from a completely different perspective (mature student localish) There is a Leeds sub so you can keep up / get a flavour of the city and the area. As mentioned it's close to lots of countryside but as a city itself it has a great vibe in terms of culture and, you know, boozers / gig venues / clubs and all that. DO bring warmer clothes. In the Dec / Jan into Feb it can get very cold, esp as you are coming from Oz. Overall I think you will love the place, though not sure what Uni you are gong to as there are three I think but any Qs let me know!

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Accomplished-Act-219@reddit (OP)

Nice, I'll check it out. Any recs for pubs, walks or history things?

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Mammoth-Squirrel2931@reddit

Got some pub ones haha. current fave is [https://whitelocksleeds.com/](https://whitelocksleeds.com/) As for walks, well there will no doubt be some historical walks [https://www.visitleeds.co.uk/inspire-me/tours-and-trails/](https://www.visitleeds.co.uk/inspire-me/tours-and-trails/) There are lots of country parks like Kirkstall Abbey with its old monastery [https://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk/kirkstall-abbey-b51d](https://museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk/kirkstall-abbey-b51d) The Yorkshire Dales isn't far, for example Skipton is about 15-20 mins by train and is a lovely market town in itself but there are some massive hikes you can go on from there [https://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/places/skipton/](https://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/places/skipton/)

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Accomplished-Act-219@reddit (OP)

Thank you so much, a lot of weekend plans here!

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Mammoth-Squirrel2931@reddit

That would be a big weekend! And welcome to Leeds :)

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Historical_Heron4801@reddit

You won't struggle to find things to keep you busy in Leeds. I can't speak to the student culture these days as I'm in my 40s, but I do enjoy a day out there, it's such a vibrant city. The shopping is good, I'm a particular fan of Kirkgate Market and the Corn Exchange. (The food at the market is probably my favourite part.) It really depends what you're in to. If you enjoy history Leeds has some fantastic industrial history, beautiful buildings, and fantastic museums (many are free) including the Royal Armouries. If you enjoy the outdoors, it's a short hop to some great walking. If you're into literature or theatre, the Brontes were born just up the road, Alan Bennett is a local lad. There's a wonderful variety of theatres and other venues, from the First Direct Arena, to the City Varieties. If you're a drinker you can enjoy anything from an old man pub, to a fancy cocktail bar. Do you have any specific areas of interest? One of the great things about Leeds is how easy it is to leave it! The train station has great links to most significant cities.

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Accomplished-Act-219@reddit (OP)

All of that sounds great! I'm really into walking and history, and I vaguely remember seeing the armoury as a kid so would be fun to go back. Any recs for other cities to go to? I remember loving Edinburgh and York, and can kind of remember Oxford and Cambridge, and I don't think Cornwall will be as nice as I remember in September/October...

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Historical_Heron4801@reddit

Cornwall is beautiful at any time of year, and I'm sure as an Australian you'd think very little of the distance, but i'd consider it quite the trek from here, especially if you're relying on public transport. The Yorkshire coast is much closer and again, easy by train. Whitby is great - the inspiration for Dracula and home to Captain James Cook during his apprenticeship. A little further north you'd probably enjoy the castles and coastline of Northumberland. Alnwick (pronounced Annik) would be a good town/city base to explore from, a plethora of history and walking on the doorstep. The castle there was used as Hogwarts in the first Harry Potter film amongst many others. York and Edinburgh are both very close to my heart so, yes, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend either. Feel free to DM if you want those in detail, I could go on for a long time. West of Leeds, you have Manchester and Liverpool (home of the Beatles among many others), both great cities for a day trip. Between Leeds and Liverpool there are wonderful walks/bike rides/paddles along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, the canal was built as a major transport link and so passes through many towns that grew up through the industrial revolution, the industry here was largely based on wool, thing rolling hills for the sheep and beautiful old mills for the weaving. Halifax and Saltire are both worth a look for a day trip. Further afield, Bath and Bristol are both worth a look, as is Glasgow. I can't really advise you on Wales as I've only been a couple of times on walking trips, but I can tell you it's very beautiful and would encourage you to seek someone with better knowledge, as I think it would be worth it

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Accomplished-Act-219@reddit (OP)

Sounds excellent, I've been to quite a few of these, but Alnwick and Liverpool seem awesome, and I'd love to go and check out the others without the fam. I hadn't thought of Halifax or Saltire, but will definitely add them to the list. Thank you for the recs!

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Historical_Heron4801@reddit

Saltaire, sorry, my phone decided it knew what I was talking about. It's not a 'big' trip, but worth a look as you're local. It's also worth checking out city passes, just type "[name of city] pass" into Google and it often gives you a pass you can buy for a up to a few days that gives you free or discounted entry into attractions. Not all passes are created equal so do your research, eg the York one isn't very York specific, it's over a much larger area. But if ve had success with them both in UK and Europe (Dublin was fantastic, as was Salzburg).

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Accomplished-Act-219@reddit (OP)

Really? Never knew that that's so helpful thanks.

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Wide_Annual_3091@reddit

Long term Leeds resident. It’s one of the best student cities in the U.K. lots of places to go and party, make sure you get an “Otley run” in - it’s a dress up pub crawl and a tradition for local students. There’s lots going on in the city these days culturally and you are really close to nice rural areas if you like to hike and bike etc. you’re going to have an absolute blast.

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Accomplished-Act-219@reddit (OP)

Nice, that sounds amazing. Any pub recs?

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Wide_Annual_3091@reddit

Oh I’m too old for student pub recs but all of them on the Otley Road can be fun. The Original Oak was always the biggest and had loads going on. In town there’s loads - Whitelocks is a very old one with a traditional brass bar that’s nice as well. Waterlane Boathouse is by the canal and has a nice cool vibe and great setting for sitting out watching the boats.

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Accomplished-Act-219@reddit (OP)

Sounds awesome, thank you!

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TheSecretIsMarmite@reddit

Be prepared for your uni accomodation to be chilly during the colder months - my son was looking at Leeds and one of the complaints in reviews for some of the accomodation he looked at was that it was cold in the halls of residence as the thermostat was set low to save money. So, go to Argos and buy a space heater for your room is I suppose, my advice.

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Accomplished-Act-219@reddit (OP)

Will do 🫡

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MonkeyHamlet@reddit

There is some absolutely stunning countryside around Leeds.

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Johon1985@reddit

Rain. Football shirts and rain.

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Wasps_are_bastards@reddit

Be careful with the pubs. You can go to one that’s cheap, then over the road the prices triple. It’s an amazing city though

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OnlyOneBielsa@reddit

I grew up in leeds and we always got a lot of aussies due to the rugby/university, Im sure you will enjoy it. Its obviously Northern England so you will find people abit more warm and inviting than the south but at the same time, we tend to be very blunt, you will always know where you stand with Yorkshire folk. We do also have some pretty bad areas and fair share of crazy people that are best avoided like harehills or Beeston for example but the student area is Hyde Park and headingley which is just next to town, it's generally safe and Hyde park even has a slight hippie feel to it. I wish I still lived in leeds, it's definitely my 2nd favourite part of England after York.

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Slight-Brush@reddit

Warm winter clothes, waterproof shoes. And ask on r/UniUK

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GrandmasHere@reddit

Especially socks! My feet are always cold in the UK, even in summer

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Weak-Employer2805@reddit

nobody in the uk has waterproof shoes lmao why are we recommending these

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Accomplished-Act-219@reddit (OP)

Oh really? I was going to bring my docs, and I keep some wellies at the grandparents because we always end up ankle deep in mud whenever we go over in winter.

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Slight-Brush@reddit

Docs will be fine, but trying to make eg converse do all winter is miserable

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Accomplished-Act-219@reddit (OP)

ahh ok, I'll leave my hightops out of the suitcase then

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Slight-Brush@reddit

Ok ‘shoes that can handle puddles’ Spent enough miserable days with wet feet as a student wearing canvas trainers

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Accomplished-Act-219@reddit (OP)

Oh thx m8, didn't know that reddit existed. Any tips on brands? Looking at buying some of the stuff over there as its better and cheaper than Aus.

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Slight-Brush@reddit

Depends how you like to balance style vs practicality; Decathlon in the centre of Leeds sells jackets and other gear meant for hiking, sailing, skiing etc and is well priced and functional, but I wouldn’t call it stylish.

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Accomplished-Act-219@reddit (OP)

Functional is great, was going to hit up some thrifts for something more stylish after I've got the necessities, but the fam all lives in a village, so good outdoor clothes are a must. Will def check out decathalon.

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Slight-Brush@reddit

Or they may have a line on a ‘country clothing’ type place which are usually pretty practical too.

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Accomplished-Act-219@reddit (OP)

sounds great ill give them a look

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Final_Anybody_3862@reddit

If you ever find yourself in a spot of bother with the locals, just say something along the lines of, "Yorkshire is God's County." Then say something really disparaging about Manchester.

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qualityvote2@reddit

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