June Baik

Hello, my name is June and I am currently on a one-year exchange program at the University of Leeds. I am originally from Korea but I was mostly raised in Japan and educated in English in an international school in Japan. So although I am Korean, I am most familiar with Japanese culture and comfortable speaking American English. My home university is in Tokyo and I study Psychology and Philosophy to understand more about how I can help improve learning environments for foreigners living in Japan.

I realized the University of Leeds presented the perfect set of opportunities for my growth.

I first heard about the University of Leeds when researching my study abroad options. It was one of the universities that had an exchange program partnership with my home university. At first, I had many doubts about applying to the program as I wasn’t even sure about which country to go to. But after meeting exchange students from the University of Leeds at my home university in Japan and doing some extensive research on my own, I realized it presented the perfect set of opportunities for my growth. The UK was a unique setting where my first language is rooted in an entirely different culture in a continent I’ve never been to before. It also offered academic and social opportunities limited in my home university: an abundance of Psychology and Philosophy courses in English as well as a wide variety of societies to join.

Its flexible module system, consistent student support, and safe and accessible location were other qualities that distinguished it from other universities.

So far my experience here has been simply amazing. I am in the School of Psychology at Leeds but thanks to the discovery module, I am able to take classes for my second major, Philosophy, along with my other academic interests such as Literature and Religion. The modules I am currently enjoying the most are Work Psychology, Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art, and Poetry: Reading and Interpretation. Back in Japan, these kinds of courses are not available in English and studying them here allows me to get a better sense of my career plans as well as my undergraduate senior thesis.

...the kind of student support available for international students makes it truly welcoming

As a third culture kid, I feel so much at home at Leeds. Not only is it a multicultural place, but the kind of student support available for international students makes it truly welcoming. The free airport pick-up service led by student ambassadors and the welcome box with tons of snacks and sim cards made the transition of moving here smooth. During the first week here, it has been very easy to make new friends as well, especially during the international orientation week. It was full of social events like arts and crafts events, speed-friending, global cafe, wellbeing events, cultural exchange events, and sports events. I’ve met so many people from countries, even ones I didn’t even know the name of before.

In addition to the fun, the university was also supportive of the technical procedures and paperwork we had to go through as international students by hosting meetings and webinars. For school life, they held talks led by student ambassadors that gave us an insider perspective into what it is like to be studying, living, working, or volunteering at Leeds. With all the services and events tailored for international students, and organized by mostly other international students there, I felt a genuine connection with the school and could tell that they cared about helping international students settle into their new home.

For my accommodation, I chose Carlton Hill, one of the newest residences that opened just last year. While it is on the expensive side, I think the comfort, convenience and service made it worth every penny. It is located between the university and the city center, only about a 12-18 minute walk to each destination. The shared spaces include a luxurious lounge with sofas where the resident cat loves to sleep, a gym with all kinds of equipment, a big study room, and a free drinks machine. The flats are spacious and they come with modern furniture and kitchen appliances along with a free washing machine, which are rare in other accommodations. But what I love the most about Carlton Hill is the room because it has a clean bathroom, good lighting, big windows and a wide desk space accompanied by a pin board of the same size. Adding on, the variety of residence events hosted here helps students connect with others living closeby. In just one month, I’ve been to the Unipol welcome party, games night, biscuit decorating, residence festival, pony visit, and a free bus trip to IKEA and York.

Another charm of living here in the city of Leeds for me is how convenient and safe it is.

The city centre is only about a 10-15 minute walk away from the university and even shorter with a bus ride. From the Leeds Station located in the city centre, all it takes is a train ride to get to other neighbouring cities like Manchester, York, and Sheffield. In terms of safety, Leeds is a generally safe city compared to other cities, and the university provides several services that ensure the student’s safety, like SafeZone where you can immediately call school securities for help. If it is late at night, the Night Bus offers a ride from the university to the student’s accommodation. In addition to traveling safely, the university also hosts different trips for travelling for fun. Sometimes it is cheaper than going by train and so far, I’ve been to a Harry Potter tour in York and the Durham Castle, and am looking forward to going to Oxford, Bicester village, and Christmas Markets in Manchester.

Apart from school life, there are lots of opportunities to stay active and get involved. I am usually attending social events within Japanese society or Philosophy society, volunteering in student-led organizations, trying out different cafes, going to Manchester for rock music concerts, exploring bookstores in Leeds, and traveling to neighboring cities to take photos. Through all these experiences, I’ve learned so much along my journey so far and have met lots of new people.

I would recommend the University of Leeds to prospective students for the abundance of academic and social opportunities and the strong student service it offers.

I would love to share more about my experience here with anyone considering Leeds as a study abroad destination and am happy to answer any questions you may have about modules, student life, accommodation, the city, or even studying abroad in general.

Please feel free to contact me through Unibuddy or email me at june-link@leeds.ac.uk. I look forward to hearing from you.