Saraa Al Brashdi

Hey there! I am Saraa, and I am from Oman.

I graduated from Ahmed Bin Majid Private School back in Oman, then did a foundation year at the Leeds International Study Centre which led me to undergo a Chemical and Energy Engineering Bachelor’s degree at the University of Leeds.

There’s something about the university’s environment that makes everyone come together, friends become family...

My choice was simple, all my older sisters studied in Leeds, and I found comfort in the city. From the kind people to the diverse community, it felt like a home away from home. The University of Leeds seemed like the perfect place that combined the people, knowledge, and opportunities that I was looking for.

As an international student, it is always scary to leave the place you were once familiar with, but only through that you get to learn that the people here become your second family. There’s something about the university’s environment that makes everyone come together, friends become family, and despite the difference of origin, you get to learn a lot about different cultures because of how diverse everyone is, and yet never feel alone. That’s what makes the university environment great. It allowed me to be more social and grow as a person, and work on my teamwork skills because you know what they say, engineers never work alone! This is a big thing that my course as taught me so far, that there is power in unity, and that two brains work better than one.

You also can’t deny how pretty the campus is through the year, whether its the autumn leaves or the bunnies you see around during spring time, its always refreshing to walk around in between lectures! Not only that, but in general the staff and professors are very understanding on how it can sometimes feel overwhelming and always offer support along-side the newsletters we get about different wellbeing webinars. Other opportunities such as internships or placements are available as well which the Employability Team helps in, alongside all the career fairs they do throughout the year.

The city of Leeds itself is very student friendly as there are multiple student accommodations around, both private and through the university. Personally, I live in a private studio that is student friendly and is by YPP lettings, but there are lot more letting agents which can be easily found. There are also lots of parks around, which I love to go to, mainly to destress or enjoy the weather, such as Park square, Hyde Park or even Roundhay. I also enjoy doing creative stuff like painting or arts and crafts, so if you are creative minded like me, the Leeds Arts Museum is good weekend day activity, or going to Jack’s Rabbit Pottery for some pottery painting!

My advice, just enjoy every bit of your journey, from the 9am lectures to the late night study hours and everything in between, you will have fun, it’s not just a moment, but the memories you collect throughout that make it worth-while, and as always I’m happy to help! Email me at saraa-link@leeds.ac.uk or chat with me on UniBuddy!