STUDENT PROFILES
Click on the photos to the right to hear what our students have to say about studying geography at Leeds. If you are currently studying with us and would like to share your experiences with prospective students please write a soundbite and send a current photo to our website co-ordinator. We look forward to hearing from you!
Gemma Dooling, PhD student 2012
PhD project title: “Managing peatlands as carbon stores”
Funding: NERC CASE studentship (CASE partner: Natural England)
“Throughout my undergraduate BSc Geography degree I had always thought about the possibility of doing a PhD, but I wasn’t 100% sure, and didn’t think that I was clever enough!
I applied for and studied a Masters instead (MSc Catchment Dynamics and Management at the University of Leeds), as I thought that would be a good stepping stone to either a PhD or a job. At the end of my Masters year I still wasn’t sure, so I went back to my part-time job at home and started applying for graduate jobs, but a few months later realised that I actually did want to do a PhD. I have always loved learning, and the parts of my BSc and MSc degrees that I had enjoyed the most were the mini research projects. So a PhD was a great chance to do one big, intensive research project.
Having done my Masters at Leeds in the School of Geography I knew what a great department it is, and also what a great place Leeds is as a city to live in. I like the fact that Leeds is a campus university, really close to the city centre with lots of accommodation close by, but also not far from beautiful countryside. The university itself has lots facilities with a big Union building full of different shops and bars and also a new sports complex, which is great when you’ve had a tough day and need to let out your frustrations!
The PhD community in the School of Geography is really strong, and PhD students are welcomed and encouraged to participate in research cluster meetings with the academic staff. I’ve also been lucky enough to gain some teaching experience through demonstrating on some undergraduate modules and fieldtrips.
The decision to do a PhD was the best decision I’ve ever made. It has confirmed that when I finish my PhD I want to continue my career in research. Not only has my self-confidence improved, but I’ve also learned lots of new skills and have made some great friends.
