Amy Hogarth, BA Geography 2009
"Approaching the end of my time in the School of Geography, it is quite easy for me to look back and reflect on what an amazing journey it has been. From arriving on day one as a student over in Earth Sciences, and quickly deciding it wasn’t for me, I was welcomed with open arms into the Geography department and have never looked back.
The most striking thing about Leeds School of Geography is the amazing body of staff. Whenever I have needed help, there has always been someone there willing and able, even if just a shoulder to cry on or celebrate fantastic results with! The support and advice I have received over the past three years has been first class, and the departmental staff are a credit to the school.
The variety of modules accessible to a School of Geography student is rich and exciting. I have found myself at times calculating the life expectancy of a population in Nigeria, and at others learning how Tesco are ruining Britain’s traditional retail markets. From Paul Waley’s in-depth knowledge on the history of Trieste, to Paul Chatterton’s up-to-date debates on climate change and sustainable futures, the staff constantly give their time and effort into making sure modules are relevant and enjoyable.
When I began filling in my UCAS application I never in a million years thought I would spend the last months of my degree at Batley Girls High School, helping to teach Geography one day a week! I am thoroughly enjoying the Geographers into Teaching third year module and it has opened up some amazing doors for me! The generous help from the ladies in the careers centre, the geography careers fairs and generally learning more about the world around me has set my sights on the very career I always said I would never approach; my life plans have literally been flipped around!
For me, the best part of studying geography at Leeds has been the friends I have made. It is incredible to study alongside people with the same passion for life, the want to learn more about the world around us and the goals to achieve great things in life. Of all of the subjects my friends study, I know my degree is definitely the most sociable. The high levels of variety in the approach to learning really help you to bond with your fellow students; what other course lets you spend a week away partying with your mates whilst learning bucket-loads and having the time of your life!? Think about it!
Yes it’s not all fun and games and you do have to be prepared to put in the hours if you want the best marks; but that’s what being a geographer is all about: living in the real world! At times it can be hard, but I have had the flexibility to choose to study what I enjoy the most, so it has never been a chore.
Geography at Leeds has been the time of my life and I am very sad to be leaving the university behind; but with the life skills and ever-increasing amounts of geographical knowledge I have accumulated over the last three years, I (hopefully!) graduate knowing my degree has come from one of the top six research departments in the country, and from a University with a solid reputation, setting me in good stead for a long and solid career, wherever life decides to take me next"
