School of Sociology and Social Policy

Jacob Sheen

BA Sociology (International) | 2007 - 2011

About me
I was born and have lived in London all of my life. In my spare time I enjoy playing and watching sport, watching comedy, travelling, music and reading.

I had always heard a lot of good things about Leeds, but it wasn’t until I came to visit on an open day that I really knew that this was where I wanted to study.

Everything is at your fingertips, with the university on one campus, town a short walk from the university and the areas of student residence also within walking distance.

My course
The sociology course at Leeds is unique and really appealed to me because it offered such diverse module options, meaning I could study so many things. For example, you can take units that allow you to learn about sociological theory, representation of ethnic groups in cinema and on television and how different social groups experience society, all in the same year.

Sociology in general is a great subject to study because it involves your immediate life, from having conversations you have at home or with friends to what you read about in the newspaper.

As a subject, I really feel it can develop you both personally and academically in the sense that it can change your outlook on society and your own life as well as teaching you how to analyse topics sociologically.

For me, the best aspects of the course have been learning about the theoretical side of sociology and in particular the work of Karl Marx, Émile Durkheim and Max Weber.

Studying abroad
In addition to this, the study abroad year that I undertook in Australia as part of my third year remains the best year of my life to date and was an experience that I would encourage any student beginning their studies at Leeds to embark on.

This takes nothing away from Leeds as a city or as a place to be a student, however visiting countries that I never even dreamed I would see was a truly amazing experience and one that developed me just as much as an individual as a student.

It really is a once in a lifetime experience. The benefits are so great both personally and academically, I would strongly recommend it to anyone!

City life
Leeds is a great city to come and live and study in. There is such a welcome feeling to the place and everyone who you meet is friendly. There is always plenty going on, and more than enough pubs, bars and clubs to satisfy even the craziest of party animals.

Outside of Leeds lies some of the country’s most beautiful country side too, so there is definitely plenty to keep people entertained whilst studying their degree.

Coming from a big city like London, it really opens your eyes when you meet people who come from more secluded backgrounds and have completely different life experiences.

In the same way that the study abroad year enhanced me as a person, I think coming to a place such as Leeds breaks you out of that bubble that you had been in at home.

Outside of study
I would have to say the social side of Leeds definitely surprised me. I knew the university was well regarded, but I had no idea that there were so many places to go, so many groups and clubs to be part of and so many ways just to meet people and make new friends.

Every kind of sport you have ever played will have a team if not more here at Leeds. The new Edge fitness centre features all the latest equipment and has a swimming pool as well a rock climbing wall so there is plenty to keep you occupied just in there.

If sport is not your thing, then the University has a huge range of clubs and societies you can join.

In my second year, I joined the radio team and regularly appeared on a sports show for them. It was a great way to improve my confidence in public speaking and was a great way to meet new friends who were interested in some of the things that I was interested in.

I attended a session for the boxing society at the very beginning of my first year, although I never returned as I have never been in so much pain from physical exercise and the walk home still haunts the memory.

Facilities and support
The libraries at Leeds are of a really high standard. There are so many books to read that you almost feel like you don’t actually know that much about your subject because there are endless amounts of books that you haven’t actually read.

With the increasing digitisation of texts and implementation of the Blackboard VLE system, it is so easy to access information.

In terms of contact with tutors and lecturers in the school, all tutors having open door sessions and personal emails makes it really easy for us as students to contact them and discuss problems or concerns we may be having about the course.

My future
I am currently considering applying for a Masters course in Sociology in Japan for a period of two years.

As I have mentioned, I love to travel, and the experience that I had on my study abroad year was so life-changing that I just want to keep moving around the world, experiencing new cultures, meeting new people and just generally enriching my knowledge and experience.

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