School of Sociology and Social Policy

Riyad Cajee

BA Sociology | 2008 - 2011

About me
I’m 22 years old and have just recently moved from Reading to a small village in Gloucestershire called Bourton-on-the-Water. Currently I’m a 3rd year student at Leeds and I’ve currently just applied to do an MA in Social Research.

Why I chose Leeds
After I left school I took a double gap year, and during that time I worked full time and spent most of my free time visiting old school friends who were at university. During that time I talked to a lot of people studying a wide variety of courses, but when discussing Sociology, it just seemed to stand out as an area that I found very interesting and wanted to know more about.

After seeing friends in lots of universities around the country, Leeds really stuck out to me and seemed like a fantastic uni, it had an award winning Student Union, the teaching staff are friendly and highly motivated, the university also had excellent facilities and most importantly Leeds has a great night life!

Why Sociology
I really love studying Sociology; the fantastic thing about it is that it covers a wide variety of subject matter to choose from. During my time I’ve covered mainly modules that focus on crime, drugs and prisons, but I’ve also studied other areas like social welfare, globalisation, education and sociological debates focusing on theorists (Marx, Durkheim and Weber).

One of the most enjoyable aspects I personally find is the debates within seminars which at times can get quite heated!

The School of Sociology and Social Policy
The School’s learning facilities have been fantastic; we are taught life skills such as independent learning as well as how to work in teams, which has definitely helped in other areas of my life.

There is always help and guidance on hand for those who need it with open door sessions, which have proved extremely useful at times! The libraries are also really good and easy to use! Books are always available and if not, they can usually be accessed online which is really helpful over the holidays if your back at home and need access to them!

The student support in the school has been helpful with regular meetings between lecturers and students, always trying to find new ways to help improve the school and their modules.

Outside of study
Leeds has over 270 clubs and societies, so I’ve tried to join as many as possible and take an active role. During my time at University I’ve joined the Rifle Society, Photography Society, Ellerslie Hall JCR Society, Sign Language Society (I even gained a qualification in British Sign Language), Fencing and the Sociology Society.  Next year I hope to join other societies such as Archery and perhaps get involved with some charity work.

Outside of studying to help me relax, I’m very involved with sports, I like to play squash, compete in fencing tournaments, go for runs, swims and hit the gym. I also like to read, go to the cinema, clubbing and just sometimes sit with friends in the pub for a quiet pint.

City life
Leeds as  a city is fantastic, there’s always something going on of interest! It has a lot of shops, everything is easy to get to, the nightlife is brilliant, and with the train station nearby you can easily go off and explore other areas such as York. Also at Christmas there is the German Christmas market which is alot of fun as well as the outdoor ice-skating rink!

Future plans
I’ve really enjoyed my course and time at university so much so, that I’ve currently applied to do an MA in Social Research here at Leeds! I wouldn’t change my time here for the world. It has been so much fun and I’ve met some really interesting people, had some amazing experiences and made life-long friends.

If you’re looking for a course which is intellectually stimulating, explores many different avenues and walks of life then the School of Sociology and Social Policy is right for you!

The teaching is excellent, the staff are friendly, the facilities are fantastic and the people are great! The University has everything to cater for your needs and has a wide support network to help deal with any potential problems.

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