Matt Galliford

What made you want to apply to your course and to Leeds?

I liked the multidisciplinary approach that my school uses and was impressed with the breadth of study, not just focusing on art but on philosophy, social movements, and important interventions into the subject.

I was really impressed with Leeds as a city, it has so much going on culturally and musically – it’s an exciting place to be!

What aspects of the course did you enjoy the most?  

I really liked open seminars where we could discuss that week’s readings. I enjoyed being allowed to choose what to read, so we could really follow our interests. This also meant that my undergraduate dissertation was really enjoyable too. I certainly felt challenged, but this is a positive thing, when you come to university you want to be academically challenged.

What other activities are available for students to take part in outside of their studies (e.g. societies), and which ones have you tried out yourself?

Almost anything you can think of is available, from beer brewing to yoga! I did student radio and played on the squash team.

How have you found the transition into working life, and how do you think the skills and knowledge you’ve developed at Leeds will help with these plans?

Research skills might sound like they are only for academic tasks, however I have found that being able to research quickly and efficiently has been extremely important in professional life. Similarly, the depth of reading that an undergraduate degree takes really sets you up for work as it teaches you to think critically!

I have gone on to a Master’s course alongside working, so the skills I have learnt for my degree carry over very naturally!