Malgorzata MacDougall

Please tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

I am a 21-year-old final-year student. I am half Polish, part Scottish, and part English. I am from St Albans, a city just North of London. I work as a freelance artist alongside my studies.  

Why did you choose to study your particular course and why did you choose the University of Leeds? 

I really enjoyed A-Level English, and I really wanted to be a journalist! I assumed the logic that studying something I loved would get me a job that I love. I chose the school of English course at Leeds because of its flexibility. I loved the idea of taking a year abroad and being able to take discovery modules. I chose the University of Leeds because of its campus, its student feel, its Russell group status, the libraries, and the nightlife.  

What has been the best aspect of your course so far? 

I really enjoyed the ‘Refugee Imaginaries’ module I took last year (which is now the subject of my dissertation!). Delving into politics and international law has been so interesting and have changed my career aspirations drastically.  

Can you tell us about some of the exciting projects you have completed as part of your degree? 

Writing an essay on discourse analysis and witchcraft was a lot of fun! I’ve also really enjoyed putting my thesis together for my dissertation, which is coming up soon!  

Have you worked closely with a particular tutor or member or the University’s academic staff? Tell us about that experience.  

Dr Sam Durrant was my seminar tutor for two years and was my dissertation supervisor for the first half of my final year. It was really lovely to have so much support from someone who knows so much about a subject you are interested in! If it wasn’t for Dr Durrant refugee studies would not be my subject of interest.  

What activities outside of your studies were you involved in? 

I really enjoyed using local (and university) funding to start my own not-for-profit. 

What would you say to students thinking about studying your course? 

I have enjoyed it more than I thought I could! There is so much choice and freedom with what you study, and everyone in the school is so lovely. I really couldn’t recommend it enough.  

What does Leeds as a city have to offer students? 

A big gallery with a great café to work in, lots of cafes, lots of arty events, and fantastic nightlife. The student area is great, nearly everyone lives within a 15-minute walk from each other, and there are some really nice social areas in Hyde Park. There is a really nice student feel, I don’t know if it is the campus or the student area itself, but it is something I am really going to miss.