Interview with a 2022 Leeds student

📍 Interviewee background

Vivien Lin

National Cheng Kung University

Political Science

GPA 3.74 / 4.3; IELTS 7.0

Admitted to:

University of Leeds - MSc Consumer Analytics & Marketing Strategy

University of Reading - MSc Marketing (Digital Marketing)

University of Newcastle - MSc Digital Business (e-Marketing)

📍 Would you recommend this program?

It's a program that's still growing, run jointly by the business school and the School of Geography, and compared with other business school programs it puts more emphasis on hands-on work. Students get into advanced R and a mapping data management system (QGIS); I'll write a separate post introducing QGIS. I like doing practical work beyond theory, but be aware that this is a challenging program! A UK master's is 1 year, and several courses in this program are tightly packed. Classes may only cover the surface, and students have to put in their own effort after class to really understand the material. If you're very interested in data analysis and can learn on your own, this program will give you a rich learning experience and plenty of opportunities.

📍 What made me apply to this program from a different background?

The most direct reason was still career prospects: I wanted to broaden the fields I could work in and see what I was capable of. The main reason I chose this program at Leeds was that I hoped to learn marketing theory while also learning to use data analysis systems. So compared with most universities' marketing programs, the MSc Consumer Behavior & Marketing Strategy offers more chances to work with systems and programming languages (QGIS, R, SPSS, etc.). This hands-on work made studying more fun instead of dry, and helped me understand what I was actually learning, rather than just imagining it.

📍 The most interesting course, hands down:

Consumer Behaviour was the liveliest and most interesting course. Students come from all over the world. The lecturer asked us to share unusual ads we had seen in our own countries, and in a seminar we compared similar products from different brands and discussed which country's marketing strategy was more likely to get consumers to buy. We all live on the same planet, but different ways of thinking, cultures and values really do lead to more localized marketing strategies.

📍 Challenges in the program?

Coming in with no background at all, you have to learn the material in a short time, there's still data-heavy coursework over the holidays, and if you fell behind earlier, you have to go back and pick up the basics again. The hardest part was the R in Big Data and Consumer Analytics.

📍 Leeds lets you hand in coursework late

You're not encouraged to rely on it too much, but this is quite unusual: for individual assignments, you can request an extension of up to 7 days if you give a reason, e.g. testing positive for COVID, mental stress, etc., and you won't lose marks. You have to apply a week before the deadline, and the review takes 2~3 working days.

📍 Avoid the bad off-campus apartments!

I lived off campus at Marsden House En-suite, and I honestly don't recommend it. 0 points. I think the building went up in 2005. It has a gym, a pool table, a social lounge and a place to watch movies, but the facilities are old, and my room had plenty of problems, like: a clogged sink, flickering lights, a leaking floor and so on. Other problems: lots of foreign students, so there may be parties every night, plus thin walls and floors with no sound insulation at all, and no noise complaint service. I'd still recommend looking for an apartment with more Asian tenants. Its only upside is that it's close to the business school at the back of campus, but it's far from the main gate.

📍 Ratings of other off-campus apartments

Refinery good soundproofing, separate wet and dry areas in the bathroom, motion-sensor lights 5 points

Vita2 in the city center, a bit pricier; the upside is that it's a studio, and staff strictly control who comes and goes 4 points

Burley Road bigger desk and bathroom, small bed, little shared space 3 points

Concept Place very thin walls, you can hear your neighbors clearly; has a pool table and a study room; carpeted throughout 2 points

Also, even if a residence shows as full on its website, you can still call and ask. You may be able to get a held-back room.

Oh, and on campus, everyone recommends St.Marks

📍 Discoveries in the UK?!

When I arrived in the UK and got on a bus, I found I could pay the fare directly by credit card with Apple Pay. At the supermarket, buying a few everyday items, I found that self-checkout is really well developed, so no crowding in line for a cashier! Walking out hungry, I found that Thai food is the best; the rest, you know, really isn't much good :P. Lying awake at night with jet lag, scrolling on my phone, I signed up for Unidays, which you can show for discounts, a bit like student ID, and found out by chance that tonight was the last Sunday in October, when the clocks go back at 2:00 a.m., and from that day until March I get an extra hour of sleep every day (just kidding xD

📍 A few words for everyone

You've probably heard this many times, but I still think if you can afford it, you should definitely go study abroad, because it broadens your horizons (everyone takes away something different, which is really interesting)! And since the UK is close to the rest of Europe, use this year to experience different countries' cultures on the cheapest transport you can find, and don't forget to visit other small towns in the UK too. It'll be a year full of memories. Oh! And eat plenty of good food before you come :P

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