Returning to Leicester

This week I was back in Leicester for the first time in over a year. The main reason for my visit was for graduation. Although I’m doing a 4 year MGeol course and don’t graduate until this time next year, most courses are 3 years which means that lots of friends were graduating this week. Therefore it was the perfect opportunity to catch up with friends who I haven’t seen whilst being on the other side of the world for a year and celebrate their achievements.

I managed to get a last minute guest ticket for the geology graduation ceremony which meant that I got the chance to watch all of my course mates receiving their degrees. I felt very proud watching my friends and peers graduating and being rewarded for all their hard work. This time next year it will be my turn to put on a gown, walk across the stage in De Montfort Hall and become a graduate of the University of Leicester.

The geology graduation ceremony in De Montfort Hall

A lot has changed on the university campus since I was there at the end of last year. The Fielding Johnson Square was still being built before I left but now the car park has been transformed into an open space for events, this week being used for graduation receptions. The Student Services Centre is also a new addition to the campus, which brings lots of support services under one roof in the Charles Wilson Building and makes it easier for students to access a wide range of services. There’s also a new shop in the Students’ Union building and the signs on all the buildings and at the campus entrances have been updated with the new university logo since I was last in Leicester. It’s amazing to see how much has changed in such a short amount of time and shows how much the university cares about constantly improving to make the campus as good as possible for students and staff.