The secret lives of fourth years at Leeds

They’re constantly reposting pictures that allegedly came up on their ‘Memories’


Channel 4’s hit documentary series ‘The Secret Life of Four-year-olds’ recently returned to our screens.

Now The Tab delves into a far more alien group amongst students – fourth years.

We want to find out who the hell these people are, and how they got to be fourth years. We want to know what makes someone a fourth year and why anyone would ever want to be one.

Who are they?

Year Abroad

So you went to an American university, a Caribbean island or a European city that embraced you pre-Brexit. Your life was amazing, your Snapchat was envied and your friends were cool foreigners. Upon returning to England you quickly realise, your beer-pong skills are irrelevant, and your language skills are once again non-existent.

Year in Industry

You’ve spent an entire year pretending to be an adult at a 9-to-5 job and you’re happier than ever to be called a student again. You consider 10am a lie in and you simply cant handle two nights out in a row anymore. You’ve either got a graduate job lined up or you’re slowly realising your placement was as worthless as Year 10 work experience.

Masters Students

You don’t do Engineering or Medicine, you’ve completed your degree, and yet you’re still here? You tell everyone it will increase your job prospects or you were always going to do one.

You’re the guardian angel who went house hunting for your mates who were abroad. But admittedly, you just wanted to live with your original Uni friendship group again, who all took a year out without you.

Breeding ground

Away from the Hyde Park commotion, fourth years can often be spotted in the mysterious land of Woodhouse.

They’ve eaten far too many Boss Burgers and had way too many awkward run-ins at Sainsbury’s – it was time to hang-up their harem pants and move elsewhere.

Woodhouse is closer to university and it has its very own One Stop (that’s right there’s another one) The shocking amount of locals makes fourth years feel as though they’re amongst a new culture once again.

What do they do?

Reminisce

The Year Abroad-ers complain about the British weather and compare it to their host country – a lot. They’re constantly reposting pictures that allegedly came up on their “Memories” and saying things like “wish I was back ere chilling on the beach.”

Some of them are actually so addicted to reminiscing they’ve incorporated it into their curriculum. The University of Leeds offers a 20-credit module that is literally based around “evaluating” your year abroad.

Attend gigs

Who’s got time for the hustle and bustle of Beaver Works and house parties when there’s a live band playing at LS6. It’s often just as loud and the drinks are far more expensive, but you’re going to attend because you’re cool and cultured now.

Go to Freshers’ events

Fourth years convince one another it will just be a laugh and “We’ll do it for old times’ sake.” They end up feeling too old and complaining about the horrors of Freshers actually asking them which halls they’re in, or getting on each others shoulders in clubs. But secretly, they all bask in the thrill of telling a doughy-eyed fresher about their experience abroad and superior knowledge.

Generally act lame:

Rumour has it, instead of the classic chunder or pulling chart – fourth years have a tea chart hanging in their kitchens.

(Tea chart = A chart explaining how they like their tea made)

They actually call their parents to talk, instead of just asking for money (but still do that too).

They’re campus veterans, practical adults and mysterious creatures – they’re fourth years.