Third Year abroad to Melbourne 2022/23

Oliver Abbott Start Date: Jan 10, 2022 - End Date: Jul 9, 2022
  • Cultural Exchange
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • Study/Degree Abroad
  • Melbourne VIC, Australia

My Travel Story

by: Oliver Abbott Start Date: Jan 10, 2022 - End Date: Jul 9, 2022
  • Cultural Exchange
  • Educational/Research Trip
  • Study/Degree Abroad
For my third year at university, I have got the once in a lifetime opportunity to spend a year on exchange studying at The University of Melbourne. However, this opportunity will not come cheap and despite student finance funding and travel grants, there are certain areas of the trip that I will not be able to afford without extra help. Therefore I am starting this fundraiser in the hope of gaining enough extra funds to support this amazing opportunity I'm lucky enough to have been given.
Having the chance to study economics and finance abroad at the University of Melbourne will give me the ability to learn new skills and ways of analysing different economies and financial systems. Economies differ massively throughout the world and in an increasingly globalized and well-connected world, being able to understand and learn about how these economies differ yet function alongside and with one another is key. Getting to witness this firsthand by being able to compare between the UK and Australia through spending time not only just studying at the university but also observing how Australian citizens go about their daily lives in comparison to in Edinburgh will be a hugely valuable experience towards progressing my academic studies and career post-university. Academically, the University of Melbourne is ranked highly in the world for Economics therefore being able to go on an exchange at such an institution can only serve to help my overall university experience and academic endeavours. My goal has always been to achieve the highest level of education available to me and this is a chance to take my education to the next level. Studying Economics at the University of Melbourne will develop my ability to adapt to a different academic setting, which will help me adapt to different management styles in the future - key to offering versatility in the workplace.
Despite the challenges Covid-19 presented me in my first year at Edinburgh I was the only first-year student to achieve getting elected to the University of Edinburgh Golf Club Committee as publicity officer. I was keen to get involved as much as possible last year and am aiming to increase my role on the committee and become a senior player in the team and representative of the club. As such, in the first semester of this year, I have represented the University in numerous competitive BUCS matches and tournaments as well as against prominent Golf Clubs in Scotland such as Prestwick. I have strong leadership and public speaking qualities from my time as Junior Captain of Pannal Golf Club, the Harrogate District Union of Golf Clubs and captaining the Yorkshire boys u16’s golf team. I have represented Yorkshire seven times being unbeaten in singles matches and in addition to this under my captaincy of the Pannal team, we won the district title for the first time in 15 years. As part of this role, I had to represent the club to the highest standards at each match, making speeches on behalf of my team and showing the younger team members the way they should act to uphold the values of the club. These past experiences alongside the current role I hold within the Edinburgh University Golf Club would make me an excellent representative for the university on this exchange programme. In addition to this, I have great personable skills that I have developed throughout my time working at numerous jobs in retail as well as my experiences from golf. I can comfortably build up strong repour with my peers and am happy to spend time helping anybody with any problem they may have. These qualities will also help me become an excellent representative of the university.
Personally, being an inherently independent person, the chance to travel abroad, immerse myself in a new environment, meet new people and share stories and experiences is an unbelievably exciting prospect. As well as this, it will also act as a learning experience - being able to see what other people think of me as somewhat of an outsider will be fascinating. Rather than being defined by where I come from, this experience will help me inform my own views and help me learn more about myself.  Furthermore, it will allow me to appreciate other cultures other than my own and gain a greater understanding of the world. My experience of living abroad will make me stand out to future employers and help increase my job prospects for the future - modern businesses are starting to look more at employee experiences alongside sole academic ability. It will help me stand above other graduates and show I am willing to take on new challenges and step out of my comfort zone. Most importantly, however, I want to test myself. Living abroad alone without access to my parents will force me to become much more self-reliant. Hopefully, this opportunity will help me take more responsibility and develop myself to become a well-rounded, fully independent adult ready for the world of high-pressure work.
  • Melbourne VIC, Australia