My year abroad in Sydney was rich with new experiences

"Of course, one of the most enjoyable parts of any university degree is the social aspect, which was only enhanced with the opportunity to study abroad for a year. Although not too different in culture, the lifestyle that comes with Sydney is a lot more relaxed and easy going. The course may have been challenging, but the life outside of studying was rich in experiences.

"I’ve always been attracted to Australia, and having a support network and a previous experience over there only solidified my decision-making process. I had always planned on doing a study abroad year as the tuition is a sixth of what it would be here, and the I’m never one to miss an opportunity to go abroad, especially if it adds to my education. 

"To pass with accreditation from the university, we had to take all chemistry modules which was certainly a handful, but the challenge was welcome and embraced. What I really enjoyed was the two summer holidays in 10 months! It gifted everyone a lot of time to travel and make the most out of being on the other side of the planet!

"I’ve now almost completed my first year of a PhD in organic chemistry at the University of Sheffield. The decision to go down this route was simple as my goal career path of an organic synthetic chemist almost requires a PhD for long term career growth and self-development opportunities. Doing an MChem course equipped me with the best tools to carry this out such as independent learning, problem solving and efficient communication of research. The best part about this PhD is the freedom to get work done in my own way on my own time, which I find actually increases my productivity."