Oscar’s International Business Management Story

Oscar shares how a study abroad year and Thai Venture Adventure have been transformational and led him to international career dreams:

"I wanted to study abroad because I have a love and passion for new cultures and meeting new people. I had already been to over 70 countries and wanted to experience what it was like to actually live in a different place for a year. Not only have I had a year in at Western Connecticut State University in North America but in my final year I’ve also won the chance to go on a Venture Adventure to Bangkok and develop my entrepreneurial skills.

First North America!

The campus was beautiful and everyone seemed very interested to meet me as I wasn’t from there. Really it did feel like I was an American college film as a lot of what campus is like is just how it is pictured in the movies. From arriving in a hurricane, to meeting more new people than I could remember, to beginning to adapt to the new culture and a new location, there were lots of ups and downs during the first week.

From an academic perspective, I feel a lot more rounded and more confident in myself and my ability following the year and a lot more clear on what I wanted and needed to get out of my final year to put me in the best standing for when I graduate. A ten day trip around California, visiting LA, San Diego and San Francisco. was the most amazing experience, seeing lots of world-famous sights and relaxing with an international group of friends.

The other highlight was joining the collegiate swim and dive team and rekindling my love of competitive swimming, (which I’d done at a national level up to age 18).  I ended up falling back in love with the sport and  breaking four college men’s records resulted in me getting noticed around campus, having numerous articles written about me in regional newspapers and having lunch with the VP of the university (who was also British!).

Thailand Venture Adventure 

I am currently enjoying the vibrant, sights, sounds and sun of Thailand on an amazing study abroad trip for a fortnight here in Thailand, where we will be visiting enterprises and developing our entrepreneurial mindset and ideas.  This is on the Venture Adventure competition offered by the University of Chester Business School with sponsorship from Santander.

To have this opportunity in my final year has been a bonus to say the least and has cemented my plans for after University which involves hopefully moving back abroad! 

I am currently interning with a fortune 100 company and am hoping to get onto their graduate rotational program where I will be spending the next two years moving around different functions in the business, as well as different locations around Europe and the middle east!"

If you'd like to find out more about our International Business Management course join us at one of our upcoming Open Days.