Luke
Economics & Finance BSc (Hons)
University of Sydney
Do it! You won’t regret it.
It was 5am when I landed in Sydney. Twenty-two hours in the air, barely any sleep, and I couldn’t even get into my Sydney apartment block for three hours. I stood outside on the other side of the world with my suitcases, jet-lagged and asking myself one very simple question: What on earth am I doing?
Everything turned out to be more than okay. That moment of doubt was just the beginning of the greatest experience of my life.
How It Started: A Three-Day Deadline
I never planned to do a study abroad year. Then I saw an email with just three days left to apply, after many unsuccessful work placement applications. I messaged Nick Clapham, my international exchange coordinator at Surrey, got on a Zoom call with him the same day, and submitted my application to study in Dubai or Sydney. Within months, I was boarding a 22-hour flight on my own, heading to the University of Sydney with a head full of nerves and overwhelming excitement.
The Academic Experience
I studied four modules: International Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Finance, Business Negotiations, and Derivative Securities.
Business Negotiations was by far my favourite. Live negotiations every week with classmates, competing for points and applying real frameworks, behavioural economics, nudges, BATNAs, ZOPAs, to get the best outcome in any situation. The kind of module that genuinely changes how you think.
In Entrepreneurial Finance, I led the financial planning for a group project proposing AirUp’s entry into the Australian market. I built a full three-statement financial model projecting revenues from A$5.8m to A$159m over six years, with a DCF valuation (NPV of A$22.5m) and a VC Method modelling a potential A$109–155m exit. We pitched to the full cohort and practising VC professionals and came third. One of the most rewarding things I’ve done academically.
Beyond the lecture hall, I visited the Bloomberg and Capgemini offices in Sydney through university societies, and attended Aaron Sansoni’s Entrepreneur’s Summit, alongside meeting Frank Greeff, co-founder of Kinso AI. Being around people who had a dream and built something real opened my horizons in a way I didn’t expect.
Australia: Living the Dream
I’d always wanted to go to Australia. I just never knew when. And it delivered in every way.
The people I met from Mexico, the US, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Asia, New Zealand, Fiji, have become a genuine international network. Some of them are even flying into the UK next week to join me at Ascot. That’s what this experience does.
To Anyone Considering It
Take the leap. Take the jump. You will never regret it. Study abroad is probably the greatest opportunity your university has on offer and I applied with three days’ notice after spotting an email.
I’m already planning to go back. I just need to finish my degree first.
A huge thank you to the SurreyAbroad team especially Emily Bushnell and Nick Clapham for making all of this possible. I can see why you all enjoy your work, making students’ dreams come true.
You’ve genuinely changed my life. 🙏🇦🇺
Luke 🌏✈️
