My time at College was great: I had a good connection with all my teachers. I will always remember my Spanish and French teachers as they were so supportive and encouraging. My enduring memory of College is the excellent quality of teaching and support I received. College had a huge impact on my future! It’s where I continued to study languages after GCSE and made the decision to study languages further at university.

As I wasn’t sure which career I wanted to go into, a languages degree felt like a good choice for me, as it’s versatile and well respected. Not only do you study the language, you also learn about the country and its politics, history and culture, so it’s really well-rounded.

During my time at Leeds, I did a year abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina plus a semester abroad in Bordeaux, France. Getting to know a new country and culture is so much fun. Over the year, I had lots of free time to get to know the city and make the most of living in Argentina. Studying in Spanish was certainly challenging to begin with, but I got used to it quite quickly. After graduating, I then decided to go back to Latin America for a four-month backpacking trip.

My study abroad experiences were unforgettable, and it’s something I’m still passionate about to this day: In 2019, I decided to move to Melbourne, Australia and I’ve been here ever since! It’s been a bit of a journey and I’ve had my fair share of working in admin roles that I didn’t love. But now I’ve found a job that ticks all my boxes: working as part of the Global Learning Team at the University of Melbourne enabling students to go and have an overseas experience for themselves. I am so proud of this, especially living in a different country, where things can be a bit more challenging sometimes.

I manage all aspects of the exchange process from supporting students think about which overseas universities will suit them to helping them to apply to their host universities. Our team organises lots of events for students who are going on exchange, as well as for our cohort of international students who are studying with us in Melbourne for a semester. I also manage a portfolio of international universities across Western Europe, Japan and Latin America, so I use my French and Spanish language skills to communicate with a number of our university partners.

Something I wish I’d known back when I was at College is that it’s ok to work in a few jobs that you don’t love! By finding out what you don’t enjoy this helps you think about what you want to look for in your next role. I’m so pleased to have found a job that I really enjoy and can see myself living here for the foreseeable future!

Flo Little

Reigate College: 2011–2013

Higher Education: French & Spanish (BA Joint Honours), University of Leeds

Currently: Education Abroad Adviser, University of Melbourne