Zoe studied abroad in Heidelberg and is now an International Manager at a leading international bank
City of London
by Petras Gagilas
This article was written by Global Graduates, published on 23rd April 2012 and has been read 36293 times.
Zoe studied German at Cambridge University and spent her year abroad at Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg. She graduated in 2008 and is now an International Manager at a leading international bank.
"Raclette cook-offs, walks on Philsophenweg, late nights in Heidelberg’s historic university library, parties at one of the oldest fraternities in the world, trips to the Hannover State Archives, pouring over the crumpled memoirs of a 17th Century pfälzische Princess, cycling around the cobbled streets of Heidelberg; these are a handful of salient memories from my year abroad.In 2006 - 2007 I was lucky enough to be awarded a 12 month scholarship to study at Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg. The scholarship was arranged through my home university (Cambridge) and was distinct from Erasmus in that there was complete freedom to select from all courses that the University offered. Over the next year, I read modules from the Languages, Sinology and History Faculties and tried my hand at classes ranging from Mandarin to the History of the Ottoman Empire. It was a year of working and playing very hard indeed.
Outside of university I worked for a fairtrade charity in the city centre, initially as a volunteer and later as a member of the payroll. This gave me a chance to meet local HD residents and contribute to an important community project.
Although my original target for the year was to become fluent in German (a target that was achieved thanks to the trip), I actually gained far more than pure linguistic skills from my time in Germany. One of the most valuable takeaways from the of Year Abroad was meeting a culturally diverse group of fellow international students (including my long-term partner) who I still count today among my closest friends. This year we are meeting in Heidelberg to celebrate our fifth year reunion. From an academic perspective, the year in Heidelberg allowed me to experience new courses at a leading university, in addition to developing my research and analytical skills through archival research for my third year dissertation. Studying in Germany, also gave me the chance to compare and contrast first-hand the different research methodologies of two different academic institutions.
Upon graduation I worked in the not-for-profit sector for a year before joining a leading international bank as an International Manager. In my role with the bank, I am one of a cadre of globally mobile managers who rotate between countries and business lines according to business need. Adaptability is key and my experiences of adapting to life in Germany during the Year Abroad greatly helped me to prepare for this career path.
Five years on from the Year Abroad, I look back on my time in Heidelberg fondly and feel very lucky and privileged to have had the chance to partake in the Scholarship. I will always remember my Year Abroad for the formative role it played in my personal and professional development and am thankful to both Cambridge and Heidelberg Universities for making it possible. Long live the Year Abroad!"
In partnership with the British Academy and University Council of Modern Languages (UCML) we gathered short reports from graduates on the importance that the year abroad has had for them, in terms of their skill set, their careers and their lives. These reports formed the basis of the Position Statement: Valuing the Year Abroad. Browse the reports below for inspiration, and select a tag within a report to read more on that theme.
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