The final reaction

Sheffield, as I have stated has had its charms and its depressions, but all in all this magnificent town has had its downs and is constantly on the up and up to find new directions and initiatives to continue on every day of the year. Although in saying this from observations and research Sheffield has lagged into a slump once again where it is sitting stagnant, (without consideration of Kelham Island).

In a comparison from now staying in London for the past few days I have taken the time to observe each place and I have noticed that here it is quite different to Sheffield. Here it is jammed together in the outer rings or what used to be the outer rings and in Sheffield it is all laid out in order and has been planned over and over. In London there are roads winding everywhere and buildings smacked anywhere! Let’s say for instance in Sheffield you may see the same building three times one after the other, I thought that was bad considering that isn’t really that common in Bendigo. When I walked London I found that this same concept will be repeated twenty to thirty times. Anyway I’m sick of talking about buildings and stuff so I’ll continue on……..

During my stay in Sheffield, I have experienced new friendships, a change in the work styles from what is the “usual” uni work and have had a great time whilst doing so. The places that we were taken were amazing as each of their own had their own frontal aspects that just hit you in the face, and I have Trev, Trev and Emma to thank for that.

I have participated on an international study tour previously but this was unlike that. Although I found that this was particularly planning based it was an interdisciplinary course subject. By including other areas of university work into this course I found that I was able to learn from other people from the likes of the backgrounds of history, arts and sociology to name a few. From gaining different perspectives from these other students I was able to impair my judgement from what I solely have been taught and to look at it in other perspectives. Working as an interdisciplinary team to get to one solid objective was a challenge as we each had differing ideas and contributions to our task at hand. From this I learnt to have a greater patience and I learnt how to work in a team with people from other areas. I strongly feel that from doing this it has given me, as well as each and every person on the trip a greater array of skills to work together in the real workplace when the time requests for it. I feel privileged to have been able to attend this trip as it has widened my knowledge base and expanded my personal outlook.

My one piece of advice to future students that go on this trip or any other study tour is to not hold back, take every chance you can to better yourself when it presents itself to you! Oh and have heaps of fun, the people you will meet and the places you will see are just amazing and breathtaking respectively. (If ya go on the Sheffield one go for a night out at the Leadmill :P)

- Wallie Cron (Bachelor of Urban, Rural and Environmental Planning)