University Of Portsmouth students exploring the city at Christmas time.
Jacob always wanted to spend an extended period in England playing cricket.
One of his heroes is Australian fast bowling legend Mitchell Johnston.
So when he discovered an opportunity to both study and play cricket, he thought it was a no brainer.
The icing on the cake was that he could eventually graduate with a unique dual degree, thanks to a partnership between his home university, Edith Cowan University in Western Australia, and the University of Portsmouth in the UK.
Dual degree student from Perth Jacob Oskam says moving to the UK to study at the University of Portsmouth was the best thing he's ever done.
Making the big move overseas
Jacob admits he found it quite daunting at first moving to another country for 12 months and knowing absolutely no one.
But once he made friends, they became his support network, the people he could lean on if he needed it.
Joining a university society was the best thing he did.
"I didn't realise how big uni sport was in the UK until I was a part of it," Jacob says.
"I joined cricket and was welcomed and included from day 1 and have made so many friends I will have for life.
"Being part of cricket also allowed me to travel to different areas of the UK in a team playing other unis. It allowed me to see parts of the country I wouldn’t have seen otherwise."
Living in student accommodation also made life fun. Jacob lived with people around his age in a shared flat and other ECU students were either in the same building or a short walk away.
Portsmouth is a perfect travel base
Portsmouth is the UK's only island city and one of the most picturesque, welcoming, and interesting places to live in the UK.
It’s 90 minutes to London by train and only 22 minutes by ferry to the Isle of Wight, the UK's dinosaur destination.
Portsmouth offers more ferry routes than any other UK ferry port, taking you to popular destinations in France, Spain, and the Channel Islands.
During his time there, Jacob travelled to Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Prague, and Berlin.
He also went to London for his 21st birthday, staying a few nights with his parents, and enjoying Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park on Christmas eve.
Now that's living the life!
The popular Isle of Wight ferry arrives at Portsmouth harbour.
Why study a dual degree?
A dual degree is not the same as a double degree.
You graduate with two degrees, study for less time overall and get to see the world.
You're educated by experts from two globally respected universities and gain an understanding of different cultures that will help you work more effectively with people from different backgrounds.
Oh, and from an employer's perspective, getting two degrees from two leading universities is going to be to your advantage!
ECU's dual degree courses range from Environmental Science to Psychological Science, Global Sport Business and several more.
You study the first 2 years in Perth, the third year in the UK and a final year or semester back in Perth.
"Getting involved with the uni lifestyle in England allowed me to meet so many amazing people and gave me so many memories I will hold onto forever," says Jacob, who features in this short video.
From Perth to Portsmouth and back - a unique dual degree (3 mins).
