Hi! I’m Mackenzie Dykeman, and I’m 18 years old. My close ones call me Mac. I love my family - we’re very close - and so far we lived together on a small farm in Canada, where I hung out with chickens, read a lot of fantasy books, and played the harp.
My life changed when I got accepted to a Bachelor's degree in Bioarchaeology at the University of York — across the ocean from home, in the United Kingdom. I hope my story inspires you to consider studying abroad and that you also find some practical tips about it.
Beginning of my academic journey: overcoming dyslexia and graduating valedictorian
I'm dyslexic, so learning to read and write was hard for me. I couldn't read novels until I was 11 years old, and I had trouble because of this, throughout early school years. However, my family valued education and provided me with a lot of support. I worked hard at school and ended up graduating valedictorian, top of my class.
"What's my full potential, and do I truly give my all?" That's the question I often asked myself at school. "Can I perhaps do better than I think I can??" I believe having this self-drive is as important as setting goals for yourself.
My honours at high school:
- Valedictorian of graduating high school class;
- Graduated with honours;
- Graduated from The Royal Conservatory Certificate Programme level 8 "Music Theory" with first-class honours;
- Received a U.S. patent for one of my inventions
- Winner of the Youth Can Innovate Award at the National Canada-Wide Science Fair.
My extracurriculars:
- Oboist for youth orchestra;
- 4H Club President and Provincial Ambassador volunteer;
- Genomics and Microbiology labs volunteer;
- Canada Wide Science Fair finalist;
- International Science Fair finalist.
Choosing my major: what to do if you like both Science and Humanities… and don't want to give up on both?
Throughout school, I've had a passion for both Humanities and Sciences. When exploring post-secondary majors, I faced the dilemma of having to choose between the two. However, I discovered interdisciplinary courses and stumbled upon Archaeology, which piqued my interest.
I wanted to check if this major was really what I wanted, so during high school, I attended an archaeological field school. This just made me dig into archaeology even more.
Later, I chose a Bachelor's in Archaeology and a specialised Bioarchaeology programme because I wanted a mix of science and history.
Bioarchaeology involves applying scientific techniques to study past civilizations. This niche field allows me to immerse myself in History and Literature but also to master lab skills and analyze ancient proteins and DNA.
Why I chose the UK for Bioarchaeology: not just because of ancient cathedrals
When I searched for study programmes, I realized that in Canada, Archaeology is often part of Anthropology, and I didn't want to go in that direction. Undergraduate options for Archaeology were limited, mainly at the Master's level. The UK, on the other hand, recognizes Archaeology as its own discipline with specialized Bachelor's programmes.
Studying archaeology in the UK is exciting because the country has a rich history — majestic cathedrals, medieval walls and castles, ancient relics from the Roman conquest, all surround you. Many of my modules are actually like: "OK, we're going on a field trip to the old Minster here to study the Roman ruins underground". It's really cool!
What helped me to get enrolled
Recommendation letter for my application. My High School Counsellor provided me with a recommendation letter. The letter highlighted my leadership skills, my enthusiasm to learn, and my academic achievements.
Scholarships for funding. I won a wide variety of scholarships from both my high school district and from private organizations to help me with funding my studies. I believe what helped me win them were strong letters of reference, high academic achievement, and having participated in lots of extracurriculars.
Studyportals for researching study options. Exploring international study options can be overwhelming, but Studyportals simplify the process. It helps to kickstart the process and overcome the initial overwhelming feeling: "OK, now I have a place to start". I found the most helpful aspect to be when searching for undergraduate programs in the area or country I wanted to study. When using standard search engines like Google, a query like "Bachelors Archaeology England" might yield the same few schools, making it challenging to get a comprehensive overview of the existing programs. That's where Studyportals come in. Bachelorsportal.com shows many more schools and programmes, you can compare them and get all the necessary information.
Giving proper attention to my statements and essays. One more thing that helped me was making sure that I took the time to carefully research and edit my personal statements and essays that were required in my applications. To all future international students, my advice is to budget lots of time for that.
Challenges I faced once I got to the UK: from missing my family to buying pillows
The day I boarded my flight to the UK, my family cried in the kitchen. I managed to keep it together until the airport, realizing "Oh my God, I'm getting on a plane. I'm not going to see them for months." I've never been that far apart from my parents for that long. It was a mix of emotions - excitement for the adventure ahead, yet the realization of how much I will miss my family.
I secured my student accommodation in the UK without difficulty, but it was quite hard to manage all the logistics alone on arrival: buying blankets and pillows, pots and pans.
The most stressful part of the whole process is getting a student visa — collecting all documents, and dealing with bureaucracy.
My plans for the future: help build a better world by understanding the past
I want to become a registered professional archaeologist. For that, I’ll need a Master's degree, so I think I'm going to pursue it after my Bachelor's.
Through Bioarchaeology, my goal is to contribute to a better understanding of the past, present, and future. By studying history, I aim to help decision-makers create a better world. I believe that comprehending our origins is essential to navigating the future.
Sometimes you read a news headline, and it’s apocalyptic. You think: "Oh my God, it's the end of the world, this never happened before!". Studying history and archaeology helps to put things into perspective and realise that similar things have happened before. You understand how resilient societies are and where we humanity is heading to.
