On the GBI: London program, I am studying at Richmond American University London. The school is small, located in Chiswick Park, a beautiful business campus in London. I typically walk to class, which takes about 40 minutes.
At Richmond American University, I am taking a variety of courses. I am taking Introduction to Communications and Media, Communications in Mediated Environments, International Law and Human Relations, and Project Management. It is amazing to be able to complete so many degree requirements, such as General-Ed requirements, BIS major and Political Science minor, by studying abroad.
The class sizes and structures here in London are different from Pitt. The class sizes are rather small, as I have no more than 15 peers in every class. This means that there is a lot of participation. I really enjoy this aspect, because there are students from all over the world at our school, such as Italy, France, and Ukraine. Getting to hear unique perspectives on the topics we discuss is amazing. This makes it easier to contribute to discussions in class and ask any questions I may have.
Furthermore, my class times are longer than at Pitt. Two of my classes meet once a week for three hours. This was a bit challenging to adapt to, but I really like the set-up. It gives you more free time to work on assignments outside of class.
For my Project Management course, we are working on a semester-long project that teaches skills needed within the field. The hands-on working style is quite helpful and helps reinforce the concepts I am learning in lecture. Ehe class feel more like an internship than just lecture.
Within Communications in Mediated Environments, we had to take a field trip to the Tate Modern art gallery to gather inspiration for our presentation. This has allowed me to engage in London’s culture to creatively come up with a presentation idea. The professors at RAUL want you to succeed and are very open to discussing assignments.
To succeed at RAUL, active participation and listening is important. The school is very diverse, and listening allows you to learn new perspectives and apply them to the courses you are taking. I have learned to be adaptable and try to be open to new ways of learning. I am looking forward to more of the educational opportunities I will have while being in London!
