Abimbola Oligbinde - MSc Corporate Communications & Public Affairs
“My first attraction to RGU was the diversity of its community. My former colleague, who was a postgraduate student here at the time, had glowingly extolled RGU for its commitment to inclusiveness and respect for diversity. Coming from a multi-ethnic country, I was looking for a school with a welcoming environment for self-expression and an opportunity to learn from the diverse backgrounds of the students and lecturers that I will be interacting with.
“From my personal research, I also discovered that RGU students were highly sought after by employers because of the school’s international reputation for providing high quality education from undergraduate through to PhD level.
“With a graduate job rate of 97.6%, I was convinced that studying at RGU would give me an opportunity to not only acquire high quality education, but grant me access to best-in-class facilities and resources as well as highly-skilled and experienced experts in my chosen field of study. I wasn’t wrong. RGU offered what I needed most- a place to acquire knowledge and further develop my skills.”
Coming from over 10-years of industry experience in Nigeria, Abimbola arrived in Aberdeen with her husband and children.
“I had always wished to study in the UK but I never got the opportunity to do so until I applied to RGU and got admitted. It was a difficult decision to uproot my settled family to embark on this journey with me.
“I was worried that being a full-time student will not give me enough time to morally support my family to fully settle in Aberdeen, but the ample resources and supportive lecturers at RGU helped my school-life balance.
“Because of the support system I had at RGU, Aberdeen has become home for my family and I - a beautiful, safe and trado-modern city with friendly and welcoming people. We love it so much here.”
To support her studies, she worked part-time at Gray’s School of Art. Abimbola’s experience throughout her degree, an MSc in Corporate Communications & Public Affairs at the School of Creative and Cultural Business, has been “gratifying” which has taught her “grit and tenacity”.
“The course offers a rich blend of academic and professional curriculum that develops the students’ specialist skills and in-depth knowledge. It emphasises on practical experience as a learning approach for students through compulsory professional industry placement. This offers a great opportunity for work experience, peer-to-peer interaction and learning from industry experts.
“I was also attracted to the course because it was developed through close collaboration with industry experts, and it is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). In the past year, I have learned from seasoned professionals and brilliant academics in public relations, marketing, strategic communications and government affairs, who have shared practical insights and broadened my knowledge about the subjects. RGU has taught me grit and tenacity and I’m amazed at how much I have evolved professionally in the past year.”
Part of her course included a placement period with a local charity, Kayleigh’s Wee Stars, who provide financial support for families with terminal children.
“Working with a local charity for my placement programme and developing their public relations strategy was another high point of my stay at RGU. It was an opportunity for me to showcase my industry experience and acquired skills and I delivered on the project to the admiration of my work supervisor and course coordinator. As an ambassador of the school, I was keen to make RGU proud and it was a rewarding experience for me.
“The course and placement programme have boosted my confidence. Prior to coming to RGU, I suffered from imposter syndrome and often second-guessed myself but now I’m positioned to take on more challenging and ultimately rewarding roles after graduation.”
A key component for many students’ experiences at RGU is ensuring they make the most of the employability services and support available to them and Abimbola was no different.
“I leveraged the employability resource to revamp my CV and I’m glad I did. The biggest support system for me at RGU was Tracy Pirie, my lecturer and course leader. A phenomenal woman who is not only passionate about her job but relentlessly encourages every student to work hard, smart and brave.
“I almost gave up owing to the pressure of settling into a new environment as a mature student who relocated to the UK with her family, but Tracy inspired me to keep pushing. She never fails to make out time for her students, even if it is to listen to their rants. I wonder how she does it but I’m pleased to have been tutored and mentored by her. I also cannot thank my project supervisor, Emma Park enough, for being helpful and considerate while I was writing my dissertation. I’m really thankful to her for her support.
“I’m leaving RGU with many memories. Although my expectations were high, I have been pleasantly surprised. It was highly gratifying that I got ‘A’ in all my modules and I’m graduating with a distinction- a reward for my hard work.”