James spent a semester studying at Northwest Missouri State University as part of his degree. As he lived at home during his time as a student in Birmingham, this gave him the opportunity to get a different insight into student life, as well as experiencing work and study in the USA.
“I chose to study Media and Communication because of my passion for video, editing and TV production, and BCU offered amazing facilities and experiences. I decided to take part in Study Abroad mainly due to being a commuter student and I wanted to sample a true university experience. I was emailed the opportunity and was encouraged by family and friends to pursue it. I think we only get so many opportunities in our lives, so I immediately applied. I wanted a change and to move away from my daily routine.
When I arrived at Northwest I found a blanket of snow covering everything; it was so cool. On my first day, I walked around the campus and met with students and staff. Finding their union with a huge canteen, the basketball pitch and stadium made my jaw drop! Northwest has such a beautiful campus. I was greeted really well and I felt at home straight away.
I kept myself busy all the time at Northwest. I studied five classes, mainly in production – I created videos, filmed live sporting games and devised advertising campaigns. There were some amazing things I filmed that really helped me learn. Away from the classes, I made loads of new friends and went on road trips with them in Kansas, Nebraska and other places. In my downtime, I hung out with friends, watched films and played board games. There was also live music and concerts during the semester; they had Echosmith playing which was fun.
I think that at BCU we have some of the best facilities, better even than in Northwest, but Northwest also had everything I needed – a TV studio, radio studios, editing suites, live music rooms, and a hi-tech camera lens and lighting – and because of the encouragement I received, I was able to use them fully.
I really enjoyed the teaching – there were a lot of assignments but teachers were always available and helped me a lot. I really learnt a lot about design and video production classes where our teachers would go round the room and give us feedback. I felt more relaxed and I did some of my best work during that time.
Maryville, where the university is based, is a little bit isolated from larger cities but it had everything you would need. There were some great restaurants and the student halls were within walking distance from everywhere in the city. I really enjoyed the student halls environment. It did get lonely on some occasions but always tried to keep myself busy.
I feel like I benefited so much from going abroad and I feel so much more developed as a person. I gained so much confidence in myself and learned what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I found my calling in video production and I am now pursuing it for my future career. I also made lifelong friends and I’m planning to visit them again soon. Study Abroad really changed where I see my career going and has opened my eyes to brand new and exciting opportunities.”
