Tomislava

Student Tomislava Tomova graduated in 2018 with a major in Global Communication. Here, she shares how the FirstBridge program helped her explore subjects she'd never considered before.

HOW DID FIRST/ENGLISHBRIDGE HELP YOU FIND YOUR PLACE AT AUP?

FirstBridge was a positive experience for me, because I never considered studying Marketing before I was placed in that FirstBridge class. I actually found it extremely interesting and useful, not only for my major, but for my personal interests as well. Furthermore, it helped me to meet a lot of people from the beginning of the year and to form long-lasting friendships.

WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE AND/OR MOST ENJOYABLE BRIDGE EXPERIENCE?

It was our study trip to Disneyland, because I managed to meet all of the students in my FirstBridge and we had a lot of fun exploring the amusement park together. 

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THE LEARNING EXPERIENCES OF THE BRIDGE COURSES?

The fact that you take 3 independent courses, but at the end you see how interconnected they are and you learn how to make connections between the different disciplines you are studying.

WHAT HAS THE BRIDGE EXPERIENCE PREPARED YOU FOR AT AUP?

It laid the foundation of my marketing interests and if I had not taken this FirstBridge I would have never thought of doing a specialization in Integrated Marketing Communications. 

HOW DID BRIDGE ENHANCE YOUR INTERDISCIPLINARY OR CROSS-DISCIPLINARY LEARNING?

Because it helped me to find connections between subjects that I would have not otherwise thought about. FirstBridge not only gives you both a detailed outlook on a course, but helps you to paint a general picture as well.

DID YOU DISCOVER A NEW DISCIPLINE THAT YOU LOVED THROUGH BRIDGE? (PLEASE EXPLAIN!)

Yes, marketing because from the beginning I was a little bit scared to study this discipline, but as time passed by I actually realized that I am quite good at it and the professor told me that I should even further my knowledge in this field because he saw a potential in me.

HOW DID THE LIBRARY SUPPORT YOUR LEARNING?

The library helped me in many ways when writing a research paper and I needed to find scholarly sources or other useful materials or articles.

WHAT ROLE DID ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM (VISITS, TRIPS, AND DINNERS) PLAY IN BUILDING COMMUNITY IN YOUR BRIDGE GROUP?

They played a very important role because you get to know your classmates in an environment different than the classroom and you work in a team, which makes you even closer. Also, the outside of classroom activities are usually the main things that you remember from some of your courses, so I think that these trips are very important. 

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO FRESHMEN AT AUP ABOUT FIRST/ENGLISHBRIDGE?

Do not think that a First/EnglishBridge is going to waste your time. It is not! It is made entirely to help you get used to AUP during your first semester, to meet people, make friends and to make you discover disciplines that you've never considered studying before.