The Difference a Learning Community Can Make

As a first-year student at the Bennett S. LeBow College of Business, one of the best choices I made was applying to be in the Global Learning Community (GLC). Most schools have some type of "living and learning community" where first-year students can live with other students in their majors, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to go that route. That is why I was excited to find out that Drexel offers learning communities without the living requirement.

The administrators who support the learning communities are also amazing.

I am very interested in the growing globalization of today's world, and the Global Learning Community's promise to "[provide] first-year business students the opportunity to expand their world perspective" appealed to me. The GLC also offers students the opportunity to participate in unique experiences for some of their introductory business courses, which allows them to collaborate on projects with students from other universities across the world. Aside from being great experiences which help build your résumé as a first-year student, these global classrooms are so much fun. I loved my BUSN 101 and 102 classes, and feel they really helped prepare me for more advanced college classes — as well as work in the real world.

Outside of the classroom, the other students in the GLC were some of the first friends I made on campus. Being a first-year student during the pandemic, it was more challenging to meet other students, but because I met so many interesting people through my learning community, it was easy to make friends once we got to campus.

The college also puts on social events for learning community members, which are a great way to get to know other students, like ice skating in Dilworth Park or roller skating at Penn's Landing. The administrators who support the learning communities are also amazing. To this day, if I have a problem I can't solve or want to get advice, they're some of the first people I go to.

Looking back, it's hard to say what my first year at Drexel would've looked like if I hadn't joined the Global Learning Community, but I sure am glad I did, and I encourage you to join a learning community too!