LIM College

by Tiffany D'Angelo

Tiffany and fellow LIM student Veronica Lenhard on Orientation day.

Coming from a school that’s pretty small, it’s a little overwhelming navigating your way through the buildings. The University of Westminster is different from LIM mainly because there’s an actual secluded campus, whereas our campus back in New York is Fifth Avenue and Bryant Park.

Before coming to London I was really worried about how I would adapt to a bigger campus. How would I make friends? Would I find it difficult to concentrate in big lectures? How am I even going to find my classes? Fortunately, my inner New Yorker kicked in quickly and a bigger campus was no longer nerve-racking.

Personally, I’ve only had to go to the Harrow, Marylebone, and Regent Street campuses, all of which are incredible. The fashion department here is located in Harrow, so that’s wheremost of our courses are. If you’re still worried about how you’ll manage, I can assure you that the tour during orientation is really helpful and will teach you how to get around in no time.

At Westminster, students work more independently, which has been something to get used to. Straight off the bat we were divided into groups that we will be working alongside for the entire semester.

Working in groups makes the larger class size seem less intimidating. Typically, the classes aren’t that much bigger with my largest class having probably about 35 people.

Although I’m used to the group work we do at LIM, the group work here is very different. Your group becomes your lifeline. Of course the professors help guide you in the process, but communication with your group is key. Since this is how the class is structured, we have to make mandatory group contracts customized to our group’s priorities and expectations.

I think this is great because it sets everyone on the same page and makes you feel more confident with having your grade in their hands. It’s also great for preparing students for their future experiences within the workplace. In our industry especially, we will be working within groups a lot so it’s important for students to acquire the strategies and communication skills needed in order to excel in the workplace.