RKC Residency in Zürich – come prepared!

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It is an exciting week for us in RKC – next Monday 29th of Jan we are welcoming a group of almost 50 of our students in our premises in Zürich for a week filled with learning, fun, and camaraderie. We’re looking at a mini United Nations’ week, with three continents and not less than 30 countries represented – woohoo!

 

Now, most of you are already seasoned travelers, so I will not talk about bringing your passport along, or appropriate clothing for Swiss winter, but talking to our team they thought it would be useful to have a quick post on the most important things to bring with you to Zürich in order to make the most of the week. So here goes, in no particular order:

  • an open mind – you will meet colleagues from all over the world, some of which you may know from the online classes – be ready to take advantage of the face to face setting but remember to be respectful of our differences of opinion 🙂
  • a travel adapter for your electronics – you will undoubtedly bring your phone, computer (you need to keep on top of those class forums, don’t you?), but remember the Swiss have a very peculiar type of electrical outlets
  • an alarm clock – classes start early, and while they do not finish too late, after hours tend to be long when you’re in a group of like-minded people – get yourself a “buddy” on the first day, someone who will know how and where to find you should you be missing in class

That’s it, really. The week will focus on research skills, and preparing you for the dissertation, but if you think you are not there yet, don’t worry – the knowledge gained from this week is applicable to your regular online modules too, as it teaches you focus, approaching writing with a critical perspective, understanding different research methods and philosophies (which comes handy when you read someone else’s articles with a critical eye) and helps you think about the future subject of your dissertation with a pragmatic view.

 

The week concludes with small-group discussions of proposal/dissertation ideas – 5 or 6 of you and one of us tutors get together and poke holes in your idea – all in a friendly and constructive manner. For my part, I am roaring to go, and I hope you are too. I will see you on Friday morning for the small-group discussion on your proposal ideas!

P.S. Some of you reading this will undoubtedly have already attended one of our residencies in Zürich and may probably have even better advice to offer to your colleagues – please feel free to let us know what they are in the comments and I will make sure to update the post as needed!

Sam John, MSc Marketing student shares his experience of Residency @ Salford

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                                                                        My Residency….

Being married and having 2 boys… a teenager and a pre-schooler. I almost gave up on studying until I chanced upon RKC @ Salford online MSc programme. It seemed exciting and challenging enough yet manageable. I took the plunge…

I still remember the first assignment vividly … I almost broke down with a sudden realisation that this was a new ball game. Picked myself up and packed up some tools for the long road ahead.

Soon enough the year had gone by, having finished all my modules I was preparing for my Residency. I attended the program week       30 Oct – 3 Nov 2017 @ Salford UK, and what an experience it was!!! All of those who attended this residency were in more or less a similar situation not knowing what to expect. But the Salford team was wonderfully hospitable and the week was an eye-opener. I was just baffled why I didn’t do this much earlier. Our special thanks goes to the team of – A. Deen Eileen, Profs’ – Chris, Tahir, Jonathan, Rasool, Jacque & other staff at the reception desk @ Lady Hale for their guidance & the most courteous Taz from Salford catering team who took care of our global appetites.

We had a fantastic time studying and also having fun there – were able to catch a Man Utd match @ Old Trafford was a bucket-list fulfilment for me. Sightseeing was amazing, sessions with mates @ Uni and many more small but enriching moments. The Atmosphere (Uni Bar), streets, library, eateries, buffets around town @ South African, Brazilian & Chinese outlets – the week ran away too fast. We all went back with good memories and more importantly good friends for life. Keeping in touch is more meaningful as there is a face to the chat. We are helping each other now through the dissertation process. We even started a group naming it CAT – Cronbach Alpha Team (you will know the reason when you attend your Residency 😉 ). We all love to continue this relationship with Salford in our own countries and collaborate on all avenues to stay in touch with the Uni from home.

My own thought from the experience will be to urge fellow students to attend your Residency right after you complete your first module. This will definitely help in your following modules as the whole perspective to approaching your assignments and exams will change tremendously. It will give you the needed guidance and step by step methodology to finding literature, avoiding plagiarism, research tactics, results analysis & even survey strategies. This would certainly help to save time and energy given that most of you are employed full time and are running a family. The experience can improve many fold and so will the outcome!

One year is super-fast with this course to challenge you … Enjoy the journey… So ALL THE BEST GUYS!!!
Cheers!
Sam John.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-john-7b21aa11a/

Robert Kennedy College Students attend Residential Week in Cumbria

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Robert Kennedy College in an exclusive partnership with the University of Cumbria, held the residency programme for our online MBA students. Held at the University of Cumbria’s picturesque Ambleside Campus, the residential week covered the module “Tackling Global-Local Challenges in Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability.”

The residential week gave the students an opportunity to complement their online learning with a conventional classroom experience. And the diverse group of students coming together from different countries, cultures and backgrounds and professional experiences, made the week all the more enriching. The residency was attended by more than 25 international students from countries like Canada, United Arab Emirates, Nigeria and South Africa, to name just a few, for a face-to-face opportunity to enhance their learning experience.

The students participated in various activities and classroom sessions in this action-packed week as well as learning about research methodology for their dissertation. The unique experience left them feeling invigorated and inspired to put the techniques learned during the week into practice. And more importantly, the week gave them an opportunity to connect with their classmates, to forge new friendships and establish relationships with faculty and directors.

“The residential week is an integral part of the course. It’s the only chance the students get to meet one another face to face as opposed to engaging with each other online. The week is really varied. We have a number of education sessions from different guest speakers and faculty throughout the programme. We also have a number of experiential activities and we spend a day enjoying the landscape.” said Emma Watton, Senior Teaching Fellow, (Lancaster University), MBA Leadership and Sustainability Programme graduate.

Students also had the opportunity to explore the idyllic settings of the Cumbria campus and participate in various outdoor team-building activities.

Professor Jem Bendell, Director of the Institute for Leadership and Sustainability, commented, “The residency brings professionals together from around the world. We went with the students on a trail walk that William Wordsworth took and heard about his poem where he talks of letting nature be our teacher. This is something quite unique, a heritage we can explore and find ways of building that into our teaching practice”.

With students from every continent, it was a truly international experience and an opportunity to network with colleagues from all over the world. This unique learning experience left every student with lifetime memories.

 

September 2013 MALIC Residency in York

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Almost two weeks have passed, but memories are still fresh!

September 9th, 2013 – a day like any other really, except I got to meet for the first time “in the flesh” 49 extraordinary people, all on the same day, and all in a single room! Granted, the room was not too big, but the energy and excitement as we got to know each other, shaking hands or finally pulling those virtual hugs into the real universe, was unbelievable.

These forty-nine “students”, seasoned managers, board-room veterans, serial or aspiring entrepreneurs, from all walks of life, were representing all five continents (sorry Antarctica, we’re still waiting for your representative!), and a staggering thirty (30!) countries. It is difficult to describe in words, and even more difficult to imagine, the richness of the interaction and the dynamics of such a special group. A biased population, for sure, driven by the desire to grow better.

MALIC Sep 2013 York from Dr.David Costa on Vimeo.

As the week progressed and we delved deeper into matters pertaining to research ethics, and quality of research, we also took great care to nourish and develop social relations, in places traditionally suitable for debate, such as pubs, restaurants and cafés, and to be honest, for me this is almost without exception the most interesting part of such a residency – discovering the people. As big a supporter of online education as I am (being actively involved in it!), the added value of face-to-face interaction, for even the briefest of times, to me is invaluable. And Tim agrees!

Students for students: Tim's advice for the residency from Dr.David Costa on Vimeo.

For more advice from current and past students, visit:

https://blog.college.ch/tag/students4students/

It would not be fair to leave out the exceptional team from our partner York St John University, who have done an amazing job of catering to all our needs, academic or logistic, and have done so with style. George and Irene, Sarah, Leanne and Natalie, thank you!

April 2013 MALIC Residency in York

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Hi everyone,

Just back from York, after an exciting (albeit tiring too!) week with an amazing group of students. Forty-five people from all corners of the world, including the usual suspects South Africa, the UK, Nigeria,  Kenya, UAE, but also some representatives from countries  like Trinidad and Tobago, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and Papua New Guinea. The wealth of backgrounds and cultures in any one of these residencies is a source of constant amazement and joy – learning is so much richer for everyone, including teaching and supporting staff.

Dissertation “round”-table discussions

The week was quite busy, but luckily the weather was on our side and did not give anyone any reasons to wish to be outside the classroom – the sun only shone for 10 minutes on Thursday, just enough to give us time to take a group photo in the Quad, the oldest part of the University.

A happy bunch - April 2013 residency in York

A happy bunch – April 2013 residency in York – © George Boak and Brendan Paddison

As you can see, most people still managed to smile despite the intense schedule and serious discussions around research and Master level dissertations. Many of them will have gone back by now to their homes, thinking about their research subjects – and we seriously expect to see many of them back in York for graduation in the Minster.

York does see a bit of sun from time to time, and even for periods of time longer than 10 minutes – a vibrant city, York has a very well developed tourism industry, and that can be seen by simply walking the streets of York during business hours. Since our students were slightly busy during those hours (we all were, in reality), I went out on a documentary mission on Saturday, just in case they missed it.

So, I give you York, in April:

First, the University, with its more modern part in which we were hiding from the rain all week, the FOSS building all the way to the right.

Old and new – a modern campus

Then, the streets leading to the Minster, with a river of people enjoying the sun.

York Minster and the Ghost Walk

A glimpse into the past with this ice cream cart and its customers?

Jackson’s icecream of York

How about the Moaning Lisa, who feared she might fade away from such intense exposure to sunlight?

“The sun’s too bright, I may need sunglasses” © 2013 the Moaning Lisa

The Shambles, much more populated than at those late night hours when some of the people in the above photo group (you know who you are, and don’t even think about saying I was with you…) walked them home…

The Shambles

Live music, which always manages to stop people in their tracks, well, if it is good, I guess, and Ed was indeed amazing! A one man orchestra, and you can tell people were impressed! Look him up on Amazon for an audio preview and let yourself “teleported” to York.

Ed Alleyne-Johnson live in York

Thanks again to all of you attending and sharing with the rest of us your life experiences, visions for the future and hopes for a renewed meeting at the November graduation, be it 2013 or 2014! See you all there!

Students for students: Jaap’s advice for the York residency and more!

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Hello everyone,

Although I am in the middle of reading midterms for the January cohort, I could not resist the temptation to surprise you all with a new video from the Students4Students series. Today our special guest is Jaap, whom some of you will know either from the residency or from our online world.

I caught up with Jaap last year in York, and for reasons outside my control the video was delayed again and again, but now it is here. Jaap has some practical advice for those of you attending the York residency, and also some advice about the programme in general.

Students for students – Kaiss’ advice on using journals

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Hello everyone,

I thought I’d fire just one last post before the end of the world 😉 So here’s Kaiss’ advice on reading – just like many of you, Kaiss is a busy person and it seems he found a good way of reducing slightly the amount of reading one must do to catch up with the field.

We too, of course, often tell students to read journal articles, both because they summarise the theory before making their own point, but also because they are more recent than some of the books out there – but who listens to the prof?

I give you Kaiss:

Students for students: Greg’s advice on assignment writing

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You have probably noticed a bit of silence since my return from York – breaking the routine of daily life has an effect on tutors as well, just as it does on students: had to focus on delivering feedback on midterm drafts for the September cohort, so the blog took the back seat.

Back now, and continuing our series on student tips and tricks, here comes Greg, with a bit of advice on writing assignments. Greg was also in Zürich and had a part in making everyone have a jolly good time.

The floor to Greg:

Live from York: MALIC residency well under way

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Hi everyone,

So excited yesterday about meeting a whole group of MALICs that I even forgot to take any photos. I mended this today: here are the MALICs in one of the group-discussion sessions. To be continued with reports from tomorrow’s graduation!

There are many photo cameras in the room – feel free to share your own photos on our Google+ page!