Orientation to Roskilde Business College and Program Overview

Roskilde Business College (RBC) Faculty provided a wonderful overview of RBC and the program for us. It was a pleasure hearing from Benny Hermansen, Erik Staunstrup and Carsten Nielsen. RBC is a very modern education setting. The college places a high emphasis on innovation and that focus translates well into the educational setting.

Our students had a chance to learn about the history of the college from RBC faculty.

After RBC faculty finished sharing the mission, history and goals of the organization, they moved directly into some icebreaker exercises. In our U.S. classrooms, we often begin classes with traditional icebreaker exercises to help students get to know one another. The RBC faculty had a similiar philosophy, but they believed it was important to integrate some physical activity and exercise into the tasks. Our teams walked to the gymnasium and proceeded to engage in a number of team-oriented and truly hands on exercises.

Students and faculty engaged in hands on exercises to get to know one another.

More unique icebreakers! — Blindfolds! Trust building was a key part of this activity.

Students got to know one another very well through these exercises! — Listening skills and being able to take direction was another area of focus within these activities.

Our students were laughing and joking as they worked together on these different exercises. They were having fun! It was apparent that they formed a bond and looked forward to traveling together. Groups that laugh together find it easier to work together.

When traveling with a group, it is important to cultivate relationships which will make the trip more enjoyable. In addition, these students have the opportunity to form lasting friendships that extend beyond the study abroad experience and can potentially boost their ongoing professional development.

RBC Faculty took our students and faculty to a welcome dinner. It was a fabulous meal!

After the group finished the icebreakers, the RBC faculty organized a welcome dinner for us at San Remos which was a Mediterranean restaurant in downtown Roskilde. I almost forgot to mention, we walked from the college to downtown Roskilde which is 2.8 km or 1.74 miles one way.

Dinner was served family style – meaning the server would deliver a plate of items and our group passed the items around the table. I believe this was another part of the icebreaker component of the program as it was a good way to continue getting to know your travel companions. Brilliant!

Denmark is known for the high quality and innovation in its cooking. Our meal tonight was no exception! It was very, very tasty!

The food was very, very good. The Danish eat lots of meat and potatoes. — The Danish eat lots of meat and potatoes.

Prior to traveling, it is always advisable to research dining etiquette for the country you are visiting, especially if you are traveling for international business. There are many good resources available on the internet that discuss dining etiquette and customs. As a study abroad student, it is important to do your homework and research the customs of the country or countries where you will be traveling.