Today we speak with Nicole Baglivo, a senior advertising and public relations double major from Glassboro, Gloucester County, who commutes to Rowan. Nicole will share her #PROFspective with us on what it’s like to be a Rowan University student and how she’s getting the most ouf her college experience as a Rowan Prof.
Name: Nicole Baglivo
Major: Advertising and Public Relations double major
Year: Junior
Housing: Off Campus
Hometown and County:
Glassboro, Gloucester County
Transfer Student:
No, entered Rowan as a freshman.
Commuter:
Yes, commuting from home on the other side of town
Academic clubs:
Ad Club: Chair of Promotions; Member of Lambda Pi Eta (Communications Honor Society); Newsletter contributor for Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA)
Do you work on campus?
Yes, student worker in the Accounts Payable office.
Do you have an off-campus job?
Yes, reservation specialist in the summer at Fabiana Edwards Studio Salon in Ocean City, New Jersey.
Why did you choose your major?
I had an initial interest in event planning. Now, I am learning all of the career possibilities with public relations and advertising, which has opened my mind to other areas of my majors.
One reason why you chose Rowan?
I wanted to remain close to home while being able to get a great education.
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My Typical Day as a Rowan Student:
As a junior at Rowan University in my busiest semester so far, my schedule varies from day to day. Between work, meetings and homework, it’s hard to predict how my day will unfold. Among my varying schedules, there’s one thing similar about my days at Rowan. They all start bright and early! My alarm wakes me up at 6:15 a.m. each morning. While I only commute from the other side of Glassboro, I need time to find parking and to walk to class.
My Wednesdays typically begin with a day full of work at my on-campus job. I’m a student worker for the Accounts Payable Department located in Bole Hall. I assist staff with daily office tasks, file, scan and electronically index documents, as well as contact vendors to implement paperless processes. I am lucky to have been given an opportunity to work on campus. The staff is willing to work with my class schedule and always remind me that school comes first. I’m able to learn skills essential to my future as a professional on a schedule which works best for me.
I typically work from 8:00 a.m. to about 3:00 p.m. Sometimes my hours change depending on meetings with professors or classmates to complete assignments. Working almost a full day, attending meetings and sitting in class from 3:30 to 6:15 p.m., I constantly find myself needing a boost to get me through the evening. As a public relations and advertising student, most of my classes are located at 301 High Street. Luckily, our Barnes & Noble Bookstore, close to 301 High Street on Rowan Boulevard, is home to a Starbucks Cafe. Very often I stop by on my walk to class to grab a coffee; the perfect pick-me-up.
At 3:30 p.m. my Advanced Public Relations writing course begins. In this class, I learn types and styles of public relations writing, while having opportunities to perfect my writing skills. Immediately following, and conveniently in the same classroom, is my Integrated Marketing Communication course. This course is structured with a combination of class styles including lecture and group work sessions. All semester we work with our groups toward our final project, an IMC plan for a product of our choice. As a dual major in public relations and advertising, Wednesdays are my favorite day of the week because I have classes in both of my majors on that day, and club meetings to follow.
Every other Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., Rowan Advertising Club hosts their meetings. As Chair of Promotions, I work on promoting our meetings and events. Currently we are promoting our event, Perfect Pitch, where professionals in advertising and public relations talk to us about their experiences in the field of communications, and provide tips for us as upcoming professionals. I’m beyond happy to be promoting Perfect Pitch this year, as this was the turning point in my sophomore year where I knew I wanted to explore advertising further and declare a dual major.
After I’m finished with my responsibilities on campus for the day, I’m very lucky to return home at the end of the night. I love that I have the ability to attend such a prestigious university in the same town where I grew up. There is nothing like coming home after a long day of work and school to a home-cooked meal, my family and my dog!
I spend my evenings completing assignments and other projects. At the beginning of the semester, I was 
given the opportunity to write for Rowan Public Relations Student Society of America’s newsletter, PRomo. I choose from a variety of topics and compose a short response to be published in the monthly newsletter. While I have always had class during PRSSA meetings, I’m glad I can be involved with the organization by contributing to the newsletter. I have also been compiling my work into a portfolio as I’m looking at various internship opportunities.
I love that my days are always different. Projects pop up here and there and meetings get thrown into my schedule, so it may be stressful at times. Through it all, I always remember to consider each event and activity a learning experience to better prepare myself for the future. I’m so grateful for everything I have experienced so far at Rowan University, and I hope others get a chance to take part in the opportunities this university has to offer.
We are #RowanPROUD and we are Rowan Profs! Not exactly sure what a Prof is? It’s our owl mascot, Whoo RU. Read about him here.
Story organized by: Jen Green
