Meet Upasana Bhatt – hailing from Mumbai, India, she is a BA Graduate in Communications: Media Studies summa cum laude (Highest Honours), was a member of Richmond’s student ambassadors, peer leaders, student government, and was one of two speakers at our recent Graduation 2026 ceremony. Here are her reflections on graduating this year.
Why did you choose Richmond and your degree?
I was always interested in doing something in media/communications — hence, I chose my degree. But I also knew that it couldn’t just be media or communications, it needed to have something that would make me stand out. That’s where Richmond came into place. A Liberal Arts institution in London that lets me customise my degree by allowing me choose a major and minor. The Liberal Arts core modules better prepared me for my professional life and my degree let me study what I was actually passionate about, while allowing me to explore this wonderful city and everything it has to offer.
What’s something about studying in London that surprised you?
The free museums and public libraries! I realised they are such great resources that added so much to my education. The museums, first off, are fascinating as a place to learn new things. No matter what your area of study, you will find a museum or a museum section dedicated to that. They are also a great way to escape the heatwaves in London while being productive. The public libraries not only provide excellent resources but also are a great place to study. They are also very motivating as you’ll find people of similar ages studying and you might even make some friends!
What are you most proud of from your time here?
My student leader roles. They helped contribute a lot to the community, while helping me understand and connect better to the community. I also think they really set me apart from the rest of the crowd because they equipped me with skills that no classroom could ever teach me. I learned how to deal with different stakeholders such as students, parents, faculty and staff, as well as the higher ups in Higher Education. Another thing these roles helped me with is becoming more financially independent and learn to manage my own finances.
The liberal arts model lets you take courses outside your major. Is there a module you took on a whim that ended up being unexpectedly useful or meaningful?
Not on a whim, but I needed to take Intro to Filmmaking as part of my electives in my first year. I was initially so intimidated by every student in that class because I was the only one not from a Film or Photography background/major. But the professor was lovely, and really helped me out a lot. This class is where a lot of the mystery of filmmaking and cameras was stripped away and I realised that I had a lot of fun in the editing suite. This module encouraged me to take more film classes and eventually take up Film Studies as my minor! Now I want to get into Post-Production/Editing in my career.
What’s the one thing you’d tell your fresher (first) year self?
The usual things – get out more, be more open to new experiences, make more friends, have more awkward conversations, don’t be afraid of embarrassing yourself in pursuit of human connections. I was very reserved in my first year but that quickly changed, so I am still very grateful for my experience at Richmond.
