Application process
The application process for the University of Roehampton was extremely positive and easy thanks to MicroEDU. I filled out all the necessary forms to apply to Roehampton University, which MicroEDU then forwarded to the university for me. I soon received my confirmation and was looking forward to two exciting semesters in London.
Since the support from MicroEDU is very good, there were no problems for me. I could reach my supervisor at MicroEDU at any time and I was given immediate help if I had any questions or problems.
University life
Study Abroad students will find it very easy to get used to the university system and English culture. First you will be welcomed by the staff of the university at Heathrow Airport and taken to the university in a free shuttle bus. You have a good week to take part in various activities such as campus tour, barbecues, London Photo Frenzy (rally through London). Friendships are quickly made with the other Study Abroad students. The circle of friends will be expanded again when the normal students arrive a week later. Visit existingcountries.com to get information about 6 best countries to exchange in English.
If you move into a room on the university campus, you will mainly live there with the freshmen. It is a tradition in England to live as a ‘fresher’ on the university campus in the first year of university and to look for an apartment in the area in the second / third year. Therefore, every year at the beginning of the university, a week full of parties and activities is organized for the first semester, in which the Study Abroad students can also take part. For me, the next wave of fun, parties and activities followed in the second week after my arrival. You should definitely buy the ‘Fresher-Band’ in the online store of the university beforehand. The band is valid the whole week and offers free access to university parties such as the Silent Disco and free entry to the Thorpe amusement park in London.
Between the activities, the modules for the coming semester are checked again with employees of the university and module changes can be made. In addition, every student receives his or her student ID card, which provides access to the dormitory, library and post office on campus, among other things.
If you live on campus, you belong to one of the four colleges (Digby, Froebel, Southlands & Whitelands), each with their own mascot. The colleges fight like Harry Potter to the annual College Cup which will be awarded at the end of term. During the semester, every student is able to take part in the so-called ‘socials’ in order to earn points for their college. In addition, there is a specific topic every month, for example men grow a mustache in November and donated money is transferred to a non-profit organization. In addition, there are very often parties organized by the university. BOP takes place every Friday in the Student Union. Entry is 5 pounds and there is a different theme every Friday, e. g. Geek BOP or Halloween BOP. It’s a lot of fun to dress up beforehand with your roommates and go there together. In addition, the university rents a shuttle bus every Wednesday that takes the students to the FEZ disco in Putney, a place around the corner. Twice a year there is a ball that is organized by the respective colleges. The winter and summer ball. Every student pretties himself up and goes to the ball with his friends, where there is, for example, traditional English roast at Christmas.
Campus and Housing
The campus is beautiful as it has two lakes and a large area of grass. In addition, you don’t starve to death on campus, as there are some dining options such as Southlands Diner or Digby Diner. Costa and Starbucks are also represented on campus, as is Hive, which is a beautiful little café on campus with homemade cakes and sandwiches.
I had decided to move into a room on campus because I wanted to be as close as possible to my lecture rooms. Since the campus is small and manageable, I was able to reach my lecture rooms in 5 minutes. Unfortunately, I was very unlucky with the building in which I lived. I belonged to Digby College, which I personally think is the best, but my building was too old compared to the others. Unfortunately, the heating failed too often and the toilets could not be used for over 3 months. If I were faced with the choice again, I would not choose the Newman building, but either insist on another building or look for an apartment near the university. However, my flat share was great, even though we were 18 people there were only good moments. There were two so-called ‘flatreps’, students from the higher semester who lived with us and took care of us if we had problems. Above all, I wanted to live with “natives” and that worked out wonderfully. The university makes sure that the Study Abroad students don’t just keep to themselves.
Cost of living / Oyster Card
The cost of living in London is very high. But if you pay attention to your expenses and cook more often yourself, you can save money. The supermarket called ASDA is 10 minutes by bus from the university and is the cheapest compared to the other UK supermarkets.
What makes the wallet ebb, especially, is the constant reloading of the Oyster Card to go to Central London. With the Oyster Card you can pay for buses as well as underground and regional trains. I had also ordered the Railcard 16-25 on the Internet for 30 pounds a year, which I then transferred to my Oyster card at a subway ticket counter. I didn’t have to pay more than 5. 50 pounds per day in zone 1-2. The best way to get downtown from the university is to take the Piccadilly or District Line from Hammersmith. Hammersmith has very good connections to all possible parts of the city center, and the Piccadilly Line also goes directly to Heathrow Airport. Fortunately, there is always the possibility to come back to the university at night, as the night buses leave every hour.
Courses
Above all, I decided on the University of Roehampton, as the module catalogs that can be viewed on the university website appealed to me very much. I took Shakespeare courses, American literature, and creative writing courses. All the lecturers were extremely competent and my learning growth was enormous. I cannot report anything negative here, so that I would go to this university again and again just because of the courses and lecturers. For me personally, the courses were more in the foreground than my accommodation.
Conclusion
Having done my semester abroad in London is one of the best decisions of my life and I definitely don’t want to miss it. I’ve been to London very often and got to know the city from the side of the Londoners in addition to the typical tourist attractions. I love this city because it has it all. From shopping on Oxford Street to China Town to the British History Museum and musicals. Even the cities of Oxford, Cambridge or Brighton are each an hour away. You should definitely visit these cities.
