Application process
The application process about MicroEDU me really liked. After I had submitted the necessary forms and my Transcript of Records to MicroEDU , the staff submitted these documents to the university, so I just had to wait until I received the confirmation from the University of Roehampton by email. Fortunately, since I applied early, I only had to wait a few weeks before I was accepted. Even if I had questions about specific things about the application process, accommodation or course choice, the MicroEDU staff would answer me and always helped very quickly and tried very hard to clarify all open questions, so that you could start your semester abroad with a good feeling! So I’m glad I applied for my semester abroad through MicroEDU , because that way you always had a contact person to turn to!
Arrival at the university
The University of Roehampton makes it super easy for Study Abroad Students to feel comfortable right away. If you arrive at the airport in London there is a meet & greet service where you will be picked up by university staff and driven to the campus. When you arrive there, you are shown a bit of the campus and you move into your student dormitory. Since the Study Abroads arrive a week before the normal students, there is initially a Welcome Week for all international students. This week you get a lot of information about university life and student organizations. Above all, the so-called ‘London Photo Frenzy’ takes place, in which the international students are divided into small groups make a rally through central London to take photos of various attractions such as Big Ben. As a result, you not only get to know new people very quickly, but also London’s beautiful city center! In the second week there is an Orientation Week, in which various events take place where you can get to know the British students. Among other things, the university had booked an entire amusement park for one evening or had already organized the first university parties. Visit existingcountries.com to get information about study in Canada.
University life
In general, the university does a lot to make you feel part of the community. Similar to Harry Potter, the university is divided into four colleges (Froebel, Digby, Southlands & Whitelands), which compete in the College Cup in various disciplines, such as sports or collecting donations for a good cause. The college that scores the most points in the competitions will then win the College Cup at the end of the school year! Therefore, College Cup events will be held over the entire semester, which are great fun and totally strengthen the sense of community. The university also ensures that partying is not neglected in student life. For this, the university rents Club Fez in Putney every Wednesday, where a shuttle service takes you from campus and picks you up again. In addition, the so-called BOP takes place every Friday, which is a party right on campus. And every few weeks the university also rents the Grand in Clapham – that means, there is definitely something for people who like to go out to party.
Campus and Housing
The campus itself has a few wonderful corners! I was lucky enough to be at Froebel College and therefore to live very close to Froebel Lake, which is made up like a small park. Froebel Lawn and Froebel Lake are the perfect places to hang out on a sunny day. And close by is the beautiful Grove House, a super nice old building that gives the whole scene a completely different atmosphere. Otherwise, the remaining buildings on the campus are a mix of somewhat older and modern buildings. The Union Bar, which is located directly on campus, is also important for campus life. Here you can spend one or the other nice evening with cheap drinks and on some days of the week there are also events there, such as the pub quiz or karaoke.
I would definitely recommend anyone going to Roehampton for Study Abroad to live in one of the student residences on campus. The halls of residence on campus are very simply furnished – there is only a small bed, a desk and a closet in the room – but firstly, the furnishings are completely sufficient and, secondly, student life in the halls of residence is priceless! You can make new friends very quickly and you will definitely never get bored there! I also found it particularly good that you not only live with other Study Abroads, but also with British people. You share a communal kitchen with some flatmates and, depending on the accommodation, also a bathroom – in some you also have your own en-suite bathroom – but there were no problems at all when sharing. Even if the student residences on campus are quite expensive, they are definitely worth the money, as the people you meet there become very good friends and your own small family in no time, so that you can spend your semester abroad really feels as good as at home.
Cost of living / Oyster Card
The cost of living in London is of course quite high. But if you pay attention to your expenses and often cook yourself instead of going out to eat, it is still in moderation. What hits the wallet in particular is the constant reloading of the Oyster Card to travel to Central London. With the Oyster Card you can pay for buses, underground and regional trains. The best way to get downtown from Roehampton is to take the Piccadliily or District Line from Hammersmith – the whole trip together takes about 40 minutes, but the time goes by faster than it sounds. From Hammersmith there are definitely great connections to all possible parts of the city center. And I can definitely recommend going to London as often as possible because the city has a lot to offer!
Courses
The courses I took in Roehampton were mostly history courses. I was very satisfied with my courses because I found the lecturers to be very competent and helpful! In addition, the courses do not take up too much time, so that you can still enjoy your stay abroad to the full. I also found the London Studies courses particularly goodthat delve into the history / art / culture of London, which makes you get to know the city a little better In Roehampton, homework is not written during the semester break, as in Germany, but during the current semester, which is why I would definitely recommend that you start with it as early as possible and not postpone it too long. If you need help with writing your thesis, you can always turn to fellow students or the lecturers.
Conclusion
Doing my semester abroad in London was definitely the right decision! Although I was quite excited at the beginning, my semester abroad was better than I could have imagined! I had the best 4 months of my life there! All the lovely people I met there & all the beautiful places we traveled to gave me the most beautiful adventure that I wouldn’t want to miss!
