Semester in London - University of Roehampton

Studying abroad was a life-changing experience, thanks to CIS Abroad. The University of Roehampton was incredibly welcoming, making it easy to explore the city’s endless opportunities. From fun group excursions to thrilling solo adventures and meeting amazing people along the way, every moment was unforgettable.

Photos

This experience was so great. CIS was very helpful in getting there and then I had a blast traveling. I got to see so many things and meet so many people. I do wish there were a few more led excursions because the ones we did were super fun and interesting.

I am so grateful for my experience studying abroad in London at the University of Roehampton with CISabroad. The CISabroad team was incredibly patient, knowledgeable and helpful throughout the entire process. I always felt taken care of, and encouraged in my study abroad endeavor. Onsite accommodations were awesome. I chose standard housing and was placed in Bede House with four other CISabroad students. I had my own room, and was provided with bedding and a kitchen set, making moving into my new space easy. Classes at Roehampton were eye opening, challenging, and engaging. I took part in two "London Studies" courses that specifically encourage international students to explore the city. My two onsite advisors, Anna Bermani and Linda Hallback were absolute inspirations. Both of them worked very hard to customize our experience, and ensured our interests and concerns were always taken care of. Our excursions ranged from market tours on Southbank to a weekend in Edinbrough. I can easily say that these trips with CISabroad enhanced my experience exponentially. Overall I am forever thankful for this life changing experience, which was so much more achievable with the support of CISabroad. The only change I would make is the support and outline of the first few days on campus. I arrived to Roehampton on a Wednesday, where I was handed a packet of information and materials from both the University and Anna from CIS Abroad. Our orientation dinner with Anna would be on the Friday. I wish I had a schedule or guideline of things I needed to do within that time. For example, that Wednesday night I got together with a bunch of international students and Ubered to the local ASDA in a rush because we realized we would not have any food for breakfast. However, after the dinner with Anna on the Friday night many of my questions and concerned were answered, and after that I was much more comfortable.

Photos

Studying abroad in England at Roehampton was probably the best decision I have made so far in my life. I made so many friends from all over the world and someone of these people will be my friends for life. I got to do so many things that I would not have been able to do if I was not in England. I got to travel to a couple other countries in Europe and it was all relatively cheap. Though exploring Europe was great it was even better to be able to explore England/UK. I got to slowly see all of London and see so many things that not all tourist see because I was there for so long. The academics and Reohampton were great, I took classes that I would not have taken and my home university and learned so much from them and they have definitely made me more feel rounded with a different perspective. All of the staff members really care about your success and its not just CISabroad its the university staff as well. Accommodation is good I found that I had just the right amount of room and I really liked that it was a flat and not a dorm building because you become so much closer with everyone. Overall it was so much fun and an amazing experice that I will never forget.

While looking into study abroad programs, I knew I needed to choose a program that would give me the support I needed to help fulfil my dream of studying in London. CISAbroad and its advisors were there every step of the way to ensure that the application process went as smoothly as possible. They made sure I had all of the resources I needed before, during, and after my time abroad. I had a fantastic summer and loved participating in the CISAbroad excursions. The on-site staff were wonderful and always so supportive of anything my peers and I needed abroad. I would study abroad again with CIS in a heartbeat!

Photos

The fall semester of 2018 I CISabroad gave me the experience of a lifetime. I studied at the University of Roehampton in South West London, and loved every minute of it. From the beginning stages of the application process to being guided on an excursion to Scotland, the CISabroad team was supportive, knowledgeable, and friendly. Phones calls with Maggie always answered my questions, and onsite adventures planned by Anna and Linda enhanced my time in London more than I can explain. Everything from a free city bus tour ticket, to a weekend in Edinburgh made me feel confident to explore the city on my own. My "standard" housing was perfect, including my own bedroom, a kitchen set, and bed set. I had a comfortable home-base to return to after a day of exploring. The location of Roehampton, in my opinion, was the best of both worlds. It was just outside of central London, in close proximity to the national common of Richmond Park which quickly became my favorite pass time. However, the landmarks of London were a quick bus and tube ride away. CISabroad helped me accomplish my dream of living in my favorite city, and doing it successfully. They equipped me with the tools I needed to navigate the new experience of living on my own, and the city itself. I never felt like a tourist in unfamiliar surroundings. Instead I obtained a sense of accomplishment and independence as I sucked up every opportunity this journey brought me. Thank you thank you thank you to CISabroad, I look forward to working with you in the future!

CISabroad in London was the best thing I ever did. I was so nervous about going away, but the team at CIS helped me throughout the entire process of getting there, and still went above and beyond while was there. I had experiences that were once in a life time, and made friends that I will have forever. Going abroad has only made me want to travel more. I am so glad I chose CISabroad, they made handling payment, housing, insurance, transcripts, etc., so simple. There were fun trips and excursions included in the price of tuition that were amazing. The small group of CIS students I met while abroad became a small family. I'm so happy to have been apart of it!

I had the time of my life in London studying at the University of Roehampton! I gained so much confidence in myself as a result of my trip. I was able to live on my own for 6 weeks while in London, making new friends and visiting amazing places the entire time. My classes did require some work, but the professors seemed to understand we were there primarily for the study abroad experience. As a result of this, we often had class field trips or in-class time to work on our homework. The dorm rooms we lived in on campus were small, but weren't any different from living on campus at my home university. The on-site support team at the University of Roehampton were all great - if you had any problems they responded promptly with a solution. The CISabroad coordinators were fantastic as well! Our excursions were always fun, and the CISabroad staff we toured the city with had a lot of local knowledge and showed us some great places I never would have found on my own. I highly recommend studying abroad, whether it's in London or not. Find a place you're interested it and go! It's worth it!

CISabroad provided me with an amazing and unforgettable experience. The staff on campus helped me feel at home and made sure I had opportunities to explore and learn about the new city I was living in. I would highly recommend to anyone thinking about studying abroad!

My time at the University of Roehampton was fantastic. The class scheduled offered plenty of time to explore the city and surrounding cities and even countries on top of academics. Living with home students in a flat of six people (some were other study abroad students) was a challenge but also fun because I made some great friends along the way. CIS was great at helping get students settled in and being available throughout the semester if we needed help or just someone to talk to. The excursions were interesting and unique; they were not your typical tourist activities, but interesting things such as a visit to Kensington Palace and high tea at The Orangery. Overall, it was a great experience in a great city.

CIS and Roehampton made my semester in London incredible. The campus was in a great location and I always had something to do. I had a sense of complete independence and responsibility but I knew I could go to any of my advisors if I needed any sort of help. Program Administration: I loved the whole on site team- they were extremely helpful and fun to be around! Social Life: Roehampton had multiple social events a week; they were always so fun and that's where I met most of my friends.

Studying abroad in London was incredible for my academic life and my personal life alike. Traveling, making new friends, exploring myself, and growing in academics, this experience was priceless. Academics: Classes were very different in the UK. Once or twice a week for a few hours--- and two assignments due the entire semester. It took some getting used to. Living Situation: Loved my flat and roommates. Cultural Immersion: Incredible melting pot of a community. Program Administration: Very wishy washy and inconsistent. Nice staff though. Health and Safety: Pretty great safety precautions and officers. Social Life: Best part of my experience.

The process with CIS abroad was easy and I had lots of help. The accommodations at Roehampton were great, and I felt very comfortable there. We were only 20 minutes from the center of London, and had access to great places all over Europe. Living Situation: Loved where I lived at Roehampton. Cultural Immersion: We met tons of fellow students but most who were American not English

To be honest, I didn't participate much with the people involved at CIS in England (specifically at Uni of Roehampton). I didn't feel like I needed to because I met so many great people on my own; some British, but American as well. Roehampton and their services for study abroad students are great. The campus is beautiful. I had a really amazing time at school, exploring London, exploring the rest of Europe, and making some awesome friends. Health and Safety: Safe, easy to get around. Social Life: Roehampton has great social programs. RSU is awesome and Bop on Fridays is a lot of fun. Social life outside of Roehampton is awesome too because it's London...what's not to love?

A wonderful, enlightening experience Living Situation: Somethings were broken during the years. Some of those things were fixed right away and others took some time to get fixed. Fire alarm went off contently. Health and Safety: Security always on campus. City itself felt very safe

Great program! I loved my study abroad experience to London so much! The administration and orientations were very helpful! I loved my accommodation and classes too!

Whether you're going through CIS, some other study abroad programme, or just traveling on your own: get out of your country! Go experience different cultures, people, and food. You won't regret it. Academics: The classes were longer than I have at my US university, but the content was great and the majority of my professors very nice. Don't let work pile up. Even though you may only have 3 assignments due at the end of the year, you're going to need the time in between to do outside research. Your grade is very dependent upon how much work you put in outside of the classroom. Living Situation: My room was nice with an en-suite shower and sink, but my flatmates were the exact opposite of me in terms of socialising. I'm not a big partier, but they went hard core every wednesday and friday, and sometimes other days as well. They displayed immaturity that's common in freshman though, and you are living in a dorm setting, so it's just something to be aware of and prepare for. Cultural Immersion: Once I joined a society I met a lot of new people, but most of my friends ended up being other study abroad students (from the US and other countries like Norway and Sweden). If you want to be immersed, you have to put yourself out there and go to different events. There is so much to do in London; take advantage of it. Most of the venues/events that I went to though were not through CIS. The Oxford trip CIS sponsored was nice, but I planned many of my own trips and found things to do myself. Program Administration: I felt that the facebook page that kept CIS students updated on things going on in London could have been better run. Events that were posted were always for the day of, and so I usually had something else planned. If I had known about things in advance, then I would have changed my schedule to go to them. Some of the events the CIS staff linked us to looked really interesting too, and I was sorry I had not heard about them sooner. I also did not care for how little information I received about Roehampton and the process of getting from the airport to the Uni prior to my departure date. I understand they do not want to overwhelm students with a massive amount of information all at once, but I felt like I was constantly emailing a CIS representative in order to get more information. It would be better to send out the information packets sooner. Health and Safety: I always felt safe on campus, and you just have to be smart in London. Don't go to sketchy areas at night (Camden) and always travel with friends. Keep in mind the tube shuts down at midnight. Social Life: I'm not a big partier or drinker, so I didn't make friends with my flatmates. I did however befriend some great people from the volleyball team and from my courses. There are so many societies on campus, join one and you're bound to make some friends. You have to put yourself out there a bit if you want to meet people.

When I chose to come to London for my study abroad experience, I wasn't entirely sure why I was coming here instead of somewhere else. I had no idea what I would spend my time doing. I shouldn't have worried about how to fill my time, because I quickly learned that living so close to a theatre district was dangerous for my wallet. I spent most of my time here seeing plays: in five months I saw 13 of them. I had also made the decision to buy the social program that was an option for all study abroad students, and it was one of the best decisions I made here. I got to see some tourist attractions that I wouldn't have thought of going to on my own, and it gave me the opportunity to meet some other study abroad students. Another great thing about my experience here, is that it allowed me to be entirely independent for the first time, in a way that I was 100% confident in. I don't have a car back home, and Colorado does not have the best public transport system, so being able to get around the city on my own without needing to walk everywhere was very freeing.

Words cannot even describe my experience. I don't want to leave and if I could do it over I would do it a heartbeat. It was the best decision of my life and I don't regret a second of it. The University of Roehampton was fantastic. I will never forget the experiences I had and the people I've met. I do not want to leave. Words cannot describe such an experience, only doing it does. Academics: Overall good school with decent professors but not comparable to the education I received in America. But who is there for that? Living Situation: Overall good. Not a bad place on campus. Really enjoyed living with both sexes and people from around the world. Cultural Immersion: Made tons of English friends. Did a lot of things normal students don't get to do like spend time and holidays with English families. Program Administration: Good and friendly people. Big thanks to Nadia, Alex, and Maggie. They were never far away and I hate I couldn't spend more time with them. Health and Safety: Walls and security guards. Even though it's in a nice part of London, still comforting to see them. Social Life: Roehampton really does a great job with their students. They schedule nights out and have tons of events on and off campus.

My experience with/at the University of Roehampton, through CIS, was a fantastic one. Take it from a skeptic, who usually doesn't trust online reviews, it was an experience worth having. I loved the lifestyle of London, and all of the beauty it had to offer. I could go on and on and on of what I did, or what you should do, or yadda yadda yadda. But if your like me you want it short and sweet. My only issue with the whole affair, was the whole "study abroad introversion". Roehampton had the study abroad students arrive almost two weeks before classes, which was nice, but I wished they would let the students know so they could book trips across Europe. But I used that time to explore London, which was nice. I found making friends with the US was terrible (granted the mixer wasn't all that fun). I made friends with students who were from Britain or other parts of Europe much easier. But that is only a small gripe, against a fantastic adventure. Again that small gripe of mine did not ruin my fantastic trip. Just a warning, that first week might be hard, but it is completely worth it. But don't take my word for it, find out for yourself. I promise you won't regret it. Academics: The courses were difficult and enjoyable. Living Situation: Only little things like the window wouldn't close all the way and internet was terrible but other than that I have no reason to complain Cultural Immersion: I loved it. Only problems I had was with students from the US haha, while I had an easy and great time with everyone else. Program Administration: Very friendly and helpful.