Summer in London - University of Roehampton

Studying abroad has always been a dream of mine! I was unsure if I would ever get the opportunity to do so because of the COVID-19 pandemic hitting during my freshman year of college. However, I found the perfect program for me and enrolled in the CIS Abroad: Summer in London at the University of Roehampton. This was a six week program of which I went during the summer of 2022. Although I was nervous, I was so excited to learn a new culture, explore, travel, and meet new people. I stayed on the University of Roehampton's campus, which is located on outskirts of London. I was placed in a dorm with all the other international students, which instantly gave me a group of people who understood being in a foreign country alone and the need for connection. I was surprised to have made such incredible and strong friendships with the men and women I met in such a short amount of time. I attended classes Monday-Thursday for 3 hours; however, we had many field trips to immerse ourselves in the culture and have a hands-on learning experience. This was the perfect amount of time to gain credit yet be a tourist as well. Throughout my six weeks abroad, I got the opportunity to explore all the London landmarks, tourist attractions, historic sites, and places that a typical visitor does not have the time to see. I was incredible to see famous landmarks such as Big Ben, The Tower of London, Borough Market, Wimbledon, Buckingham Palace, and so many more places with my own eyes! In addition, a few friends and I went to Edinburgh, Scotland one weekend and Venice, Italy another. The memories I made will last a lifetime, and I wish I could go back already! Although studying abroad can be intimidating and out of one's comfort zone, it is the best decision you will make. Not only will you get the chance to live in a new country and become a more cultured person, but your confidence, independence, and knowledge about the world will skyrocket. I got to see so much of the world in such a short amount of time. I will forever be grateful for this experience and encourage anyone who is thinking of studying abroad to take the leap. If you are not sure, begin by looking into CIS Abroad Summer in London at Roehampton :)

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My experience at UOR was fantastic, I never had an experience of living on campus and being fully immersed in a college experience because I commute to school. CIS’s program directors were incredible to work with and were enthusiastic to help in any way. If you are ever given an opportunity to study in another culture, do it! Studying abroad has changed my Life.

I'm from a small town univeristy and UR provided the most amazing experience in the most amazing city. It's location and people added to phenomenal time I had! It was my first time being full time on campus and not commuting, and it was an amazing first time.

This was a great experience that I would definitely recommend to anyone, but especially those who have never been abroad and are looking to ease into exploring other cultures. The excursions were great fun and very informative, and all of the staff could always be counted on to suggest other fun things to do or explore. The classes were entertaining and would tie in with the things we were seeing throughout the course of the program. Overall, this was one of the best things I've ever done, and I would encourage everyone to participate if they can! Academics: A lot of class felt unorganized and then rushed toward the end. Cultural Immersion: I thought that the variety of the excursions gave us a nice sampling of the culture of England and enjoyed every one of them. Program Administration: Everyone was really helpful, but a lot of things definitely felt unorganized.

I thought the program was very good. I had a few issues before the trip due to incompetency on the other side, but once I got there I found the staff to be helpful and very nice people. They all did their jobs properly and I was thankful for that. I thought the housing was wonderful and I made great friends through housing. I also enjoyed the excursions because I learned so much in that short amount of time. I truly enjoyed the program. The only piece I would suggest to work on is organization before the trip because I was stressed the few days before because I was not given proper information. Academics: I worked hard during class and was very involved during excursions. Living Situation: The housing provided was very nice and the people that I lived with were phenomenal. Cultural Immersion: I was heavily involved in submerging myself into the culture. I tried to do a lot of activities that were not touristy and have fun. Program Administration: I thought it was wonderful. Social Life: I made so many amazing friends that I am going to stay in touch with. Everyone was friendly and I truly enjoyed that.

London is incredible. If you ever get the chance to go, take it. CIS is less incredible, but not horrible. Many people study abroad because it's less intimidating to travel to a foreign country for the first time when you have a program to follow and people who are literally paid just to help you. That help was pretty disorganized and vague. An example: at Immigration, the agent asked for an acceptance letter from the university I was studying through in the UK (even though it's an American university), which I didn't have because we never received one. I brought my bank statements because CIS told me to (the agent never asked for them), but I finally got a very suspicious and hesitant stamp in my passport. Again, for someone who has never traveled internationally, that type of guidance would be extremely helpful, and that guidance is the only reason I chose a study program rather than just traveling on my own. Academics: I didn't learn anything in class. We mainly watched movies and read aloud, both things I could have done in my room on my own time rather than sit in a classroom for 3 hours Living Situation: Some facilities at Roehampton (like the showers) are old and therefore very dirty. Years of soap scum/mildew. Cultural Immersion: The excursions were relevant and educational. Program Administration: CIS overall seems to be slightly disorganized. I had to ask so many questions to get information that I feel is pretty basic. Health and Safety: London is a very safe city. As far as CIS staff goes, I was a little concerned when one of the staff members refused to do a head count when we were in Bath and getting ready to leave for Stonehenge. She made a comment along the lines of "we told them to be here at this time so if they're not it's their fault." Yeah, that's a good life lesson I suppose, but risking leaving students behind in a foreign city seems reckless to me. Social Life: This is really what you make of it, it has nothing to do with the program.

I had a great time on my study abroad trip. Although I was only there for four weeks, I was able to fit in a ton of sight seeing, tours, and trips with the help of CISabroad. The program helped me go on trips that I wanted to go on prior to leaving. However, the excursions were not planned out very well so there was confusion on what dates and times we were going to certain places. Overall, I had a terrific experience and would recommend this program to others. Academics: Courses were challenging enough but did not distract from experiencing the country I was in. Living Situation: Living situation was great! I had my own room and shared a bathroom and kitchen with 4 others. Only complaint is I wish we were given certain items such as toilet paper and paper towels. Cultural Immersion: I wish I had met more people from the country/culture. Program Administration: A bit unorganized - there were many complaints of not knowing plans of excursions ahead of time Health and Safety: I felt safe on campus and in the country. Social Life: I loved everyone in my program and the people we met!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in this program and how much it allowed me to explore London. Some of the program activities and classes were a bit unorganized and things were announced to us last minute but overall, the location and environment of the school was very comfortable and safe and the program provided me with many opportunities with excursions and time of my own to spend in London, as well as traveling to nearby countries. Academics: Classes were a bit unorganized but didn't get in the way of exploring London as much as I thought they would. Living Situation: Comfortable living arrangement, good location, felt very safe. Cultural Immersion: Good excursions and many opportunities to visit many places in London and find new people to interact with. Program Administration: Easy to contact through email, and good and handling last minute situations.

The CIS Summer in London 2013 experience was a very positive one for me. Besides a lack of organization and some poorly administration, I really enjoyed my CIS experience. The excursions showed me so much around England and I really appreciated them all. Academics: I thought our class was pretty enjoyable, for the most part. Living Situation: The dorms weren't very clean. I did like how we had our own room though. An apartment would have been better, however. Cultural Immersion: I was hoping to have class with other British and foreign students and also live with or near British students. Program Administration: I did not even know what classes or times they were at until the day before class, and I had to ask. Also, we did not have our itinerary until a few days into the trip. I think it could have been very more organized and better administered.

I found the experience of seeing London's most famous sites the most exciting thing! Sitting next to the river down the way from Parliament and seeing the eye across the way at sunset is a moment that seems right out of a movie!!!

Overall, I enjoyed my experience in London. I made some great memories and friends. All of the excursions were main attractions that I wanted to see such as Windsor Castle and Westminster Abbey. I also enjoyed having a lot of free time to do whatever else we wanted to do while in the city. Having the weekends free was nice to be able to travel outside of London. I have two complains. The first would be the living situation. I felt that the dorms were dirty and the shower continually leaked all over the bathroom. Also, we were segregated from the rest of campus and did not meet any locals while living there. The other complaint I have is regards to organization. The program should provide the students with an itinerary up front with the main excursions and details, as well as class schedules. I did not know a lot coming into the trip. Overall, if a friend asked me about the program, I would recommend it. I enjoyed my time in London and with CIS. Academics: Loved the classes! Living Situation: I thought having our own room was very nice. However, I felt that the dorms were dirty when we moved in. Our showers leaked, and the rooms smelled. Overall, the university was quite dirty with the trash piled up outside of the building. However, I didn't mind the location of Roehampton in regards with the city. Cultural Immersion: I thought we were going to be in classes or living with people from England. However, we were completely segregated the entire time. Program Administration: Everyone was nice and helpful. However, I felt that certain aspects of the trip were unorganized. I did not know a lot of information going into the trip, and we often did not know about the excursions until the night before. I think an itinerary should be provided up front when you pick the program. Health and Safety: I never felt unsafe in the dorms. Social Life: I enjoyed all of the friends I made on the trip.

I really enjoyed my experience in London. My fellow students were great, the teachers were awesome, and the excursions were definitely worth it. I also had a lot of time to do my own thing and see what I wanted to. I was able to become really close with some students and even met some great people from England and other countries. Academics: Carolina is amazing! She definitely knew the content and presented it in a way where I forgot I was even in class most of the time. She is fun, energetic, friendly, and passionate. Living Situation: The noisy and rude neighbors were a downfall, but I was glad to have my own room and laundry available on site. My flat mates were great. Cultural Immersion: It was great to be a part of group outings and still have plenty of time to take part in solo and small group activities and adventures! Program Administration: All of the staff and professors that I dealt with were very knowledgeable and very helpful! Health and Safety: The campus at Roehampton was very secure. The only thing that bothered me is how loud and obnoxious some of the surrounding students were. Social Life: It was a little hard to plan social things that weren't included since I wasn't given a schedule of excursions in advance.

I really enjoyed my experience. I loved the excursions and the people but the classes seemed kind of pointless. Our classes were supposed to be split into to segments but my class ran as one long class. We missed out on a lot of one class because the first class bled into the second. The excursions were really great but I'd wished we got a schedule before hand so we could plan our own stuff. We got to see and do a lot of amazing things and over all i had an amazing experience I just wish the rrip had been more organized Academics: The classes were interesting but I didn't get anything out of them. Program Administration: We missed out on a lot of information before going abroud and it was very disorganized when we arrived Social Life: I had loads of fun with the others Met some great people

For the most part I had an amazing time with the CIS program. The excursions were a little tiresome but they made you see the sites and get out of the dorm. It would have been nicer to stay closer to the city because the 40 minute trek in every day wasn't my absolute favorite. Overall I found my stay here as enjoyable and I made some great friends and saw some amazing architecture and history. Academics: I enjoyed the film classes. Living Situation: Loud neighbors in apartment nearby, my floor smelled like feet, and the bed was a little uncomfortable. Health and Safety: I feel perfectly safe wandering around London at 2 AM. Social Life: Had a friend in the city who showed me around in style.

Studying in London was an incredible experience that I'll never forget. I was nervous at first about being in a new place, but once I fell in love with England, I didn't want to leave! Everything is different, even the supermarkets and things you expect to be the same like lemonade (ask for cloudy lemonade or you'll get soda). But it was fun learning how to live in a new culture and British people are often willing to help out--if you and your friends are lost on a bus, people will try to help you find where you need to go. That's the great thing about the bus or the Tube--you can always find help, so don't worry about getting lost. There are classes too of course. This is STUDY abroad and don't forget it. But don't let classes hold you back from getting the most out of London--explore the city. Some of my favorite experiences were: London Eye (definitely worth it), Camden Town (best shopping), London Museum (really fun hands-on stuff there), Covent Garden (good shopping and delicious food), Trafalgar Square (climb those lions!), Leicester Square (at night it's gorgeous), Piccadilly Circus (street performers everywhere), the Jack the Ripper Walking Tour with the Yeoman Warders (creepy and fun--try to get Dickie as your guide!). Sometimes things got crazy and were rough, but it was all a part of the experience. Academics: I enjoyed both classes I took and I appreciated not being over-loaded with homework. However, I felt as if we weren't being challenged enough in class. I did learn new things, but I felt that if the subject matter of the classes had been more condensed, we could've have gone deeper than we did. Instead we had a smattering of information and didn't get an opportunity to analyze what we were learning in depth. Living Situation: I liked our little flats--we had six people (each in single rooms) to a flat and shared two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room. It was a great way to get to know people! The rooms were cozy and I was glad that we got pillows and blankets. Cultural Immersion: There wasn't much cultural immersion on campus, considering it was only Americans/Canadians in our classes, but we had lots of free time to find culture ourselves and had scheduled excursions as well. Just going to the supermarket or taking a bus was a cultural experience--British people are lovely and very helpful. Program Administration: I think everyone in administration was well-meaning, but sometimes it felt like some of them didn't have time for us. In general, I got along with the administrators and wished many of them had been with us longer. I wished they kept them around consistently and didn't change them each week. Health and Safety: It was safe. Social Life: I really liked most of the people in the program and though I kind of wished we'd had more non-Americans, I am glad to have met all these people from different states and universities.

this program allowed me to see London and all it had to offer.

This was the first time I went out of the country and I did it alone. With everything I wish would have been different there are somethings you can't avoid and you need to roll with the punches. I met the most amazing people of this trip that I miss immensley. I loved being in London. It showed me how independent I could be by not being with people or surroundings I am comfortable with. I grew a lot on my trip an would do it again and again if I could. Academics: I really enjoyed the Shakespeare on film class. The British Cultures course was rediculous for a 3 week long semster. Living Situation: I loved having my own room and the kitchen was great. The bathrooms on the other hand were an issue. We had one toilet And one shower that didn't work. The other shower worked but was flooded in 2 minutes. Cultural Immersion: I met know one from other countries on campus. Program Administration: In the beginning it was pretty unorganized but we got used to it. I still enjoyed my time. Social Life: We were close enough to central to get there pretty quick but on nights where we wouldnt be able to make it to a tube on time we went to the smaller towns near Roehampton. Having the Oyster cards helped so much.

fun, worth it Cultural Immersion: