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Anyone regret Royal Holloway?

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We had the summer ball last night and it was absolutely amazing. Royal Holloway is the best time of my life! i live 200 miles away and didnt know anyone when i came in september - words cannot describe how passionate i am about the place! love it love it LOVE IT!!!
Founders Building, Royal Holloway
Royal Holloway
Egham
Thecowswantitback
Surely its good that they can see what actual students think? thats what happens on an open day anyway.

i genuinely want to just let people know what its like and i went through the worst few months of my life there so dont want people to make the same mistake i did.. its fair enough that some people love it.. but i think the sheer volume of negative feedback about RHUL might save a few people from wasting their time and money on somewhere they thought was good only to drop out in the first year.

Also.. i had a completely false view of it before i went, I WISH i had read MORE critical comments as it might have made me realise it was not the right place for me and i wouldnt have wasted a year of my life there.


I completely respect that it's your own opinion and you'd like to make students aware of your personal experiences however, I think that extremely negative comments discourage prospective students from considering it from every angle. Personally, if the opinions expressed on here were not counter-argued by people I know that love Royal Holloway then I may never have even visited the University, which would have been a very very big mistake. It's good for prospective students to hear different opinions but I wouldn't want those opinions to discourage students that haven't visited the University themselves. xox
Thecowswantitback
Surely Uni is about having fun and getting involved in societys and events


Sure, so why didn't you get involved and have fun? RHUL has loads of clubs and societies on offer all of which are running so many events that they often find it hard to find places to host them in.
Reply 163
themadone
Sure, so why didn't you get involved and have fun? RHUL has loads of clubs and societies on offer all of which are running so many events that they often find it hard to find places to host them in.


E.g. THE INVESTMENT SOCIETY!! w00t w00t!
Reply 164
Okay, having read a couple of pages of this thread I think that some perspective of the university in academic and social terms needs to be gained because this appears to be a very loaded thread, which could put off potential applicants.

The Halls of residence vary greatly in appearance, formats and standards depending on how much money you are willing to spend. Firstly, it is worth noting that none of the accommodation is 'cheap' per se. If you want your own room you will pay upwards of £3500 in Founders for a term time contract, in which you will have to move all your things out at the end of each term, and bring them back. The finest halls on campus are considered to be the new halls (BTW, R+G). These are en-suite, self catered halls, with the majority of people holding a 38 week contract. Runneymede halls are older, slightly cheaper, and have just 6 people per flat, and tend to have a high proportion of international students, particularly exchange students. Founders Hall is located on campus. It is cheaper, it is catered, it has long sweeping hallways, and the building itself is magnificent. Inside the hall isnt run down, but is rather basic, and yes, there are problems with food storage, temperature, showering etc, but I have alot of friends who live there, and the atmosphere if you make an effort, is absolutely amazing. If there was a Hall that I would suggest for people not to live in, it would be Kingswood, , located 1.5 miles away from campus, purely because it tends to be made up of many people who come through clearing, or applied late, which can somewhat ruin the atmopshere slightly.

My department is considered to be held high in regard nationally, although as I have little to compare to, all I could state on that score is that it seems well run, but feedback from assignments is poor, and the first year course, as with anywhere is quite one dimensional in the sense that you study broad topics, which for the majority you have little interest in. I have found the tutors, mentors and academic staff in my dept to be very approachable and helpful if and when asked for guidance. As mentioned, on the academic side, the library is very poor, in that it cannot cater for everyone who would like to use it, and the selection of books is limited. The staff at the library are polite and helpful should you need them.

Ultimately, the nightlife in the area is very poor, and if you are looking to be able to visit many bars, clubs etc whilst here, then go to a cheap student city like Leicester, Birmingham or Manchester. The SU in my opinion is good because it is open twice a week, and if you know enough people, despite the venue itself being quite poor, the atmosphere is brilliant. Socially there are societies and sports clubs you can join to make friends during the year. Egham is little more than a small town drowned with students, which has been unable to cope, but on the whole the university can cater for social needs if you are willing to open your mind out and enjoy it for what it is. Windsor and London are close enough by for you to visit, and there are many coachtrips to Kingston and London throughout the year for you to go on. On campus, there are other places to eat and drink, such as The Hub, which provide reasonable food, even if slightly expensive. For self catered residents, Egham is more than capable of fulfilling shopping needs, since the local Tesco was expanded during the early part of this year.

For me then? I did not want to come here originally. It was initially not even a choice on my form, but I was so charmed when I visited here that I actually took Cambridge off my form to apply. In January our department went on a fieldtrip, and that resulted in me now having many close friends at the university, and as a result spending hardly any time inside on my own. There is always something to do, whether that be playing football, chilling out having a few drinks, going out in the evenings etc. The people at this university are generally friendly, even if some are from wealthier backgrounds than me, and perhaps have been brought up differently... as with anywhere you pick and choose your friends. The university is very international, but I have sensed no real tensions between people here because everyone is respectful of each others rights to live, work and socialise in the environment.

This university is very close knit, in that everything is close together, meaning that during your first year you will never be more than 5 minutes away from a friend. You can include or exclude yourself. If you get involved in sports, societies, spend time with friends, go out and about, go to the SU and other uni organised events, you will enjoy your time here, and make some very close friends. If you choose to segregate yourself, go home too often and complain about the proximity it is away from the closest urban centre, you may not enjoy yourself so much.

I hope this seems fair, but obviously it is quite vague, although I could write about it forever! Ive had a great time this year, concluded quite spectacularly by the Summer Ball last night. I am very sad to be coming back as a second year in September, when I have had so much fun as a fresher. If anyone wants any information on pretty much any aspect of the university or general university life, just drop me a message :smile:
samanthachan03
I don't want a 'peaceful' 'quiet' University life and I'll be going to Royal Holloway in September! I strongly believe that having an amazing social life in University is down to the company that you keep and what you make of the surroundings (even if they are relatively quiet). I have two friends currently in Royal Holloway that are really enjoying the social life and I'd say they're pretty sociable people who enjoy a good party! I have no doubt that the social life will be everything I expect it to be if I make the effort :smile:


It certainly will be Sam! I've hardly had a night in since september (my bank balance hates me) and I absolutely love the social life here! I have not seen so much as one fight in the 8 months that I have been here - its consitently rated the safest campus in the UK.

Where else can you spend one night a year (until 7am) partying away in the spectacular founders quads for the summer ball!?

dmoorcroft
It certainly will be Sam! I've hardly had a night in since september (my bank balance hates me) and I absolutely love the social life here! I have not seen so much as one fight in the 8 months that I have been here - its consitently rated the safest campus in the UK.

Where else can you spend one night a year (until 7am) partying away in the spectacular founders quads for the summer ball!?



Definitely sounds goooood to me! Can't wait. :woo:
dmoorcroft
It certainly will be Sam! I've hardly had a night in since september (my bank balance hates me) and I absolutely love the social life here! I have not seen so much as one fight in the 8 months that I have been here - its consitently rated the safest campus in the UK.

Where else can you spend one night a year (until 7am) partying away in the spectacular founders quads for the summer ball!?



Your experience just goes to show that if you make the effort to have a good social life in Royal Holloway then you'll certainly have a good social life :smile:
themadone
Sure, so why didn't you get involved and have fun? RHUL has loads of clubs and societies on offer all of which are running so many events that they often find it hard to find places to host them in.



Because there IS no events put on for students..

I'm glad people enjoy it though..

but the post was orgionally does anyone regret it seems like a lot of people do.. so just make sure you have a good look around and do your research before you firm it !
Reply 169
Societies do put on events, it just depends which you are a part of. We at historical re-enactment tend to lean towards watching films rather than drunkeness. It also is about who you end up being friends with. University, as with most of life, is what you make of it. The only thing I slightly regret about RoHo is choosing to commute rather than live in but financially it makes sense and problems can be overcome if you make a nice friend who doesn't mind you staying over.
samanthachan03
Your experience just goes to show that if you make the effort to have a good social life in Royal Holloway then you'll certainly have a good social life :smile:


Yup - but its not even an 'effort'! Its such a shame that some people evidently come from 6th form / college lacking any decent people skills and common sense - generally they are the people complaining - i'm sure i've probably tried to say hi to them while passing on campus before but they're part of the minority who choose to ignore you and walk faster!
dmoorcroft
Yup - but its not even an 'effort'! Its such a shame that some people evidently come from 6th form / college lacking any decent people skills and common sense - generally they are the people complaining - i'm sure i've probably tried to say hi to them while passing on campus before but they're part of the minority who choose to ignore you and walk faster!




How does going to 6th form or college mean you dont have people skills exactly...................?
liam_the man
How does going to 6th form or college mean you dont have people skills exactly...................?


Sorry I think you may have misread that - I went to college / 6th form as did 99% of all university students. If people come out of college with no people skills i.e. dont know how to make the effort to interact then i think the uk education system has failed!

I used to be the most unconfident person in the world and wouldnt say boo to a goose but by facing up to my fears, and learning new skills etc at college im now comfortable talking to anyone and everyone.
dmoorcroft
Sorry I think you may have misread that - I went to college / 6th form as did 99% of all university students. If people come out of college with no people skills i.e. dont know how to make the effort to interact then i think the uk education system has failed!

I used to be the most unconfident person in the world and wouldnt say boo to a goose but by facing up to my fears, and learning new skills etc at college im now comfortable talking to anyone and everyone.



Oh right my bad!

Well thats great that you've become confident there its really good for you!

My point was kind of like .. i'm pretty much as sociable as you can get.. and i didnt like it... it wasn't that i didn't get involved in anything if thats what it came across like!
Thecowswantitback
Because there IS no events put on for students..


If they're not putting on events for students, then who exactly are they putting them on for? The rabbits & deer? :confused:

Most of the societies I joined this year have put on at least 1 event on each week, sometimes more, for it's members (which are students not rabbits or deer :wink: )
themadone
If they're not putting on events for students, then who exactly are they putting them on for? The rabbits & deer? :confused:

Most of the societies I joined this year have put on at least 1 event on each week, sometimes more, for it's members (which are students not rabbits or deer :wink: )


Dont be ridiculous! I know fora fact that all the shows that MTS, DramaSoc and the like put on are exclusively for the squirrels!
Thecowswantitback
Because there IS no events put on for students..


"derpa derp derp i didn't put in any effort so i'm going to brand everything as ****"
Reply 177
I've just finished first year at Royal Holloway and I kid you not, it was the best time of my life. I've been back home for less than three days and I'm already itching to go back in September.

Yes, the social life isn't exactly varied, but if there were 6 or 7 clubs to choose from every night then nobody would agree where to go, you'd go out and be unlikely to see many people you know, and you'd probably spend even more money because you'd shift from club to club on the hunt for people you know. Ok, so the SU is essentially a barn with a bar, but so what? It's all well and good having some exquisite drinking place, but where's the fun if you're there with one or two people sat on the sidelines?

Yes, it's expensive. But has Royal Holloway EVER pretended not to be? First thing you see is the sodding massive Founder's Building.. You don't have to be an architect to work out that it's gonna need some serious money to keep that up, and since a fair amount of people are influenced by Founders, they can't really say yes we want it but we don't want to have to pay for it. Royal Holloway is completely honest about its pricey-ness when you apply and before you take up your offer, so you won't get the problem that other Uni's have where there's loads of hidden costs that youre not prepared for. So as long as you go into it with your eyes open then you wont have a problem. Also, if money does become a problem, they're always recruiting staff onsite, such as in bars or the cafes as well as student ambassadors, and as far as I'm aware they pay pretty well.

Egham is fairly dull yes, but there's so many places nearby - Staines, Windsor, London, Reading etc etc etc. Plus theres loads of organised trips to clubs (Oceana in Kingston, plus plenty of London ones) where you have a guaranteed ride back so theres no slumming it in Waterloo station at sillyo'clock in the morning waiting for the first train. Personally, I reckon its better that way, it'd be far worse if Egham was thrilling but you had to scout halfway round the county/country to find anything else when you were bored of its offerings. And to be perfectly honest, if you can't be happy without going out drinking all the time then you're probably not doing something right. You can ALWAYS find something to do: Legoland, Thorpe Park, Windsor Castle, countless things in London and I think Chessington's fairly close, but don't quote me on that one.

I can only speak personally on teaching, but the staff on the Management course were bloody good. The only criticism I would have for them would be that they could do with giving us more hours, but then again, when you live with a Geologist doing 25+ hours a week, anything seems lacking in comparison. You do have to be prepared to learn a lot yourself, but again, that's something they make quite plain in prospectuses and open days. And in all honesty, we're all at least 18, surely its about time we learnt to sort our own lives out? But if it all gets too much, theres plenty of people to turn to.

I can't remember what else people were moaning about but basically, yes Royal Holloway has it's downsides, but doesn't everywhere? It is what you make of it, yes if you hide in your room, nobody will come find you and make friends for you etc etc. but if you're not prepared to make the effort, then nobody will with you. And I can't imagine that'd be any different anywhere else. Speaking as a fairly unenthusiastic person in general, I'd say hauling ass 100 or so miles to Egham was probably the best idea I ever had, and at least 99% of the people I know there feel pretty similar.
I think the main thing issue is one that doesn't just apply to Holloway, but all universities; people come to university with wholly unrealistic expectations of what it's going to be like. No university is going to lay everything at your feet and do everything for you; that's not what it's about. It's about going out, joining societies, meeting new people, making friends, experiencing new freedoms etc. However, that all has to be done by the individual, not by university. If you think you're going to have a shoddy time, then you will have a shoddy time. Holloway has so much to offer; you just need to have a positive attitude and to go out and make use of it. If you don't, then you'll have a crap time. If you do, then it will be the best time of your life.
Touched With Fire
Any current students of Royal Holloway regret choosing to study there? What is your opinion on the halls, different services (security, advisors, etc), different departments you have studied under and the students/student life there in general?

P.S. Use this thread to vent your frustration about the place if you wish. That's kind of what it's for :thumbsup:

Over to you.

I don't regret living in Founders one bit. I had an unusally large single room with a bay window and all the furniture was quite nice. Having seen the situation in newer halls, weddeburn etc. I think the atmosphere was much better at Founders. There seemed to be a lot of cliques in the halls that had flats and everything just seemed rather petty and high school-like.

Yes the showers weren't great but you could always use the better ones on the top floor. I never had any problems with sound. I would say it is worse in the newer halls, especially if you are next to the kitchen and the walls are much thinner there.

I don't regret choosing Royal Holloway, sure it can be a bit weird when you realise just how small the uni is. But provided you get off campus to do other stuff then I don't think it should be an issue. The educational standards are also pretty good and most of the teaching has been great. Although I would say that there are some administration problems, but perhaps a new principal can resolve a lot of these things.

Egham is hardly a party town but really you aren't that far from Windsor, Staines and London if you want better shopping and night life.

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