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Postgraduate at Roehampton?

Hey all. If this thread is violating rules, please move or delete it. A small slap to the wrist will suffice!

I'm a student at the University of Minnesota in the US and will probably graduate Dec. 08. I'm very interested in graduate (or postgraduate as I find it is called in the UK) studies at Roehampton Uni in London, the creative writing program to be more exact. I've looked at the website, ordered a prospectus and all, but I was just wondering if there are any Roehampton postgraduates here at TSR? (creative writing PG? Or am I going out on a limb?). I just wanted to hear opinions about the program from actual students rather than reading what the university has to say about their own program (Although I'm very interested, of course they'll say "it's the best". Just looking for honest opinions, good and bad).

What are your experiences in the program? How do you like it? etc.

Thanks and hello!

Reply 1

Paeony

I was a mature undergraduate at Roehampton and I looked in to continuing my studies there. I don't know much about the creative writing course (sorry) but I did live in the mature/postgrad halls during my time there so I can tell you a few things.

Roehampton has a very good reputation in certain areas (mainly education, psychology and counselling, and social sciences) and isn't a bad university. If it's at all possible, I'd really recommend that you try to visit before you commit to a course there, as it's not for everyone (I know it's a long way and expensive, but visiting is cheaper than paying for a course and not liking it). The university makes a lot of the fact that it's in 'London', and although it's not *that* far from central London (half an hour or so by public transport) Roehampton is much more suburban and could be anywhere lol - a lot of international students are a little disappointed about that when they arrive. Also, Roehampton itself is quite an odd place - it's not really a town and has little in the way of facilities (but it's not that far from places like Putney, Richmond and Kingston) and although some of it is lovely, most of it is made up of two big council estates. Particularly if you live on Whitelands (which if you're a resident postgrad you're quite likely to) it can be a bit of a shock - my American friends thought they were 'living in a project' lol :smile:

It's not that bad though, it's a fairly quiet area in terms of crime etc. It just looks a bit scruffy. They are spending a LOT of money on the campus though, and in the past year there's been some big improvements.

Teaching wise, the courses vary hugely. I knew a lot of people on the Children's Literature course, and they seemed to enjoy it and were complimentary about the teaching - also psychology seemed well supported. However, like anywhere you get good and bad tutors. My experience of the university is as an undergraduate, and personally I think that the uni falls down a bit in terms of pastoral care ... BUT I've heard that the situation is quite different at postgrad level and there's more support, and as a student you are 'respected' a bit more. I think though it depends on the department - as I said, the Children's Lit people I knew seemed to have a lot of support, but I know a postgrad scientist who really didn't get much support at all. However, the uni is keen on getting you through the course, so they will help you there, but Roehampton is the kind of place were you really do need to be self-motivated. I did know one person on the Creative Writing course and she seemed to enjoy it - she seemed to be very productive and seemed to have good relationships with her tutors. Again, I'd recommend a visit to see what the interests of the department are and whether they match with yours ... Often the only difference between a good course and a bad course is whether you 'click' with a tutor.

*Most* of the postgrads I knew were international students - the uni is very keen to recruit from abroad because obviously you'll be paying higher fees than an EU student. There are lots of Asian students, a fair few Americans and many students from India. The biggest group though were Greek students - the uni has a lot of Greek postgrads, particularly on the psychology programmes. So you can see it's fairly international, and if you choose to live in halls there'll be a good mix of nationalities.

Anyway, I hope this helps a bit. If you've got any more specific questions just post and I'll do my best to answer.

Reply 2

lmh

Well thanks very much for replying. Your information and opinions are helpful^_^

But Roehampton is just a subway (tube...?) ride away from central London, isn't it? I know that it can be insanely expansive to live in London, so, as a student, I wouldn't exactly want to live right in the city center...But are the areas around Roehampton pretty safe to live in (in terms of flats and studios)?

And then, how did you like your experience there? Not in terms of postgrad or anything, just what did you think of the atmosphere, people (community), and London as a city (suburbs included...), etc.? Sorry if I'm asking so much. I'm really trying to investigate every grad school I'm considering.

Reply 3

Paeony

To get to central London from Roehampton, you're looking at either a bus and a tube, or a couple of buses, or a bus and a train - it's not *that* bad, but it's definitely a journey. Living around Roehampton isn't too bad, but it IS expensive. Most students who live off campus either live in Roehampton itself (there are lots of ex-council flats to rent) or they go a bit further out, to Putney, Richmond or Kingston. Living in Roehampton is by far the cheapest option - that but of SW London is actually a really nice area and this is reflected in rental prices. It's also a big commuter area so rents reflect that too. However, it is a nice area - Roehampton really isn't that bad at all. I live in SE London now, and I'm really missing the Roehampton/Richmond/Kingston area. It's a fairly mellow area and a nice place to live, it's far enough out of London to be a bit more relaxed, but close enough for the shops/culture of London to be easily reachable. Roehampton is also right on the edge of Richmond Park - there really isn't anywhere in London where you'll have quite so much access to 'green' lol. I come from the country so I was a bit anxious about moving to 'London', but as I said Roehampton is far enough out for it not to feel oppressively urban. I like living in London. Some parts of it (like anywhere) are horrible, but I still get a real thrill when I go past some of the major tourist attractions and landmarks. I think it's a great city to experience for a while - there really aren't many cities that are so diverse.

Roehampton does have a good atmosphere. In terms of universities, it's an incredibly diverse place. There's a great mixture of ages, races, abilities, interests and it is a place where almost everyone can find a niche. It won't suit everyone though ... and it's very much a place where you do have to make an effort to get involved. It's a good university if you're a slightly 'older' student and you're used to doing your own thing, and it is possible to have good relationships with your tutors. I really would suggest a visit, if it's at all possible, as for a lot of people it's a real 'love it or hate it place'.

Reply 4

lmh

Sounds like a great place to be. I'll take your advice and go about setting up a visit. And I'll also take everything you said into great consideration. Thanks so much for being so thorough!

Reply 5

Paeony

You're welcome - any more questions, just ask!

Reply 6

sayuri:)

Hello, I would like to hear from any postgraduate students at roehampton. Is there anyone doing ma art, craft and design education at the uni? What can you say about it? I' ve read lots of reviews and got a bit mixed up. Would you recommend it for someone who want's to experience big city's life as well as studying and getting really into the spirit of the course? I think the programme has a lot to offer, is that true? Also, PLEASE let me know about the best place(college) to live on campus. Which one is best? I'm between Froebel or Whitelands to be honest.

Anybody studying at roehampton next year (september 2008) it would be great if we got to know each other :smile:

!

thanxxx

Reply 7

apotoftea

Think with Roehampton and someone has already mentioned it - it's further out from central London than people realise. I've always heard good things about it :biggrin:

Might be worth pming the_alba, although she's not been online that much recently as she knows an awful lot about english & cw courses

Reply 8

Paeony

sayuri:)

Roehampton is very well known for the quality of its education courses, I knew one American girl who was studying that and she seemed to really enjoy it. It's definitely worth going to have a look though, to see what you think about the campus and the area, as well as the course. As far as I could see, the MA students seemed to form pretty tight knit groups and did a lot together, but of course that varies from course to course.

As I've said before, don't go to Roehampton thinking that it's in the middle of London and you've got everything the city can offer on the doorstep, because you haven't lol. It really isn't that far from central London (about half an hour by bus/train) but the surrounding area is very suburban. Personally I liked that, as it meant that you could go into the city but come back to somewhere a bit more relaxed, and it was lovely living next to Richmond Park.

As for the colleges, that's really up to you. I lived on Whitelands for two years, in the mature/postgraduate block. You don't HAVE to live there if you're a postgrad, but a lot of postgrads choose that accommodation, particularly if they're going to need summer accommodation, as the postgrad accommodation is the only place where you can guarantee that you won't have to move rooms. Whitelands is only a few years old, so the accommodation is still quite new, it's all the same, and the campus is nice. The downside is that as an education student you won't have any lessons there, so you'll have to walk up the hill to the main campus every day lol, although there is a college bus. It's not in the best area, as it's just on the edge of a council estate that can be a wee bit rough, but as long as you're sensible you'll be fine. I only heard of a couple of incidents when I was there (the locals aren't really student friendly) but honestly it's not that bad. You just need to be careful. Another up-side to Whitelands is that you're nearer to the local shops of Roehampton, there aren't many but for day-to-day stuff you'll be fine. I was an education student myself and spent hours walking up and down the hill, but as I didn't have many lessons at Whitelands it was quite nice to feel that I was coming 'home' at the end of the day.

Froebel has the benefit of being on the main campus (so easier access to all of the facilities) but the accommodation varies. Some of it (Aspen, Willow, Linden) is fairly new, en-suite and quite nice, while other rooms aren't as new (Old Court, New Court, Lawrence) and the facilities tend to vary. I'm not entirely sure where postgrads lived on Froebel ... it's possible some of them ended up in Templeton (which is off campus) so it's worth checking that out. Tbh though, the main campus isn't huge and you might as well pick the accommodation you want and move there, rather than stick to just Froebel - literally you can walk from one end of the main campus to the other in less than ten minutes. Lee House at Digby is very nice, for example, and it's right in the middle of the campus. There is a bit of campus rivalry but it's all in jest really, as only Whitelands is physically separate from the main campus. The only time you really hear about it is during Frigby, the Froebel/Digby football match.

The obvious benefit to being on the main campus is that it's easy to access all of the facilities and activities without feeling that you've got to walk 'home' at the end of the evening. It's up to you though - as I said, it's a really good idea to go to an open day and have a look round some of the accommodation and the campus, to get a better idea of the layout. Do the walk to Whitelands and see if you think it'll bother you.

Not sure why pm'ing the_alba was suggested - the question was asked about art and design education courses, not english/creative writing ... However, any questions about Roehampton and I'll be happy to answer them as best I can!

Reply 9

sayuri:)

thanxxxxxx! :biggrin:

I really appreciate your comments! You are very helpful. :cool:

I actually thought of Lee house as it seemed really nice from the website. I' m interested in staying somewhere new, yet Whitelands is somewhat far for me to be going to Froebel for my lessons so Lee house suits me best I believe. Unfortunatelly, I won' t be able to come by and see for myself so you seem to be helping me a lot! I do like the mixture of urbun and countryside so I think I will like it a lot. Of course, I' m planning on going to the centre of London very often, to see galleries and shops, that's possible isn' t it? Bus routes are often?

Reply 10

Paeony

Roehampton is fairly well served by buses, you can easily get buses to Putney and from there it's easy to get to central London - from Putney, the 22 is a good bus for that, or the 14. The only pain about Roehampton travel-wise that Roehampton Lane itself is a bit of a traffic nightmare, and during rush hour it can take forever to get from one end to the other - not really a massive problem if you're just on a day out, but it can be a pain if you want to get anywhere for an appointment etc. The way to avoid that, if you want to get to Putney, is to walk to the bottom of Roehampton Lane (where the Danebury Avenue shops are) and get the 85 or the 430 to Putney. Saves the bother of queuing and it's not a bad walk. I *think* there's a night bus that goes from central London directly to Roehampton but I've never caught it so I don't know the number. Failing that, the 85 runs all night so you can get home from Putney.

Otherwise there are a lots of buses to catch on Roehampton Lane. The main ones (if I remember correctly lol) are the 265 (to Putney or Tolworth), the 493 (to Richmond or Tooting) and, from the bottom of Roehampton Lane, the 85 (to Putney or Kingston) or the 430 (to Putney). Richmond and Kingston are both nice places to visit, especially if you like shopping!

Reply 11

apotoftea

Paeony

Not sure why pm'ing the_alba was suggested - the question was asked about art and design education courses, not english/creative writing ... However, any questions about Roehampton and I'll be happy to answer them as best I can!

I was responding to the OP's post and this inparticular:

lmh

creative writing program to be more exact

Reply 12

Paeony

Sorry, I assumed that you were replying to Sayuri's post.

Reply 13

sayuri:)

hello! it's time for me to apply for a college at Roehampton and I kind of don' t know what to choose. You have been really helpful obviously, however as I didn' t get the chance to see the place for myself I don' t really know what to pick. As I have said before, I was thinking of either Whitelands or Lee house at Digby. There are two things that bother me though, one for each college. How far is Whitelands exactly, for example on foot from the pg block to froebel where my lessons will be held? As far as Digby, I m afraid that I may not be given the place at lee house as I am not a student there(my course that is) and more importantly I want to make sure of an ensuite room whilst in the application form you get to write your preferences however it does not mean you will get to go where you want isn' t it? Oh, I just don' t know what to do... help! I think I got a bit too anxious about the whole thing!

Reply 14

Paeony

It's about a ten minute walk from Whitelands to Froebel, it's not a long way really. I lived in the postgrad block there for two years, and I got used to the walk! There is a bus that goes from Whitelands to the library at Digby, but when I was there it wasn't always compatible with the timetable so you do have to watch it. But, as I said, it's not a bad walk at all. I applied as a Whitelands student and got put in the postgrad block - the one benefit to applying to Whitelands is that all of the accommodation is the same so that there's no worry about not getting an en-suite room.

You can apply to any of the colleges regardless of what subject you're studying - you don't HAVE to be a Froebel student just because you're studying Education, I was an Education/Social Sciences student at Whitelands. The college thing isn't really a major issue, tbh, it's not like Oxbridge or anything. The only major thing that it affects is which accommodation you can apply for (I think this is the case anyway - I applied as a mature student to Whitelands because that's where the main designated postgrad/mature accommodation is, I didn't bother with preferences etc as there aren't any there). Obviously the risk is that if you apply for Digby accommodation you *might* not get Lee House, as it is popular. There is some en-suite and semi en-suite accommodation in Shaw and Newman, but I can't honestly say where the postgrads tend to end up. I think that a couple of the flats in Lee are designated postgrad only, but don't quote me on that.

I wouldn't worry too much though. The uni does tend to house postgrads together so wherever you are you won't be stuck with a load of undergrads :smile:

Also, although the quality of the accommodation does vary, none of it is dire and if you apply early, as a non-UK postgrad you stand a good chance of getting what you want.