Pros and Cons of Roehampton University

Hello

I was just wondering if anyone who goes to Roehampton or is planning to could tell me the good and bad points about the Uni and why you decided to go there?

( Any advice or info about Primary Education there would be great too! )

Thank you x

Reply 1

Paeony

Hello

I studied Education at Roehampton so I can tell you a bit about the uni. It's not really so simple as to list the pros and cons but I can give you a bit of basic info and then if you've got any specific questions just ask and I'll do my best to answer :smile:

Roehampton itself is a bit of a 'meh' place, it's not got much there and a lot of it is simply council estates. It's not a bad area but it's not the most thrilling place to live, although it is nice to be so close to Richmond park. You're not *that* far from anything, but you can't get much more than basic daily essentials in Roehampton itself so for shopping etc you will have to travel to Richmond/Kingston/Putney. However, they're only a bus ride away and they are nice places. Central London is a bit further away though - yes, Roehampton is a 'London' university but it doesn't really feel like London, the surrounding area is very suburban. That didn't really bother me but obviously if you're wanting a 'city' university it might not be for you.

The quality of the courses varies hugely. I studied Education, and that's a great department, the uni is well known for the quality of the Education and Teaching courses. Other courses aren't as good, and a few students feel that the quality of the pastoral care can let the uni down a bit, some tutors can be very hard to get hold of etc. The uni will support you very well if you're struggling, but it won't really offer you much opportunity to push yourself if you're doing well - but that's just my opinion :smile:

The only real complaint I've heard about Teaching courses is that the placements can sometimes be a long way from the uni, but I think that only affects a small number of students. All in all if you're thinking about Teaching, then I'd definitely consider Roehampton.

The uni does seem to be investing a LOT of money at the moment, there are new classrooms and ambitious plans to transform the uni which finally seem to be taking shape. I left last year but things were happening then, and if everything happens as it should the uni will be a great place to study. It seemed to be becoming much more 'student friendly', in the sense that the uni seemed to be changing the campus to be a much nicer place to work and study - it kind of lacked places to sit and chat etc, and the coffee shops were a bit bleh, but there are new cafes and study areas, and the LRC is finally being renovated.

I decided to go there because the uni has a reputation for being very diverse and it has a high number of mature students. I also like the approach of the Education degree (it's very much oriented to studying the subject from a social justice perspective) and the uni also has a strong reputation in Human Rights and Citizenship, and I was able to combine my interests and study both areas, and also study courses that combined them (ie Citizenship and Human Rights education).

Reply 2

~radonoghue~

Thank you - that was very helpful! just the type of description i was looking for :smile:

Reply 3

Paeony

No problem :smile:

As I said, if you've got any more questions then just post and I'll do my best to answer. I knew quite a few people on teaching courses and a good few who transferred to Education, so if there's anything specific I might be able to help.

Reply 4

mdhey89

A lot of people have never heard of it - that might be a possible con

Reply 5

Paeony

mdhey89

A lot of people have never heard of it - that might be a possible con

It depends on the subject. In my field (Education) the uni is very well known, so it's not a problem. The same goes for teaching courses, and I've found that a lot of people know about the Centre for Citizenship Studies (Crucible) and the other specialist centres. Many of the tutors are well known, again only in certain fields but obviously if that's your area then it is important. The uni is also very highly regarded professionally for its Counselling and Psychology courses, and Dance Studies, Theology and Sports Science - it attracts a lot of funding so it's known in the right places.

It may not be the most well known of universities, but for some courses it's well worth looking at, regardless of what the average opinion is. If you're not interested in any of Roehampton's specialisms, then no, you probably won't have heard of it, but if you are, you will and so will people in the field, which is what's important when it comes to getting jobs/postgrad places.

Reply 6

Paeony

mikeey_30

Hey do you know anything about the dance course there?

Not specifically, sorry ... although it is quite competitive to get into, I believe, so that is a point in its favour. When I was there, there were always a lot of dance performances going on so I think it's quite good for performace opportunities too. I have heard that the Ballet Studies MA is very popular and well known, and I also noticed when I went to see the Lion King that there were a couple of ex-Roehampton students in that so that might mean good links for jobs ... If you're interested in going there I'd definitely suggest that you go along to an open day and see what you think about the campus and the course.