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Roehampton University
From The Student RoomTSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Guides > Roehampton University
 Roehampton University formed in 2004 and is situated in Roehampton in South West London. Though it's only been a uni a short time it has a much longer history and was formerly part of the University of Surrey (known as the 'University of Surrey Roehampton'). It's size makes it towards the smaller end of universities with just under 8500 students. FacilitiesLibrariesAlthough the library at Roehampton is quite large it is pretty poor, and despite some recent refurbishment there still aren't enough places to study, and very few actually amongst the book stacks. The recent increase in student numbers has not been mached by any investment in the library. Annoyingly, a lot of students don't treat the library as a serious place to study, and despite the introduction of 'silent zones' you'll more than likely be disturbed by conversations and phone calls if you do try and do any serious study there. For some subjects the number of books actually isn't too bad, but for other subjects the sitation is pretty dire. One of the most frequent complaints to the course reps is that there aren't enough books, and if you're serious about your studies then you'll find yourself either spending a LOT of money on books or travelling to other libraries. A good tip is to take course books out EARLY, because there is a real scramble for texts in the weeks before essay deadlines. Frustratingly, the university also subscribes to very few of the major journals - you'll spend hours searching for online articles that you're actually allowed to read.  There are a number of group study areas and bookable viewing rooms. The library also houses the university reprographics facility and a 24 hour PC suite. However, the library is only open from 8.30am until 9.00pm Monday to Thursday, and 8.30am until 7pm on Fridays. During term time, it's open from 12-5 at the weekends, but during the holidays it doesn't open at all on Saturdays or Sundays, which isn't very helpful for postgrads. The library staff are generally very helpful though, and hopefully the continuing refurbishments will create a real university library. It might take a while though ... IT and ComputingSportsAlthough the university has many sports teams, there are virtually no sports facilities on campus, with teams either training in Richmond Park or taking a bus to local facilites. There is some talk of a gym being built, but this has been going on for a few years now with little sign of action. Students who want to use a gym tend to either join a local one or travel to the leisure centre at Putney. There is also an arrangement that students can use the rehabilitation gym at the Douglas Bader centre in Queen Mary's Hospital at a reasonable cost, but this is only available at certain times. A gym is opening on campus in january 2008.
WelfareHealthcareThe university has it's own medical centre (part of the Putneymead Medical centre), based in the Old Court at Froebel. It's open every day from 9.30am 'til 4pm, offering a range of services from booked appointments with both doctors and nurses and a daily 'drop-in' clinic run by the practice nurses. ShopsApart from Turner's bookshop, which sells books and stationary, there are no real shops on campus, although sandwiches and snacks can be bought from the 24/7 in Digby Stuart college and the coffee bar at Froebel college stocks a small range of groceries and essentials. There are also a number of vending machines located around the campus. Whitelands students fare a little better, as the shops on Danebury Avenue and Roehampton High Street(which include a Co-op, Chemist, Post Office, Off Licence, Takeaways etc) are just a few minutes walk away from the Holybourne Avenue campus. There is also a 'Sainsbury's Local' at the 'bottom' end of Roehampton Lane, which is about a 5 minute walk from Whitelands and a 10-20 minute walk from the main Roehampton Lane campus. For the most part, students tend to get the bus (265 or 85) to the local Asda in Roehampton Vale, or go to Putney (265, 430), Kingston (85), Richmond (493) or Hammersmith (72) to shop. RestaurantsIt's generally agreed that the best food can be found in the Digby Stuart restaurant, especially if there's something good on the 'World Marche'. The 24/7 'shop' sells a wide range of sandwiches and snacks, and you can get a good cup of coffee, slice of cake or a sandwich from the Ritazza cafe. For good Italian coffee (and the best atmosphere) then go to Nando's cyber cafe in the LRC, and for that genuine 'greasy spoon' atmosphere then head up to Brenda's cafe on the top floor of the Hirst Union. The food at Southlands is variable, but seems to be getting better although it might be wise to steer clear of the more adventurous items on the menu. If a simple sandwich or chips, cheese and beans are your thing, then Southlands Quad Cafe is your place. You can also grab a coffee, pastie or snack from the Quad cafe express if you can't face the queues. Recently, the 'Quad Pizza' service has been launched, selling four kinds of takeaway pizza from 6pm onwards. Like Southlands, Froebel's 'Mulberry' restaurant has its good days and its not-so-good days ... Again, it's fine for a sandwich or chips, and if you're feeling lucky then why not give the salad bar a try - you only live once, after all. The small Italian coffee bar serves great coffee though, as you can tell by the huge lines of staff and students that form there at the end of every class. Similarly, Whitelands cafe serves up a range of hot drinks, sandwiches, light meals and snacks. The quality varies from day to day, but it's never offensive. As you can probably tell, on campus food varies hugely, and if you're not a resident catered student then you'll be hard pressed to find much to eat after 5pm. Off campus, there are a number of takeaways on Roehampton High Street (Chinese, Lebanese, Indian) and a chip shop on Danebury Avenue. If you're living on the Roehampton Lane campus then you have a wide choice of takeaways who will deliver, but many of the takeaway companies, especially pizza deliveries, will not bring orders to the Whitelands campus because they don't like Danebury Avenue. Some will insist on you walking to the Sainsbury's local to collect your order ... Hopefully this will improve! BanksThere are no banks (apart from the Post Office) in Roehampton itself, but there are 'free-of-charge' cash machines in the LRC and at the Sainsbury's local. Watch out for the cash machines on Danebury Avenue though, as they all charge a hefty fee for withdrawals! For banking, you will have to travel to Putney, Kingston or Richmond. TransportSince three of the colleges are located on the Roehampton Lane campus, for most students everything they need will be within walking distance. The Whitelands campus is a 10-20 minute walk from the main campus, and Mount Clare is a similar distance away. There is an inter-campus bus service that runs through the week, but it's wise to check the times as it's not always been compatible with the timetable. Careers servicePart-time jobsReligous facilitiesRoehampton has an undeserved reputation as a very religious university which seems to put people off, but a visit to the campus will show prospective students that while there are numerous religious facilities on campus, religion isn't shoved down your throat and it's perfectly possible to go through your three years here and not encounter it at all. A lot of the reputation comes from the fact that three of the colleges (Whitelands, Southlands and Digby Stuart) were once teacher training colleges that all had a strong religious affiliation, and originally the Roehampton Lane campus was home to a Sacred Heart convent and school. Consequently, the religious foundation of the university plays a strong part in its history and each college (apart from Froebel) has a chapel and a particular religious affiliation. Southlands has a Methodist foundation and chapel, Digby Stuart, Roman Catholic and Whitelands, Anglican. Froebel college has a Humanist foundation. Each chapel has a strong chaplaincy which does have a presence on campus, but as I mentioned before Roehampton is NOT a 'religious college' and the vast majority of students have very little to do with the chaplaincies or the religious side of the university. It's very much something that you have to seek out, rather than something that's forced upon you. The university also has a strong Islamic society. SocialBars, Pubs and clubsEach of the colleges has it's own bar, the largest being the Belfry Bar on Digby Stuart college. Drinks are reasonably priced, and the bars often put on entertainments such as karaoke, pub quiz nights and bingo. If you go off campus, you need to catch the bus (very easy, £1 with an Oyster card!) to somewhere like Putney or Kingston, where there are many many bars, pubs and clubs. Further afield, central London is only a tube ride away, although it can be a lot more expensive there. Look out for student nights at Oceana in Kingston, Monday and Wednesday! EventsThe Student Union puts on a great range of events every week - the Bands Night in Digby bar is really good, as is the comedy night at Southlands. Every Wednesday is Fez night - free buses are provided to take everyone to the Fez club in Putney, which although crowded is a great night! Once a month there is also a free bus to a night at the Clapham Grand. And Fridays are a highlight of the Roehampton week, because it is the day of the legendary Bop! It takes place in Montefiore Hall on Froebel, lots of cheesy music, fancy dress and cheap drinks. Clubs and societiesThere are loads of socieiteis and if you can't find one you want to join, you can start up your own - all you need is the details of 10 students and apply to the SU to start up. You'll then need a constitiutions and elect committee members and away you go. Socities include:
AccommodationAccommodation policyYou can only apply once you've selected Roehampton as your firm choice and you can't apply before April or May each year either. You should return the application form as soon as you can and before you can be given a room you need to pay a £200 refundable deposite. If you don't pay the deposite there is no room reserved for you. FacilitiesYou can have internet access in most rooms while many will have access to the unis wireless network. Communal areas will be regularly cleaned while laundry facilities will be close by to most accommodation. ResidencesEach of the colleges have their own residences. Digby Stuart CollegeHere you'll have a choice of 4 self-catered halls all available on 38 week lets. All 140 rooms in Lee House are self-catered as are most of the 61 rooms in Newman House while Shaw House has 47 of it's 143 rooms as en-suites. Bede House is the cheapest accommodation here and has 108 rooms with shared bathroom facilities. Froebel CollegeThere are 10 halls here. Montefiore, Lawrence, New Court and Old Court has catered accommodation with shared bathrooms for 38 week lets. Mount Clare, Garden Court, have self-catered rooms with shared bathrooms for 40 week lets. Linden House and Aspen House have self-catered en-suite rooms for 40 week lets. Templeton is available for 38 week lets, while Willow House has self-catered en-suite rooms for 48 week lets. Southlands CollegeEpworth and Aldersgate Court have 213 rooms arranged in flats with shared facilities and a further 8 en-suite rooms. Wesley Hall has 66 en-suite rooms including some for mature and international studnets. All rooms here are for 38 weeks and self-catered. Whitelands CollegeBeverley, Cheltenham, Durham, Gilesgate, Kings and Melrose halls all have 257 en-suite rooms between them arranged in small flats which can be rented for 38 week lets. Private sectorIf you're looking to rent off campus then realistically you will be paying around £75-£115 per week (not including bills), depending on the type of accommodation that you're looking at. The vast majority of students who live off campus choose to stay fairly local, most opting for shared houses on the Alton Estate. The Accommodation Office regularly publishes lists of available places and often students themselves advertise on campus and on the RSU messageboard website. Asking around, landlords seem to vary from the fantastic to the downright awful, but students say that the Accommodation Office has helped them get problems sorted. The vast majority of properties available for rent in Roehampton seem to be rented privately or through the uni - it doesn't seem to be well covered by local estate agencies. If you're looking to rent through an agency, then do your homework before you start - a LOT of the local agencies (in Putney, Kingston, Sheen)are not at all keen on students. Prices for private rentals can be eye-watering, as the relatively good location of the towns around Roehampton means that you'll be competing with lots of young professionals, who are the landlords preferred choice of tenant. Studio flats start at about £500 per month, one bedroom places from about £700. That's not to say that you won't find anywhere, but start looking WELL in advance and be prepared to pay a hefty deposit. Also, it's well worth swotting up on the ARLA regulations and knowing your rights, as many of the local agencies see students as a bit of a money spinner. It's also worth noting that if you're planning to share with non-students then the council tax in both the Richmond and Kingston boroughs (which basically start at the top and bottom of Roehampton Lane respectively) is frighteningly high - you're looking at about £1400 per year for an average two bedroom flat. However, if you're lucky enough to find a property in Wandsworth (the borough that Roehampton itself is in) then the council tax is substantially lower. It's something worth bearing in mind, especially if you're sharing with a non-student partner or if you're planning on staying in the area after graduation. If you're not keen on living in Roehampton itself then travel becomes quite important - although Roehampton is fairly well served by buses if you move out of the Putney-Kingston-Richmond 'triangle'(basically anywhere further than one bus away) actually getting into Roehampton can be a bit of a drag. Some of the buses, especially the 493, can be very unreliable so it's worth doing the journey a couple of times in rush hour to see if you can stand it before you commit to a place. Roehampton Lane itself is a traffic nightmare. At rush hour, it can literally take over half an hour to get from one end to the other, so remember to factor this into your journey times - the tfl 'journey planner' doesn't take account of this!! Student unionPricesEnvironmentArchitectureThe architecture on campus ranges from the absolutely beautiful (Grove House, Parkstead) to the modern (Southlands, Lee House and the brand new Duchesne building) to the downright ugly (most of Digby Stuart, Lawrence, the LRC). Having said that, there are talks of ambitious building pojects designed to transform the campus, but this being Roehampton don't hold your breath ... Roehampton is a mixture of the old and new. A walk from Froebel to Southlands will take you past a Georgian mansion complete with lake, through an old convent, past modern buildings and ancient prefabs to a modern 'quad' style college ... so there's something for everyone really. Individually, the colleges all of have mixture of architecture. Froebel college, based in the beautiful Grove House, has some rooms that really wouldn't be out of place in an Oxbridge college, but then has the truly ugly Lawrence building and Montefiore Hall. However, the Cedar building is modern and attractive, and the Lulham block is undergoing restoration so hopefully that will end up as somewhere pleasant. Digby Stuart, although at the heart of the college isn't architecturally much to look at, consisting of a massive block (Howard and the Bede halls) that's incredibly bland and some of the worst buildings on campus - namely Richardson and Fincham, and the LRC ... There's a good reason why you won't find many pictures of Digby in the prospectus ;) Moving swiftly on ... Southlands college, as the second newest college on site, benefits from the fact that it was all built at once and is a light, bright and modern place, based around a lawned quad with a pond. The brand new Duchesne building is stunning too, and will be a great place to study in. Whitelands college moved to the new site on Holybourne Avenue in 2004, and as such has some of the best architecture in the university, blending the old and beautiful Parkstead house with modern additions. Local areaRoehampton is located in SW London, just outside the South Circular. Barnes Station is about 15 minutes walk from the Roehampton Lane Campus. It serves Clapham Junction and Waterloo in one direction and out as far as Staines and Windsor to the south west. By Tube: From Hammersmith Tube Station: District/Piccadilly/ Hammersmith & City Lines – take the 72 bus from the first floor of the shopping centre. The tube station and shopping centre are below the bus station. Alight at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Roehampton Lane. Each college is within about 15-20 minutes walk from Barnes railway station, connecting with Clapham Junction and Waterloo. From Putney Bridge Tube Station: District Line – take the 265 bus outside the station. Alight at the University, opposite Queen Mary’s Hospital. Roehampton is an area that doesn't really have much of a 'centre', being dominated by the main road which cuts straight through it. Parts of the area, like Priory Lane and the roads off the High Street are really quite pleasant leafy suburbs that are obviously expensive to live in! However, apart from these few nice areas, the university and Queen Mary's hospital, the rest of Roehampton is simply a massive council estate, made up of the Danebury Avenue/Alton Estate at the bottom of Roehampton Lane and the 'Dover House Road' area in between Roehampton and Putney (and if you want to know what the Danebury Avenue area looks like then watch the 'granny-love' sketches from the first series of Little Britain, as they were filmed there ...). It's not really a BAD area, but the locals aren't particularly 'student-friendly' - for example, it's almost unheard of for Roehampton students to drink at any of the local pubs (those that haven't been closed down lol). It's reasonably safe though, as long as you take sensible precautions and don't go wandering though the area alone, late at night. Lots of students who choose not to live on campus end up renting ex-council houses on the Alton Estate. If you're looking for a uni with everything right there then Roehampton isn't for you - realistically, for anything other than basic food and daily supplies you will have to travel to Putney, Richmond or Kingston, which is a twenty minute trip at least. That said, there aren't any universities in London (ok, central London is a good 30 minutes away but you know what I mean ...) that have such beautiful campuses and are right on the edge of Richmond Park. Sitting in the Whitelands bar and watching the sun set over the park is an incredible experience, but if you prefer the urban to the natural then you might feel a bit bored with the Roehampton area. Teaching qualityRoehampton is one of the best teacher training colleges in London. The National Student Survey in 2006 gave the uni a good 4 out of 5. Entry requirements are generally low with some courses needing no more than 120 UCAS points. Applying to RoehamptonThinking of applying to Roehampton? Why not read some Personal Statements which were used for applying here? Other Roehampton ArticlesWhy not read these other Roehampton Articles? Links | 
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