Preparation
I decided on Regent’s University in London because I really wanted to spend a semester in London and unfortunately my home university had not yet had a corresponding partner university in its program. Regent’s University also impressed me with its familiar and very international flair and the really unique location right in Regent’s Park.
The application process took one to two months. My contact at MicroEDU helped me compile the documents and submit them to the university. For example, she helped me to request documents that could not be found on Regent’s website from the university and then sent them to me very quickly. The required documents were clearly listed and were then sent on to London by the Frankfurt MicroEDU office.
Apartment Search
Regent’s University offers a dormitory, which can be found directly on the campus and is therefore also in the beautiful Regent’s Park. In terms of price, a stay in a dormitory is much cheaper than looking for an apartment privately. In any case, this is a bit difficult on the free market, as many landlords would like to have a confirmation of employment presented, which as a student is not readily available. Because of this, a couple of the exchange students rented an AirBnB.
I, on the other hand, opted for the cheaper dorm and thought it was great. There are single, twin and triple rooms, which differ a little in terms of price. I shared a room with another exchange student from Denmark. (If you are not happy with your roommate, you can swap.) Everyone had a desk, a shelf and a wardrobe as well as enough storage space in boxes under the bed. The hallway on which we lived was a pure girls’ hallway. But there were also mixed floors. The girls’ shared bathroom was cleaned daily, it was never overcrowded, ie you could always shower when you wanted and also had privacy when showering in the cabins. All bedding is provided by the dormitory. On each floor there was a small communal kitchen with a water filter, two refrigerators, a microwave and a kettle. Vacuum cleaners, brooms, etc. could easily be borrowed from the reception of the dormitory. On the bottom floor of the dormitory there is a cozy couch area, where we often spent the evenings. PCs and a printer are also available.
The reception of the dormitory is manned 24 hours either by the manager or by security. Overall, the dormitory was very well maintained.
Studies and courses
I took a total of four courses at Regent’s University to meet the requirements of my home university. So I attended the following courses: Luxury Brand Management, International Relations, Consumer Behavior and Business Law. The scope of work was easy to manage in the three months. In each course you have a one-hour lecture once a week and then another time a week a two-hour seminar. The lecture is intended to get a first insight into the topic of the week and no questions are actually asked here. The seminars are held in smaller groups and tasks and case studies are processed and questions are answered. With my four courses, I had four days of university, but the evenings were mostly free. That left enough time for leisure activities. Read more experience for studying abroad on Lawschoolsinusa.
On-site support
The on-site support from the university was very good. At the beginning I had chosen more courses than I ultimately needed in terms of ECTS for my home university. The International Office of Regent’s University gave me great support and I was able to opt out of the courses afterwards without any problems. Some of my friends initially had time overlaps for some courses, for which good solutions were found with the International Office. You have a very personal relationship with the professors.Most of them can be addressed by their first name and can book a conversation in their office at any time if there are specific questions, etc. For example, a professor pointed out to me that one of my essays was not quite right and that I should revise it again. In addition, each student is assigned a tutor at the beginning of the semester. The tutor is either a professor or another academic employee of the university who also supports you. In addition, the university offers free tutoring to meet teachers about “How to write an essay / report” or improve other “academic skills”. The entire campus is best protected by security at the entrances and exits, the librarians are very helpful if you are looking for books or journals and the dormitory managers try to
Leisure and excursion possibilities
In the classic way I had packed way too much when I flew to London. However, it is completely sufficient if you pack for two weeks. There is a “laundry room” in the dormitory, where you can wash and dry for £ 2.50 and £ 1.50 each. That also worked perfectly. A meal plan was included in the dormitory costs. This means that 80 pounds per week have been booked to my student ID directly upon arrival. You could pay for food anywhere in the university with this. The cafeteria was always open except on Saturdays. However, since the university is located near Baker Street and Marylebone High Street, there are many supermarkets, Spätis and cheap food alternatives around the campus.
Depending on the location, the bus and train connections are also great. The stop is a junction for four different underground lines and various bus lines that go in all directions. This makes it easy to explore the city and its sights. I definitely recommend booking a “Free Walking Tour” in the first week in order to get a good first overview. These tours can be booked online and are usually free of charge.
Other recommendations
Should you arrive at London Heathrow Airport, I definitely recommend booking the express, as it takes 15 minutes to get to Paddington Station in the city center and from here you only need three stops to get to Baker Street. That saves time and is less stressful. However, the Express is relatively expensive when booking at short notice, which is why I recommend buying the ticket (if possible) online one to two months in advance.
