Initial situation
As part of my semester abroad, I studied at Regent’s University London ‘s European Business School London from January 2015 to June 2015. The application, with the support of MicroEDU.com, was quick and easy. A TOEFL test was not necessary, instead I had to submit an essay (or rather a letter of motivation) in English. In it I had to explain why I wanted to come to London and to what extent my previous academic background fits the study program I wanted in London. The acceptance came relatively quickly, so that nothing stood in the way of my semester abroad.
Apartment Search
In principle, there is the option of living directly on campus. After I received the acceptance for the semester abroad, I contacted the university directly and asked if there were free rooms in the dormitory. Fortunately, this possibility still existed, because looking for an apartment in London is not an easy undertaking, as fellow students have told me. Depending on the size and occupancy of the room (there are single, double and triple rooms) you should plan around 6,500 euros for a semester. This also includes a meal plan. That means: You get a chip card with which you can eat in the cafeteria every day without paying anything. If you don’t want that, you can deselect the meal plan, then the price for the accommodation is cheaper, but each meal in the cafeteria has to be paid for separately. The dormitory itself is located directly on the university grounds and a concierge is available around the clock in changing shifts at the reception. You can also pick up your mail there.
The location of the university
The European Business School London is located in the middle of Regent’s University London in Regent’s Park. This means that the university is centrally located in one of the most beautiful parts of London and the atmosphere is simply incredible. You can walk between lectures in the garden of the university or in the public part of the park, and the famous Baker Street is only a five-minute walk away (there is also a subway station there). In addition to a park at the back, the university also has a beautifully landscaped free lounge area in the middle of the university grounds and the front of the university leads directly to the grandiose Queen Mary’s Gardens. The high security standard is also worth mentioning: You cannot enter the university premises without a chip card, and there is still a separate security facility on the premises. In short, the location could not be better and corresponds exactly to the image that is of good English universities has: Lots of nature around it, a time-honored buildings, yet centrally located. Read more experience for studying abroad on Searchforpublicschools.
Tuition fees and courses:
I have chosen modules from three specialist areas: Financial Management, Marketing and Communication Across Cultures. In general, the university offers a lot of courses from a wide variety of areas, so that almost everyone can find their favorites. Regent’s University London is divided into a total of seven “Schools”: European Business School London, Regent’s American College London, Regent’s Business School London, Regent’s Institute of Languages & Culture, Regent’s School of Psychotherapy & Psychology, Regent’s School of Drama, Film & Media and Regent’s School of Fashion & Design.
The tuition fees depend on the chosen school and course. At the European Business School London, a semester abroad costs an average of between 9,500 and 11,000 euros. Compared to Germany this is of course an astronomical sum, but in England itself such amounts are standard at many universities.
University facilities
The library is huge and has tens of thousands of volumes. During my semester abroad there was not a single book recommended by the lecturers that the library did not have in stock. The university also has several computer rooms with the latest software and also computer rooms that are exclusively equipped with Apple PCs (apparently the demand for them is very high). In addition to the cafeteria, there is also a restaurant in the university, which offers an “upscale” menu. There is also a Starbucks in the courtyard and a student bar. Sports events are also broadcast there on a large screen and there is also live music once a week. For foreign students there is the so-called IPO (International Partnerships Office),
The lectures and exams
In my courses we were rarely more than 20 hours, in some modules even less than ten. The study atmosphere is therefore very relaxed, there is little noise and the lecture rooms are equipped with the latest technology. The lecturers all seemed very competent and motivated to me. Questions were always answered very quickly and getting a spontaneous appointment in a lecturer’s office was not a problem. At this point I would like to mention that the lectures are very practice-oriented. There is a lot of group and partner work, so interaction is in the foreground. Passive and anonymous sitting of the lecture period does not exist here. The exams do not only take place in written form: In addition to homework, projects also have to be prepared in individual courses (e.g. marketing), for example we had to create a marketing strategy for a (fantasy) product that we had newly developed, which I found very exciting in the This is in contrast to pure “bulimia learning” before an exam.
Conclusion
It is difficult to compare Regent’s University London with a German university, as the entire course of study is simply completely different. The small classes mean that you are in constant contact with fellow students and lecturers, so you are very challenged and should help shape the lectures as best you can. As for the difficulty of the courses, it really depends on the modules you choose. While I always found Communication Across Cultures, for example, to be a pleasant change, the finance lectures (and the exam) were quite exhausting (but can still be mastered with a little willingness to learn). Can I recommend this university to others? Definitely!Those who enjoy practice-oriented lectures and are also not afraid of communicating with students of different origins will experience an incomparable semester abroad at the European Business School London. Those who are more interested in theoretical lectures or research should think twice about investing that much money for a semester abroad. Personally, I was completely satisfied with my semester abroad in every respect and would choose this university again at any time.
