Royal Holloway - RHUL Speciality : Management
programme: Management with Digital Marketing

I’m currently studying Management with Marketing, and overall, I’ve had a positive experience. In my first year and the first semester of my second year, most of the modules were more management-focused, with additional core business subjects like International Business and a bit of Accounting. I was quite happy with this structure as I personally felt it gave me a solid foundation of knowledge to build upon in the future, should I decide to specialise further.

When it comes to the management modules, I appreciated that many of the assignments encouraged objectivity and critical thinking-skills that are absolutely essential in the business world. During the second semester of my second year, the focus of the programme shifted more toward marketing, which I’ve really enjoyed. The assignments push us to be creative and dig deep into the subject, and what I value most is that the curriculum gets updated quickly to reflect current industry trends, so we’re not learning outdated content. Alongside marketing skills, we’re also encouraged to explore areas like graphic design, which adds a visual and creative edge to our work and helps us communicate ideas more effectively.

One professor who made a strong impression on me was Vera Hoelscher -her lectures were incredibly interesting, and I genuinely stayed focused for the full two hours without drifting off. She explains concepts in a very accessible and engaging way, and everything she shares is straight to the point, without unnecessary fluff. She’s a fantastic example of what a great lecturer should be.

Most of the lectures are engaging overall, and the workshops are particularly helpful in gaining hands-on experience, with tutors who genuinely support and guide us. I’m about to enter my third and final year, where the emphasis will be primarily on marketing, and I’m honestly very excited for what’s to come.

The environment on campus is very international, which I personally consider a great advantage. However, it’s true that many students tend to group up with others from similar or the same cultural backgrounds, and overall, there isn’t as much mixing as you might expect. While I feel comfortable in my own circle, you can definitely sense a bit of distance between different communities.

The campus itself is absolutely beautiful-spacious, well-maintained, and filled with flowers, trees, and hedges. The teaching buildings are modern, and there are plenty of cafés serving Starbucks, as well as various food options from the dining hall in the iconic Founder’s Building to The Hub. Each week, food vans come to campus offering delicious traditional cuisine from around the world.

There’s always something going on. Whether it’s student-organised events, clubs, or night-time parties at the SU venue, campus life stays active despite its location outside of central London. There are many societies to join-cultural, business, hobby-based, and more-and the Student Union regularly organises social activities like yoga sessions, which help you connect with others.

There are a few things I’d consider downsides, though. In my opinion, personal tutors and academic advisors don’t offer much practical help-they often brush things off when asked for guidance and don’t really check in with students. It feels a bit like a box-ticking exercise. Another issue is how slow the university is with releasing grades. Sometimes we don’t receive individual marks or feedback on assignments; instead, we only see the final overall grade for the entire module. As someone who values feedback and likes to reflect on how I can improve, this is definitely something I find frustrating.

The university gym is convenient and affordable with a student discount, and the library stays open 24/7 during exam season, which is a big plus.