Current 1st year here to help

What is the course theyve given you an offer for?

Hi there,

I've got accepted to Exeter to study psychology so at the moment i'm trying to do some research into accommodation at Exeter and was wondering if you could please help, this is the kind of thing i'm looking for...

- In or very very close to Streatham campus
- Very social
- Self catered preferably (but don't mind catered)
- Ensuite

Thanks!

Hi there,

I've got accepted to Exeter to study psychology so at the moment i'm trying to do some research into accommodation at Exeter and was wondering if you could please help, this is the kind of thing i'm looking for...

- In or very very close to Streatham campus
- Very social
- Self catered preferably (but don't mind catered)
- Ensuite

Thanks!

Penny C is the good self catered accomm i think, although I'm catered so I'm not particularly sure, I know it's very popular though so you might not want to pin all of your hopes on getting in there.

I am going to be living on just the loans/bursarys I will be given.

1) Is there much opportunity to find employment
2) Is the accomodation as madly expensive as everyone says.

Best catered halls= Penny C. Double beds, en-suites, balconies. No resident tutors as they live in lopes main and randy P, so you can literally get away with anything. I think we've been bothered by resident tutors once. Has the only catered smoking block and the badger is definitely the best pub in halls.

I think it depends on what you're like at spending. I spent £4,500 in my first term and that literally just went on going out, eating out, buying clothes/make up. I imagine if you're good at budgeting though, it's not too expensive to live here.

You are just the kind of person I was looking for
Here are my questions:
1) What can I expect the nigthlife to be like? You've probably been asked this question several times already. But I want details. I come from London so I know that there isn't going to be as much choice but I like the sort of environment where you'll go clubbing and you'll always meet someone that you know there (I'm sure that's how it'll be at Exeter) - I want to go nuts
2) Are parties within accommodation usually allowed?
3)As a non-drinking, non-smoking person - I'm guessing I'll be seen as being a bit of a killjoy but I'm far from it - This won't hinder how quickly I settle into university life, will it?
4) What about other types of Entertainment such as gigs and stand-up comedy? How often do these happen? I heard that the Guild is one of the best places for entertainment - what big names have you had and will you have playing in the future? Do up and coming band play too? (I can help but think the Exeter is the one place many bands don't play in when on tour)
5) Would you say that there are a lot of snobbish public school students who look down to state school students? Or perhaps that there is a large majority of them? Coming from an inner-city state school and being of ethnic minority, I'd hate to be singled out or isolated from the crowd (I've heard quite a few things). This is probably the single issue stopping me from firming my offer.
6) Accommodation. I am hoping to be put in self-catered, ensuite accommodation, where do you think the most sociable atomsphere is on campus? I've heard that Lafrowda is good.

Thanks in advance!

Penny C is the good self catered accomm i think, although I'm catered so I'm not particularly sure, I know it's very popular though so you might not want to pin all of your hopes on getting in there. Holland and Birks are Catered ensuite halls, both are a bit jack willsy but if you can handle that i'd go for one of them. Holland is less of a walk to campus, but again is VERY popular and lots of people apply there but don't get in. I don't think any of the big halls are unsocial, so go for one that has a lot of people in them. Seems straight forward enough but no one ever thinks of that.
Ensuites are expensive and if you go catered it means about £180 a week (£120 i think for self catered), are you that desperate for an ensuite because the money you would save really comes in helpful and sharing bathrooms ins't that bad, for example Lafrowda is known for being very social.

Thanks for the advice- very helpful!

On the Exeter website, Penny C is listed under catered not self catered? It sounds pretty good to me.

Having a look at the catered accommodation that has ensuite rooms Holland Hall, Birks and Hope Hall all look pretty good to me. Is there much difference between them? If I were to go for catered i'd choose one of these, but no idea which one as they seem similar?

As for self catered, i've heard that St German's is pretty quiet which I don't think i'd like, but is Rowe House the same?

Northfield looks really perfect to me, but nobody seems to have mentioned it before. Does anyone know much about it?

Sorry for all the questions!

1) There are like 4 Clubs in Exeter, they all have a designated student night of the week (although some have two), this gives you choice but the clubs are definitely on the small side, I don't come from a massive city (worcester) but still find that we have much larger clubs. That said they are pretty cool, there is something for everyone (time piece for example has an amazing indie night, and Arena plays a lot of dance on dress-up Mondays). Places here shut at 2am in the week which I find odd, but tbh thats fine because you start earlier and it still means you can get up for your 9am lecture.

2) I'm in catered halls and at the start of the year they give you a load of crap like NO PARTIES! (a party apparently constituting more than 5 people in a room), but the resident tutors (people who live in your building), are pretty cool about it on the weekend and ok in the week, they turn a blind eye unless you are blasting music and screaming down the halls at 3am. That said don't take the piss with the resident tutors because sometimes you need them to turn a blind eye to things and if they have you marked as someone they have repeatedly warned about noise ect they are less willing.We prelash in halls and 90% don't get told of for having a party-ish.

3) for a start I haven't encountered that many smokers, so don't worry there. Also I have met a guy that doesn't drink, in freshers he just said "look I go clubbing and stuff I just am t-total". It's not an issue, I know there are a lot of drinking games etc but not everyone is expected to join in and I don't think you will be judged for it. Sports team initiations are pretty drink fuelled but if you tell them you don't drink at the start no one is going to make a big deal of it. Be careful that you don't end up the "sober friend" though, (by that I mean you aree the one that is relied upon to carry drunk friends home).

4)There are loads of plays on in the theatre on campus which you get pretty good discount on, there is also the phoenix which has a few decent comedians showing, I'm talking Russell Howard level of fame maybe. We've had bowling for soup and Dizzee here recently (there was another good one but I can't for the life of me remember who), anyway it's all on the internet somewhere if you google it.

5)Firstly if you choose to live somewhere like Lafrowda I doubt you will encounter many particularly snobbish people. I'm not going to lie though, exeter is rah. But i'm from a state school and own nothing from jack wills (ha) but have had no trouble fitting in, even with people who are particularly rah-ish. It's not a big thing here, everyone knows no one so you are all in the "quick i have to make lots of friends NOW boat", people aren't that discriminative, you find the odd ****, but on the whole it's fine.

6) I'm in catered so I don't know much about sc halls, but Lafrowda has a rep for being very socialable and not rah at all.

hope i've been a help
x

Please can you name everything you don't like about Exeter and why? This'd be very helpful :3

I am in my first year and tbh, so far I have nothing I don't like about Exeter. Maybe it is the wet weather but not bothering me and I screamed when I saw the snow in Jan. Maybe it is the uphill walk but then it keeps me fit all the time. Sorry I can't help you....

On the employment front, be prepared to look outside the city: the Digby & Sowton Industrial Estate is just a short train ride away (5-10 mins) and provides flexible employment.

As for accommodation: just pick sensible accommodation and you'll be fine

First of all, thank you for being so kind and helpful

I am an international student, so I'd like to know whether internationals aren't very 'seperated' from social/night life there? Cuz I really want to be on the move in there

Is it hard to study? Do lectures take long? (By the way, what's your course?)

And the most important question: how much does vodka/beer cost?

P. S. Is here anybody who plays for Exeter's basketball team and could tell how to be enrolled into it?

Thanks in advance.