University of Exeter

I've heard so many criticisms about the type of people who go there, and I'd like to know from someone who does, is everyone really annoyingly posh/rich as the stereotype?

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ExeterStudentRep

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Original post by Anonymous #1

I've heard so many criticisms about the type of people who go there, and I'd like to know from someone who does, is everyone really annoyingly posh/rich as the stereotype?

Hi anonymous,

I'm a current University of Exeter student doing my PhD in Zoology at the Penryn Campus in Cornwall. I've also been at Exeter University for my Masters by Research, and my undergraduate degree too, so feel like I've accumulated quite a lot of experience about who a "typical Exeter student" is. In my experience, I don't think the stereotype is deserved. I'm originally from a state school background in the Midlands, and wouldn't describe myself as posh or rich, and I've found that through my time at Exeter I've met lots of different people, including lots of friends with similar backgrounds to me, and others at either end of the scale experiencing both more or less privilege than me. One of the real benefits of going to university is the diversity of people you're going to meet and potentially learn from, whether it be differences from geography, socioeconomics, different nationalities, political views, religious beliefs or anything else.

People talk a lot about university as being a place where you can "find your people", so if you are particularly concerned about finding like-minded friends I'd encourage you to take a look at our list of sports clubs and societies here (Devon) and here (Cornwall), as they can be some of the best ways to meet and interact with people outside of your course. For me, that meant finding people who were into a rather niche combination of board games, birdwatching, and punk music! But that is going to vary between every individual about what shared interests they might have with their friends. Everyone's experiences at university may vary a little bit, depending on things like the campus you're at, the course you're studying, and the accommodation you might be in, but there really isn't such a thing as a "typical Exeter student". With almost 30'000 total students across our campuses, you're guaranteed to find a mix of people from different backgrounds that both similar and different to your own.

I hope that's reassuring, but let me know if you have any further questions I might be able to help you with.

Kingsley
University of Exeter Student Ambassador

University of Exeter

Exeter

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