University of Exeter

Exeter

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Why are Exeter students so satisfied?

I've been at two universities, Sussex and Edinburgh. Both Well respected (esp Edinburgh which is in an amazing city). Both have been really struggling with their student satisfaction scores. I was a rep on senate at Sussex and no one really understood why they were so low. Maybe feedback lacks a bit at both. But Edinburgh can't be that awful, can it?

Come on Exeter students, spill the beans. Tell us why you're all so happy.

Reply 1

Angelil

Beautiful landscape
Access to beaches and countryside as well as other towns such as Bristol and Bath
Good choice of modules available (though of course this will vary from dept to dept)
Flexibility with electives (to an extent)
Good contact with staff (though again this will vary)
Good library/research facilities
EXCELLENT society scene (better than Oxford by a long shot, I found)
High standard of teaching
Campus pub has lowest-priced pint in the country, apparently
Plenty to do in the town itself

...there must be more, but I'm still thinking on it

University of Exeter

Exeter

Reply 2

CocoBean

For me its many things, but definately top of the list is the beautiful campus- so green and peacful, I really love it. The people as well- have met some of the most incredible friends. I really wouldnt want to be at any other uni :smile:

Reply 3

IndiePip

Interesting... thanks for the responses. I guess I'm trying to understand why I still have an itching feeling about Exeter. I can see how an attractive campus environment can make you happy, but all of the questions on the National Student Survey are quite directly related to the course and academic stuff - so Exeter must be doing some fairly special things with stuff like how work is marked, how quickly it's handed back, contact with staff ect...

Responses to the above from an Edinburgh perspective:

Beautiful landscape
Access to beaches and countryside as well as other towns such as Bristol and Bath

Pretty landscape too, Glasgow and Newcastle nearby.

Good choice of modules available (though of course this will vary from dept to dept)
Flexibility with electives (to an extent)

The Scottish system makes this a given.

Good contact with staff (though again this will vary)
Good library/research facilities
High standard of teaching

Hmmm, these things do vary but I guess it's decent at Edinburgh, the library is being refurbed, sometimes core texts can be sparse tho, people do say feedback is slow and poor.

EXCELLENT society scene (better than Oxford by a long shot, I found)

It's hard to judge a soc scene by its cover, but stacking up the numbers - Exeter has 100, Edinburgh 200, and Oxford 500 - I would say that the union at Exeter seems to be very good at putting on RAG stuff, pub crawls, events and the like, and that these seem to be well attended and well supported.

Campus pub has lowest-priced pint in the country, apparently
Plenty to do in the town itself

Edinburgh isn't the cheapest place, but there's certainly a lot going on.

The people as well- have met some of the most incredible friends.

Surely students are students, everywhere has a mix of the nice, not so nice, the hermits, the outgoing, state and public schooled?

Hmmm, doesn't fully explain the NSS results for overall satisfaction:

Oxford: 6th (2007) 7th (2008)
Exeter: 9th (2007) 10th (2008)
Edinburgh: 71st (2007) 77th (2008)

Manchester, Bristol, Liverpool also do badly compared to their traditional good rep.

Reply 4

Angelil

Exeter's library is being refurbed at the moment too as I understand it. Certainly Oxford beat it hands down on that score though!

However, I don't know where most of those 500 societies were at the Oxford freshers' fair - and yes I did make sure I'd been to all the right places!! - the whole event seemed very sparse and not nearly as vibrant and atmospheric as Exeter's. I also found Exeter's societies to be on the whole extremely well organised and welcoming, which I didn't find was the case in Oxford - I found it much easier to get involved in college life there than in university societies.

Reply 5

IndiePip

Interesting, interesting. It's all about the subtle things really, and they're not exactly easy to judge from a distance. I moved from Sussex to Edinburgh and I still can't really explain why or if it was a good choice. I think people can also have radically different experiences at the same uni, depending on chance meetings or different flats and stuff. And yeah, it doesn't surprise me that things in Oxford are run more on a college level. Still pondering, I think the only way to resolve it would be to go to Exeter and see - 3rd uni in as many years would be silly, very silly (and quite impossible).

Reply 6

ForAllOfThis

Angelil

Campus pub has lowest-priced pint in the country, apparently

Although it may be the worse pint in the country as well! I've only had one fizzy pint of strongbow at the ram (and wouldn't remember from the lemmy, always way too smashed) ever! However there are other places where for 50p more you can get amazing pints! =).

Did you mention the quayside as well? Its very good down there (but so expensive)..

Reply 7

Angelil

I don't drink beer so wouldn't know :tongue:

Never used to go to the Quayside loads - Warehouse was great before it became Mambo though :frown:

Reply 8

moshing-fairy

I love Exeter...

But my main problem with the above is YOU CANNOT COMPARE GLASGOW AND NEWCASTLE to the beauty of Bath nor the atmosphere of Bristol.
I'm sorry but it's just not possible.

This coming from a true Somerset girl but still...

And in response to the actual question apart from all the things everyone else has said, i find the staff-student relationship very good. In my department at least (Classics) they are all extremely happy to help and I always feel that I can contact any of them.

Reply 9

codcod

Satisfaction? Well... It's not called "Sexeter" for nothing

Reply 10

bennh

Exeter = pretty, safe, and most of all, it's IN THE WEST COUNTRY.

Blates the best part of the country.

Reply 11

Krell

All of the above, plus a very livable, compact city with a low crime rate. Biggest isn't always best. The uni itself is a decent size without being colossal, the green campus is human scaled and doesn't overwhelm.

Exeter city/uni may not be the best in a particular field but it does lots of things very well.

Reply 12

MaccyG

Sorry to bump it but isn't it also the fact that Exeter on the whole is a really safe city.

Reply 13

jammythedodger

IndiePip

Pretty landscape too, Glasgow and Newcastle nearby.

Glasgow and Newcastle dont have anything on Bristol and Bath :p:

I'm not sure what the Edinburgh campus looks like, but I'm pretty sure that too doesn't quite compare to Exeter's.

Do you think the general area (tourism & weather). For example, the South West is generally the place most English people go on a British holiday, a lot more than Edinburgh. And if one goes on holiday to Eidnburgh, it's not for the beaches, unlike Devon/Cornwall.
This brings me on to weather; I know tehse things can be overdone, but I'm guesing the weather isn't amazing in Ednibugh (although it can be v. nice to be fair) - the South West in general gets quite a lot Sun (even if quite a lot of wind).

Maybe this as well.

Reply 14

karen123

jammythedodger

Glasgow and Newcastle dont have anything on Bristol and Bath :p:

I have been to both Edinburgh and Exeter. I would say that Edinburgh is a great city for tourists with castles and historical architecture. But the weather really scared me a bit with a lot of rain and wind and even snow in March. The outlook of the University is not really impressive as the buildings just get scattered here and there. Exeter is much smaller but the weather is warmer and the campus is full of greenery and gives people a cosy feeling.

Reply 15

Angelil

Exeter had snow in February on more than one occasion!

Reply 16

dolly123

The vibe in Exeter is so relaxed; I suppose one feels like they never want to leave. Exeter is in a location which many people visit while on holiday - Thus has a holiday vibe. The town is huge with all the shops you could desire and of course is very close to the university. In the summer the campus and town lights up, but even in the winter it is beautiful. Exeter admittedly feels extremely safe and the houses that students move into in their second and third years are huge Victorian houses.

I must admit that the nightlife is thriving for students - but that is largely based on huge alcohol consumption and each other’s company (to make up for the average clubs). If sober the nightlife scene seems pretty dull and mundane. If you make a lovely group of friends and set up a life there, it has all the factors to make a wonderful few years.

Reply 17

Angelil

I wouldn't call the town huge (my parents live near Reading and London, which are bigger, as is Birmingham, which I've visited quite a few times) but you certainly don't want for anything in terms of shops, and I'd say that the rest of the above is accurate :yep: