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Join The Student Room TodayBe part of the UK's largest and fastest growing student community. It's free to join and a lot of fun - Get inspired, express your ideas, interact and share University of ExeterFrom The Student RoomTSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Guides > University of Exeter
 The University of Exeter is one of the UK's leading universities with 15,500 students based on 3 campuses - Streatham and St. Luke's in Exeter and the Cornwall Campus near Falmouth. Streatham is the university's main campus, where the majority of subjects are taught. St. Luke's houses sports courses and Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry. The Cornwall Campus (shared with University College Falmouth) holds a subset of Exeter's stronger subjects, as well as many (often environmentally-based) courses that are not taught at either of the university's other campuses. Student bodyExeter has around 15,500 students, about 11,500 of which are undergraduates.
International studentsAt present around 2,000 students from over 100 countries outside the UK contribute to a thriving international community across the three campuses. Although Exeter is not a particularly international city, the international student body fits in well and societies such as the International Soc and Erasmus Soc have had a long tradition of contributing to campus life. The south-west tends to be a safe place and racist attacks are rare. Many international students are very happy in Exeter although some do wish for a bit more multiculturalism. Student LifeStudents' UnionsExeter's student union is called the "Students' Guild". Its sabaticals and numerous volunteers work to represent student interests in the fields of educational quality, student welfare, sports, societies, etc. In Cornwall, the Student's union (FXU - Falmouth and Exeter Student's Union) services both University of Exeter and University College Falmouth students, as the Cornwall Campus is utilised by both institutions.
Clubs and SocietiesThe Students' Guild organises and helps run clubs and societies in Exeter - these are great in number and diverse. An up-to-date list can be found on the Guild website (link below). At the Cornwall Campus, the student's union (FXU) administers clubs and societies. An up-to-date list of clubs and societies can be found on the FXU website (link below). Regular events are organised at the SU bar (The Stannary), including themed nights, charity events, balls and gigs. The venue is the largest for such events in Cornwall and as such has been visited by many well-known artists, including Jack Johnson, Dizzee Rascal and Donovan Frankenreiter. Freshers' Week/Welcome WeekIn Exeter, Welcome Week is the week before the first term and a great occasion for freshers, including new postgraduate students, to introduce themselves to the university, campus, town and to get to know people. Freshers' Week includes several university/departmental introduction talks, e.g. on finances, the academic year, etc., as well as various activities by the Students' Guild and student societies and of course includes the Freshers' Squash where you can sign up to all the societies. Cornwall students benefit from a Freshers' Fortnight, throughout which events are held every day and night. It offers a great opportunity to get to know both University of Exeter and University College Falmouth students. Popular events on campus have included Horns and Halos, 70s disco and Wild Western themed nights as well as the Freshers' Ball. Events are also held at local venues in Falmouth, and have included Hawaiian Barbecues. The Freshers' Fair offers the chance to sign up to clubs and societies and take advantage of once-only offers from local businesses. CampusesThe majority of students are based at the Streatham Campus, which is the largest site in Exeter. The campus is one of the most beautiful in the country and offers a unique environment in which to study with lakes, parkland, woodland and gardens to enjoy throughout the year. As well as this, all the teaching buildings together with the Sports Park, the library, the shopping centre, restaurants, cafés and bars are within walking distance of each other. It offers a lively, friendly and welcoming campus environment where there’s always lots going on. The St Luke’s Campus is individual and special in character and history. It shapes your education both academically and socially – it’s a very close knit community. Students have studied at St Luke’s for over 150 years and although much has changed over the years, the campus has retained a vibrant, collegiate atmosphere in which everyone soon gets to know each other. The Cornwall Campus is set atop a hill near Falmouth, with unrivalled views across miles of countryside and ocean. All the buildings are highly conceptual and comtemporary in design, with the main (Daphne DuMaurier) building having been nominated for architectural awards. In keeping with the campus green policy, they are built from locally and sustainably sourced materials - primarily Cornish granite, timber and slate - and the buildings are green-roofed. Formerly a convent school, the site has retained much of its greenery, with plenty of trees and lawn gracing the hillside behind the main buildings. Local areaExeter has a population of around 118,000 and is consistently rated as one of the best places to live in the UK. The economy is booming, with large companies like the Met Office choosing to relocate here and 2007 saw the opening of Princesshay, a new £235 million retail centre with over 60 new shops and restaurants. The nightlife in Exeter is dominated by a diverse range of bars, pubs and restaurants in the city centre, and there are various clubs on the Quay and in the city centre, with student nights most nights of the week. Exeter has excellent transport links to other areas of Devon and Cornwall. Places that Exeter students commonly like to visit include Dartmoor, and the seaside towns of Dawlish and Exmouth. If seaside towns and rolling moors don't appeal, the towns of Bristol, Barnstaple and Plymouth are easily accessible, and companies such as Megabus and National Express travel between Exeter and other major UK cities regularly. There are also many hidden gems within the Exeter area itself, including Darts Farm, a farm shop with several gift shops and a cafe attached (located in Topsham). Cornwall is notable for its easy-going, outdoor lifestyle and it's precisely that which attracts many students to Exeter's Cornwall Campus. Countryside is easily accessible - on the doorstep, in fact - and notable areas nearby include the Lizard Peninsula and Bodmin Moor. Beaches are very numerous, with 3 in Falmouth alone and many more accessible besides, especially on the North Coast. Falmouth is a lively student town, with many bars, clubs and restaurants. It is especially well-known for its good food and live music scene. Local businesses are very student-friendly, with the majority offering student discount and/or student nights each week. However, uniquely it manages to still retain its quaintness and is also an attractive seaside town with a great maritime heritage. Exeter Discussions
Facilities
LibrariesStreatham Campus has a number of libraries:
The Cornwall Campus also has ample factilities:
All students benefit from extensive online facilities also - databases for all libraries are available online, from here books can be requested to be held for collection. The university also subscribes to a hundreds of online academic journals, with articles available in PDF format that can be downloaded by staff and students from any computer with internet access. IT and computingThe Streatham Campus has its own residential network, Resnet, which is available in most halls of residence, in all the libraries and since 2007 also wireless on most of Streatham Campus. Every student receives their own account and mail address at the beginning of their first year. There is also a laptop clinic in the Main Library where laptops can be taken to in emergencies. Software CDs are available free of charge. Cornwall Campus students benefit from an on-site IT team and although a relatively small campus, it houses 4 different IT suites. Every student has their own area within the campus network, accessible from any campus PC. There is wireless access across most of the campus for personal use. SportsWelfareA welfare officer is voted in each year as part of the Guild Executive. The Guild also runs a Student Advice Unit Students at the Cornwall Campus also elect a welfare officer each year, who serves both institutions present on the campus. HealthcareThe Streatham Campus has its own Health Centre in Reed Mews. At the beginning of your first year, you simply register. You usually make an appointment but can walk in and try to see someone immediately in cases of an emergency. The staff are very friendly. The Cornwall Campus has its own counselling service on-site and for medical problems, there is a nurse available twice a week for drop-in sessions, with no appointment necessary. ShopsThe Streatham Campus has several shops, including a Blackwells, a supermarket, a NatWest bank (the ATMs are recognisable by a constant queue), and a Guild shop for stationery and chocolates. Furthermore, there are various food outlets in Devonshire House (DH) and Cornwall House (CH) as well as Peter Chalk Centre (PCC) where hot food and snacks can be purchased throughout the day. The Cornwall Campus has an on-site supermarket which is open every day during term-time. There is also a small shop adjacent to the student residences open until midnight each day. RestaurantsExeter has a number of restaurants to offer, including ASK, Nandos, Wagamamas, Giraffe, Strada, La Tasca, Cafe Rouge, Bella Italia, Zizzi, Pizza Express, as well as lots of great independent places and all the usual Chinese, Indian, Spanish and other international foods. All are situated within the central city. The Cornwall Campus is situated very close to Falmouth, which is well-known for its good-quality restaurants, encompassing Thai, Indian, Italian, Mexican and Spanish cuisines amongst many others and of course sea food. Many restaurants will offer a student discount on food, sometimes up to 20%. BanksExeter has numerous banks and building societies, most of which are situated within the city centre. A NatWest branch can be found on the Streatham Campus. The Cornwall Campus has a cash machine on-site and most major banks have branches close by in the towns of Penryn and Falmouth. Careers ServiceThe University of Exeter offers numerous opportunities for students to enhance their employability and to find a job after graduation:
The Cornwall Campus holds an annual careers fair, with dozens of employers and institutions visiting each year. Personal tutors can help with decision-making, as can the careers advisors located in the student services building on campus. Part-time jobsThe usual student jobs of bar, restaurant and club work or shop work are all available in Exeter and can be found through the campus job-shop, The Works. Occasionally employment becomes available on campus at Blackwell's, the Ram and the Lemmy, but these jobs are highly sought after and only postgraduates are allowed to work in the university libraries. Work on campus does come up in other forms, though, mainly through alumni relations (telephoning ex-students for £5 an hour), the art society (modelling so that people can draw you - £20 a session) and the psychology department (£5+ to be experimented on). If you search further afield (e.g. at nearby industrial estates), you are more likely to find flexible work that is often well-paid. There are two main industrial estates, Marsh Barton and Sowton which is located at Digby and can be reached in 15 minutes by direct train. Jobs in Cornwall are highly sought-after by students, and so competition is fierce. Many local supermarkets employ a number of students and often transfers can be made from existing jobs. There is also work available in local restaurants, bars and clubs which ties in well with academic requirements. On campus, students are employed in the union bar, library and campus shop. At both campuses, the student ambassador scheme offers part-time work for many students. Ambassadors help on open days, conduct campus tours, give talks and presentations and help to promote the university at events. Pay rates are very good and work is available to all students. Recruitment usually takes place at the beginning of the first term each year. Religious facilitiesThe Streatham Campus has a Multi-faith Chaplaincy as well as a chapel, and a Muslim prayer room in the Old Library. There is, furthermore, a Catholic Chaplaincy near Duryard. Exeter has several churches and a mosque. The Cornwall Campus has its own chaplaincy, which welcomes worshippers of all faiths. TransportExeter is not a huge city and both campuses are within walking distance from the city centre. Much can be done by foot, though students living further away often go by bike or bus. Bus tickets are affordable (75p for students one way from the city centre to Streatham Campus). Getting to other destinations within the UK is fairly straightforward; most cities in western England are well-connected by bus or train but going north or east will require a couple of changes. By getting a railcard and booking in advance you can save significant amounts [1]). Alternatively, buses connect Exeter to the rest of the south-west fairly well. Exeter also has an international airport, which has flights to some UK cities and many European destinations. If you need to get to Exeter when flying to the UK from abroad, you will most likely fly to London, and then take the train or coach to Exeter. Alternatively fly to Bristol where possible and take the combined bus/train ticket where a bus picks you up from the airport, takes you to the train station, and from there a train takes you to Exeter St. Davids station. Bristol is preferable over London, as it is much closer and easier to get to Exeter. Although situated in a relatively rural area of the country, transport around the Cornwall Campus is relatively good. Most 2nd- and 3rd-year undergraduates and many postgraduates live in nearby Falmouth. Bus services are frequent with around 5 buses an hour between the campus and Falmouth, and all major Cornwall services pass through the campus en route. Rates are good - the university, along with University College Falmouth, subsidises local bus companies, meaning students and staff benefit from rates less than half of those usually charged 50p each way from campus to Falmouth Moors (town centre). Train services are also good in the surrounding area. The nearest station to campus is 5 minutes walk away in Penryn, and Falmouth houses no less than 3 stations. The service goes to Truro, from where connecting trains go through Plymouth to Exeter. Travel from there to elsewhere in the country is as above. Newquay airport is relatively close by, however services to here are limited. If travelling by air, it is more likely that you will arrive in Exeter or Bristol airports, however getting to Cornwall from either is easy. Teaching and ResearchThe teaching quality is frequently rated excellent by the major league tables and the university also scores consistently well in the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) - nearly 90% of Exeter’s research was rated as being at internationally recognised levels in the 2008 RAE. All academics are actively involved in research at all three campuses and so students benefit from information that is up-to-date and cutting-edge in the fields they are being taught. Exeter is ranked 9th in the UK in The Times Good University Guide 2010, making it the highest ranked South West university. We score particularly highly for student satisfaction as measured by the National Student Survey, completion rates and the proportion of students getting good Honours degrees. AccommodationUniversity-owned & managed
Cornwall Campus:
Accommodation Office, Private sectorThere is plenty of private sector accommodation in Exeter and Falmouth. The Accommodation Office in Northcott House on the Streatham Campus keeps lists of private accommodation throughout the year. Applications usually start in January of the previous year. The Guild holds annual meetings where they explain what to look for and what to pay attention to in contracts with landlords. The Accommodation Office at the Cornwall Campus holds lists of all available private accommodation in and around Penryn and Falmouth. Accommodation is often of very high quality as many student houses act as holiday lets in the summer. It is not usually hard to come by and as the towns are relatively small and close by, students are close to friends' houses as well as the campus itself.
Applying to ExeterThinking of applying to Exeter? Why not read some Personal Statements which were used for applying here? Other Exeter ArticlesWhy not read these other Exeter Articles? Links |
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