Should I go to Exeter (Devon) or Exeter (Penryn)?

So, I adore Devon and Cornwall and have always wanted to study down that end of the country.
I applied to both Exeter Campus' for English and have been accepted by both with a lowered offer.
However, I'm extremely conflicted on which one to place as my firm choice.
I'm a quiet, rural sort of girl which leads me to believe that I should study at Penryn, with it's gorgeous landscapes and vintage stores. But at the same time, I think I'd like the convenience of being in a city, for travel and shopping etc.

Can anyone share their experiences of both campus' and let me know how you found it?

(I have visited the main Exeter campus and loved it, but also love the look of the Penryn one online)

Thankyou!

Reply 1

swanseajack1

19

Visit both and decide for yourself. People will have different opinions. It is no good having anyone else telling you things as what they think may be different to you. For what it is worth. Penryn is a fair way further from most places than Exeter. It is a much smaller place and campus and the nearest town Falmouth is only a fraction the size of Exeter. Whether that is for you only you can decide.

Reply 2

WobblyCat

8

It really is a personal choice! Neither is better, they are just different. Penryn is much smaller, but it is shared with Falmouth Uni so there's quite a big arts scene. There is a lot in the way of scenery and natural beauty, but then thats balanced by the fact that there isn't really a nightlife or a lot to do.
I study english at streatham in devon and absolutely love it! The course is so flexible, the teaching is great with lots of leading experts in their respective fields. The library is really great as well and I rarely can't find a book. I would also say that because its a campus uni, if you're in halls then you're on campus most of the time and it doesn't feel so much like a city. Exeter is also quite green and its not a big city, it feels more like a town than somewhere like Bristol or London for example. It's also quite easy to get out into the countryside if you want to, exmouth and dawlish and dartmoor are very close.
There are many different societies as well so you don't have to be super loud and party all the time if that's not your scene- theres societies for every single type of hobby and sport you can think of basically!
Exeter also has quite a lot of indie shops and a lot of vintage stuff and charity shops too if thats your kind of thing :smile:

Let me know if there's any more questions you have about exeter or the english course at all!

Reply 3

apricot tree

OP

6

Original post by WobblyCat

It really is a personal choice! Neither is better, they are just different. Penryn is much smaller, but it is shared with Falmouth Uni so there's quite a big arts scene. There is a lot in the way of scenery and natural beauty, but then thats balanced by the fact that there isn't really a nightlife or a lot to do.
I study english at streatham in devon and absolutely love it! The course is so flexible, the teaching is great with lots of leading experts in their respective fields. The library is really great as well and I rarely can't find a book. I would also say that because its a campus uni, if you're in halls then you're on campus most of the time and it doesn't feel so much like a city. Exeter is also quite green and its not a big city, it feels more like a town than somewhere like Bristol or London for example. It's also quite easy to get out into the countryside if you want to, exmouth and dawlish and dartmoor are very close.
There are many different societies as well so you don't have to be super loud and party all the time if that's not your scene- theres societies for every single type of hobby and sport you can think of basically!
Exeter also has quite a lot of indie shops and a lot of vintage stuff and charity shops too if thats your kind of thing :smile:

Let me know if there's any more questions you have about exeter or the english course at all!

Hey, thank you so much for the in-depth reply! So I've visited both campuses and studied their course content haha, and I've decided on Penryn! I'm feeling like I'll really enjoy the more quiet life and art scene there! Do you happen to have a reading list or can reply with any of the texts you studied on your course, as I want to read up a bit during this isolation period! Thank you again hunny x

Reply 4

WobblyCat

8

ah that's great to hear! I'm don't think the modules offered are the same at penryn unfortunately so I can't give you specific texts that are definitely going to come up in your first year. What I would say is that even if you don't have a lot of grounding/experience in the classics (whether that be homer etc or the more modern classics like plath or dickens), you won't be held back by any lack of reading in a certain area- as long as you are ready to learn and go to the lectures you'll be fine!
In my first year I did a module called 'beginnings' which went chronologically through some key texts in the english literary canon, all the way from the Bible through Beowulf, Shakespeare, Milton, Swift and Shelley! So if you have the time reading some of the classics might help, as many famous works of literature tend to make reference to authors that have come before them- even a minimal understanding of a book's intertextuality could help you write about it in an exam or essay.
Other than that, I would just say push yourself to read things outside your usual interests- so if there's a genre or time period you've never really touched before, give it a go! At uni you'll be thrown into many different niche areas of literature so getting used to reading things that are unfamiliar is never a bad thing.
Hope this helps :smile:

x

Original post by apricot tree

Hey, thank you so much for the in-depth reply! So I've visited both campuses and studied their course content haha, and I've decided on Penryn! I'm feeling like I'll really enjoy the more quiet life and art scene there! Do you happen to have a reading list or can reply with any of the texts you studied on your course, as I want to read up a bit during this isolation period! Thank you again hunny x

Great to hear you have Firmed with us in Cornwall! I am working on pulling together some information and reading lists and will post on here just as soon as I can :-) Happy Monday!

Original post by University of Exeter Student Recruitment Team Three

Great to hear you have Firmed with us in Cornwall! I am working on pulling together some information and reading lists and will post on here just as soon as I can :-) Happy Monday!