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Opinions on Exeter Accomodation (again sorry!)
Hi all,
First post btw!
Was just wondering on peoples opinions on the standard of accomodation in self catered??
What/where are the best halls to go into?
I've heard that most of the catered accomodation is quite new but what is self catered like?
First post btw!
Was just wondering on peoples opinions on the standard of accomodation in self catered??
What/where are the best halls to go into?
I've heard that most of the catered accomodation is quite new but what is self catered like?
Scroll to see replies
Reply 1
Hi Timbolecta,
Generally speaking, standard self-catered accommodation is quite "basic" (to be diplomatic). It's not nice for most parts, although it suffices as somewhere where you can sleep, eat, and have parties. Unlike in the new high-quality/high-rice accommodation, standard accommodation is quite old, and the furtniture and facilities are old as well. This is not a problem though if you don't need luxury. Having said this I think that standard accommodation has one major advantage over the new luxury buildings: the atmosphere. Lafrowda, probably no.1 choice of self-catered standard accommodation has a reputation for a good atmosphere and lots of fun, parties, etc. Your room there will be tiny but so will be the rooms in "enhanced" accommodation where there are nuw carpets and curtains etc.
The two downpoints from my point of view:
1. Sharing an old kitchen with 13 people if you don't get on is not fun. By the way sharing the other facilities (shower, bathroom) is no problem at all!
2. The heating in these old buildings is awful and the windows poorly insulated.
The good points:
1. Cheap compared to everything else, and bills are included
2. It does as somewhere you stay for an academic year or two.
3. Atmosphere is excellent.
Hope this helps.
Generally speaking, standard self-catered accommodation is quite "basic" (to be diplomatic). It's not nice for most parts, although it suffices as somewhere where you can sleep, eat, and have parties. Unlike in the new high-quality/high-rice accommodation, standard accommodation is quite old, and the furtniture and facilities are old as well. This is not a problem though if you don't need luxury. Having said this I think that standard accommodation has one major advantage over the new luxury buildings: the atmosphere. Lafrowda, probably no.1 choice of self-catered standard accommodation has a reputation for a good atmosphere and lots of fun, parties, etc. Your room there will be tiny but so will be the rooms in "enhanced" accommodation where there are nuw carpets and curtains etc.
The two downpoints from my point of view:
1. Sharing an old kitchen with 13 people if you don't get on is not fun. By the way sharing the other facilities (shower, bathroom) is no problem at all!
2. The heating in these old buildings is awful and the windows poorly insulated.
The good points:
1. Cheap compared to everything else, and bills are included
2. It does as somewhere you stay for an academic year or two.
3. Atmosphere is excellent.
Hope this helps.
Reply 2
It depends where you apply. St. German's is the best- ensuite rooms, double beds in some of the blocks and you only share the kitchen and lounge with 5 other students. Nash Grove is the same, but someone on here said that's only open to postgrads this year, so not sure about that. Then there's St. David's, which is off campus but not as far as everyone seems to think. There are houses and flats, both really nice. They have shared bathrooms instead of ensuites and I think single beds, but they're enhanced, so quite nice. I'm not sure how many people share, but I don't think it's too many. Then there's Lafrowda, the biggest and cheapest. Enhanced isn't too bad, from what I'd heard, with 10 people sharing the kitchen, bathrooms, showers and toilets and the rooms being modernish. Standard, where I was for most of this year, is the cheapest accommodation on campus. 12 people share the (pretty outdated) kitchen, 2 bathrooms, 2 toilets and 1 shower. The rooms are also very basic, 1960s style. Surprisingly sharing wasn't a problem at all though and it does seem to have the best atmosphere. Personally I really don't see the point of student accommodation being like a hotel because you don't need that luxury and I don't think you get the same experience, but that's just my opinion and I know others disagree.
Reply 3
19
Self-catered is great 
But I am very biased so feel free to ignore.
The overall standard is fine - I've lived in Lafrowda (bottom end) and St G's (top end), which are both self-catered, and I found both to be more than satisfactory. Lafrowda is the oldest self-catered accommodation (my auntie lived there in the late 1970s so maybe that gives you an indication?!). You're sharing bathrooms and the kitchen, and living room facilities are a little shabbier, but given that you're probably saving £500 a year to live there (compared to St G's) you can't really complain. Laffy is also indestructible Think we only called out maintenance once all year, whereas my experience in St G's has been much more variable, with the oven breaking twice, hobs breaking about 4 or 5 times, and my hot water clicking off 4 times (needless to say this all gets a little wearying).
St G's has less shabby living facs than Laffy though, which is always nice, and of course it's ensuite (though with the number of times my hot water clicked off, I'm not sure it was worth the extra money). As far as self-catered goes overall, Laffy is very functional and extremely good value for money. St G's and Rowe are alright for the money but mostly for returners and sadly I think Nash Grove is for postgrads only next year
(Shame.) Your best bet is (in my opinion) Laffy (standard or enhanced) or St David's (down towards the station of the same name but it's not too far to walk, plus there's a free minibus that runs between there and the Streatham campus if you really can't stomach it). My boyfriend lived in St Davids and loved it - they're more like proper houses than student accommodation, with driveways and proper little letterboxes, they're really cute and nice inside as well
Best catered halls depend what you're looking for. If you're looking for a £130-a-week travelodge replica then go for Holland, Penny C or Birks. If you're looking for an older catered hall then go for Hope, Lopes or Kilmorie. Note that lunch is now no longer provided in catered halls and I think the arrangements at weekends are a bit strange as well from what I remember.
Let me know if you have any more questions
But I am very biased so feel free to ignore.The overall standard is fine - I've lived in Lafrowda (bottom end) and St G's (top end), which are both self-catered, and I found both to be more than satisfactory. Lafrowda is the oldest self-catered accommodation (my auntie lived there in the late 1970s so maybe that gives you an indication?!). You're sharing bathrooms and the kitchen, and living room facilities are a little shabbier, but given that you're probably saving £500 a year to live there (compared to St G's) you can't really complain. Laffy is also indestructible
Think we only called out maintenance once all year, whereas my experience in St G's has been much more variable, with the oven breaking twice, hobs breaking about 4 or 5 times, and my hot water clicking off 4 times (needless to say this all gets a little wearying). St G's has less shabby living facs than Laffy though, which is always nice, and of course it's ensuite (though with the number of times my hot water clicked off, I'm not sure it was worth the extra money). As far as self-catered goes overall, Laffy is very functional and extremely good value for money. St G's and Rowe are alright for the money but mostly for returners and sadly I think Nash Grove is for postgrads only next year
(Shame.) Your best bet is (in my opinion) Laffy (standard or enhanced) or St David's (down towards the station of the same name but it's not too far to walk, plus there's a free minibus that runs between there and the Streatham campus if you really can't stomach it). My boyfriend lived in St Davids and loved it - they're more like proper houses than student accommodation, with driveways and proper little letterboxes, they're really cute and nice inside as well Best catered halls depend what you're looking for. If you're looking for a £130-a-week travelodge replica then go for Holland, Penny C or Birks. If you're looking for an older catered hall then go for Hope, Lopes or Kilmorie. Note that lunch is now no longer provided in catered halls and I think the arrangements at weekends are a bit strange as well from what I remember.
Let me know if you have any more questions
Reply 4
Ok thanks, info much appreciated. Ive decided I'm going for Self-catered!
Don't suppose anyone has got any photos of the interior of any of St. Germans and the places mentioned above?? ...
....as the ones on the website are rubbish! Only shows 2 out of the many self-catered so not a very good indication of the others available.
Don't suppose anyone has got any photos of the interior of any of St. Germans and the places mentioned above?? ...
....as the ones on the website are rubbish! Only shows 2 out of the many self-catered so not a very good indication of the others available.
Reply 5
Yay self catered, me too!
My first choice is St Davids second choice Laffy
My first choice is St Davids
second choice LaffyReply 6
Do the beds in Holland/Penny C have rom underneath for storage? I can't tell from the panoramics and i don't want to bring under-bed storage trays for me not to have anywhere to put them. Of course, if there isn't any under-bed storage room, then that's really poor room-planning on Exeter's part. But, well, is there?
Reply 7
Who knows 
Hopefully Angelil will write back and answer your question...she seems to be the fountain of knowledge for Exeter, and we love her for it
Hopefully Angelil will write back and answer your question...she seems to be the fountain of knowledge for Exeter, and we love her for it
Reply 8
harpy
Do the beds in Holland/Penny C have rom underneath for storage? I can't tell from the panoramics and i don't want to bring under-bed storage trays for me not to have anywhere to put them. Of course, if there isn't any under-bed storage room, then that's really poor room-planning on Exeter's part. But, well, is there?
There's room for storage under the beds in Holland, so I'd guess that there is in Penny C too.
Reply 9
19
Calon Lan has just answered the question on Penny C and Holland better than I can as I have no experience of these halls. St G's, however, does have under-bed storage drawers.
I'll try and add photos later, I'm too tired to resize the ones I have right now.
I'll try and add photos later, I'm too tired to resize the ones I have right now.
Reply 10
Penny C basically has nothing under the bed, so you can put things under there if you want.
Reply 11
Thanks for all the info, much appreciated.
Don't want to come across rude but anyone got any interior photos of accomadation mentioned above as I really am struggling to choose where I want to go!
Current choices are St. Davids, St. Germans and St. James Owen
Don't want to come across rude but anyone got any interior photos of accomadation mentioned above as I really am struggling to choose where I want to go!
Current choices are St. Davids, St. Germans and St. James Owen
Reply 12
19
JOC is a good choice too, right in the town centre and a good distance from campus.
Hmm, interior photos - let's see...
here's one of the inside of my room in St German's - the main thing I didn't like about it was that it was quite dark most of the time (may have been due to the way the room was facing, don't know - though note in this pic the curtains are closed) and the fact that there's so little floor space (they essentially try and cram a double bed into a single-bed-size room).
I'll ask my boyfriend tonight if he can zap me any photos of his room in St David's.
Hmm, interior photos - let's see...
here's one of the inside of my room in St German's - the main thing I didn't like about it was that it was quite dark most of the time (may have been due to the way the room was facing, don't know - though note in this pic the curtains are closed) and the fact that there's so little floor space (they essentially try and cram a double bed into a single-bed-size room).
I'll ask my boyfriend tonight if he can zap me any photos of his room in St David's.
Reply 13
I have photos of my Penny C room if anyone wants them, but that's obviously catered.
Reply 14
Does anyone have any pictures of Moberly House rooms? Hopefully that's where I will end up...
Reply 15
I notice that Llewellyn Mews and Cook Mews always get forgotten 
even in the accomodation leaflet its only a roof
even in the accomodation leaflet its only a roof Reply 16
19
^^ Hehe, this is true.
I can now add more to my experiences of uni accommodation, having stayed one night in Holland Hall and one night in St David's over my graduation days.
Holland Hall was pretty much as you'd expect, very swish and expensive Travelodge-looking. However, the space in the room was not particularly ample, the bed was really uncomfortable (I had a really bad night's sleep ) and it has a wet room rather than a proper shower (which is fine if you feel like soaking your entire bathroom floor every time you shower). It did have a huuuuge wardrobe though, which put my St G's storage space to shame.
My experience in St David's however, was fantastic - the rooms are big, proper space to chill out in, comfy beds, and a bath and a shower in the bathroom
I can now add more to my experiences of uni accommodation, having stayed one night in Holland Hall and one night in St David's over my graduation days.
Holland Hall was pretty much as you'd expect, very swish and expensive Travelodge-looking. However, the space in the room was not particularly ample, the bed was really uncomfortable (I had a really bad night's sleep
) and it has a wet room rather than a proper shower (which is fine if you feel like soaking your entire bathroom floor every time you shower). It did have a huuuuge wardrobe though, which put my St G's storage space to shame. My experience in St David's however, was fantastic - the rooms are big, proper space to chill out in, comfy beds, and a bath and a shower in the bathroom
Reply 17
Angelil
^^ Hehe, this is true.
I can now add more to my experiences of uni accommodation, having stayed one night in Holland Hall and one night in St David's over my graduation days.
Holland Hall was pretty much as you'd expect, very swish and expensive Travelodge-looking. However, the space in the room was not particularly ample, the bed was really uncomfortable (I had a really bad night's sleep ) and it has a wet room rather than a proper shower (which is fine if you feel like soaking your entire bathroom floor every time you shower). It did have a huuuuge wardrobe though, which put my St G's storage space to shame.
My experience in St David's however, was fantastic - the rooms are big, proper space to chill out in, comfy beds, and a bath and a shower in the bathroom
I can now add more to my experiences of uni accommodation, having stayed one night in Holland Hall and one night in St David's over my graduation days.
Holland Hall was pretty much as you'd expect, very swish and expensive Travelodge-looking. However, the space in the room was not particularly ample, the bed was really uncomfortable (I had a really bad night's sleep
) and it has a wet room rather than a proper shower (which is fine if you feel like soaking your entire bathroom floor every time you shower). It did have a huuuuge wardrobe though, which put my St G's storage space to shame. My experience in St David's however, was fantastic - the rooms are big, proper space to chill out in, comfy beds, and a bath and a shower in the bathroom
Dont the room sizes in St Davids vary considerably though? Are the smallest rooms still quite reasonably sized?
Reply 18
19
I didn't get to see inside all of the rooms, so can't really answer (though I could ask my boyfriend tonight as he may have seen inside the other rooms while he was living there), but I found that the room I was in (the ground floor room in House 1) to be of a very reasonable size.
Reply 19
If you could ask your boyfriend that would be really useful thanks
Although I dont know why I'm worrying as I'm pretty confident I've messed up my exams anyway heh....damn A levels.
Although I dont know why I'm worrying as I'm pretty confident I've messed up my exams anyway heh....damn A levels.
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