Politics and Philosophy Exeter or York

Made a similar post under University of York but I'm having trouble picking a firm choice for Politics and Philosophy at either Exeter and York. The grade offer isn't a priority but I'm looking for a tiebreaker.
I like Exeter as a location and the modules on offer the atmosphere seems less comfortable to me. It feels a lot more overwhelming and academic. I am familiar with Exeter because I went on a residential trip in Year 10, the open day and the offer holder day. These experiences haven't helped persuade me much. During the residential I was alone and received some upsetting news; I never reached the open day as I attended with a friend and we ended up staying overnight in A&E due to her medical problems which was terrifying. (good to know the hospital is good though) On the offer day I had difficulty travelling around campus due to my mothers arthritis. That isn't to say I don't like the university but I fear my unfortunate experiences are contributing to my negative view of the place. Even ignoring these unfortunate events, I'm worried about the demographic. When I visited I felt like a minority which doesn't often happen as I live in London. It felt very white and upper middle class. Obviously every university has a mix of people but it's making it hard to picture being comfortable there. Sorry for the long post. Any insight on the demographic or whether there is a stifling atmosphere anyone else can see would be helpful.

Reply 1

CharlotteSalf

11

I can’t speak for Exeter, but York is very friendly as a place. I feel like every top university will inevitably have a higher proportion of wealthy or relatively wealthy students, but at York I met people from all kinds of backgrounds and I’m sure this will be the case at every university. Overall though, York does have a wonderful atmosphere, something promoted by the college system and the lovely staff members! So ultimately the choice will be based on your own personal preferences ofc, but I can say that York really was (for me) the best!

Reply 2

beetlejuis

OP

3

The college system at York really interests me. That kind of community is one of the reasons I'm drawn to it!

Original post by beetlejuis

Made a similar post under University of York but I'm having trouble picking a firm choice for Politics and Philosophy at either Exeter and York. The grade offer isn't a priority but I'm looking for a tiebreaker.
I like Exeter as a location and the modules on offer the atmosphere seems less comfortable to me. It feels a lot more overwhelming and academic. I am familiar with Exeter because I went on a residential trip in Year 10, the open day and the offer holder day. These experiences haven't helped persuade me much. During the residential I was alone and received some upsetting news; I never reached the open day as I attended with a friend and we ended up staying overnight in A&E due to her medical problems which was terrifying. (good to know the hospital is good though) On the offer day I had difficulty travelling around campus due to my mothers arthritis. That isn't to say I don't like the university but I fear my unfortunate experiences are contributing to my negative view of the place. Even ignoring these unfortunate events, I'm worried about the demographic. When I visited I felt like a minority which doesn't often happen as I live in London. It felt very white and upper middle class. Obviously every university has a mix of people but it's making it hard to picture being comfortable there. Sorry for the long post. Any insight on the demographic or whether there is a stifling atmosphere anyone else can see would be helpful.

Hello beetlejuis,

I am sorry to hear that you have not had the best experiences when you have visited us. I can appreciate that it does not reassure you about firming Exeter over York. As someone who is local to Exeter, studied there and now works there I love Exeter (but that is hardly surprising and to be expected). Ultimately, you will be best placed to make your decision as you know your mind best, but it speaking to current students at both universities will hopefully help you to come to a conclusion.

If you are looking for more student perspectives you may be interested to speak to some of our current student’s using our online messaging system. We have student representatives from most of our programmes and all of them will be able to talk about how they have found the university, including the atmosphere. Hopefully you find this useful.

Exeter does have a reputation for having a certain stereotype and as a region the South West is less diverse than other parts of the UK. As a university we continue to make progress in building a more ethnically diverse UK undergraduate student body, increasing the proportion of home Black, Asian and other minority ethnicities (BAME) students steadily from 5.8% in 2011/12 to 11.1%in 17/18. It is also worth noting that 19% of our student population is international, coming from over 160 different countries. As an intuition we want to attract the brightest minds, regardless of their background and personal circumstances. I appreciate that this is not necessarily the student perspective that you were looking for but I hope that this is still useful and helps with your decision making.

Good luck with your decision making - I do not envy you having to decide between York and Exeter, they are both really good options. On the plus side I would hope you would be happy with whichever you ultimately choose to firm. Do let me know if I can help with any further questions.

Melody
University of Exeter Student Recruitment Team

Reply 4

CharlotteSalf

11

Original post by beetlejuis

The college system at York really interests me. That kind of community is one of the reasons I'm drawn to it!

Yeah it’s great. The colleges give a very homely and supportive vibe and at York you have the option to stay in college for all 3 years (or longer) that you study. I can also say that Vita Student in York is somewhere many international students tend to reside. (Many international students also stay in college, but disproportionately so in Vita).

Politics and Philosophy Exeter or York

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