Should I go to Manchester Uni or Exeter Uni?

Hi! I also have an offer from Manchester for the same course and I’m toying with making it my firm.
I’m from Devon and after visiting Manchester earlier in the year, I found Manchester to be cheaper generally. A lot of people from here describe it as ‘near-London prices on not-London wages!’
That said, Exeter is close to quieter areas when you want to get away but still don’t want to be totally isolated, and you can get there on a train (Teignmouth, Dawlish, Newton Abbot and Torquay are all quieter than Exeter and have parks and/or beaches.)
Remember you don’t have to firm & insure unis until June, so there might be a lightbulb moment where you realise which one is perfect for you 😁

I’ve had conditional offers from both Exeter and Manchester (& Leeds & Cardiff but I’ve sort of ruled them out) and I have no idea what to pick. I love cities and clubbing but I also will die if there’s not some nature that I can go and explore when I’m bored of people. Idk they are both top unis, Manchester is ranked higher overall but Exeter is ranked higher for my course (phil & theo). I’m really just not sure.

I’ve had conditional offers from both Exeter and Manchester (& Leeds & Cardiff but I’ve sort of ruled them out) and I have no idea what to pick. I love cities and clubbing but I also will die if there’s not some nature that I can go and explore when I’m bored of people. Idk they are both top unis, Manchester is ranked higher overall but Exeter is ranked higher for my course (phil & theo). I’m really just not sure.

Hi there!
Congratulations on your offers!
Exeter is definitely a small city, but it is a perfect mix of green and quiet, but also the hustle and bustle of a city. There's lots of greenery here, with Reed Hall and its gardens on site, Mincinglake Valley Park and Belvidere Meadows very close to the university, but also Dartmoor is not too far away if you fancy having a day away. They're all super lovely walks, especially in the summer, and reminds me a lot of home. There's also a lot of wildlife! You will see plenty of squirrels, and at night time I have caught badgers and foxes on central campus.
There is also the city aspect. There's the more built-up shopping district (Princesshay), and the High Street, and there's plenty to do. On top of this, we do have a selection of nightclubs, too. Nights out are super safe, and we have buses running on major clubbing nights that go directly from the city centre to campus.
The faculty of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences here is also a phenomenal department, and they really do care about helping you with your academic prowess. I would recommend looking at the module lists for the course just to see if it suits you down to the core. You can see these from the programme's webpage on our website!
I would also recommend coming to one of our offer holder days from February to April, so you can ask any questions about the course to the lecturers, and also to see the city and campus. You will receive information about these via email, so do keep an eye out!
I hope this helps!
Grace
Exeter Student Ambassador

Well remember you don't need to make a decision until June so don't rush into a choice!
Exeter is definitely a smaller city and I know people who moved there from big cities like London complained bitterly about that (whereas I went there from a more rural area where the nearest big city was pretty similar sized to Exeter and I just liked living in a town proper!). Equally you might have access to some natural areas from Manchester on a non-day to day basis - might be close enough to the peak district to plan some visits there periodically for example on a long weekend or reading week or something?
Try and go to an open day at each if you haven't already (or if you have and are able to visit again, take that opportunity if it presents itself e.g. an offer holder day or something) and see how you feel about each!

This was also super helpful! I have been to exeter but not Manchester yet but honestly Uni is the only thing on my mind so even though I have a while to pick options I’d like to get that decision over with asap…

I’ve had conditional offers from both Exeter and Manchester (& Leeds & Cardiff but I’ve sort of ruled them out) and I have no idea what to pick. I love cities and clubbing but I also will die if there’s not some nature that I can go and explore when I’m bored of people. Idk they are both top unis, Manchester is ranked higher overall but Exeter is ranked higher for my course (phil & theo). I’m really just not sure.