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Nottingham Vs Exeter

Hello everyone,

My course at Sheffield got cut off so now I'm looking at alternatives I didn't look at before. I am hoping to apply for history and Chinese and ive narrowed it down to Nottingham or Exeter because they're 2 unis that I don't mind that don't require a GCSE in a language

Here's some thoughts:

Exeter
- pretty area
- not near very much at all
- 5 hours away from home
- more options for my study abroad
- I THINK higher in rankings
- posh private school rep (I'm working class and northern lol)

Nottingham
- close to home
- a city so close to quite a few things
- when I went to the open day I felt the vibes were off on campus. It felt so quiet and isolated
- possibly less module options
- only 1 option for studying abroad because they have their own university in China

Reply 1

ExeterStudentRep

Official Rep

Hi Erinlol<3,

I'm glad to hear that you're considering Exeter! There are many great things about the History and Modern Languages degree here, but also about the campus more widely.

First and foremost, Exeter is ranked 8th in the UK for History in the Complete University Guide 2025 - it is a pretty well-regarded degree, and it is very flexible. There are many options for your year abroad, whether it's just studying, or if you want an internship or a placement. You have plenty of time to think about this once you get here, so don't stress out too much - and, the university offers you support in this area. The Mandarin course is also very well-supported here - one of my flatmates studies it alongside business, and is incredibly proficient after just a year and a half learning the language, so I would highly recommend studying here.

Streatham Campus, where you would be based, does look relatively far from everything on a map. However, central campus is about a 20-minute walk away from the city centre. Here, you can do your shopping or chill in one of the many coffee shops, or maybe even go to escape rooms, walk along the quay, go to the museum, and much more.

The city is also well-connected, with lots of train stations to get from here to the heart of Devon and Cornwall, or back home. This makes for some very good days out: some of my favourites have been to Plymouth, Totnes, and Bristol. It's also incredibly convenient for when you want to go home during term-time, as it is probably the easiest way for me to travel from Exeter to home in Liverpool.

The city and campus is also incredibly green, but with a nice mix of urban. This makes it all the more pleasant as it will always, to some extent, remind you of home. It's not too quiet, and not too loud. In the same way, the people you meet here are from all backgrounds, so please don't be put off by 'posh'!

I would definitely recommend coming for an open day, though; the information regarding these is available on our website.

I hope this helps to answer some of your questions, but if you have anything specific in mind, don't hesitate to reply to this message.

Grace
University of Exeter Student Ambassador.

Reply 2

random_matt

Original post by Erinlol&lt

Hello everyone,
My course at Sheffield got cut off so now I'm looking at alternatives I didn't look at before. I am hoping to apply for history and Chinese and ive narrowed it down to Nottingham or Exeter because they're 2 unis that I don't mind that don't require a GCSE in a language
Here's some thoughts:
Exeter
- pretty area
- not near very much at all
- 5 hours away from home
- more options for my study abroad
- I THINK higher in rankings
- posh private school rep (I'm working class and northern lol)
Nottingham
- close to home
- a city so close to quite a few things
- when I went to the open day I felt the vibes were off on campus. It felt so quiet and isolated
- possibly less module options
- only 1 option for studying abroad because they have their own university in China