Durham or Exeter?

1

i'm planning to do a geography BA but unsure what university.
both i've been told have fairly mid nightlifes and a lot of posh people but the atmosphere at both uni open days were decent. I checked out Durhams accommodations at: John snow, south and Collingwood college. (I hated Collingwood but loved the other two) so if someone could tell me what accommodation is like in Exeter it would be appreciated.
also wanted to know about the unis society and general social life was like, so both don't have much night life doesn't mean there not fun..surely? what are the societies like, do people actually go and enjoy them, where do people hang out and what do they do? like please don't tell me everyone stays in there rooms 24/7. I did love the look of Exeters campus gym.
how is the eduction? sure both are decently ranked but do the professors teach you or is it more independent reading that gets you your degree. how are the field trips? what are the study spaces like?
if anyone could reply and let me know what they liked and disliked about either university it would be amazing! bonus if you do a geography degree.

Reply 1

ExeterStudentRep

Official Rep

13

Original post

by Frosty4635-

i'm planning to do a geography BA but unsure what university.
both i've been told have fairly mid nightlifes and a lot of posh people but the atmosphere at both uni open days were decent. I checked out Durhams accommodations at: John snow, south and Collingwood college. (I hated Collingwood but loved the other two) so if someone could tell me what accommodation is like in Exeter it would be appreciated.
also wanted to know about the unis society and general social life was like, so both don't have much night life doesn't mean there not fun..surely? what are the societies like, do people actually go and enjoy them, where do people hang out and what do they do? like please don't tell me everyone stays in there rooms 24/7. I did love the look of Exeters campus gym.
how is the eduction? sure both are decently ranked but do the professors teach you or is it more independent reading that gets you your degree. how are the field trips? what are the study spaces like?
if anyone could reply and let me know what they liked and disliked about either university it would be amazing! bonus if you do a geography degree.

Hi Frosty4635,

I’m at Exeter and can give you a bit of a picture of what it’s like here.

Accommodation:
Exeter has a range of halls, from modern en-suites to more traditional catered options. Most are within about 5–20 minutes’ walk of campus, so it’s all pretty central compared to some unis. Lafrowda and East Park are really popular with first years, while Birks Grange has both catered and self-catered. They’re all student-heavy and it’s easy to meet people. You can find out more about accomodation options here.

Social life:
The nightlife here isn’t massive compared to big cities, but it’s busy enough - the main clubs (Unit 1, Timepiece, Move) are always full of students, and there are loads of pubs and bars too. Most of the social side, though, comes from societies and sports clubs. There are hundreds of them, and they’re really active - everything from Geography Society to hiking, music, debate, and niche things like board games or Taylor Swift Society. A lot of people find their closest friends through societies, and socials are a big part of life here. So no, people definitely don’t just sit in their rooms all day!

Education/teaching style:
For Geography specifically, you’ll get a mix of lectures, seminars, and practical classes. There’s definitely independent reading (that’s standard everywhere), but lecturers and tutors are really approachable, and you’re encouraged to ask questions. Modules are varied and you can shape your degree to your insterests quite a lot in 2nd and 3rd year. If you would like to know more about the course you can talk to a currect student here.

Hope this helps 🙂

Klaudia
University of Exeter Student Ambassador

Reply 2

JohnSnowCollege

5

Original post

by Frosty4635-

i'm planning to do a geography BA but unsure what university.
both i've been told have fairly mid nightlifes and a lot of posh people but the atmosphere at both uni open days were decent. I checked out Durhams accommodations at: John snow, south and Collingwood college. (I hated Collingwood but loved the other two) so if someone could tell me what accommodation is like in Exeter it would be appreciated.
also wanted to know about the unis society and general social life was like, so both don't have much night life doesn't mean there not fun..surely? what are the societies like, do people actually go and enjoy them, where do people hang out and what do they do? like please don't tell me everyone stays in there rooms 24/7. I did love the look of Exeters campus gym.
how is the eduction? sure both are decently ranked but do the professors teach you or is it more independent reading that gets you your degree. how are the field trips? what are the study spaces like?
if anyone could reply and let me know what they liked and disliked about either university it would be amazing! bonus if you do a geography degree.

Hello!

Firstly, I’m so glad you enjoyed the Open Day! I know a few people have had similar concerns before, but speaking as a student myself, I’ve really loved my time here at Durham — there’s definitely plenty to get involved with.
At John Snow we have over 20 sports teams and 30 societies, and on top of that there are even more opportunities across Durham University’s wider sports clubs and societies. So whatever your interests, you’ll find something to get stuck into.

If you’d like a sneak peek of the social side of things, I’d recommend having a look at @johnsnowjcr on Instagram — especially as we get ready for Welcome Week next week. And of course, beyond college life, there’s always lots happening in Durham itself, with Newcastle just a short train ride away. There are many many pubs, bars and restraints especially across the two cities with a healthy nightlife.

While I didn’t study Geography myself, our Mount Oswald site is really well located for the Geography department. We’re also really proud that Durham’s Geography course is currently ranked 1st in the UK by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 and 11th in the world in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025. My friends who studied it have had a great experience, with plenty of field trips — sometimes even abroad!

Let me know if you have any other questions. Many thanks,
Ella

Reply 3

Muttley79

20

Original post

by Frosty4635-

i'm planning to do a geography BA but unsure what university.
both i've been told have fairly mid nightlifes and a lot of posh people but the atmosphere at both uni open days were decent. I checked out Durhams accommodations at: John snow, south and Collingwood college. (I hated Collingwood but loved the other two) so if someone could tell me what accommodation is like in Exeter it would be appreciated.
also wanted to know about the unis society and general social life was like, so both don't have much night life doesn't mean there not fun..surely? what are the societies like, do people actually go and enjoy them, where do people hang out and what do they do? like please don't tell me everyone stays in there rooms 24/7. I did love the look of Exeters campus gym.
how is the eduction? sure both are decently ranked but do the professors teach you or is it more independent reading that gets you your degree. how are the field trips? what are the study spaces like?
if anyone could reply and let me know what they liked and disliked about either university it would be amazing! bonus if you do a geography degree.

I woould think Exeter would be better as you are near a beach, the moor and countryside - and it'll be warmer!

Exeter has one of the best range of accommodation too.

Durham or Exeter?

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