Student Aanya shared her experience and how she felt during her accommodation application process when coming to study at the St Luke’s campus.
I’m Aanya, a second-year medical student and I ended up moving into Nancherrow so here’s my experience on how it felt living there!
When I first found out I’d been accepted to study at St Luke’s, the excitement was quickly followed by a wave of practical anxiety – where was I going to live? As someone moving to Exeter without any local knowledge, the whole process felt quite daunting at first.
My Journey – Accomodation Application Process
I spent a lot of time on the University’s accommodation pages, comparing options, reading room descriptions, and viewing every single photo or 360 view I could find.
I didn’t know anyone else at the time who had received an offer from Exeter and was studying on St Luke’s Campus so there wasn’t anyone I asked help from, however I’d recommend visiting the open days as you’ll get a tour of Rowancroft, the main accommodation close to St Luke’s.
The application process itself was straightforward. My biggest tip: having a clear idea of your priorities – location, room size, en-suite vs shared bathrooms. Do this before you start to make the whole thing much less overwhelming.
For example, for me, the biggest priority was to have an en-suite room and Nancherrow or Rowancroft didn’t have shared bathrooms (unlike Rowancroft Mews). I didn’t mind sharing a kitchen so I opted out of Rowancroft Studios however, be warned that in Nancherrow you will be sharing a kitchen with thirteen other people! Nancherrow is also only for undergraduate BMBS students.
Another positive for Nancherrow – it is just across the road from campus! There’s been times I’ve missed my alarm and have had to roll out of bed quickly, and still made my 9ams.
Moving in
Moving day was a mix of nerves and excitement. I’d packed what I thought were the essentials: bedding, a few kitchen basics, and far too many clothes. In reality, the Ikea near Exeter is great and it’s better to bring less because a lot of the things I brought to university last year, I barely ended up using.
Nancherrow itself exceeded my expectations. The rooms are a good size, and there’s a warm, community feel to the house that I hadn’t quite anticipated. Getting used to shared living might take a little time as everyone has different habits but my some of my housemates turned out to be my closest friends!
I remember on the first day everyone was quite awkward which is very normal however we slowly got used to it and some of my fondest memories are playing cards with everyone, staying up late night to talk and celebrating Christmas altogether.
Life at St Luke’s
The campus here is honestly a hidden gem. Since its smaller, unlike Forum Library on Streatham, study spaces on St Luke’s tend to still have free spots during exam season. Cross Keys cafe has loads of space to meet friends and enjoy good food or a drink and snack. Also since it is such a small campus, you’re always bound to bump into people you know which reinforces a community feel.
The area around St Luke’s has everything you need day-to-day. Magdalen Road is a lovely local high street with independent cafés, brilliant food places, and a good supermarket. For a longer walk, Heavitree or the city centre are easily reachable on foot or by bus.
Streatham campus is accessible via bus lines and was around a 25-minute walk from Nancherrow so being on St Luke’s still meant I could join societies and be a part of the wider university community!
My top tips
- Apply for accommodation early and know your priorities before you start.
- Wait until you arrive to buy the non-essentials – you’ll quickly learn what you actually use.
- Introduce yourself to your housemates early; a trip to explore places together in the first week goes a long way.
- Don’t let the separate campus put you off joining societies or using central university facilities.
Looking back, living at Nancherrow shaped my first year in the best possible way. I hope reading about my accommodation application experience will help you with yours.