In our last blog post, we looked at the pros and cons of cooking for yourself in University accommodation or choosing to live in a catered residence. This week, we’re looking at why living away from your main campus can be a great experience, as well as how enjoyable campus life can be.
Why choose off-campus Living?
Whilst most students will live off-campus from their second year onwards, as a new student you might not have considered it. But many people find that being a little bit away from campus has its advantages and can still give a wonderful University experience. Here are some of the reasons why:
- Separating Work and Play – Being able to get away from campus and unwind after a long day of study can be a real benefit of having your home life off-campus.
- Life in the city – Living near the vibrant city centre gives you easy access to bars, clubs and cafés, whilst still being in walking distance of your lectures and facilities on campus. Public transport is regular throughout the day and evening across the city (including the Nightbus service) and to and from each campus, so you’re never far away. You’d also be close to some beautiful parks, the stunning Exeter Cathedral and the relaxing Quay area. Have a look at the Visit Exeter website to get an idea of just some of the things to do and see in Exeter.
- University Support – Even when living away from campus, you are not alone. If you’re in University accommodation located in the city, you’ll have the support of the Residence Life Team and if you’re in private accommodation, you’ll still have full access to the University’s welfare support and will have the support of the Community Team.
Why live the campus life?
As you may already know, the University of Exeter has three main campuses: Streatham, St Luke’s and the Penryn campus in Cornwall. Penryn campus have their own accommodation team, so if you have any questions then please contact them directly.
Our walking distance map shows the locations of our accommodation across Exeter. Which course you take and which campus you’ll be studying on might affect where you want to live.
Streatham Campus
- Located within a 20 minute walking distance of the city centre, Streatham offers both catered and self-catered accommodation with standard, ensuite or studio living.
- There is a wide range of cafes and shops including Forum Kitchen, Isca Eats, the Ram Bar, Pret A Manger, Starbucks and the Market Place shops.
- The Russell Seal Fitness Centre provides daily exercise classes, personal training, a state-of-the-art gym, weights area and much more. There is a lovely heated outdoor swimming pool available at Cornwall House between April and September for students and visitors.
- The nightlife scene on Streatham is making a come-back, with events being scheduled at the Lemongrove, Great Hall and Forum Kitchen, right on the heart of the campus. The Northcott theatre and campus cinema are also great places to find evening entertainment close to home.
St Luke’s Campus
- Those studying Education, Sport and Health Sciences and students from the Exeter Medical School are generally based at our St Luke’s campus and may prefer to apply for accommodation close by, although many students do find making the trip from the Streatham campus easy with the good transport links.
- Our Rowancroft residences include en-suite and standard self-catered accommodation just a five minute walk to St Luke’s, whilst Nancherrow contains 14 single en-suite rooms located right next to the campus.
- Although smaller than Streatham, St Luke’s Campus has its own sports centre with a health and fitness studio and indoor swimming pool, as well as the Cross Keys building to study, meet, eat and drink. Students often enjoy the community feel of the more compact campus and its close proximity to the city centre, being just 5-10 minutes away by foot.
Both our Exeter campuses have stunning, award-winning grounds, which are great to relax in and take some mindful moments between studying and socialising. Exeter is a stunning and vibrant city which is small enough to get around quickly and speedily. So wherever your university accommodation is located, there will be a fantastic range of facilities and support available to you.