I remember when I had to choose an accommodation for my first year, all that I was looking for initially were catered accommodations, haunted by the thought of having to cook my own meals. Little did I know that being assigned to live in Rowancroft, a self-catered accommodation, would turn out to be one of a few things that I am very grateful for. If you are comparing different uni student accommodations and are trying to learn more about what living in Rowancroft is like as a student, then read on- I’ll be sharing my personal experiences of living in Rowancroft and reasons why you might consider it!
First things first, where’s Rowancroft? It’s in the Heavitree area of Exeter and to put it simply, it’s quite close to St. Luke’s campus, just two streets down from Waitrose. So yes, it’s off Streatham campus but if you’re like me who has lectures split between the two campuses, then Rowancroft is perfectly located for you. It’s literally a 5-minute walk to St. Lukes and a 20-25-minute walk to Streatham. The uni also provides free coach services each morning for students who are travelling to Streatham and evening for those who wants to go back home from Streatham. (That’s really a shout right? No Forum Hill!). Located within walking distance from various supermarkets like Waitrose, Co-op, Tesco and Lidl means that it is also very convenient to get groceries wherever and whenever you want to. It’s also very near to the Pleasure Grounds, which is a nice park where I used to run in each week.
There are several buildings divided into different blocks in Rowancroft: Rowancroft Mews, Rowancroft Court, Rowancroft House and Rowancroft (Francis, Radford, Davies and Garden). These buildings are closely-knitted together although having different types of rooms (some ensuite, some shared bathrooms, some studios), sizes and price range. I lived at Francis House last year, which is an en-suite self-catered accommodation, so I shared a kitchen with my flatmates. As mentioned before, I was so worried in the beginning that I had to cook for myself, but the year ended up such an amazing opportunity for me to finally learn some basic culinary skills, engage in a lot of baking with my flatmates and bond with friends in the very spacious kitchen common space. I love my room at Rowancroft- it’s got the essentials I’ve needed and even quite a large desk and bed! The interiors are also very well-maintained. Whenever we needed to fix something, the reception is very speedy at responding to our requests.
I just love the welcoming and peaceful environment that Rowancroft gives you especially with the green courtyard at the entrance. On sunny days, everyone gets out from their flats and play ballgames on the field. Occasionally, when the Residence Life Team organises something, people gather around the field for free Hot Dog or ice cream. And when it snowed last year, I remember, the field turned into a snowball fight battlefield while small slopes at the back of the houses turned into sleigh tracks! You can also meet a wide range of students living there as well.
If you’re an international student like me, there’s nothing to be concerned of. And if you’re worried that all your flatmates are gonna be Medics based on St Luke’s, chill, I’ve met loads of people studying arts, history, maths etc, so you’ll definitely not be alone. If you’re a postgraduate student, you can also be rest-assured that you’ll be situated in a quiet, studious environment, with the option of choosing to stay in studios rooms.
In a nutshell, I’d say I’ve left a lot of fond memories at Rowancroft. Choosing the right accommodation can be quite difficult and you might have already heard a lot of stories from students living at different halls. But I hope you’ve find my blog a little bit more helpful into showcasing you my perspective of what’s it like to be living in Rowancroft, a probably less commonly heard-of accommodation in the University 🙂
