Hi everyone! My name is Eloise and I’m in my third year at Exeter studying a Flexible Combined Honours course in BA Film and Television Studies and BA Geography. I’m originally from Sussex, England, so I’m about 3 hours 45 minutes away from home. I’m excited to take you through some of the reasons why I chose to study at the University of Exeter and I hope some of my experiences are helpful for those of you considering to join the Exeter community.
Why the University of Exeter?
There were many reasons why I settled on the University of Exeter as my firm choice. Some of these decisions I made by researching online, but it wasn’t until I stepped foot on campus that I knew this was definitely the right place for me.
- Campus university – for me, it was the first time living away from home, so I felt I would be most comfortable learning to be an adult in a campus university environment. With dedicated 24/7 campus security and Residence Life mentors onsite, it seemed a no brainer. It is really handy to have my classes, my accommodation, and any support services such as the library all in one convenient place.
- The green spaces – nature is a very important part of my life, and I am thankful that my hometown has forests and beaches nearby. I found Exeter really resonated with my love of nature: Streatham Campus is a 300-acre campus, which is a registered botanical garden. It is located just a mere 30 minutes away from two beautiful beaches of Exmouth and Dawlish Warren, and Dartmoor National Park is just 35 minutes away. This makes for a really relaxing space to study and live – after an exam one day in the summer, I immediately sat by the water fountains and laid in the sun, which was the perfect way to unwind.
- Course flexibility – I love that my passion for Film and Television could be combined with my love of the natural world in Geography, particularly as I did four A-Levels so I was struggling to whittle down my course preferences. Exeter gave me the opportunity to combine an art / social science degree with a life science degree, which is really unique! I am able to jump between the two disciplines seamlessly instead of being constrained to a single honours degree programme.
4. Location – I liked that I made a reasonably far move to university but still remained in the south of England. The nearby areas surrounding Exeter was also a big pull factor for me: the city has everything you need but isn’t overwhelmingly big, so it is walkable and very easy to navigate for newcomers. Princesshay is a shopper’s paradise in the centre of town, there’s a high-street with popular chain stores, Fore Street with its boutiques and independent shops, and surrounding the cathedral there are many charming coffee shops to meet up with friends in. I really love The Tiny Tasting Room: it is a cosy coffee shop nestled in the alley on Martins Lane. It’s a cute, quaint and very student friendly coffee shop, with many choosing it as their study spot whilst sipping a freshly blended smoothie
- What I could do in my spare time – societies are a huge part of student life, and the Exeter Students’ Guild (the Student Union for the Exeter campuses) has over 300 societies to choose from – you really are spoilt for choice! I am part of the student newspaper for example, and I am the Print Sport Editor, which has allowed me to do match reports at Rugby Varsity in the press box, conduct interviews, and write countless articles. Thanks to this society, I now know I want to work towards being a sports journalist!
6. Sports – Exeter does have a very sporty reputation, but that doesn’t mean you are obliged to participate in any sports if you’d prefer not to! Personally, I go skiing with my family each year, so when I found out Exeter has a Snowsports club, I just knew I had to take part. I train twice a week at the dry ski slope in the city centre and I even get to compete in some slalom races against other universities! This club also took me across the English Channel to France for a week long ski holiday at Les Deux Alpes, which younger me would have never thought I’d be able to do without family!
Both sports and societies at Exeter have helped me flourish in a professional and personal setting.
What helped me decide
I personally found making lists a really useful technique when I was researching online. For example, for both Geography and Film and Television, I looked into the specific course content taught at Exeter to see what I could expect to learn during my time there.
At university, modules (or topics really) are dependent on the area of research carried out by the lecturers. For instance, in Geography at Exeter, many of the professors have specialist knowledge in climate change and how to manage it, which is of particular interest to me. Likewise, in the film department, the lecturers have interest in fandom, television studies, and cinema studies, which ticked all the boxes for me as I knew what areas intrigued me based on what I had learned at A-Level.
Visiting the campus sealed the deal
After making Exeter my firm choice university, I was invited to attend an Offer Holder Visit Day which gave me an invaluable experience. Exeter totally emerged as the right choice for me after my visit, and here’s why:
- I got a feel for the campus, which was really important. I instantly felt like part of the University of Exeter community, and it was comforting that I felt at home as soon as I arrived on campus. Even my parents got the same vibe from Exeter, which we hadn’t experienced at any other university that I looked at. So, I really recommend visiting the University of Exeter, whether that be on an Open Day or in your own time, to see if you can picture yourself living and studying here like I did.
- On this day I also got the opportunity to sit in a couple taster lectures and meet the professors of my disciplines. They were so engaging and their passion for their field of study really shone through. I felt confident in approaching them to ask questions about the course, and that was a really nice feeling to have.
The application process – my unique experience
Now, my application process was a little unconventional – mainly because I couldn’t choose what I actually wanted to study. I knew I wanted to go to university, but I was torn between committing to either Film and Television or Geography, particularly as at that point in time I had no clue what I wanted to do as a career.
So, as UCAS applications rolled around, I applied for single honours Film and Television Studies. Of course, as I’m incredibly indecisive, I was adamant that I made the wrong choice and that I wanted to switch to Geography.
After contacting Exeter, they informed me that Flexible Combined Honours is a programme they offer whereby students can combine any two subjects together, no matter their discipline or if they don’t traditionally go hand in hand. This for me was a dream come true!
On my first day in the Exeter area, I switched onto a Flexible Combined Honours course – and that was the best decision I made!
Rather than painfully never learn about something I was passionate about again, I was able to intricately weave my two subjects together.
I wouldn’t recommend waiting until your first day of your undergraduate degree to get enrolled onto the course you truly want to pursue (mainly because of the chance there might not be any spaces available on the course), but I think one takeaway from my experience is to never panic and that there are always options to take. Getting in contact with universities is the best way to go about initiating change.
Reflecting on my choices
Now that I am entering my third and final year at University, I can confidently say that I made the right decision. Not only did I choose a university that fostered my love of interdisciplinary learning, but the University of Exeter also gave me experiences that I will treasure forever.
Moving away from home for the first time might seem like a daunting experience, but it is a challenge worth facing for all the experiences and knowledge you will gain from it. Every day I get to learn more about the two subjects I am fascinated by, meet like-minded people, and try new things.
Exeter has prepared me for becoming a graduate in the working world by equipping me with skills I can take into the workplace and, most importantly, the confidence I need to succeed.
If cutting edge research in every discipline takes your fancy, or beaches, forests and parks spark your interest, or simply that the sheer variety of sports and societies on offer looks appealing, then consider the University of Exeter and you will not be disappointed.