One of the biggest highlights of transitioning to university is moving into a fresh new space and making it your own. However, going into this new unknown can seem a bit daunting, so, I’m here to share my experience with you so that you can gain insight into the accommodation options down here at the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall and the local area you can become immersed in.
1st Year
First year offered a few choices for university-owned student accommodation, with both an on-campus and off-campus option. The Sidings is the off-campus option for accommodation, a short 15-minute walk from the Penryn Campus, and therefore a fantastic option for students moving from home that want the extra leap of independence by not living on the campus grounds. Despite this, living off-campus doesn’t mean that you are compromising on the University facilities and perks: The Sidings offers bike and surfboard storage, laundry facilities and everything else you might need to take your first steps towards moving away from home for the first time.
I however opted for the on-campus alternative – Glasney Student Village, composed of Glasney Parc and Glasney View. There are two types of accommodation in the student village – catered and self-catered. The catered accommodation is a great option for anyone who wants the pressure of cooking removed, with breakfast and dinner provided in The Stannary every day. This option is also great for people who want to simplify their budgeting, or who don’t want to have to think about preparing food for breakfast and dinner each day. You won’t have to worry about getting bored of what you eat as there’s a fantastic range in their menus! These flats still feature cooking facilities, so you’re not limited to the catered food provided by the University. And don’t worry, these flats are not separate from the rest of the student village, all self-catered students also live in the same student village.
I selected the alternative option, self-catered. My room was in a flat in Glasney Parc, where I lived in a flat with seven others, two of which had a shared room. I loved my first year flat, making the room my own and living close to all the lecture halls, offices and bus stops. The bus tickets are affordable, generally no more than £3 one way, and this was my preferred way of getting home after a night out in Falmouth town in my first year. Living on campus was the perfect option for me for first year, and it eased my initial nerves about moving away from home. I worried about not finding my way around campus, but through living on campus I quickly learnt the layout and how to get to each place. I also liked the security of having an onsite team in Glasney Lodge that I could contact any time with any worries or concerns. I found the team to be welcoming and helpful with any problem I had, even if the problems I presented them with were sometimes a bit rogue!
2nd Year Onwards
Second year meant moving out of the student village and into a flat in Penryn town. Myself and two friends rented our flat through a local estate agents and quickly began to enjoy the experience of living away from the campus. I had nerves about not living on campus, but the easy accessibility of getting from the flat to campus and into town meant that life was easy to navigate. This flat was in the centre of Penryn and meant we were really integrated with the local residents. Living in the centre of Penryn allowed me to feel very safe due to the regular public transport and bustling community. Each bus that passed through the high-street stopped at campus, so on the really wet Cornish days you can simply hop on a bus and be there in less than 10 minutes! Otherwise, the walk is nice and doesn’t take much longer than 25 minutes from Penryn town centre, despite being mostly uphill!
I really enjoyed the location of my second year flat for its easy access to campus, Falmouth town and the local public paths for walks. The flat was a 3-bed and had a lovely lounge and dining space that had south facing windows, which was especially nice once the summer came around. However, the cold is something to consider and in this flat we were not ‘bills included’, so learning how to navigate bills was something that we all had to tackle together in this flat. By the end of the year, we knew how to navigate bills for water, electricity and even WiFi as our flat did not have the typical fibre broadband. Moving out of the student accommodation was a real learning curve for myself as I experienced the wider world of renting for the first time, where not every additional fee is included. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn in this way, as I feel it has provided me with experience that will be invaluable in the future.
Following second year, I moved into a great private rented house for the final two years of my MSci Zoology degree. This house is close to campus, close to the supermarket and close to some other public paths for walking. In moving to this house, I opted to move away from the main bus route. This means that sometimes getting into Falmouth town can take a little longer, but having a shorter walk to campus made it worthwhile for me. In this house it takes me a little over 30 minutes to get into Falmouth by bus, but it’s only a 15-minute walk into the centre of Penryn, so moving here was an obvious choice for me. This house is also close to Penryn train station, about a 10-minute walk, so there are good options for choices of travel in the area.
The Penryn Campus
I always knew that I wanted to go to the University of Exeter to study Zoology, but it wasn’t until it came to applying that I realised I wouldn’t be based in Exeter. I initially had concerns about being based in Penryn, the disconnect with Streatham Campus, and the possibility of reduced opportunities and even the security offered by the University. However, as my fourth year comes to a close I can say that studying in Penryn was the best decision I could have made. Having a seaside university experience was like a dream come true and didn’t involve compromising on the town or facilities. Whilst I am a long way from home, studying in Cornwall has given me a new lease of life and I have enjoyed everything that the location has provided. From lovely coastal walks, to supporting small local businesses, I believe that the Penryn experience is like no other.
My Top Tips
Making your choices for accommodation and the area where you want to live is something that can be tailored to your needs. In your first year in Penryn, you may find that the catered option on-campus is better for you to reduce any worries about cooking and food budgeting, BUT you might also enjoy cooking and are excited by the prospect of learning new recipes, cooking with housemates and experimenting with your meals so the self-catered option may be more suitable. Making a selection that works for you, in your budget, needs and requirements is the best option you can give yourself.