When I was applying to university, I remember spending hours trying to picture what my life would look like in each place. What would I do after my lectures? What do the weekends look like? Would I enjoy living there? I wish someone back then would have told me how unique living in Cornwall would be, and how the experiences you would get here cannot be replicated anywhere else.
Hello! I’m Prisha, and I’m currently a third and final year studying BSc Zoology at Penryn Campus in Cornwall. Think of this blog as a love letter to my time at uni in Cornwall. With my time here drawing to a close, it’s bittersweet reminiscing all the experiences I’ve had here. So, I’m grateful to be able to tell you all about it, how life looks different here, in the best possible way.
A campus and town that feels like a community
On thing I was worried about before coming to Penryn was that a smaller campus would feel limiting socially. In my opinion however, it has been the complete opposite. At a smaller campus, you start recognising faces everywhere – in lectures, the library, local cafes in town, and in all the societies the university has to offer. Familiar faces turn into conversations and conversations turn into friendships
My community in gig rowing
I’ve found my community through gig rowing. In my first year I joined the SU Gig Rowing society, where I learnt the uniquely Cornish sport. The University of Exeter’s Cornwall campus (shared with Falmouth University) is the UK’s only university to have a gig rowing society!
I enjoyed it so much that I went on to join the committee in my second year as the Indoor Session Coordinator, leading the erg (rowing machine) workouts. It was through the committee that I made 3 of my best friends. I got selected for a race crew in my second year, which I am still part of now! The society uses the facilities of the local Flushing and Mylor Pilot Gig Club, and therefore you inevitably start making friendships with members of the public club too. That means you’re not just friends with students, but with rowers of all ages. For me that meant chatting with and rowing alongside people well into their 80’s! Being part of a sports club where you train regularly with the same people creates such a close-knit environment. Some of my best uni memories have come from post-row pastry runs at the Flushing Food Barn and early morning sessions watching the sun come up with the rest of the crew.
I have no doubt that all the other societies, sporty or not, will provide the same sense of belonging. You feel connected to people in different courses and year groups all because you share a common interest. So, if I had to recommend anything to a new student or someone thinking of going to university, it would be this: join a society in your first year. You never know who you’ll meet or where it might lead you
Speaking of which… let me tell you all about the best experience I’ve ever had, thanks to studying in Cornwall: the World Pilot Gig Championships.
The World Pilot Gig Championships
Every year, the World Pilot Gig Championships takes place on the Isles of Scilly (an archipelago off the coast of Cornwall) bringing together gig rowers from across Cornwall, Devon, some other parts of the UK and the rest of the world for one huge weekend of racing, celebrations, and slightly chaotic energy. And somehow, this became part of my university experience in both my second and third years.
The build-up starts months beforehand, with everyone talking about crews, training, and whether the weather will behave itself for the event. Then suddenly, after months of training through wind, rain, freezing winter mornings and questionable sea conditions, you find yourself on the Scillonian ferry (the boat that takes you from Cornwall to the Isles of Scilly) packed with hundreds of rowers heading towards the islands.
The whole weekend feels surreal. The islands themselves are stunning: clear blue water, tiny beaches everywhere, and boats filling the harbour as crews arrive from all over Cornwall and beyond. During race weekend, the normally quiet islands completely transform into this buzzing atmosphere where everyone somehow knows everyone. Bare in mind that this is no longer a student experience, you are now immersed in centuries-old Cornish tradition. It makes me realise how choosing to study in Cornwall allows you to become part of communities that exist far beyond university life itself.
Racing at these world championships was one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking things I’ve done at university. There’s something so intense about lining up at the start surrounded by over 130 other gigs in the first race, hearing supporters cheering from boats nearby, and knowing your whole crew has been training for this exact moment.
But beyond the racing itself, it’s the atmosphere I’ll remember most. Watching races from the harbour wall with friends, celebrating after long days on the water, and seeing the entire rowing community come together to celebrate the end of the weekend made it feel about so much more than sport.
I remember at one point stopping and thinking how strange it was that this had become normal life for me, travelling to islands off the Cornish coast to compete in a traditional rowing event with some of my closest friends from university. My friends and I made a pledge that we will return to the Isles of Scilly in the future, I can’t wait for that time to come.
And I think moments like that perfectly sum up what makes studying in Cornwall feel so unique.
Unique fieldtrip opportunities
Carrying on from the Isles of Scilly theme here, let me tell you about my fabulous first year field trip to the islands as part of my Zoology course. The first great thing about the field trip was that the cost was completely covered by my regular course fees:, from the bus to Penzance, the ferry over, the food and camping, no student has to pay anything extra. So technically, if you really wanted to, you could spend an entire week there without spending any money at all, which as a first-year student felt pretty amazing.
For a week, the islands became our classroom. Our days were spent exploring different habitats across the islands, from rocky shorelines and sand dunes to grassy fields and coastal paths. We carried out species identification, learnt sampling techniques, and practised fieldwork skills we’d previously only talked about in lectures. On one of the days we were also lucky enough to go on a free wildlife spotting boat trip! This was the first time I saw a puffin, and I was so shocked how small it was compared to what I had imagined. We also saw plenty of seals and many more sea birds. The trip also gave me more confidence when we returned to campus, and has helped me get more out of my degree ever since. The experience of camping with friends and lecturers on my course made me feel so much more comfortable speaking up and asking questions when I felt unsure, as it felt like an experience which we all shared and could talk about together.
And while this was a Zoology trip specifically, I think the bigger point applies to every student at Penryn. Studying in Cornwall gives you opportunities to experience places in a much more hands-on way. Whether it’s fieldwork, societies, or outdoor activities, your degree becomes connected to the location around you instead of being completely separate from it.
I think that’s what makes studying here feel so unique. Experiences aren’t just happening inside university buildings; Cornwall itself becomes part of your education.
Living somewhere people go on holiday
I still have moments where I stop and think, this is such a crazy place to live as a student.
Because yes, you do still have deadlines and stressful weeks and early lectures, but you also live by the coast.
My favourite memories from uni have been the simplest ones:
- beach barbeques and roasting marshmallows in summer
- walking along coastal paths with friends (with an ice cream at the end!)
- sea swims in crystal clear water on warm afternoons
- watching storms from the coastline in winter
- getting chips and maybe a pint after a long library day and sitting by the harbour
Being surrounded by nature makes you spend more time outside, more time moving, and more time doing things that make you feel good without really planning to.
Even during stressful periods, there’s usually a way to escape for an hour and reset a bit.
I can’t imagine doing uni anywhere else
Looking back now, I think coming down to Cornwall for university has been the best decision I’ve ever made. It sounds a bit extreme, but I really do think so.
I’ve worked hard during my degree and I’ve learnt so much, but I’ve also made memories outside of academics that feel just as important. I’ve met people I genuinely think will stay in my life long after university, and I’ve had experiences that I wouldn’t have had anywhere else.
Life here won’t look the same as studying in a huge city, but that’s exactly why I love it.
Somewhere between the sea swims, society socials, stressful library days, and spontaneous sunset walks, Cornwall has completely become home (cue the shanty – Cornwall My Home).