As a first year, one of my biggest worries whilst applying for Exeter was student accommodation. How do I apply? Are there catered halls? How easy is it to walk to the nearest grocery store? Luckily, the page for Residences on the University of Exeter website as well as the Accommodation tab on the Falmouth Exeter Plus website answered all my questions. With the help of the images and descriptions provided, I made the decision of applying for Glasney Student Village.
Moving in was more of a breeze than I had anticipated. Assisted by a few student ambassadors, I quickly found my flat. The seemingly endless rows of flats may seem daunting at first sight but after the first few days of walking through it with all its shortcuts, it almost feels like second nature.
In a flat, there are usually 8 people with at least 1 but no more than 2 shared rooms. There’s a shared kitchen in the centre of the flat, and on my first day, I sat in there for hours just getting to know my new flatmates. We divided up the fridge space as well as the cupboards and sorted out a few rotas to make the year together easier. Since then, the kitchen has become not just a shared amenity but also a place where my flat and I bond by playing a range of party games, share takeaways, and just talk about everything for hours on end.
Glasney is great for those who really want to experience a campus uni lifestyle. I’m always a 5-7 minute walk from all my lectures, making early mornings a whole lot easier than before. Being in student halls also means you get to meet people from other courses, and it’s especially unique in Exeter Cornwall as we also get to mingle with students from Falmouth University. It’s also a 2-minute walk from the bus stops to get into Falmouth Town, 7 minutes to walk to Penryn Station, 15 to Asda, and 20 to McDonald’s (a welcome reward after a Lidl shop, which is just next door).
Overall I’ve loved being in Glasney. It’s meant being close to everything that’s happening at the university – if I see something on social media it’s almost effortless to pop down to see the special menu item they’re serving at the Stannary or to see the various fairs that take place throughout the year. It’s meant bumping into people going to events and spontaneously deciding to go with them; going out on day trips with my entire flat to all the neighbouring places we could possibly visit; rolling out of bed just in time for my lecture despite having slept through my alarm. I’d really recommend anyone who was considering university halls to choose Glasney Student Village simply for the fact that it’s made transitioning into my first year at University of Exeter Cornwall a whole lot easier than I could ever ask for.