Latest blog posts from students

A Day in the Life of an English Student at the University of Exeter

Hi there, my name is Sophie and I am a 3rd year English student at the University of Exeter. In this post I want to take you through a typical day in my life to give you a taste of what it is like to study at one of the best universities in the world (not that I am biased…). Whether you’re looking to study English, heading to Exeter this September, or are just curious about student life, I hope you enjoy this post. (more…)

   May 7th, 2021    Life on Campus, Miscellaneous, The city of Exeter, Undergraduate     , , , , ,

Preparing yourself mentally for University

As the start of your first (and second, third!) years at university quickly approach, it can be so easy to get completely swept up in all the practical preparations, to-do lists and general chaos of organising all your belongings into piles ‘to take’, ‘to charity shop’, or to put in the vague ‘undecided’ category that you convince yourself you’ll come back to later… It’s no surprise then that people often forget to take a moment to think about how to prepare themselves mentally for the transition from A Levels or gap years to the academic and social life of university. Here’s where I’ll do half the work for you by prompting you to think about some ways you can prepare before even arriving on campus and generally just make the most of your time studying for a degree. (more…)

   April 12th, 2021    Higher Education, Lifestyle, Preparing for University, Studying, Undergraduate

Life as a mature student – the answers to all the questions you might have

Hi everyone, I’m Jess and I joined the University of Exeter in September 2018 at the ripe age of 21 (when a lot of students actually graduate). I am now in my final year studying Classical Studies and Philosophy and I’ll be graduating at 24!

Are you considering starting university and you’re over 21? Worried about how you will settle in? Then below you’ll find 5 answers to the questions you’ve been thinking of asking! (more…)

   March 23rd, 2021    Higher Education, Life in the South West, Life on Campus, Mature students, Preparing for University, Studying, Undergraduate

5 most common worries about going to university… and why you don’t need to be

Coming to university can often be a scary and unfamiliar journey…but fear not you have nothing to worry about – you’ll absolutely love it! Here are 5 common worries that you need not fret about: (more…)

   March 1st, 2021    Careers, Food and eating, Higher Education, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Studying, Undergraduate

How do I prepare for starting university? Five top tips!

By Hannah, studying BA English with Study Abroad

Preparing to start university is simultaneously an incredibly exciting and nerve-wracking time. As a student in my final year in Exeter, I want to give you my five tried and tested top tips for preparing for starting university. (more…)

   February 24th, 2021    Miscellaneous

5 tips to get involved in Freshers Week

 

1. Online Freshers Fair
It’s inevitable Freshers Fair has to be moved online due the pandemic. With the accessibility of social media platforms, engage with other students on Facebook and Instagram, where you can find support in the big Exeter community. There would be online events, such as live Q&A, Instagram takeovers and society socials! As a committee member of Body Society, I would also be participating in the online cocktail and cooking class socials.

(more…)

   September 4th, 2020    Freshers Week, International, Lifestyle, Preparing for University, Undergraduate

10 things you must bring to university 

Last year before I travelled to Exeter, I was on a family trip and all I did was bring suitcases full of clothes, but – THIS WAS NOT A LOGICAL DECISION! And I wanted to save up a few hundred pounds, my mum then sent me a few parcels from Hong Kong, with several items in them. Very soon I’d be returning to Exeter and I thought it’d be useful for me to list out the 10 things I found crucial to have during the academic year. (more…)

   August 28th, 2020    International, Preparing for University, Undergraduate

5 things I wish I knew before coming to university

Studying

Contact Hours
Despite being a university student, and told that you should become more independent and not rely on your lecturers and tutors to spoon feed you your learning materials, don’t forget that you can always seek help from your tutors during contact hours.

If I had a chance to repeat year one, I would better utilise contact hours because tutors are so helpful to answer any of your questions to prepare you for your assignments and exams. I had a few assignments which I thought I did not do well enough, and after approaching academics during contact hours for feedback, I actually made significant improvements in my next assignment because I had a very clear understanding of what I had to improve on.

(more…)

   August 24th, 2020    Freshers Week, Higher Education, International, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Preparing for University, Undergraduate

Going to a Virtual Open Day

Hi! I’m Annie, and I’m studying for a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering.

Choosing which universities you want to apply for at the moment may be daunting for some. Without being able to visit the cities and get a feel for the place you might find it difficult to picture yourself living there. HOWEVER… many universities are adapting to offer online open days!

You may be hesitant to attend as you feel it won’t be the same experience and you won’t be able to get the information that you need. BUT… fear not I am going to explain all the resources you have available on an online open day and what you can get out of it! (more…)

   August 19th, 2020    Miscellaneous

‘My Clearing experience’: Yasmin, studying MSci Nursing

I decided that I wanted a new adventure in July last year –  I had never really thought about the idea of going to university but something clicked last summer about wanting to go and it’s the best decision I have ever made. I started looking at courses and decided that if I was ever going to go to university, it was going to be Exeter!  

After finding MSci Nursing on their clearing choices, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.  (more…)

   August 11th, 2020    Applying, Clearing, Health and wellbeing, Higher Education, Preparing for University, Undergraduate

‘My Clearing experience’: Toyosi, studying LLB Law with Business

Entering the clearing process for me was a shock. I never imagined that I would be in that situation and panicking was not ideal during the circumstance I was in. The factor that helped me the most during this process was my family. I had my mum doing some research and my sister looking at the universities in detail. After hours of phone calls, I finally narrowed my options down to University of Exeter to study LLB Law with business. Yes! (more…)

   August 11th, 2020    Applying, Clearing, Higher Education, Preparing for University, Undergraduate

Studying from home

An endless supply of tea, easy access to peanut butter toast and the option to work in your pyjamas; studying from home can be great, especially when it means avoiding a soggy commute to the library and helping to reduce carbon emissions.

However, speaking from experience, it can come with procrastination pitfalls; Netflix, sleeping and baking to name a few. If you are used to studying with friends home working can also feel a little dull and lonely. That said, when you’ve got a 3,000-word essay to write there’s no better place to get it down.

Not convinced? I have nine tried and tested tips guaranteed to help you get the most out of studying at home. (more…)

   August 10th, 2020    Exams and Assessment, Health and wellbeing, Higher Education, Preparing for University, Studying

A Cornish Student’s Experience at Penryn

My name is Kira and I am an undergraduate studying English on the Penryn Campus in Cornwall. In September I will be going into my second year of study, and I wanted to share my experience with the Penryn campus and why I believe it’s such an amazing place to study.

As a student who has been born and raised in Cornwall, when it came to deciding my university my first thought was to what was beyond the Tamar. I did all sorts of research for universities outside of my home county but eventually decided that the University of Exeter, not so far from home, was the perfect university that suited what I wanted to study. A research-led institute, an amazing English course with interesting modules, and an atmosphere that I loved. I visited both the Streatham campus and the Penryn campus and applied for both. I successfully received two offers and was determined to study with Exeter, so confirmed Streatham as my firm and Penryn as my insurance. (more…)

   July 22nd, 2020    Cornwall, Higher Education, Life in the South West, Penryn Campus, Undergraduate     , , ,

A Beginner’s Guide to Societies at the University of Exeter

This blog was written based on experiences prior to Covid-19.

Hi Everyone, my name is Isla and I am headed into my final year at Exeter University. I’ve been part of 4 Society Committees and attended some amazing society events in Exeter, but when I arrived as a fresher the societies process seemed quite daunting. What societies are there? How can I sign up? How can I afford to pay for society events and membership?

Well, here is my beginner’s guide to Societies at Exeter Uni… (more…)

   July 17th, 2020    Freshers Week, Health and wellbeing, International, Preparing for University, Studying, Undergraduate     , , , , , ,

Life in Lockdown – How I Survived and Thrived

At first, I was afraid… I was petrified… then life somehow returned to a slightly updated version of ‘normal’. It’s nigh on impossible to write a blog in the ‘mid-covids’, (if that’s what we can call it?) without referring to the ‘C’ word. What an extraordinary time we live in, and for all of us, almost nothing will be as it was for the near future at least.  As I was thinking about writing this blog, I was wondering what to focus on, apart from the obvious.  But I made a quick list of achievements, even the little things, that I had got done amongst, not going to lie, many weeks of uncertainty, and sheer panic at times. It was an impressive list.

The foremost ‘problem’ I tried to solve, was – and I think I wasn’t  the only one – how on earth to keep studying and working towards a goal, when the global goalposts have shifted out of all recognition? Keep calm and carry on was NOT top of my list!

So, this blog will highlight something about my life as a (very) mature student, (!), what I have been doing to keep myself sane, and most importantly what I have learned as a student and now as a post-grad at Exeter, not only academically, but the life skills which have come in very useful indeed! (more…)

   July 16th, 2020    Health and wellbeing, Higher Education, Miscellaneous, Preparing for University, Studying

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