Posts
5 Mood Boosting Tips
5 Tip to improve your mental health (especially this month)
March can feel like a funny old month, especially after the post winter holiday exam season, it can feel like you’re already day for another break. But with University Mental Health day being the 9th March and International happiness day later this month, I thought I would bring you a blog adding to the ‘Top 5 tips series’, on improving your Mental health. Though they may feel obvious, I hope that this blog serves as a reminder to do the things that make you feel your very best.
1. Move your body in a way that feels good. Exercise.
Especially when I haven’t done some form of exercise in awhile, this is one that I always seem to deny will actually help me feel good. That is of course, until I actually do it. For everyone exercise looks different. For me it normally comes in the form of an impromptu dance party, a long walk – even if it’s just walking to and around town/the quay-, a feel good YouTube workout or sometimes, I’ll even put on my running shoes and head out with a feel good playlist playing in one ear.
Whatever it is you choose to do, hype yourself up and give it a go. Because those endorphins and the great sleep you’ll get afterwards, really will do wonders for your mood. (more…)
bfa205 March 15th, 2023 Health and wellbeing, Life on Campus, Lifestyle, Preparing for University, Studying, Undergraduate cornwall, exeter, first year, fresher, freshers, life in the south west, life on campus, medical school, medicine, mental health, penryn campus, preparing for university, second year, settling in, societies, student life, studying, undergraduate, university of exeter, wellbeing
Safe Night Out
Top 5 tips for Staying Safe On a Night Out: The first years guide
1. Failure to plan is planning to fail
I love spontaneity as much as the next person and have been on many an unplanned night out normally dragged along by Daniel in first year! But even if it’s a few minutes of planning it’s an important part of your night. Know the basics, Where are you going? If you need tickets/ have bought tickets, What time are they for? How much time do you need to give yourself to get there? and who do you plan to leave with?
bfa205 March 1st, 2023 Health and wellbeing, Lifestyle, The city of Exeter exeter, first year, fresher, freshers, life on campus, music, preparing for university, settling in, societies, student life
Cost of living help (plus a weekly shopping list suggestion)
Hello! It’s Molly again and I thought I’d give you all some tips on how I budget and save money down in Penryn and Falmouth in this current cost of living crisis.
Hello Fresh
This brilliant food service delivers all the ingredients and recipes needed for up to five meals each week for as many as four people. I used this throughout my first year to help me learn the basics of cooking and to get a variety of meal ideas for the future. A convenient and easy start for any student learning to cook! They currently offer 60% off students’ first box and 25% off the next three.
5-day Firstbus app tickets
A small saving, but something that I have only recently learned is the 5-day bundle of £2 day bus travel tickets instead of the usual £2.50 adult day rider. There are also student Falmouth-Penryn Kernow unlimited yearly bundle tickets available (more information can be found the fxplus website). (more…)
mh951 February 22nd, 2023 Budgeting and Finance, Cornwall, Food and eating, Health and wellbeing, Penryn Campus
University & Part-Time Work: How can I get the best out of both?
Hi everyone!
My name is Lydia, and I am a second-year Management and Marketing student here at the University of Exeter. I also work part-time as a student ambassador at the university, and in the communications department at the Sports Park.
Today I am bringing you my take on balancing study and work, something which has taken me some time to learn. I know student finances can be tight, and it can be necessary to earn some extra pennies. However, part-time work can also add to your personal skillset and boost your CV for future careers. It’s something I have learned so much from! (more…)
lb910 January 26th, 2023 Careers, Health and wellbeing, Life in the South West, Life on Campus, Lifestyle, The city of Exeter budgeting, cost of living, part time job, work, working student life
Addressing additional learning needs – Finding the right learning support at university
By Joe, a University of Exeter graduate (2022), Penryn campus
I was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 10 and through most of my school years it was ignored, which in turn made it much harder to achieve the grades that my peers were getting. Due to my dyslexia, it took me much longer to read and absorb important scholarly materials, and I wasn’t getting extra time in exams, which further limited my chances of getting higher grades throughout my GCSEs in particular when I had multiple subjects and coursework to complete.
However, since leaving the independent school system and joining Exeter University, my dyslexia has been taken much more seriously. (more…)
Author December 6th, 2022 Exams and Assessment, Health and wellbeing, Studying Learning support; dyslexia; university
‘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…)
Yasmin Cannell August 11th, 2020 Applying, Clearing, Health and wellbeing, 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…)
Hannah Maria Rudd August 10th, 2020 Exams and Assessment, Health and wellbeing, Higher Education, Preparing for University, Studying
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…)
Isla Zena Lamparelli July 17th, 2020 Freshers Week, Health and wellbeing, International, Preparing for University, Studying, Undergraduate Clubs, fresher, freshers, international, music, societies, Sports
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…)
am1292 July 16th, 2020 Health and wellbeing, Higher Education, Miscellaneous, Preparing for University, Studying
The algorithmic gaze and its impact on our sense of human identity
Jo Sutherst is a PhD student in the College of Humanities, based in Exeter. Her research is self-funded and is investigating the effects of algorithms and the selfie on identity. Her supervisors are Professor Gabriella Giannachi and Professor David Houston Jones.
My Research
Through my research I am hoping to determine the impact of our engagement with the selfie and the algorithmic filters that can be used to edit and ‘perfect’ our self-image. The selfie can be understood as a product of recent advancements in digital image-making and online image sharing platforms. It is a socially accepted global phenomenon that serves as a means of self-representation.
I will use practice elements involving lots of selfies of me (eek!), which I will then use to research the role of the process of producing, editing and sharing selfies as a method for constructing and communicating identity in a contemporary digital world. The images will be shared on social media so it would be great to have you along for the journey. (more…)
Jo-Anne Sutherst July 8th, 2020 Distance Learning, Health and wellbeing, Higher Education, Postgraduate, Studying
A Typical Week at the University of Exeter as a 2nd Year BA English Student
Hi, my name is Isla and if you haven’t read any of my blog posts before, lovely to virtually meet you, otherwise, welcome back. I’m going to break down my usual week at Exeter uni as a 2nd year English student… (more…)
Isla Zena Lamparelli June 12th, 2020 Freshers Week, Health and wellbeing, Lectures and Seminars, Life on Campus, Lifestyle, Preparing for University, Studying, Undergraduate
How to study productively and efficiently at home
Hi, my name is Isla and I am currently studying for my BA English degree at Exeter University. With the current pandemic and studies disrupted, tackling that pile of coursework you’d rather avoid, combined with health concerns and a distracting home environment is daunting. It’s easy to say ‘I just study better in the library’ but there are methods and tools out there to help you create the best study space you can at home.
Managing my studies around a busy timetable (I am part of three society committees, a subject representative and have a job alongside my studies) has encouraged me to find any resources I can to help with working at home productively and efficiently. I’m going to share with you some of the tools and study methods I use to keep up with work and still have time for Netflix and a social life (well more of a Zoom/Facetime life now). (more…)
Isla Zena Lamparelli June 9th, 2020 Distance Learning, Exams and Assessment, Health and wellbeing, Lifestyle, Preparing for University, Studying, Undergraduate
7 things lockdown makes me miss about Exeter: Thoughts from a 2nd Year
Hi, I’m Prutha! I’m a second year Economics and Finance student from Dubai, and this quarantine really got me reflecting on the many plans my friends and I had once term ended, exams were over and the good times began. Instead , I’m 7 seas away from them and the only thing on my mind is how much I miss my time at university. So whether you’re enjoying quarantine, just graduated, or a fresher looking to study here, here’s 7 things I miss about Exeter.
- The good times with all my pals:
Late night talks, nights out, trying to keep up with the British drinking games, 8:30 AM lectures, board games, disastrous cooking sessions and all the other everyday adventures I had with my friends and all the hours I spent laughing with them (or at them).
Prutha Lad May 29th, 2020 Exploring Devon and Cornwall, Health and wellbeing, Higher Education, International, Life in the South West, Life on Campus, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Studying, The city of Exeter, Undergraduate
Staying positive and productive during COVID-19
For many of us, we have never experienced a time quite like the present. We are unable to leave our homes other than for essential shopping or one exercise per day, leaving many unable to see family and friends for long periods of time.
Despite the lockdown presenting us with many physical barriers that have to be followed to ensure everyone’s safety, we should not let the current climate create barriers to positivity and productivity in our minds. It is important to be positive and productive in order to remain on track to achieving all our hopes and dreams in a world post COVID-19, as one day we really will overcome this. (more…)
Scarlett Liberty Hilson-Wheeler May 15th, 2020 Health and wellbeing, Miscellaneous
- Top 5 series: Best places to study on the Penryn campus
- Top 5 Tips to Combat Loneliness at University
- Wellbeing Contacts
- Living in Halls in the City - Accommodation in the centre of Exeter
- Colour run fundraiser on the Penryn Campus
- Finding housemates - where do I look?
- What I’ve learnt after living with strangers for the first time
- Holi Festival celebrations at the university