Moving to Exeter as a student

Exeter is home to the University of Exeter which is one of the most popular and well-respected universities in the UK with its Russell Group status, and high-achieving academics, as well as being known as very sociable and for its high level of sports teams. This smaller university town may be quaint by comparison to the likes of Manchester or London, however for some people, this more manageably sized whilst still quite vibrant student town is perfect for them.

What to do?

One of the huge perks of being an Exeter student is that you are so close to the coast and Devon’s beautiful coastline, so weekend visits to Exmouth Beach are an absolute must, especially in the Summer. You can head down on the train for less than a fiver, take a disposable BBQ and have a great day on the sand with your friends enjoying the great British sunshine (when it decides to come out!) What’s more, although a little further, if you have more time on your hands, a trip along to Cornwall for a surfing or water sports weekend is also not unmanageable.

With regard to nightlife, although Exeter is not always considered the most happening of university cities, it still has a few great clubs that all the students return to week in week out. Timepiece is your Wednesday night club for the sport socials, but everyone that doesn’t play sport still heads down too. Mosaic Mondays are another hit, most notably with the Freshers when they can still hack going out several times a week while work isn’t too intense. Arena is another favourite on Tuesdays and Thurdays, so you won’t be short of places to go for a fun night out and you can guarantee any of these will be filled with with students all out for a good time!

Get involved in sports- Exeter is renowned for its high level sports teams so if you’re a competitive sportsman, you can definitely become a part of this great standard. There is also, however, a large number of squads for each sport and extremely casual inter-sports competitions, so if the more serious stuff isn’t for you, you can definitely still get involved! Doing a sport, be it for exercise, as a serious thing, or just for fun is a great way to meet people and the sports clubs are all very sociable so you’ll be bound to make new friends regardless.

Exeter Quay is a lovely area for picturesque boutiques and riverside walks, head to Dartmoor to see the beautiful countryside and national parks, go bowling at Tempin where you can get 50% off on Tuedays so pay just 3.99 or go to the Old Firehouse for cosy drinks of a rainy evening- it was what inspired the ‘Leaky Cauldon’ in JK Rowling’s World famous Harry Potter books!! Check out other things to do and places to go during your time in Exeter here.

Where to stay

As for finding accommodation in Exeter, there are house shares on offer through several different companies for all around the city which is generally the done thing for university students when they move out of halls. On Roomlala, we offer a wide range of alternative accommodation from spare rooms to flatshares if that is what you would like to do. The rent for a spare room is considerably lower than that of a traditional rental. Also, renting cheaper forms of accommodation also allows you to have more money to spend on leisure during your studies!

If you’re going to be studying elsewhere in the U.K., then check out our other student advice blogs!

• Studying in Edinburgh: What to Do and Where to Stay

• Studying in London: What to Do and Where to Stay

• Studying in Manchester: What to Do and Where to Stay

Author: Roomlala

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