"Exeter - probably NOT the best university in the world" but not far off (University of Exeter in general)

Member Name: malteser1987

Product:	University of Exeter in general
Date:	22/05/09 (242 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful surroundings, good social life

Disadvantages: All about money

You'll recognise an Exeter University student. They have the Carlsberg inspired car sticker "Exeter - Probably The Best University in The World" in the back of a remarkably expensive car. I think the university has changed even over the course of my three years there 2005-2008, and I wasn't sure in that time if it really was for the better. I lived in the now knocked down - Duryard Halls, Hetherington House. These were the cheapest catered halls, aside from Lafrowda which is notorious because it was 'built wrong'. The food was terrible, I found dead insects in two of my meals there...but Duryard, may ye rest in peace, is not the one under scrutiny here.

The Pro's:

Beautiful. I remember viewing other universities and seeing an abundance of grey cement blocks whereas the Streatham campus where I mainly resided, was built in an abundance of stunning hills with wonderful views. Yes, the hills are part and parcel of the experience and I enjoyed the names allocated to certain trails such as 'cardiac hill' and the not so appropriately named 'rape alley' - said in jest of course, but which was a dodgy, steep mudpath which gave you a quicker route to my halls in particular. The buildings themselves, apart from the physics building which is sadly a grey concrete block, are a blend of old and new and some are wonderful. I spent most of my time in the Roborough Studio's, being a drama student, which is a wonderful old building where the ground level with 3 large studio's and cubby hole rehearsal spaces sits on top of an old library, still laden with books and completely unused and unsafe!

The campus sits in large amounts of greenery making it a pleasent place to be in the summer months and you will see students laid out 'revising' in every patch of greenery they can find. There is also a sculpture garden dotted upon the trees, shrubs and grassy areas.

The Cons:

Exeter itself has come under a lot of development and now has the Princesshay outdoor shopping centre. My only issue with this is that its overpriced. There are so many exclusive boutiques with hundred pound bags, ridiculously overpriced for the average 'student' but then maybe its not catering to what I would consider to be the average student. I was fairly skint in my time and had two jobs in my final year. Mummy and daddy didn't pay for me, but now with the increase in the price of halls and increasing fees and added expense I can't imagine there are so many 'me's' about anymore. When I visit there is always an abundance of 'rahs' now. Preened and proper wearing Jack Wills slouching trackie bottoms which are £60+ a time, hoodies with the Exeter logo and an abundance of nicknames and sexually orientated slogans and enough peroxide blondes and back combing to convince us all that they've just tumbled out of bed...well the demographic has changed. There is a lot of money, a lot of clique groups and a lot less 'normal' folk living the proper student life.

So if you can find the right group for you, it's a great place as it was for me. But its changed and is changing.

Summary: Has its plus points but is getting bogged down with money