MA International Relations

University of Exeter

Exeter university has a beautiful campus lots of scenic views and high quality facilities, study spaces are endless and modern, there is a nice buzz around these areas. one drawback of campus is how far it is from town (a half an hour walk) however there is a bus which can be quite unreliable. The teaching here is to an extremely high standard which is reflected in the university's organisation systems swell as endless resources not only to develop your core bearings but to develop personal study and career skills. Mainstream lectures are of a high standard and recordings are extremely helpful however seeking out help for these modules can seem daunting due to lack of connection with the module conveyors - this is not an issue within the languages department however. the language department at Exeter is caring and committed to improving your skills, there are often smaller classes and a close connection with your teacher, learning French has been one of my favourite parts of my course despite it not being part of my core modules. This leads me to another praise of Exeter which is its flexibility with the modules you can take, I chose to pick up French and am picking up another optional political module next semester which makes me feel in control of my learning and leads me to care more about how committed I am to the course, optional module opportunities also grow more each year you progress. In highly populated modules tutorials can feel unhelpful since the qualified module conveyor doesn't run the tutorial themselves and its often a PhD student however there are many talented module assistants - tutorial effectiveness also depends on contributions from other students which can be inconsistent. A considerable strength of Exeter university in my case was the option to pursue a BSc instead of a BA, this meant I was able to have social data as part of my core modules in first year and as my degree progresses I will enhance my skillset through this, the weekly labs for my social data module were extremely effective alongside weekly lectures, I found both my module and lab conveyer extremely passionate about helping their students grasp key skills which was so motivational and I felt extremely supported for this module I would definitely recommend making a BSc conversion for humanity degrees if available. Ulitmately I dont regret my degree choice at Exeter, there's an extremely high academic standard and motivation among students to succeed is high creating a strong work ethic among most students, I feel I have been pushed and dont find the work really easy which I think is extremely important for academic progress, I would absolutely recommend this university and particularly my course to any prospective students and I advise in advance to check your core modules closely when applying as well as checking out what optional modules you can take.

It’s a really safe campus with very friendly staff and everything is very easy to navigate. Wouldn’t say it’s great for night life but has a very cozy pub and live music vibe.

The staff and student union are all so welcoming and are available for you almost anytime, which is super convenient and nice, the facilities are also very accommodating and up to date.

Compared to Birmingham, the greenery of Exeter is wonderful, and the campus is close to the city centre, which is also great for convenience. Student accommodation for second and third years is also reasonably priced. The people are friendly too. The buses aren't extremely late either, though many things are within walkable distances, so buses aren't that important. The Student Union are pretty active, but personally I am not extroverted so I don't really expand past my small group of friends. The nightlife is also very active, especially for students.

I attend the Penryn Campus and I think it's a great place to study. There's a surprising amount to do considering it's located in the countryside but I think sometimes people from larger cities get bored. The important thing is to stay engaged but it can feel a little isolating as we're a campus university.