Why should I choose Exeter for my year abroad?

This student city is the perfect size for a year abroader; it’s big enough to allow you to meet a vast range of people at the beginning of and during your stay, but small enough for you to know many of the students you see walking around town, by the end. Much like Durham, Exeter University has an overwhelming feeling of family about it; it’s a place where you feel valued, and well within your depth.

There’s a lot of culture to be explored and appreciated in and around Exeter: the staggering cathedral which survived the WW2 bombings, the underground tunnels, the beautiful ‘Devon and Exeter Institute’ (a traditional Victorian library and club), and various old cobbled streets, historical public houses, statues and ruins. And if you look hard enough, you might even be lucky enough to stumble across Parliament Street – the world’s narrowest street! Exeter also offers a deliciously Parisian and historical ship canal, which winds around the bottom of the city itself, and which is framed by quaint little cafes and old craft shops. This is a beautiful place for a wander and a picnic on a sunny day, and at one point during your stay in Exeter, you will undoubtedly find yourself canoeing down this canal with a group of mates to drink a Devon pint at a pub in Double Locks: a must-do Exeter student tradition. There is one main High Street in Exeter, which has all the shops you could need (clothes shops, chocolate shops, dressing-up shops, pet shops…), but hidden behind that is the legendary Gandy street, filled with little boutique jewellery, clothes and art shops. Exeter is notably peppered with many unique and character-filled restaurants and pubs, found tucked away down its cobbled side-streets, all of which offer delicious and inspired local menus. The nightlife in this exciting city is of course fantastic. Exeter offers a variety of atmospheric pubs and clubs, which appeal to a vast range of music tastes, and the copious ‘student nights’ on offer mean that the city’s nightlife is in fact readily affordable.

Yet the best part of Exeter is that the fun doesn’t just stop when you leave the city. The seaside – and numerous beaches – are a mere stone’s throw away, and various surfing and sailing societies allow you to take full advantage of this. You must also be sure to pack your wellies, because if you drive (or train!) out of Exeter for just 5 minutes, you will find yourself in the midst of Britain’s most beautiful countryside, exploring some of the loveliest little country villages and farm shops. And you can then return from your adventures to sit down to one of Exeter’s delicious and readily available, traditional Devon cream teas: that’s warm scones, lathered in thick clotted cream, with a large dollop of English strawberry jam. Once you’ve tried one, you’ll realise that nothing can beat it.

So whether you’re someone who loves partying, or someone who enjoys the Great Outdoors, Exeter is the city for you. It’s a city you’ll feel proud to live in, and proud to show to your friends and family; and it’s a city you will find very hard to leave at the end of your year abroad.

A word or two about the University of Exeter

Exeter is a campus-based university (all the teaching is in one area of the city), and the campus is one of the greenest in the UK. Many of the buildings on campus have recently been renovated, to allow Exeter students to get the most out of their studies. The majority of students live in the same part of town, and walk to campus each day (which takes a maximum of about 20 minutes), a pretty walk which students invariably do together. The university set- up couldn’t be more logical.

NB: If you’re a Harry Potter fanatic, then Exeter is your city. JK Rowling is an old Exeter student, and much of the inspiration for the Harry Potter books can therefore be attributed to her time at Exeter. Visit what many believe to be her inspiration for the Leaky Cauldron (Exeter’s ‘Old Firehouse’), see the amazing Hufflepuff loos (in the old psychology building), wander down Gandy Street (uncanny links with Diagon Alley…), and check out various student halls to note spooky parallels with the Hogwarts houses.