Exeter Uni Accommodation

[CBear99]

Does anyone have experience of Birks Grange Village at Exeter ? My DD has just been allocated SC accommodation here - she does like socialising but is not a party animal in any way and asked to be somewhere fairly quiet though not completely cut off - if it's party central this would make her quite anxious. She's now panicking as the other students in the same block are all posting about being older post gap year party animals Is she worrying unnecessarily?

[Ligresa]

I don't think you can control who you live with. Buy a set of earplugs and tell her to enjoy herself!

[SoonerthanIthought]

I can understand her worrying cbear - though I don't think the fact that they're post gapyear is an issue, 5 party animals with 1 non party animal isn't always a good combo! I think I'd say wait and see how it turns out - some courses are so full-on that the partying doesn't last long anyway. My impression is that it can be possible to move flats/swap with people, so if they're really incompatible dd may be able to change.

[Moominmammacat]

My DD moved from Birks to Holland after a term because she didn't like her corridor. You can't tell who you end up with ... give it a go and move if it doesn't work. Uni was v. helpful.

[MrsPellegrinoPetrichor]

There is lots on line about Exeter accommodation,has she looked?

[MrsPellegrinoPetrichor]

Ds will be taking his headphones and ear plugs!

[maxelly]

Birks Grange is lovely brand new accommodation. I wouldn't worry too much about the stuff on social media, particularly if these people are in her block but not in her corridor/flat - the party animals are likely to be the loudest ones on social media anyway and perhaps others are just joining in to try and fit in?

IMO you get party people in pretty much any of Exeter's halls (perhaps a little more so in the more modern halls which have a reputation for being 'posh', but by no means isolated to there), but equally there are plenty of students like your DD. I know it feels super important to most first years to be friends with the people they live with, and to be honest quite a lot of going out and drinking in flatmate groups seems to happen in Freshers Week in the rush to establish friendships. But for the majority it settles down over the first term and people gradually start to find their 'real' friends through their course, sports, hobbies, societies etc., and so who you live with becomes less important (so long as they are reasonably considerate and don't ruin other people's experience with their partying of course!). Which when you think about it makes more sense that your friends would come from the people you have a real connection with rather than the fairly random allocation of the uni computer! So she needs to not panic if these people turn out not to be 'her' people if you see what I mean, her people are out there, maybe just not in her flat!

And be reassured that if she is really unlucky and has drawn the truly unreasonably drunken/loud/messy arseholes (there are a few) rather than the more normal 'go a bit mad in freshers then settle down' flatmates, there's usually quite a bit of accommodation movement over the first term with dropouts and/or people not liking their flats and wanting to move somewhere cheaper/closer/catered/self catered etc. so she will probably have a chance to move. She may be able to find a party animal who's been allocated a quieter flat to swap with if that is an issue - the uni is usually quite supportive. But I'm sure she'll be fine anyway! Best of luck to her!

[Shakirasma]

My DD lived in a town house at Birks for her first year, 3 years ago. She absolutely loved it and her housemates,P1, had regular reunions ever since as they all remain great friends. She had a lot of fun but its not party central either. Excellent middle of the road accommodation Imo.

[MrsPellegrinoPetrichor]

Is Birks Grange the accommodation by St David's station?

[Shakirasma]

Is Birks Grange the accommodation by St David's station?
No. It's on that side of the university but its located right on the edge of the campus. About a 10 minute walk from St David's.

[MrsPellegrinoPetrichor]

I'm not even going to ask about ds's halls- I'll only fret😂

[CBear99]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I've given her similar advice - to go with the flow in Freshers and it'll probably settle down quite quickly after that. I also agree that the ones posting on social media about partying are more likely to be the loudest rather than the norm. Her brother found his first year flat in Birmingham very loud and tough going - and he is a party animal- which is probably adding to her concern. He stuck it out but not surprisingly hasn't gone on to share with any of them! He's lived to tell the tale ( a few hair raising ones...)