Exeter Penryn Campus

[Iknownothing]

We are due to visit in couple of weeks for the open day so will obviously ask some of these questions but interested in wider opinions.
Does it feel like the ‘poor relative’ to ‘proper’ Exeter? As in offering of clubs and societies, activities etc? Can they join in with Falmouth Uni stuff?
is the town dominated by Falmouth Uni students? (As in - are there silly rivalries and differences?)
is it easy to find part time jobs?
does it feel isolated as a town?
Also accommodation:
-how likely is it that dd is offered a shared room? She doesn’t mind shared bathroom but would hate not having her own space to retreat to
and what is the reality of these folding beds - are they an irritating novelty or actually ok?
And how easy is it to find second/third year accommodation?

I don't have experience of the Penryn campus as my DD was based at Streatham campus in Exeter. Perhaps you could post in WIWIKAU on Facebook as there are parents who have DC at Penryn on this site.

From my limited experience Penryn campus is much smaller that the two in Exeter but the degree is from Exeter uni so standard of teaching should be the same.

A friends son is at the Penryn campus and we looked as at it as possible Falmouth Uni applicant.
He mixes with Falmouth uni kids and I think the housing is mixed. The campus is on its own and as a whole is fairly big - you can't tell which is which just by looking at it but the buildings are either Exeter Uni or Falmouth I believe.
Housing for Y2 and 3 scarce! Falmouth authorities don't like letting to students - there are restrictions on rentals. No idea about sharing or the folding beds??
The campus is on its own site near Penryn, which is cute but small with maybe a couple shops/restaurants? Bus ride to Falmouth which is buzzy. Imagine a job is easier to get in the touristy summer months but there are tons of restaurants and shops in Falmouth itself.

I live in Falmouth, so don't know much about your university-related questions, but I can answer some.

I have never heard of any Falmouth Uni/Exeter Uni rivalries - I really don't think that's a thing. I think they share a lot of social facilities etc.

Getting casual jobs is relatively easy here - lots of hospitality (especially in the summer, but it's really quite a year-round town, thanks in part to the student community!).

If it feels isolated is a personal thing. It definitely could - 'up country' is a long way away and if visiting friends in other places etc is going to be something they want to do on weekends, that's going to be expensive and time-consuming - Exeter is a two-hour drive/even longer on the train, and Exeter feels a bit out on a limb to a lot of people in the North/South East. But, it's a fun town with lots going on, and if you like beach/outdoorsy lifestyle it's a great place to be.

Housing-wise, the people I know who are students here have all found nice places to live (though it's a small town, and possible that's through the benefit of their local connections). We live in one of the student-y bits of town and a it's safe and friendly place to be.

@Iknownothing The people who were attracted to it at DDs school were ones who didn’t think they would get the grades for Exeter main campus but wanted Exeter cachet. Or they liked surfing and sailing. It’s a long way from anywhere so you must really want the vibe. It was set up to attract Cornish students who want to stay near home, so it can feel “local”.

Thank you for the replies! We are semi rural village in the south east and DC likes the more relaxed social life (as opposed to clubbing) but it does worry me how far it is and the fact I’d have to tackle the A303 to drop her off.
She is not bothered about Exeter reputation - it’s more the course (marine science) that she’s interested in.

@Iknownothing Dont assume clubbing is what students want in cities and towns. Mine went a few times but live music, museums and galleries. theatre, professional sport and other forms of entertainment topped clubbing. Falmouth would have been limiting for them but it’s very good for the course your DD wants. Distance from home didn’t bother my DDs but being in a vibrant city meant a lot. They didn’t do marine science though.

My DD lived there in her first year and absolutely loved it. She had a great en suite room and we were very impressed by the standard of the accommodation. Each flat had around 6 bedrooms with a proper kitchen and they were built for purpose so had good sound proofing between the rooms.
Her subject was a joint honours that was only available there rather than at Exeter.
She loved Falmouth and thought it was a brilliant place to be but obviously that was her personal opinion and it might not suit everyone.
She has a lot of friends from Falmouth Uni and lived with some of them for the next two years. None of her friends had problems finding jobs or accommodation. Rental prices have definitely increased but I imagine that is a universal problem.
It was a long journey for us but the perk of that meant I sometimes stayed overnight, which meant I had a mini seaside break!

DD loves Exeter Penryn. Check out the Sidings accommodation, really nice and a bit nearer to town. Loads to do - outdoor and beach as well as clubbing. Feels very safe and easy to get round. Not many people seem to work - DD has pub job and got that before freshers came down. Beautiful place to study.

Don't know about Penryn I'm afraid but if she's interested in Marine sciences then Plymouth is bloody brilliant (you might already be aware). It was there that one of the researchers discovered microplastics which has obviously been world changing. Definitely worth looking at IMO if you haven't already considered.

A friend of DDs missed the grades for Exeter but was offered Penryn instead. He did really well in his first year so could have transferred over to the main campus, but chose not to. He liked the lifestyle and mixing with the creative students at Falmouth U. I think he did a lot of drama even though his degree was some sort of applied STEM. Interestingly four years after graduation, he is doing as well as, probably better than, many of his peers who went to Oxbridge/Imperial.

DD visited him. It is a very long way!

My DH did Marine Science at UoE Penryn as a mature student and loved it. The course is fantastic and the opportunities and support he had were brilliant. The whole campus is mixed so Fal and Exeter students are mixed for socialising etc. No rivalry really. Housing I can't comment on as he stayed at home obviously! But his course mates didn't seem to have any issues finding shared houses and many have stayed on after finishing.
In terms of Falmouth itself, its a v short bus journey from the campus. Lots of possibilities for part time work but there are a LOT of students so will be competitive.
I don't think it particularly feels isolated but it is on a branch line which makes it trickier transport-wise if you don't drive.
Graduation will be in Truro btw, they don't go to Exeter for that.

DD has just started at Falmouth and is living at the Sidings near Penryn campus. Her flat is a mix of Exeter and Falmouth students, and she has been to a couple of societies that are also a mix. Everyone seems friendly, I dont think there is any rivalry.
She seems happy so far. Her course is at the Falmouth campus, and art courses have quite a lot of contact time, so she's mostly mixing with people from her course, but she's been out with her flatmates a couple of times.
She was in the sea between lectures yesterday, I'm quite jealous!