Maeve Diffley

BA Anthropology (2017)

What has been the highlight of your time at Exeter?

I can’t really pick out one particular highlight, I’m really lucky in that the whole experience has been really positive for me, but I think the huge amount of opportunities available at university is a big one. I was involved with XTV, the student TV society, the whole time I was at Exeter, and ran it in my final year. Even though it could be a stressful commitment to have at times, it was probably one of the best things I did with my time at uni. I met so many cool people and learned so many skills, so that was definitely a big highlight.

What will you miss the most about University?

Definitely the freedom we’re given. Outside of scheduled meetings and lectures you can basically do what you want, when you want. This was really helpful to me because, in all honesty, I’m not a morning person in the slightest. I’ve found the early hours are when I’m at my most productive in terms of essay writing/brainstorming, so being able to get to the library in the evening and stay there late was really helpful for me – I’m definitely not looking forward to fixing my sleeping schedule to fit round a normal work day!

Living away from home in close proximity to friends was also an amazing experience, Exeter’s so small that you’re never more than a 20 minute walk from people, that’s something I’m going to massively miss post-uni.

What did you enjoy about your particular degree programme?

I enjoyed having my world-views constantly challenged. Anthropology is an incredibly reflexive subject because of its problematic past, so self-examination is a big aspect of the course. It teaches you to take-in different perspectives to your own and acknowledge their validity, even if they clash with your own beliefs and understandings. I think that’s a really important skill to have, and also made for some really interesting debates and discussions in tutorials.

What advice would you give to current and future students?

Choose modules that interest you. That sounds really obvious and sort of goes without saying, but I honestly think it’s sound advice, if somethings really interesting to you, even if it’s quite a difficult-to-grasp subject, it’s definitely worth doing, because studying for it won’t feel like a chore.

What are your plans now that you have graduated?

Currently unconfirmed. I’ve been looking into jobs in human rights, and am also considering doing a masters in the subject, but it’s all a bit up in the air at the moment. I’d also really like to do some travelling at some point, though I have no immediate plans.