Get involved with your union
From being a mentor I have gained an insight into new cultures and have gained leadership skills in helping and answering my chums questions... I have also learnt many new things about the city from showing my chums around!
Get inspired and see through the eyes of a different student each week on our Instagram.
Get involved
Get involved
Get involved
Studying is just part of your university experience. There are a number of ways to make the most of your time in the UK, meet local people and get to know your new home:
Come and be a part of our Intercultural Cafe to meet new people, celebrate our different cultures and approaches. Each week will be a different theme.
Streatham Campus
Join us every Wednesday and Friday during term for a free hot drink and pastry. You can find a full list of dates and themes here.
Penryn Campus
Join us on the second and fourth Friday of the month during term from 2.30pm - 4pm for a free hot drink and cake. A full list of sessions can be found here.
Exeter-based students
Check out the list of societies and groups and sports clubs available on campus, see what the Students' Guild have planned in the 'What's On' section across campus.
Penryn-based students
Check out the list of societies and groups available on campus, see what Falmouth & Exeter Students' Union have planned in the 'What's On' section across campus.
Streatham students
Connections Cafe is hosted online by our Multifaith Chaplaincy every Tuesday from 2-4pm in the Neil Cross room, level 1 Fourm Library on Streatham campus. Come along to connect with new friends, talk about your week and life.
Cornwall students
Our Multifaith Chaplaincy have lots going on, see their website for the most up-to-date information.
Volunteering is a great way to boost your CV, develop skills, gain experience, make contancts and give something back. Don't forget that most voluntary work counts towards the Exeter Award.
- Why not help out new incoming international students by becoming a Global Chums mentor?
- Have you considered getting involved in the events on your campus?
- See what other volunteering opportunities are available through the Students' Guild and FXU.
HOST visits are a fantastic way of spending a weekend with a British family and experiencing British culture for yourself outside the University.
The visit itself is free, but you will be required to pay an application fee of £60.
Join a community group – for example The Global Centre in Exeter or Café Polyglot Language Cafe in Falmouth.
Globe Café is a weekly event for International Students run in partnership between Friends International and the Evangelical Christian Union. It is a great occasion to build friendships across cultures, have a lot of fun and also share from our different cultural perspectives. All international students welcome - find more details here or by searching 1globecafeexeter on Instagram.
Cultural Festival (20-24 March)
The Cultural Festival is a celebration of the many cultures overlapping within our university community, including International Film Festival Screenings, Holi celebrations, a cultural sports day, and much more. A wide range of events for everyone to enjoy that culminate in a final showcase in the Great Hall!
Check the Students' Guild website for more information.
International Students' Day
The 17th of November is International Students' Day, a date that celebrates the bravery and strength of international students. In honour of this we celebrated a creative contest for international students to share their experience. And the winner, selected by open voting, was Zhang Han, with his photo titled What is lonely.
This is an image that fearlessly expresses the occasional loneliness that can haunt an international student, while also embracing the beauty and unique worth of the experience, and the opportunity it brings to discover new places and people. Or as Zhang Han described his photo: "Sometimes the extra detours we take may take us to discover a different kind of beauty, perhaps a view that no one else can find in a lifetime, well, in a way it's a lot like life."
Events on campus
We host a number of cultural events across our campuses, often open to local residents too.
Events in Exeter
The University, in collaboration with Student's Guild societies, supports a number of cultural events on campus throughout the year. We support groups of students who wish to celebrate national, cultural or religious events across campus. In previous years we have helped students to celebrate Diwali, Thanksgiving, and Lunar New Year. All events are open to students and staff, and some events are open to the public where noted.
Events will be added throughout the year and publicised through Your International News and News In Brief.
For your diary:
Spring Festival, 13 February 2024
Diwali Campus celebrations, 19 November 2023
Christmas Day lunch Sunday 25 December 2023
Cultural Festival, 20-24 March 2024
Events in Cornwall
There is plenty organised on campus, so we advise you check out the FXPlus 'What's On' calendar to see all events organised across campus. Below you can see our regular events targeted specifically at our international student population. Our events will also be publicised through the monthly term-time 'Your International News' newsletter, sent to all non-UK domiciled students, so check your inbox for the latest!
Intercultural Cafe - twice month during term time: Come and be a part of our Intercultural Cafe to meet new people, celebrate our different cultures and approaches. Join us on the second and fourth Friday of the month during term from 2.30pm - 4pm for a free hot drink and cake. Each week will be on a different theme. You can see a list of what's planned this term here.
International Student Orientation - September & January: We host a wide ranging orientation programme for our new arrivals in our key arrivals period of September and January. You can see what's planned here, and all events are open to both new and returning students.
International Student Day - November: We celebrate our diverse international student population on campus with an event designed to help international students meet each other and share aspects of their culture with students from around the world. You can find out more here.
Christmas in Cornwall - December: If you are staying on campus over the festive period, we provide a wide range of activities for you to enjoy. You can find out more here.
International Mother Language Day - February: Celebrating the diverse range of languages present in our student population. Take part in our Flipgrid competition here, or join in our social event (details to be published very soon!)
International Summer Picnic - May: Welcome in the summer holidays with a final chance to catch up before you go off on your travels home or across Europe. Free food, free drinks and free garden games! Bring a picnic blanket to sit on. Friday 20th May 2022, 4-6pm AMATA Lawns. Be sure to pre-book your space here [Link to follow very soon!]
Can't see the event you want?
Contact internationalcornwall@exeter.ac.uk if you’d like support with planning and celebrating an event; we are happy to support groups of students who wish to celebrate national, cultural or religious events across campus. In previous years we have helped students to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival, Diwali, Chinese New Year & Norwegian Constitution Day.