In Exeter, thousands of students sign up to over 170 different Guild-affiliated societies. These societies cover a wide range of activities enabling our students to get fully involved with university life. Societies range from Archaeology, Jazz Orchestra and the Expedition Society to the Lit Soc, Photosoc, Ski Club and Welsh Societies. You can get involved with the running of any of these and if there’s a club you want that we don’t have, we’ll help you set it up. The full list is available on the Guild website.
The range of clubs and societies is a cornerstone of the Cornwall Campus, with FXU providing practical support, as well as subsidies for many activities to help reduce the cost of getting involved. Clubs vary from the traditional sports of rugby, football and hockey to the more unusual paddleboarding and Tremorz (street dance). Other popular groups include the Hip Hop Society, Exploration, Bee Soc and the Renewable Energy and Sustainability Society. There’s an ever-growing list of student clubs, so if we don’t currently have the one you want, FXU will help you set your own up once you’re here! The full list is available on the FXU website.
Exeter is blessed with having one of the most engaged student bodies in the country and this has certainly made my time in Exeter one I will never forget. The “Exeter Experience” can see you partake in some amazing events, and for those that want to, get really involved by running some of the best student-led organisations and societies around.
Throughout my time in Exeter I have been heavily involved in RAG, the Guild’s fundraising organisation, helping raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity. On top of this I have sat on the Guild Council scrutinising the Sabbatical and Forum Officers, the people elected annually to represent the student body; fenced for the University, been a part of the amazing Welcome Team in 2010 and as a Senior in 2011; helped campaign for my friends in various elections – the list goes on and on.
By having one of the best Students’ Guilds in the country, the opportunities are endless. If there is something you want to do, they will have it, and if not they will help you make a way for it happen. Plus if you work for them, you can work for an organisation committed to supporting you work around your degree.
Ben Herbert, BA Geography
Student media
We have one of the most vibrant student media networks in the country, receiving several national awards. Based on the Streatham Campus, X-Media includes a student radio station, newspaper, TV station and website. Involvement in Guild media has provided the springboard for the careers of several famous Exeter graduates, including Thom Yorke of Radiohead, who was a DJ, and Emma B, who was a Guild Sabbatical Officer. Several of the station managers who have been in control at XTV are now working in the TV industry for companies such as the BBC, Carlton and FoxTel in Sydney. Previous members have also used XTV to build portfolios for film school applications and to get into television work. To find out more, please visit the X-Media Online website.
Students run a newspaper called Flex and a radio station called Radiowave. Flex has an amazing 130 contributors from across all the programmes at the Cornwall Campus who regularly submit work. It offers the opportunity for ambitious students to showcase their talent while gaining valuable work experience.
Volunteering
Our extremely successful RAG (raising and giving) involves large numbers of students in imaginative events on and off campus raising money for local, national and international charities. In 2010/11 they raised over £80,000. We also have one of the most active Community Action (CA) groups in the country with over 1,000 student volunteers. CA has been operating for over 40 years and is continuing to grow with ever increasing opportunities CA runs a number of weekly projects and one off events. You could get involved with anything from running a Kids’ Camp, enjoying tea and cake with the elderly, redecorating a homeless shelter or cleaning up the beach, all of which can significantly contribute to your employability skills and CV. Our students currently carry out 72,000 hours of voluntary work each year - an all time high!
I got involved with Community Action, the student volunteering organisation, in my first year, volunteering on a project for older people. I absolutely loved it and had no idea it would take me on such an exhilarating, enjoyable and exciting journey. In my second year I sat on the Project Leader and Management Teams of Community Action, and now I’m one of the Officers who oversee the organisation.
From the start I wanted to get as involved as possible, and the more I did, the more I realised how much Community Action and the Student’s Guild could offer. I’ve learnt skills which are sought after by employers, made friends for life and can confidently say it was Community Action which shaped my student experience at Exeter. It’s also given me the chance to work alongside members of Guild staff, get involved with other Guild societies, and work in the Guild Bars. I’ve made strong friendships with a wide range of people because of it.
The best thing about being involved with the Student’s Guild is feeling part of something, and being able to bring this sense of communality to other students.
Kerry Hammond, BA History
When I was accepted to Exeter I knew that I wanted to
become involved in my university; this is one of the reasons that I ran
for First Year Guild Councillor in the second week of term. After being
successfully elected I now sit on Guild Council, attending meetings
twice a week. It sounds clichéd, but I met many new people by joining
council; it is a chance for people who, like me, care about improving
our university for the better to meet and discuss our views and the
views of others. My main task is to ensure that the sabbatical team are
doing their job to the best of their ability. I am also able to bring
motions to the table for discussion – these can be my own thoughts or
the thoughts of others. I hope to be involved in the Guild directly for
my three years at Exeter to make change for the better and to maintain
the high standard of student satisfaction.
Lucy Bartropp, 1st Year BSc Biology and Animal Behaviour
X-media, and especially XTV, has been the making of my
time at the University. I have learnt so many skills crucial to a
career in media and have had experiences that few people will gain at
other universities, which only the National Award winning station can
provide.
Sarah Baker, 3rd Year Ancient History
