Applications for 2024 will open later this year. Please visit our How to Apply section to read the guidelines to find out more.
Email iss@exeter.ac.uk
Social Programme
Social Programme
Social Programme
While the primary focus of the International Summer School is to study something new, it is also great opportunity to explore some of the UK. This means that your time spent with new friends outside of the classroom is just as important to us as the quality of the academic programme itself and we try to ensure you have every opportunity to engage with people and places around you and really explore what the UK and Exeter has to offer. This includes time spent in London at the start of the programme which we use to help you get to know each other, introduce you to the University of Exeter, explore the capital of the UK and have a bit of a holiday with the security of the ISS team to support you.
As part of the programme, we offer several day trips and evening activities, some included within the programme fee and some are optional extras. The optional extras are just that – optional – and the only reason they are not included in the programme fee is that they may not be suited everyone’s tastes and plenty of people want to take the extra chances to go off and explore with their new international friends, rather than stay with the organised events.
Included within the programme fee
As part of the London trip, all accommodation is included in a city centre hotel with twin rooms to encourage you to start getting to know your classmates from the moment you arrive. The hotel also provides breakfast and has facilities for other meals as well, though this is not covered by the programme fee.
During your time in London, you have the full support onsite of our experienced International Summer School team, and our crew of wonderful Exeter Student Ambassadors who have full training to provide you with support whilst also helping you to meet new people and learn about life in the UK.
During your time in London, you will have the opportunity to engage in academic sessions and a cultural programme. In previous years, the Summer School has visited venues such as the Brtitish Museum, London Dungeons, Harry Potter Experience, Victoria and Albert Museum, Tower of London and Windsor Castle. More information about plans for our 2024 programme will be published in the autumn.
Enjoy the opportunity to spend a day on the beach with a difference!
The South West region has one of the longest coastlines in Britain and boasts beautiful beaches, fishing villages, seaside resorts and a landscape of outstanding geological and environmental importance.
The Summer School usually involves at least one trip to the beach. In previous years, we have taken students to the stunning Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the only place on earth where rocks from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods can be seen in one place representing 185 million years of history. We have also visited St Ives, a picturesque fishing town on the Cornish coast and an inspiration to writers and artists alike. The trips for 2024 are still being planned, but you should have the opportunity to feel the sand under your feet, enjoy traditional fish and chips by the sea, and enjoy the beauty of the South West coast.
A city north of Exeter, Bath is famous for its architecture, history and for once being home to author Jane Austen. Must see locations include the famous Roman Baths, an ancient heritage site; Bath Abbey and the Royal Crescent – an area of incredible beauty which takes you back to the UK's Georgian period.
As well as great shopping opportunities to rival London, the opportunity to explore a part of UK history that would seem familiar to most people but still surprise you is a wonderful reason to visit Bath.
Our evening programme begins on arrival night in Exeter with a welcome party to introduce some of our academics and also a campus tour.
Other organised events can include a Karaoke Night, Team Challenge and Pub Quiz night to encourage you to get to know your peers as well as enjoy your time with us as much as possible.
Impromptu social evenings also spring up throughout the programme and have included a games night, evenings in the city centre to watch sports matches and even sports nights.
Optional Extras
While you are in London, you are obviously more than welcome to use your free time however you wish and that includes exploring some of the areas a bit wider than the central location of the hotel.
During the London portion though, we do also provide some optional extra activities that we book either because the tickets are very limited during the summer period or because the group bookings are more value for money and so it makes it easier for us and for you to have the tickets ready and waiting. Previous trips have included London Dungeons, Tower of London, The Globe and Warner Brothers Studios. Activities for 2024 will be confirmed in due course.
Many people will be looking forward to going out and exploring the wider UK or even Europe during the free weekend times but there are an equal amount of people who would prefer to stay local or aren’t really sure what they would like to do. For this reason, we also offer some optional day trips during the free weekends to provide a bit of a safe bet for people who don’t want to travel far or organise it themselves. For these trips, we try to organise places that are a bit trickier to get to without support. A firm favourite with students is Dartmoor National Park, the location for Arthur Conan Doyle's Hound of the Baskervilles, combining atmospheric open moorland with historic ‘sideways’ forest and ancient rock formations.