In the long-ago days of Year 12, when sitting down and discussing my UCAS university choices with too many people to list, a very common question was if I believed I would be happy on the Penryn campus considering how far it was from Exeter itself. After I submitted my first and second choices for universities—Exeter remaining at the top of the list—these queries only increased.

And while I did have sophisticated answers for these questions—I’d get to explore such a different way of life than what I’ve known before, not to mention the module options being so interesting— my main answer was always relatively simple. The Penryn campus offered something incredibly unique: the opportunity to share a campus with music-loving, art-centered people who choose every day to pursue this passion full-time, something I can only dream of doing.

As a 1st year student in History & Politics, my degree isn’t something commonly connected with artistry beyond studying music as a historical source and reading novels to delve further into people’s opinions about topics. Despite this, I’ve always been more in touch with artsy interests, making my number 1 regret when choosing my degree, the inability to have the “geekier” side of my life a core part of my future career.

Yet sharing a campus with Falmouth University has allowed me to participate in societies available to students at both universities targeting people who love more “nerdy” interests. I had the opportunity to play Dungeons & Dragons for the first time ever, after years of wishing to be involved in one-shots and campaigns, with people predominantly from Falmouth. I got to comment on horror movies surrounded by film majors who could provide critiques beyond the dialogue being somewhat strange. I could discuss competitive Pokémon strategies with Game Development students and connect with like-minded people over common musical artists and instruments. I learnt the time and effort that went into composing even the most basic drumbeat and kept up with my music theory by joining students in analysing motifs and lyrics.

I was able to learn about the development and sound design that goes into films through my flat mate, a 1st year in Television and Film Production, and even sign up to participate as an extra in a student-led project. I’ve connected with Game Art students, seeing their concept designs transform into a fully-fledged game over months of hard work from designers and developers in the department. In a promotional video to be a student rep, I was able to see the effort that goes into editing and planning even 2-minute-long videos, giving me a newfound respect for artists.

I found myself enjoying my time spent with Falmouth students because of how similar our interests ended up being. I was incredibly nervous going into university, mainly scared of not finding anyone who shared my love of games and novels. Needless to say, because of Falmouth University, this was an incredibly irrational fear. Some of my best friends in university are enrolled in Falmouth, and I’m not sure I would love university as much as I do if not for them. They’ve allowed me to keep my deeply rooted connection with games and music while remaining engaged with topics I loved through high school in the form of my degree.

I’ve never once regretted my decision to come to Penryn campus as part of the University of Exeter, and my increased involvement with music, games, and films have continued to excite me for everything to come. This has been reflected in my work, creating a more interdisciplinary approach to my degree in which I have focused on music as a primary source, discussing the impact of protest music on movements such as anti-slavery movements and Apartheid. The world can be seen through so many lenses, and lately, I seem to be gaining access to an ever-increasing amount.

Thank you, Falmouth!