Here’s a list of all the things you only know if you lived in Lafrowda at Exeter Uni

Out of all the accommodations that the university of Exeter has to offer, Lafrowda is perhaps the most popular. It’s one of the closest accommodations to the main campus, has a pretty famous party stereotype, and as long as you’re not shoved into “old Lafrowda”, the accommodation itself is actually decent (and listen, as a uni student, that’s the equivalent to state of the art). But are the Laf halls all they’re hyped up to be? Is the buzz really necessary? In my totally unbiased opinion, yes. So, here’s a list of all the things you’d only know if you lived in the famous Laf halls.

1. The sinks are connected

This might seem like a weird one to start with, and you might also be wondering how you’d ever know this. But when one sink doesn’t drain, the other one won’t either. I found this out on my first week, when years of cheap uni dinners that had congealed in the drains finally blocked the pipes, leaving not the one but the two sinks dangerously close to overspilling. Luckily, maintenance did arrive to drain BOTH sinks. Unluckily, our washing up bowls and tea towels were the unfortunate victims of the gunk lurking in our pipes.

2. Forum Hill

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One of Laf’s biggest selling points is its close distance to campus. While it is a short 10 minute walk (if that), and the route there isn’t particularly arduous, there’s also Forum Hill to battle through. Yes, it isn’t as bad as the infamous Cardiac Hill (shudder), but Forum Hill is still a hefty trek if you have an 8:30am lecture on a Monday (which I hope, from the bottom of my heart, you do not). If you decide to come to Exeter for uni, you might want to pack some walking boots along with your pots and pans.

3. The pres and afters

Perhaps you’d only know how true Laf’s “party animal” stereotype is if you’ve lived here during Freshers’ Week. It’s good to meet a lot of people in the same boat as you in the first week, with lots of: “What course did you say you’re studying again?”, and it’s also a great way of meeting different people if you’re not the most extroverted. Plus, pres at Laf are always great fun. But, if you’re trying to sleep anytime between 10pm to 4am, you’re going to need some good noise cancelling headphones. Don’t think Freshers’ Flu and 8:30ams stop the partying in Lafrowda!

4. Spiders

If the seven other people you’re sharing your flat with don’t meet your social needs, Lafrowda also has a cosy group of spiders to keep you company. They’re where you least expect them – above the kitchen door, on the stairwell, waiting for you outside your door. Any arachnophobes might shudder at this prospect, but who knows? Maybe the spiders just want a tequila shot at pres as much as we do.

5. Extractor fans

Another fun Laf quirk, along with the sinks being inexplicably connected, is the over-enthusiastic extractor fans. Turning on the stove activates them, but so does basically everything. Boiling the kettle? On goes the fan. Popping some leftovers in the microwave? On goes the fan. Like a determined man at the club who can’t catch a hint, the extractor fans at Laf don’t ever seem to stop trying. But, hey, at least they work.

6. Beds

The first thing you’ll find out when living in Laf is the bed’s awkward size. Unfortunately, the beds aren’t a double, but they’re not exactly a single either, which makes uni shopping for a bed spread a fun adventure. And that’s not all; as you’ll soon find out, the springs in the beds are loud. And I don’t mean you fall back on your bed after a strenuous day of back to back lectures and there’s the soft ping of springs loud. I mean you shift your body slightly, searching for a comfortable position, and a spring you didn’t even realise was in the mattress makes the loudest “pop” you will ever hear.

I’m not sure why, or even how they do this. Sometimes you’ll stand up from sitting on the bed, and a few seconds later you’ll hear a spring pop somewhere. While you can still sleep in them, as long as you have those aforementioned noise cancelling headphones, it does mean you’ll be asking a lot more “Do you mind if we head back to yours instead?” after a night out.

7. The nicest people

It can be loud, yes, but Lafrowda is full of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Everyone is up for a great night, wherever that’s at afters in the kitchen or drinks at Spoons. Or, people are equally down to chill in someone’s room for a quiet night in – Laf has something for everyone.

Related articles recommended by this writer:

• Here are eight Exeter experiences that are equivalent to the Roman Empire
• An indisputable ranking of all the best Exeter coffee shops on campus
• These are my top 10 favourite things about Exeter, from someone going into final year