Just five things you’ve probably encountered if you live with a business student at Exeter

Going to university is an interesting experience, to say the least, not to mention having to conquer the scariest aspect of all: Living with utter strangers. I’m sure everyone has had their fair share of different experiences when it comes to living with new people for the first time, and hopefully, most of them are positive ones. However, you gain new and interesting habits when living with the same people for over two years. Living with business students seems to be a unique experience compared to any other students and as someone who has lived with three Exeter business students for the past two years, unique is definitely an understatement! So here is a list of things you would have probably encountered if you’ve ever lived with a business student.

1. Poker

For some reason, we have three poker sets in our house? I think I was taught the ways of poker very early on once starting Exeter, however I couldn’t really tell you the rules now. All I know is that if you manage to actually win a game, these pesky business students will use the famous quote: “You were just lucky!” Safe to say, they don’t take losing too kindly. Not only do these business students love to force us to play this game at pres, but also love telling the varied stories about their winnings from past games when actual money was involved. Even though they brag about the amount they have accumulated over the years from poker games they still won’t play any of us for actual money… I just don’t think their ego could take an English student stealing their money.

2. Watching quiz shows

I like to think of this as a positive, but there’s something Bradley Walsh does to these business students because I can say without a doubt, The Chase will be on our TV at 5pm every evening. Although it isn’t just The Chase that gets these business minds excited, all manner of quiz shows will be on our television. Even when there are no live shows on, we will seep through the pre-recorded list ranging from Pointless to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (a favourite of theirs) trying to find one we haven’t watched yet. Don’t get me wrong I do enjoy watching these quiz shows, a popular one in our house is Richard Osmond’s House of Games. However, it becomes more entertaining watching these business students get agitated over the quiz shows itself. They get annoyed at the contestants who are always, to put it politely, “too stupid” or the questions, “weren’t good enough,” and sometimes there are even accusations some of these shows are rigged.

3. Attendance 

Something all business students face is the comments on how easy their subject is, even though they try to defend this I think they know it’s true as well. One aspect of living with business students that really adds to the experience is they don’t go to anything, and I mean anything. Sometimes we question if they are even enrolled in the university at all. This being said, they will still be incredibly annoying and manage to get 100 per cent and better grades than I could hope for. Whilst they are not at their lectures, they do spend all their time on varied betting apps and rather than using their maths skills for a finance seminar, this knowledge is apparently better spent working out the best accumulators and how there is, “no chance it loses.”

4. Business minds

To be fair to these business students they do seem to have some very helpful qualities. These include working out the best way to spend their money, and always finding the best financial outcome for any situation. For example, after a lot of deliberation, shopping in Iceland has become a specialty for these students, and they do have some great deals. I also now know the best place to buy vodka in Exeter, which they have kindly figured out for us (Co-op seems to be the best value for anyone interested.) Finally, and arguably the most important quality, is the TP ticket grind they encounter each week. They always are successful in getting Timepiece tickets each week, they will have three tabs open, their laptops at the ready, and a stella success rate.

5. Other endeavours

Here are some of the other random things I have encountered, and maybe you have too while living with any sort of business student. They love sport, now this might not go for all business students, but the ones I particularly live with have probably watched and learned about all types of sport. They also love playing games on their phones, there has even been somewhat of an argument in our house over what is better: Clash of Clans or Clash Royal and there was also an intense chess phase. Yes, truly riveting stuff from our Exeter business students.

Related articles recommend by this writer:

• Seven things about student life at Exeter that would send a Victorian Child into a coma
• Chaos, caffeine and crying: A day in the life of a third year Exeter student 
• 10 ways to say you go to the University of Exeter without actually saying it