From Laf to Holland: What your first year Exeter accommodation says about you

It’s the first term of a brand new academic year and you’re all settled into your new flat or new house. If you’re a fresher, you’ve probably gotten used to your space and have become besties with your flatmates (one can hope). If you’re a second year, a third year or even a fourth year, you are either reminiscent of your uni halls or were counting down the days to escape them. Either way, you never forget your first year uni halls.

Where you stay in first year definitely shapes you as a person. It can make you better or worse or make you realise that maybe you can’t hack uni life like you thought you could. Uni halls become the backbone of your character development. It’s a fundamental stage of university student’s life.

So, here is what your first year Exeter halls says about you. Take from this what you will.

New Lafrowda

Now, this was MY first year accommodation so this may be a biased take. New Laf was always known for being the “party accomodation” and, God, were they right. Although we only had a single bed and a dream, the en-suite bathroom and being so close to everything really made up for it. Your kitchen soon became the place for everyone’s pres, afters and in-betweens. Sometimes you wouldn’t even KNOW the person sleeping on your sofa at 11AM on a Thursday morning – just New Laf things x

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New Laf is just a much, much, much better version of Old Laf. The only difference was we actually respected ourselves a bit more than Old Laffers. If you live in New Laf, you’re probably someone studying a sports science degree or a business degree. Either way, you’re at uni to enjoy yourself. You’ve missed all your lectures in the first week because you’re hungover. You’ve started the pattern now, might as well try again in second year.

Old Lafrowda

Now…Old Laf is probably one of the ugliest Exeter accommodations (no shade). It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad accom, it’s just the bare brick walls that do it for me. However, I would say that if you’re someone who lives in Old Laf, you’re defo low maintenance, easy going and super chill. Everyone I met in Old Laf was always soooo relaxed. Fire alarm going off at 4AM? Who cares? Flatmate chunning in the kitchen sink? Sounds like a typical Wednesday night. Being locked out of your accom for five hours? Might as well make friends with some random people.

When you’ve got shared bathrooms and a prison cell as a room, you’ve got no choice but to go with the flow. You’re also someone who RINSES the £2 meal deal from the Guild and tries to find any way to save money yet still manages to splash the cash on booze.

Rowe House

Rowe House remains the forgotten accommodation in the group. Being between Old Laf and New Laf, Rowe is often pushed to the side. If you live in Rowe, you’re probably a shy, introverted person. You don’t want to get in between the Lafrowda rivalry and like to keep yourself to yourself. But, deep down, you dream of getting invited to New Laf’s pres.

Like Old Laf, you endure the bare brick walls and just keep it moving. You’re probably someone who studies humanities or liberal arts. You like to spend your evening reading books and people watching (mainly the Laf people leaving their accom to go to TP). Your ideal night in is watching Bridgerton, doing a face mask and getting an early night. You’ve got a 9AM lecture in the morning, you don’t have time to be joining in with the silly freshers.

East Park

I was so jealous of East Park in first year. This accommodation was brand new when I was a fresher and all my friends lived there in first year. Everyone in this accom was ALWAYS down for a night out or they were hosting a flat party. You can guarantee a good time every time you go to East Park. They have a mixture of everything: chill nights, feral nights or all nighters. The party never ends in East Park.

If you live in East Park, you’re defo someone who lives for nights out and is constantly texting the group chat “who’s out tonight?”. You have FIXR notifications on at ALL times and will always vouch for Vaults after TP closes. You definitely own multiple pairs of rave visors, Logic merch and have STACKS of TP cups. However, despite all your partying, you always manage to make it to every seminar, lecture and workshop. You work hard and play even harder.

Holland Hall

Holland Hall is notoriously known for the posh, “Exetah”, “rah” accommodation. This is where all the private school guys and girls come together to join forces. You can spot a Holland Haller from a mile away and can hear them before you see them. When you meet a Holland Hall student, you will be ambushed about how they did a “gap yah”, how their Daddy owns a yacht and how they see their student loan as extra money.

If you’re living in Holland Hall you defo have blonde hair, gold jewellery, wear white linen trousers, skinny scarves and speak like you’ve got tuberculosis. Your name is probably Minty or Hugo and you claim to be from London but you’re actually from Surrey. You can be found in Urban Outfitters, Pret or at the races. You are the epitome of “rah, rah Exetah”.

Birks

If you live in Birks, you’re definitely a sporty person and love to go on nature walks in your free time. You’re the type of person to say it’s a “short walk” when it’s actually an hour away and all uphill. I mean, you will think anything is a short walk after climbing up Cardiac Hill every. single. day.

Many people I met from Birks were often independent and extremely studious but… the catered students need to learn some independence and are often mummy boys. What do you mean you can’t come to pres because you need your school dinner? Catered students aside, Birks students are often short-tempered and straightforward – I would be too if I had to endure Cardiac on a daily basis.

Moberly/ Duryard

People in Moberly or Duryard are the mysterious and boring people. Sorry not sorry, but when’s the last time you heard about a Moberly or Duryard pres? It’s not a very popular place and doesn’t seem the liveliest place to be. You are probably someone who just goes to Impy for three drinks and calls it a night. You will never be seen in TP, Fever or even on campus. You just want to stay at home. You’re probably someone who sleeps until 2pm and has never attended a single lecture. I’m convinced Moberly and Duryard doesn’t exist.

Lopes Hall

If you live in Lopes Hall, you’re someone who is destined to travel and see the world. I have only visited Lopes once and it gave me year six residential trip vibes. The tennis court, fields and flowers were so pretty – it didn’t feel like a uni halls.

Lopes Hall students definitely romanticise their Exeter Uni life. They listen to Taylor Swift’s All Too Well (10 minute version) on their walks to campus and are the type of people to plan their next adventure. They love to go to Exmouth beach at all times of the year and have already got their summer 2025 holidays booked. They just love life x

Mardon Hall

Being one of the oldest accommodations in Exeter, you’ve got an old soul. You love 80’s music and study with classical music in your ears. You’re someone who doesn’t use social media and is always unaware of what the new memes are. You don’t use slang and only speak formally. When you argue with your flatmates, you correct their grammar and their pronunciation.

You’re slightly high maintenance and have no problem complaining about the catered food. Yes, you’re jealous of Holland Hall but you’re too stubborn to say that out loud. If you’re someone living in Mardon, I can see you playing a classical instrument and spending your time reading Aristotle. You will never be caught in Fever room one because you cannot stand the oonts oonts music.

Penny C

You’re straight up spoilt. You only like the finer things in life and will ONLY shop in Waitrose. Although you are catered, you cannot help but buying the most expensive prosecco you can find and only drink out of a champagne flute rather than a mug.  If you live in Penny C, you are into wellness and yoga during the day but you are a feral club rat at night. You pretend to be a really innocent daddy’s girl, but deep down, you’re not. We know it. So do the TP and Fever bouncers.

James Owen Court

I won’t lie, I didn’t even know this accommodation existed until recently. But, seeing that this accom is on Sidwell Street, I’m going to say that JOC people are definitely a bit…different. They’re eccentric, they’re wild, they’re free. They don’t mind the Sidwell Street creatures shouting at them as they walk to their 8:30AM seminar. They don’t mind the daily chaos that occurs on Sidwell. In fact, they are one with Sidwell Street. Sidwell Street has them now.

JOC people are definitely the type to never charge their phone before a night out, to never show up to a lecture with a laptop and never really know if they are coming or going. They’re a little bit away with the fairies but best believe they spend all their student loan in Efes, regardless of if they have been on a night out or not.

St. Davids / Point Exe

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