Your student priorities
Your student reps listen to what matters to you and use that feedback to shape a better student experience for everyone.
Priorities results
.svg)
Priorities results
Priorities results
Priorities results
Introduction
In Term 1, more than 4,000 of you took part in our What Matters Most To You survey - thank you! Since then, our brilliant Insights team have been hard at work digging into everything you shared and hosting focus groups with students to co-create solutions. We’re excited to finally show you the results.
We’ve organised the findings around your two biggest priorities: your living needs and your academic experience. This is your chance to see what you and your fellow Exeter students are thinking, feeling and experiencing on the issues that matter most – and how we’re creating change.
Priority 1 - Academic Experience
Theme 1: Balancing Workloads
Your workload should feel manageable, not overwhelming. That means having control over what you're learning, flexible timetables, useful resources, and feedback that actually helps you improve. University should challenge you, not burn you out.
84% of students are satisfied with the quality and content of their course.
But there are still areas where students feel let down. Some of the most common frustrations include:
- Feeling unprepared for jobs after graduating
- Course materials that don’t feel up-to-date or relevant
- Not enough industry-relevant or practical experience
Theme 2: Up-to-date and Accessible Teaching
You’ve told us you want more time with your lecturers. Growing class sizes shouldn’t mean less access to teaching staff. When it’s harder to ask questions or get feedback, it can impact your learning and make it less likely you’ll attend lectures or seminars. 86% of students are satisfied with the quality of teaching of their course. But there are still areas where students feel let down. Some of the most common frustrations include:
- Not enough contact hours
- Inaccurate or unclear assignment information
- Lecture times that are too early or too late
- Outdated slides
- Unmotivated or disengaged lecturers
- Low attendance in in-person sessions
- Unexplained marks or unclear feedback
- Lack of support with academic writing
Theme 3: Quality Career Support
Career support should be practical, accessible and tailored to your goals. It should help you build real experience and feel ready for what’s out there – whether that’s a graduate job, creative career, research role or something totally different. 81% of students agree their course prepares them for employment, but not all students are getting the support they need to make that happen.
- Students in creative fields, in their final year or out on placement are more likely than average to say their course doesn’t prepare them for employment – especially when compared to students in STEM subjects.
- More practical, experience-based coursework
- More project-based work that builds real skills
- Interdisciplinary opportunities across departments
- Better guidance on flexible or remote work – especially for international students
- Clearer information about part-time jobs
- Student-staff research opportunities in competitive fields
- More chances for peer support and mentoring
- Help navigating the interview process
- Fewer barriers to existing schemes – for example, the 1,000-word essay required for the mentoring scheme can feel like a big ask
- More course-specific support in creative industries
Priority 2 - Living Needs
Theme 1: Belonging
Everyone deserves to feel part of the Exeter community – whether you're on campus every day, transitioning between years, or joining us remotely. And while 86% of students told us they feel like they’re settling in and belong, not everyone is having the same experience.
- Students with other gender identities are 5x more likely to feel they’re not settling in.
- Students with two or more disabilities are 3x more likely to report low levels of belonging.
- Black students are 2x more likely to feel less settled.
- Students with one disability are 1x more likely to report low levels of belonging.
- Mature students are almost 2x more likely to feel disconnected – often due to limited time with academics, fewer society options, caring responsibilities or more intense courses.
- Final year (Year 4) students are 1.75x more likely to struggle – especially when applying for grad jobs or returning from placement to find fewer social connections.
Theme 2: Balancing Responsibilities
University should be part of your life – not just another thing to juggle alongside work, commuting, studying, socialising or everyday responsibilities. For 66% of students, they’re not able to manage extracurricular activities on top of everything else.
- First-year students under 20 are 1.2x more likely to feel overwhelmed trying to keep things balanced.
- Postgraduate Research students are 1.8x more likely to opt out of activities beyond their studies.
- International students are 1.4x more likely not to get involved in extracurriculars.
- Male students are 1.25x more likely to skip activities outside of their academic work.
- Part-time students are 5x less likely to get involved and distance learners are 3x less likely because their schedules make it harder to take part.
Theme 3: Support Accessibility
Whether it’s mental health, wellbeing, finances, academic support or making the jump between life stages – getting help should be simple, not stressful. But for some students, that’s not the reality.
77% of students know where to go and who to contact for support which is great news. But awareness doesn’t always mean access.
- Maths and Statistics students are 2x more likely not to be aware of support services.
- Male students are 1.5x less likely to know about available support.
Even when students do know where to go, barriers still get in the way. The biggest issues?
- Endless email chains with lots of back and forth between different people trying to help.
- Disjointed departments – it's unclear who does or doesn’t offer what, when you complain staff aren’t sure what to do.
- Not knowing what support exists in the first place.
See our detailed report.
.svg)
Turning your feedback into action
We’re your elected Officers. As recent students ourselves, we understand the challenges you’re facing and we’re here to make change happen.
Every campaign we lead and every conversation we have with the University is powered by what you tell us. Take a look at the top three things each Officer is working on right now.
Theme 1: Belonging
Everyone deserves to feel part of the Exeter community – whether you're on campus every day, transitioning between years, or joining us remotely. And while 86% of students told us they feel like they’re settling in and belong, not everyone is having the same experience.
- Students with other gender identities are 5x more likely to feel they’re not settling in.
- Students with two or more disabilities are 3x more likely to report low levels of belonging.
- Black students are 2x more likely to feel less settled.
- Students with one disability are 1x more likely to report low levels of belonging.
- Mature students are almost 2x more likely to feel disconnected – often due to limited time with academics, fewer society options, caring responsibilities or more intense courses.
- Final year (Year 4) students are 1.75x more likely to struggle – especially when applying for grad jobs or returning from placement to find fewer social connections.
Theme 2: Balancing Responsibilitie
University should be part of your life – not just another thing to juggle alongside work, commuting, studying, socialising or everyday responsibilities. For 66% of students, they’re not able to manage extracurricular activities on top of everything else.
- First-year students under 20 are 1.2x more likely to feel overwhelmed trying to keep things balanced.
- Postgraduate Research students are 1.8x more likely to opt out of activities beyond their studies.
- International students are 1.4x more likely not to get involved in extracurriculars.
- Male students are 1.25x more likely to skip activities outside of their academic work.
- Part-time students are 5x less likely to get involved and distance learners are 3x less likely because their schedules make it harder to take part.
GUILD PRESIDENT
Seb’s Priorities: Turning your concerns into action at the top of the University.
- Protecting paid research opportunities
Paid experience can be a game-changer. Seb is standing up for the Research Support Internship (RSI) scheme, a valuable chance for students to get hands-on research experience without having to work for free. He’s taken your concerns straight to University leaders to make sure these kinds of opportunities stick around.
Theme: Quality Career Support - Protecting international students’ rights
Seb has been working with other Russell Group Student Unions and the National Union of Students to oppose the introduction of the International Student Levy. With anti-international sentiment on the rise, it’s more important than ever that we challenge changes that threaten the wellbeing of our student community.
Theme: Belonging - Making sure students are protected when things go wrong
Seb pushed for improvements to the University’s Student Protection Plans, the policies that kick in if your course changes or something impacts your studies. It’s about making sure there are clear, fair systems in place to support you when you need it most.
Theme: Balancing Workloads + Up-to-date and Accessible Teaching
STUDENT LIVING OFFICER
Kira’s Priorities: Making student life work for you.
- Better food support when money’s tight
Worried about affording food while juggling studies and life? Kira’s working to bring in digital food vouchers for students facing financial hardship, so getting a decent meal on campus is one less thing to stress about.
Theme: Balancing Responsibilities - Faster, clearer help if you’re facing housing issues
Finding yourself without a safe place to stay shouldn’t mean hitting a wall of confusing policies. Kira’s reviewing the University’s emergency accommodation support, making sure it’s easier to access and actually works for students when they need it most. Theme: Accessing Support - Making campus feel safer for everyone
Everyone deserves to feel safe and supported. Kira is working towards a new student safety guide and pushing for better access to trauma-informed therapy like EMDR for survivors of sexual violence – helping to create a more inclusive and caring campus. Theme: Belonging + Accessing Support
COMMUNITIES & EQUALITIES
OFFICER
Rose’s Priorities: Building a campus that includes everyone.
- Supporting international student wellbeing
Rose is working closely with international and cultural student communities to help break down the barriers to accessing mental health support. By improving how services engage with different cultures, she’s making sure everyone can get the help they need, in a way that feels safe and inclusive. Theme: Accessing Support + Belonging - Making haircare inclusive and accessible
Everyone should feel seen and supported in their day-to-day life. Rose’s Inclusive Hair Project is pushing for better access to Afro and textured hair products in Exeter and termly hairdressers across for textured hair in Exeter, shaped by feedback from over 150 students. It’s all about helping you feel more comfortable and confident on campus.
Theme: Belonging - Fighting for menstrual equity on campus
Periods shouldn’t put you at a disadvantage – full stop. Rose is working with students and the University to make menstrual products more accessible, push for fairer academic support when periods impact studies, and raise awareness across campus.
Theme: Accessing Support + Balancing Responsibilities
SOCIETIES & EMPLOYABILITY OFFICER
Gemma’s Priorities: Building your skills and confidence.
- Cutting hidden course costs
No one should miss out on learning because of the price tag. Gemma is supporting a book borrowing project in the Queen’s Building alongside department reps and English society to ease the cost of studying – and encouraging other department reps to run something similar.
Theme: Balancing Responsibilities + Accessing Support - Launching the Working Wardrobe
Interviews and placements shouldn’t cost a fortune. Gemma is helping to roll out the Working Wardrobe alongside other Officers and the 93% club, giving students free or affordable access to professional clothes, so you can show up with confidence, without breaking the bank.
Theme: Accessing Support + Quality Career Support - Boosting creative career support
Creative students often get less tailored careers advice – Gemma’s working to change that. She’s supporting events like the Career zone creative industries networking with alumni and is planning a campaign and more events alongside our creative societies to open more industry insight and connections.
Theme: Quality Career Support
EDUCATION OFFICER
Francis’s Priorities: Making your education the best it can be.
- Making assessments fair and future-ready
With AI being used more across the University, students have been raising concerns about how it affects marking and feedback. Francis is taking those concerns straight to the University – pushing for more transparency, fairness and ethical decision-making when it comes to AI in your curriculum.
Theme: Accessing Support - Giving you more say in what and how you learn
Francis is working through the Curriculum for Change project to make your course experience more flexible and inclusive. That means more chances to shape your learning, better support for disabled students, and more real-world, cross-disciplinary opportunities that set you up for whatever’s next. Francis is encouraging the University to involve students at every level of the project, giving greater ownership of their educational experience and enabling in-depth, transparent consultation during the curriculum redesign.
Theme: Up-to-date and Accessible Teaching - Creating quieter spaces when you need them
Campus can be overwhelming, especially when there’s nowhere calm to focus. Francis is working to bring in noise-cancelling headphones and ear defenders. In collaboration with the library, you’ll be able to book and borrow a pair to take to your favourite spot and give you the power to study in a way that works best for you.
Theme: Accessing Support