The 3 Questions I Get Asked Most About Studying At Falmouth University

This article was written by Costume Design for Film & Television BA(Hons) student Natalie.

Is it better to live in Falmouth or Penryn? How easy is it to get between the two campuses? Will I have enough time to work on top of being at university?

Is it better to live in Falmouth or Penryn?

Throughout my university experience I have lived in both Falmouth and Penryn, both having their own pros and cons. If you live in Falmouth you are closer to the beach, meaning that you tend to go there more often and can pop back home to change and get things during the day. Falmouth is also a bigger town than Penryn, meaning there are more job opportunities. You can still work in Falmouth if you live in Penryn, but you will have to get up earlier, so if you’re not a morning person that might be an issue. In addition, most of the university nightlife is in Falmouth. Although the buses do run to the early hours of the morning, they do stop eventually, so this is something you’d have to be aware of when heading back to Penryn after a night out.

The main positive of living in Penryn is that it is the bigger campus. It is where the Students’ Union and the Sports Centre are located, so naturally the majority of the university societies meet up there. Living on or near the Penryn Campus is also a great way to meet people during first year, as there are the most students living there and the main freshers’ events are held at the Students’ Union or in the Italian Gardens.

Naturally, a key thing to consider when choosing which campus to live on would be where your course is based. It is helpful to live near campus, as it saves you time. However, I would say not to worry about carrying equipment between the two campuses, as you are often provided with your own studio/storage space depending on the course you are doing, meaning this would be less of an issue.

How easy is it to get between the two campuses?

There are lots of different ways to travel between the two campuses. Most people decide to travel by bus, as there are buses going back and forth, leaving approximately every 10-15 minutes. If you catch the U3, which takes you a more direct route, the journey will only take 15-20 minutes. My best advice would be to get the “First Bus” app, as it allows you to track the buses and buy bundles of tickets to save money. Another option is the train. However, there is slightly more of a walk to campus from the station, especially if you are going to Penryn Campus. If you’re feeling up for some hills, you can go by bike, as there are places to lock up your bike whilst you are at university on both campuses. Your quickest option would be to go by car, but of course this would mean you’d have to factor in paying for parking, petrol and, of course, own a car.