Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Summer is here!!


Summer is finally here, which hopefully means lots of sun!

But don't worry, even if the weather isn't great the new Summer Support Team is here to help provide an amazing summer experience whilst you are studying here in Exeter!

We have moved to a new blog for the summer to keep you up to date with all the amazing opportunities that INTO can offer!

The address is www.intosummer2012.blogspot.co.uk/!

We look forward to seeing you .....

 

Friday, March 23, 2012

Summertime Begins...

This Sunday 25th of March is the start of British Summertime! So at 1am the clocks will move forward one hour making the official time 2am! So don't forget to change your clocks, and even though we are all losing an hour hopefully this will inspire the great British weather...

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Free Easter Buffet This Friday for Everyone!!

Hello everyone! This Friday the 23rd of March the INTO Cafe will be holding a Free End of Term buffet for all students! Everyone is invited and you can come anytime between 12pm and 2pm. There will be a delicious variety of food to choose from, all freshly prepared by Clinton from the cafe! You will need to sign up for this and there are sign up sheets at reception and in the cafe itself...so please join us all in celebrating the end (and almost end for some of you) of term!!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

St Patrick is coming...

Some of you may haven noticed that this Saturday 17th sees the celebration of the patron saint of Ireland, St Patrick! Out of the 4 saints days recognised within the United Kingdom, this is the most well known and celebrated around the world, and, if you have also noticed is a very famous day for drinking Guinness. Almost every pub and club in the city centre will be participating and it's quite popular for people to wear green in remembrance of Ireland.

Guinness is also well known here in the UK for making imaginative advertisments, so in the spirit of St Partick enjoy!!


Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Beware the Ides of March!!

In 2 days we reach the momentous 15th of March which could be seen as any other day, but historically is linked to a very famous death and its subsequent bad fortune! The Romans coined the term 'Ides of March' as a signifier to the middle of the months of March, May, July and October (for the other months it was the 13th). Now this day is most famous for being the assassination date of Julius Caesar who died in 44 B.C. after being stabbed to death 23 times! It is well known that Caesar was warned of his looming fate by a seer (a clairvoyant) which has been immortalised in Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar" with the quote 'Beware the Ides of March!'. If you have some free time and fancied reading this for yourself, you can find this quote in Act I Scene II  of the play...and keep an eye out behind you on Thursday...

Monday, March 12, 2012

Give Blood This Week!


Good Monday Morning everyone! We hope you all managed to enjoy some of the glorious sunshine from the weekend! For 2 days this week the NHS Blood Organisation will be situated in the Great Hall looking for volunteers to donate blood. They will be there today (Monday) and tomorrow, between these hours: 9.15am - 11.45am, and 1.45pm - 4.15pm. If you would like to participate in this you will need to book an appointment by either calling 0300 123 23 23 or visit www.blood.co.uk, and remember to eat and drink plently beforehand! 



Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Amazing Video!

Hello everyone! I was just reading my online newspaper the Guardian, and came across this incredible video! Have a look and see how many countries you can identify!

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

International Sport Month!

As some of you may have noticed right now March is International Sport Month at Exeter University! This is a whole month of sport for everyone; activities, workshops and tournaments all revolving around the world of sport and with lots of sessions absolutely free! Outside the INTO building today on the Piazza a volleyball taster session took place with many INTO and university students competing for fun and showing off the funky official Sport Month T shirts! So keep an eye out for the next event: Thursday 8th March 9.30am - 11.30am in the Sports Park, a free gym taster session!

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Happy St David's Day!

Happy St David's Day everyone! Every year on March 1st it is customary to celebrate St David, the patron saint of Wales, a day which was chosen to commemorate his death. In Wales parades are held, the biggest of which is in the capital, Cardiff. You may also notice many Welsh people wearing the daffodil flower on their clothes which is a symbol of Wales which is in season during March (you'll notice them all over Exeter this month too!).


Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Happy Leap Day!

Happy Leap Day everyone! So this year we have one extra day to enjoy! Which on a sunny day like today is a very good thing...also for those of you who believe in honouring old traditions this is the day in which girls can propose to their boyfriends! It was customary for any man who rejected a proposal to pay a penalty, so today could be a lucky day either way!!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Visa Question?

Do you have any visa questions? There are 2 ways in which you can get them answered! The first is to email intovisa@exeter.ac.uk, which is checked everyday, or drop in and visit in person every Monday at the INTO building between 2-4pm in room 1.21, or Friday at Duryard House between 2-4pm in room 1A.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Diversity Week!

This week the university is celebrating Diversity Week! It's a great opportunity for all students to participate in a seven day long celebration of culture and unity on campus which culminates in a Ball on Saturday the 25th. The pancake race is the next event (see previous blog entry) and everyday this week there is an exciting activity to enjoy, so take a look at the poster above, the social programme noticeboards or the Facebook page! Ball tickets for INTO students are at a special discounted price of only £10, which are available from the reception at the INTO building but only for today! Tomorrow they will return to their original price of £15!

Pancake Day!

Hello everyone! Tomorrow Tuesday 21st of February is pancake day! This day (also known as Shrove Tuesday) marks the beginning of Lent, the period of 40 days which come before Easter and for some people is a time of fasting and sacrifice. So it is tradition to celebrate the start of this by using up all the foods which in the past, were deemed luxurious; eggs, milk, sugar, fat and flour. These were restricted during the time of Lent so this was the last time they could be enjoyed.


It is now tradition to make pancakes with friends and family, and even more fun to toss them whilst they are being made! Tomorrow outside the Great Hall from 12.30pm there will be a pancake day race where you can watch and participate and test your own tossing skills! You just need to turn up with your own frying pan or wok! 



Monday, February 6, 2012

Eden Project Tickets Special Offer This Week Only!!

For this week only (6th - 10th Feb) all tickets bought for the Eden Project trip will be £10!! If you have already purchased any tickets previously for this trip you will also receive a £10 refund at the INTO reception! The Eden Project is Cornwall's biggest tourist attraction and holds the world's largest indoor tropical rainforest, and also exclusively for this time of the year an ice-rink!

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Chinese New Year Celebrations at Exeter University!

Hello everyone! We hope you're all keeping well and warm in this unusual freezing weather! This Saturday Exeter University is celebrating the chinese new year with activities all day starting in the afternoon in the High Street. At 1pm there will be a Dragon and Lion dance in Bedford Square, which is in the Princesshay Shopping Centre near Debenhams. Then the procession will work its way to the university and will end up in the business school where it will continue for the rest of the afternoon until the fireworks at 6.15pm. Inside the business school there will be plenty of activities, events and traditional food to keep you entertained. In the evening at 8pm there will be a Chinese performance in the Great Hall, of which you can buy tickets for from the INTO reception; £4 for members of the Chinese Society and £6 for non-members. This is a great event and very popular with both students and the general public, and is attended yearly by around 2000 people! Take a look at the website and watch the videos for more information :)

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Sunday Sports!

This Sunday 29th of January is a INTO Sports afternoon! Between 1-2pm we have a free hour of sports in the Sports Park which in the university campus, right at the top of the hill!! There will be basketball, athletics and badminton on offer in the main Sports Hall inside, so please come along!

Happy Burn's Night!!

Happy Burns' night everyone! This may be a celebration which you may not have heard about before, but here it's a popular day to remember the life of the Scottish poet Robert Burns. It is very common for people to come together for a late meal or supper, which consists of Scottish broth (soup) and the Scottish delicacy Haggis. Then there is a recital of the Burns' poem "Address to a Haggis", which if you notice is written in the Scottish dialect!

Robert Burns is a very important figure not only in Scotland but worldwide. He is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic Movement, and after his death became a huge cultural icon of Scotland. He is most well known for composing 'Auld Lang Syne', which is traditionally sung as the clock strikes midnight on New Years Day!    



Monday, January 23, 2012

Enter the Dragon!

Happy New Year of the dragon to all our chinese students!! Today in the INTO Cafe we are celebrating with a chinese buffet for only £5 which includes 6 delicious home cooked dishes, authentic music and decoration! Come anytime between 10am and 3pm to celebrate 4709!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Wells and Clarks Village Daytrip!

Hello everyone! We hope you've all settling into life here at INTO Exeter nicely and looking forward to start classes, and if you're a September starter we hope the last few weeks haven't been too stressful for you..one very nice thing to look forward to is the beginning of the INTO Saturday daytrips! The first one of 2012 is to the beautiful cathedral city of Wells and after to the shopping outlet Clarks Village! Wells is famous for being the smallest city in the UK and boasts an amazing cathedral, perfect for photographs! Then second part of the trip takes place nearby in the shopping outlet called Clarks Village, which consists of more than 90 shops, numerous cafés and a huge dining area where you are free to shop as much as you want! Tickets are £15 each and you can buy them from the INTO reception :)

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Songs and Stories Night 2012!!

Hello everyone! Just to let you know that this Thursday 12th January is the second Songs and Stories Night of the academic year! For those of you who have never attending this magical night, it is an evening of adventure through words. It is run by David Heathfield who is a teacher of English at Duryard House, and he also travels around the world telling stories! The night is an interactive one, so David will invite anyone to tell a story, or sing a song, recount a poem, or indeed anything the student/s would like to say! It's very informal and not scary at all and always a great experience so if you fancy being a part of this night it's taking place at 6pm in the INTO Building Lecture Theatre :)

Monday, January 9, 2012

Devon Cream Tea This Week!

As part of our Welcome Week we are holding a Free Cream Tea afternoon! It is for all students so even if you started last year you are very welcome to join in. Jemma will be meeting at the INTO reception this Wednesday 11th January at 1.30pm, so if you fancy some delicious local food and new friends come along!

Welcome New Students!!

So last weekend was our second INTO arrivals weekend! Many new students have arrived to Exeter for the beginning of the January starting courses so welcome everyone! Enjoy this first week without classes and we hope you make many new friends and have fun discovering the university and city..and welcome back all September starters too :)

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Happy New Year 2012!!

Happy New Year Everyone! Welcome to 2012! We all hope you had a fantastic beginning to this fresh year and that so far it's all going well :)