In a university as sporty as Exeter, it’s hard not to get caught up in the flow of girls dressed in gym leggings and boys dressed in shorts (all the way through December and beyond). The one problem is the cost. There’s no doubt that Exeter has one of the best, well-equipped gyms on a university campus, but the £250 price tag is astronomical. To make matters worse, it can’t even be paid in instalments, and that’s a big blow to the budget in the first week of term. Friends at other universities have complained to me when theirs is only £100 – a student budget just can’t stretch that far!
The cost of sport really can’t be justified at Exeter.
And for those of us that aren’t super keen and go to the gym every day, it’s just not worth it. To make up for that £250, one would have to go at least three times a week, and with deadlines, hangovers and, let’s be honest, just a bit of pure laziness it’s not always possible. In terms of societies, to play a team sport most cost at least £70 to join, and that’s not always the stash, kit or classes.
With a multitude of sports societies on campus, and a student body of many well-rounded individuals, its highly likely that some of us would like to join more than one society, but again it’s not always possible. Personally, I’ve avoided some societies simply because I couldn’t afford to spend the joining fee if I were only interested in the sport on a recreational level. Many of my friends have also opted to join intramural teams over university teams to save money but still play the sports they enjoy.
Exeter is a university renowned for its rather well-off students, but its sports should be accessible to all and the university should think about what it can do to subsidise these prices. We pay £9,000 a year, could the gym not be thrown in, at least at a cheaper, more manageable, instalment-based rate?
The cost of sport really can’t be justified at Exeter. If other universities can do it cheaper, why can’t we? We pride ourselves on our prowess, so let’s get a price to match. Or maybe I’ll just have to stick to walking up Forum Hill as my weekly exercise…