Whether you are a fresher or a fourth year, coming back to university can be overwhelming
and provoke a myriad of emotions. It is important not to lock yourself up in your room or the
library but instead to find places where you can seek solace and recharge. This article will
share the most wholesome and comforting places to go in Edinburgh when it all feels too
much.
The first place I recommend you go would be a café. Somewhere truly comforting and cosy
where you can catch up with a friend, get lost in a book or romanticise your studying. The
atmosphere of a coffee shop is warm and friendly and even when you are on your own you
are bound to feel less lonely. The disjointed chatter of strangers around you and a warm drink
are magical healers. Love, Peace and Coffee, Brew Lab, Leaf and Bean, Kilimanjaro Café,
The Edinburgh Coffee Lounge and Fettle are all close to the main campus and will make you
feel instantly more at peace.
Another equally comforting place would be a book shop. Unsurprisingly, it is not just book
lovers who enjoy the vibe here. The quiet calm of a book shop is a draw to all. Sometimes on
a busy day I will quickly pop into a book shop and feel my worries soften until they no longer
seem as bad. Maybe even buy a book to take home with you that you can use to escape the
cooler and longer Autumn evenings or take to that coffee shop. Rare Birds Book Shop,
Armchair Books, Typewronger Books, McNaughtan’s Bookshop, Argonaut Books, Tills
Bookshop, Lighthouse Bookshop, Topping and Company, and The Edinburgh Bookshop are
all great options.
I am sure you have heard this before, but I want to emphasise to you how valuable it is to
spend time outside and in nature. Get to know your city, there is so much to see in Edinburgh.
Feeling more able to navigate a space will help you feel more settled. It is also proven that
spending time outdoors helps clear your head and is beneficial for your mental health. There
are lots of places you can go to get some fresh air, such as Portobello Beach, Holyrood Park
and the Salisbury Crags, The Meadows and Bruntsfield Links, Inverleith Park and The
Botanical Gardens, Blackford Hill and the Pentlands.
With Edinburgh having so much to offer, there is likely to be a community group or university
society you can get involved with and make some friends with similar interests and hobbies.
If you are an international student, perhaps you find people you can speak your home
language with and cook your culture’s food together. The Edinburgh University Student
Association is a good place to find different groups.
The final place to go is home, not the place you are homesick for but your new home. Invest
in your new space and make it your own, spend time making it look and feel how you want it
to. Put up pictures of friends and family, get some fluffy blankets, hang up some fairy lights.
Make it a space you look forward to coming home to at the end of the day. As a concluding
tip, do not keep your feelings to yourself. Chat with someone you trust, a problem shared is a
problem halved.
“Savoy Bookshop & Cafe, photo credit Warren Jager” by banksquarebooks is licensed under CC BY 2.0.