The first time I laid eyes on Edinburgh was in December of 2019. The city looked like it had come straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie. Walking through the narrow alleyways and festively lit-streets, I felt like I had landed in a fairy tale. Upon returning to my small town in suburban New York, I immediately accepted my offer to study at the University of Edinburgh.
With the recent open day and the terrifying realisation that I will be graduating in a mere 8 months, I can’t help but reflect on my decision to study here. Was this fantasy city everything I thought it would be? Did I make the right choice by picking up my life and moving to another continent?
I have mostly positive things to say about the student experience in Edinburgh. The large international population allows you to meet people from all over the world and secure many, many couches to sleep on for future travels. The insane variety of student societies– from the chippy society to the murder mystery society – means you will undoubtedly discover your niche and find a community of like-minded people. The city is quaint, safe, and easily walkable, making it the perfect playground for uni students. The actual university is prestigious and well-established, opening doors to countless career and research opportunities. Finally, the unique layout of the Scottish university system offers the opportunity to take courses in a wide range of subjects and change your degree if need-be.
That being said, university life in Edinburgh is not without its faults, the main one definitely being the weather. Even with 18 years of New York winters under my belt, nothing could have prepared me for the 10 months of darkness, wind, and rain that is part and parcel of life in Edinburgh. The cost of living has gotten out of control, with the average pint of Tennents reaching a hideous £5. The barrage of tourists that overtake the city during the Christmas and summer seasons can be slightly unbearable, and even I have gotten sick of hearing American accents as I struggle to make my way through the crowded streets. The uni’s often disorganised and bureaucratic structure can make it impossible to get anything done, and the unending succession of strikes– which were no doubt the fault of the administration– often made me wonder why I was paying the astronomical international student fees.
While Edinburgh has certainly not been the fairytale land I dreamed it would be, I can’t imagine having studied anywhere else. The truth is that university is whatever you make of it, wherever that university may be. However, this city definitely has its special quirks– ceilidhs, Fringe, Big Cheese, Medics Reveal, Hive till Five, Harry Potter… need I go on?– that will make it very difficult to say goodbye this July.
Photo by Adam Wilson on Unsplash
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Final Year Reflections: Would I recommend Edinburgh?
The first time I laid eyes on Edinburgh was in December of 2019. The city looked like it had come straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie. Walking through the narrow alleyways and festively lit-streets, I felt like I had landed in a fairy tale. Upon returning to my small town in suburban New York, I immediately accepted my offer to study at the University of Edinburgh.
With the recent open day and the terrifying realisation that I will be graduating in a mere 8 months, I can’t help but reflect on my decision to study here. Was this fantasy city everything I thought it would be? Did I make the right choice by picking up my life and moving to another continent?
I have mostly positive things to say about the student experience in Edinburgh. The large international population allows you to meet people from all over the world and secure many, many couches to sleep on for future travels. The insane variety of student societies– from the chippy society to the murder mystery society – means you will undoubtedly discover your niche and find a community of like-minded people. The city is quaint, safe, and easily walkable, making it the perfect playground for uni students. The actual university is prestigious and well-established, opening doors to countless career and research opportunities. Finally, the unique layout of the Scottish university system offers the opportunity to take courses in a wide range of subjects and change your degree if need-be.
That being said, university life in Edinburgh is not without its faults, the main one definitely being the weather. Even with 18 years of New York winters under my belt, nothing could have prepared me for the 10 months of darkness, wind, and rain that is part and parcel of life in Edinburgh. The cost of living has gotten out of control, with the average pint of Tennents reaching a hideous £5. The barrage of tourists that overtake the city during the Christmas and summer seasons can be slightly unbearable, and even I have gotten sick of hearing American accents as I struggle to make my way through the crowded streets. The uni’s often disorganised and bureaucratic structure can make it impossible to get anything done, and the unending succession of strikes– which were no doubt the fault of the administration– often made me wonder why I was paying the astronomical international student fees.
While Edinburgh has certainly not been the fairytale land I dreamed it would be, I can’t imagine having studied anywhere else. The truth is that university is whatever you make of it, wherever that university may be. However, this city definitely has its special quirks– ceilidhs, Fringe, Big Cheese, Medics Reveal, Hive till Five, Harry Potter… need I go on?– that will make it very difficult to say goodbye this July.
Photo by Adam Wilson on Unsplash
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