Edinburgh is commonly thought of as one of the most beautiful cities to live in, with its Gothic architecture creating an idyllic environment among its wonderful natural beauty. However, while this makes it a truly aesthetically pleasing place to live, does it render it a good city to be a student in?
Having been a student in Edinburgh for a year now, I can attest that there are a lot of advantages to being a student here. Edinburgh is incredibly picturesque. This makes it easy to romanticise life here and promotes an aesthetic of studying and working hard to maintain good grades. Being able to study in the stunning Old College Library or look out onto the Meadows while revising in the Main Library is a privilege.
While this is all well and good, there are also many downsides to being a student in Edinburgh in comparison to other popular university options, particularly in terms of the cost of living and nightlife. Edinburgh is an extremely expensive city to reside in as a student, with prices of private renting and university-provided accommodation rising exponentially. For example, two popular first-year accommodations, Sciennes and Kincaid’s Court, have increased their yearly rent from £6540.20 to £8750 just in the past year. This exemplifies the extremity of the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on students, making their lives significantly harder than in cheaper cities such as Newcastle, Leeds, and Manchester.
This tightens the budget for students, diminishing the potential Edinburgh would otherwise have. This has knock-on effects on how indulgent students can be regarding nightlife. Many will have to limit their going-out time, as it becomes increasingly unaffordable. However, Edinburgh is not well-known for its nightlife anyway, with many claiming that a good night out in Edinburgh simply means getting a bus to Glasgow. For some, this may not be a problem if a night out is not well favoured; however, students as a whole enjoy the clubbing scene, and Edinburgh is distinctly lacking in one.
In comparison to other popular UK universities, Edinburgh largely wins in terms of its aesthetically pleasing nature. Yet, unfortunately, ranks lower in terms of student experience, with many students claiming that they actually have more fun when visiting friends at universities like Bristol or Manchester.
Ultimately, the decision on whether Edinburgh is a good city for students or not comes down to personal preference on what is most important to you: a good, cheap time or stunningly beautiful pictures for your Instagram story.
“Edinburgh at a glance” by Dimitry B is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
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Is Edinburgh a good city for students?
Edinburgh is commonly thought of as one of the most beautiful cities to live in, with its Gothic architecture creating an idyllic environment among its wonderful natural beauty. However, while this makes it a truly aesthetically pleasing place to live, does it render it a good city to be a student in?
Having been a student in Edinburgh for a year now, I can attest that there are a lot of advantages to being a student here. Edinburgh is incredibly picturesque. This makes it easy to romanticise life here and promotes an aesthetic of studying and working hard to maintain good grades. Being able to study in the stunning Old College Library or look out onto the Meadows while revising in the Main Library is a privilege.
While this is all well and good, there are also many downsides to being a student in Edinburgh in comparison to other popular university options, particularly in terms of the cost of living and nightlife. Edinburgh is an extremely expensive city to reside in as a student, with prices of private renting and university-provided accommodation rising exponentially. For example, two popular first-year accommodations, Sciennes and Kincaid’s Court, have increased their yearly rent from £6540.20 to £8750 just in the past year. This exemplifies the extremity of the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on students, making their lives significantly harder than in cheaper cities such as Newcastle, Leeds, and Manchester.
This tightens the budget for students, diminishing the potential Edinburgh would otherwise have. This has knock-on effects on how indulgent students can be regarding nightlife. Many will have to limit their going-out time, as it becomes increasingly unaffordable. However, Edinburgh is not well-known for its nightlife anyway, with many claiming that a good night out in Edinburgh simply means getting a bus to Glasgow. For some, this may not be a problem if a night out is not well favoured; however, students as a whole enjoy the clubbing scene, and Edinburgh is distinctly lacking in one.
In comparison to other popular UK universities, Edinburgh largely wins in terms of its aesthetically pleasing nature. Yet, unfortunately, ranks lower in terms of student experience, with many students claiming that they actually have more fun when visiting friends at universities like Bristol or Manchester.
Ultimately, the decision on whether Edinburgh is a good city for students or not comes down to personal preference on what is most important to you: a good, cheap time or stunningly beautiful pictures for your Instagram story.
“Edinburgh at a glance” by Dimitry B is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
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