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Study Abroad Experiences
Student Societies
There are lots of student run societies at the University of Edinburgh. The following may be of particular interest to you as a Visiting Student:
Blogs
Follow the links below if you would like to read the experiences of intrepid Study Abroad students who are coming/have come to study at the University of Edinburgh.
Testimonials from previous study abroad students
“Are you microwaving water?” My British flatmates would ask that question, tilt their head, and then look at me like I was an alien from different planet. Apparently, every British household has a kettle. Never having a kettle myself, I would always heat up water in microwave to make tea. I never thought it was unusual until I studied abroad. Last semester I studied in Edinburgh, Scotland. I lived in a twelve person flat and I was the only American. Six of my flatmates were Scottish and the other five were English. I loved having eleven other flatmates because there was never a dull moment. Half of our conversations were, “I can’t believe you pronounce that word that way!” There are a variety of accents in the UK so it was interesting for my flatmates to compare their accents with each other. Someone from Newcaslte, England has a very different accent than someone from Essex, England. My flatmates did not only pronounce some words differently, but they used different words too. One time I was talking about fanny packs and they did not know what I was talking about. After they figured it out they said, “Oh, we call those bum bags!” A few other words that are different are: studying = revising, trash = rubbish, band-aid = plaster, sweatshirt = hoodie, grilled cheese sandwich = toastie. When I went to the Study Abroad fair at Mary Washington, I was so overwhelmed because I wanted to travel everywhere! My junior year was approaching fast and eventually I had to narrow it down. I decided that I wanted to travel in Europe in an English speaking country. I wanted to go to a smaller city than London, but I wanted it big enough so there are enough activities. I decided to go to Edinburgh because of all those qualities and also because of the history. I am a Historic Preservation major, so I loved all of the old buildings and the many different ghost tours around the city. Edinburgh was the perfect size too. I could walk around the city very easily. Just like at Mary Washington, I ran into my friends when I was either walking around or at the grocery store. Someone said that Edinburgh is not a small city, but a big town. I am glad I studied abroad in a country that speaks English. I learned a lot more about their culture because there was not a language barrier between us. I not only learned about their culture, but my flatmates learned about American culture. One of the first days I asked them if people usually walk on the right side of the sidewalk. Apparently no one does that in the UK, and they thought it was very unusual that Americans walk on the right side. One of the best things about Edinburgh are the cafes. There are so many different cafes that have their own charm. Yes, there are a few Starbucks, but that is not the only option. I went to the café called the Elephant House where JK Rowling wrote the first two books of Harry Potter. I looked at the window and saw the Edinburgh Castle. I definitely saw what inspired her to create Hogwarts. Each time I went to the Elephant House, it took me about twenty minutes to get a cup of coffee because it was so popular. My favorite café was a less touristy one called Black Medicine Coffee Co. The first day I stepped to this café, the smell of coffee rushed towards me. The interior had stone walls, high ceilings, and rustic furniture. Behind the counter, the people were singing to a Beatles song being played throughout the cafe. I instantly knew that Edinburgh was the best choice for me. Wherever you study abroad, I recommend making friends with the people who live there. I was lucky enough to be in a flat with eleven British students and I had they made my study abroad experience unforgettable.
Justine
Study Abroad Student from University Mary Washington
This article was published on Dec 16, 2011