Prospective undergraduates

Claire

A History and Politics student from Scotland, Claire is a competitive cheerleader. Her competing allows her to travel the UK and Europe and she also coaches younger athletes.

HCA Claire
Claire

What attracted you to the University of Edinburgh and this programme, in particular?

I liked how the city had loads of historic and pretty buildings especially around the Uni. I also like how it is such an international Uni with so many people to meet from all over the world.

What do you wish you'd worried about less about coming to university?

Making friends – even if this doesn’t happen on day one, I met so many different people throughout freshers week and in my classes.

What one thing would you recommend new students at the University of Edinburgh do?

Take a course that you think would be interesting that’s outside your degree even if it’s something you may never do again it’s a good opportunity in first year when there’s so many different courses on offer.

Any student wisdom you'd like to pass on?

Don’t be afraid to say no! There’s always so much going on so it’s important to prioritise what you want to do most.

What aspects of student life do you enjoy the most and why?

I enjoy the fact that there is so many people from all around the world to meet and you get the chance to find out more about their cultures.

What do you most like about studying here?   

I like how there’s always a range of lecturers on the courses – you really get to hear from experts in the topic that the lectures on and they give them with a lot of passion since it’s a topic they’ve studied and researched in depth.    

What do you find most challenging and most rewarding about your programme?

Most challenging – at first, I found it hard to decide what times I would do my Uni work at, its so different to school in the sense that you’re completely on your own timeline and no one influences when you should do your work or how long before a deadline you should start an essay. Once you find the balance its so much easier!

Most rewarding – when you finish an essay, after the time it’s taken to research and write it!

What's a 'must do' at the University of Edinburgh?

Get nachos from the library bar!

What is your favourite course so far and why?

I have enjoyed Politics and International Relations 1A as it gave an introduction to the main themes in politics which led to a strong basis for other courses. It also helped me see what parts of politics I was specifically interested in.

Where is your favourite place to study?

The HCA common room.

What are your tips for student life in Edinburgh?

Get involved with as much as you can at the start to find out what you enjoy, you may find something enjoyable that you’ve never done before!

How is your programme equipping you for your future career?

Allowing me to find out what specific areas of history and politics I enjoy most

What advice would you give to anyone thinking of studying at the University of Edinburgh?

Visit the campus and get to see some of the buildings that you will be studying in if you come here.