Edinburgh taught me so much about Scotland and myself- it is a second home to me Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The literature courses I took while at the University of Edinburgh were outstanding. However, some of the other courses I took such as Scottish History and Celtic Civilisation, while topically interesting, were conducted poorly. Many of my professors were clearly researchers and not teachers- they gave confusing lectures that were neither insightful and treated lecture as a supplement to your own learning. While I am fine with conducting my own research, I felt the attitude towards in-class time was not very good. Despite that, all of my classes had extra out-of-class tutorials in which we could engage in a smaller group setting led by a tutor. I found these very helpful. The library at Edinburgh is also a terrific resource- but books go fast, so it's important to get books out early. Overall, despite some frustration with lecturers, the classes were overall very good.

On-site administration of your program

The Arcadia office is located right next to university centre. They were extremely helpful and always available if I needed anything. Besides Arcadia, we were assigned a personal academic tutor who helped us with course registration. The is also a study abroad office should one need further assistance.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I chose my accommodation (College Wynd) based on location. However, I soon discovered that the street it is located on (Cowgate) is the "party street" and thus extremely loud and often full of drunk people. While I got used to this, there were also many problems within College Wynd such as hot water that didn't work or other problems and our accommodation manager was very slow to get these repaired. While the location was terrific (only 5 minutes from main campus)- I would not recommend anyone to live where I did- ever.

I lived in self-catered accommodation so I cooked for myself most of the time. There are plenty of grocery stores and specialty food stores so you can find most of the ingredients you could want. Most grocery stores also have a delivery service (for a price), so if you happen to live far from one and need a lot of groceries, that is a convenient way to get them. Edinburgh has some really amazing restaurants, cafes, and pubs. The Indian food in Edinburgh is fantastic and my favorite place to go was 10 to 10 in Delhi, a small but quaint restaurant with incredible food for a cheap price. Other restaurants I tried and liked were the Pink Olive Bistro, The Southern, and any Nicholson's pub. Afternoon teas are great at Eteaket- a local tea shop that supplies teas to many of the other restaurants in the area. Kilimanjaro and The Elephant House are terrific cafes. Grassmarket and Nicolson Street have a lot of great pubs.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Obviously Scotland is not extremely different from American culture- after all, we share the same language. Nonetheless, there are a few things that I had to get used to, understand, or learn. I felt that my time there was a constant lesson in culture- from pub culture, Highland heritage, Edinburgh festivals, shopping, ect. I found learning customs and the way things work through both the Scottish and European mindset fascinating and I never got tired of it. The only reason I didn't put 5 stars is because I don't think I will ever be done learning about their culture and I don't plan to quit trying.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I made the poor mistake of not registering with the NHS right away. I didn't realize that the medical centres around me could "fill up"- which I don't think was made very clear to me. I normally don't get sick, but there are a lot of germs that we are not used to there so I did get sick a few times. One time it got pretty bad but I couldn't see a doctor around me because the clinics were full. I managed to find one a little further from me and register with them- but they couldn't see me for two weeks. I managed to get better on my own, but I wouldn't say the healthcare there is very prompt. I would suggest registering as fast as possible with a clinic/doctor and then go in the minute you start feeling sick. One great thing about it though is that you don't need health insurance and most medical care and prescriptions are completely free.

I never felt unsafe in Edinburgh. It is a very nice city and most people are wonderful and friendly. There are usually plenty of police officers patrolling the streets. If you go out at night, just make sure you stay with friends and make sure everyone looks out for each other (if you plan on drinking). Stay in populated, well-lit areas- which there are plenty of in Edinburgh. If for any reason you should feel unsafe, the number for the police is 999. Honestly though, safety problems are rare occurrences. Edinburgh is one of the safest places I have ever been.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Edinburgh is not the cheapest option. First of all, the tuition I paid to Arcadia was a huge amount- much more than my tuition for UT. Everything in Edinburgh is more expensive because of the exchange rate and because it is a major city in Scotland.

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• The multitude of co-curricular events- such as Firbush Activity centre where you could kayak and hike in the beaufiul Highlands.
• Independence- I lived exactly like an Edinburgh student. I lived with other international and local students, I went to class with local students, I was free to live where I wanted, I was free to do what I wanted. Arcadia is a gateway to Edinburgh and provides optional activities, but never infringed with how I wanted to build my experience.
• Edinburgh itself- there is no city more magical. It is medieval and yet infused with European modernity. History surrounds you all the time. The shopping is fantastic. The people are so friendly and helpful. I never wanted to leave.

• I wish more information or research was given on accommodation so that people realize if they will be living on a party street for example.

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer