My Semester in Edinburgh Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I did not work as hard as I could have, but the first year courses were not that academically stimulating or interesting. The honours courses were much better--these were courses designed specifically for third or fourth year students, and they were all small, discussion-based courses. I definitely benefited the most from these courses, and was introduced to a wider range of literature than I have been previously. It was also interesting, if sometimes tedious, to be introduced to a plethora of secondary reading, which isn't always a regular part of the curriculum at Wellesley. I feel like the honours courses were comparable to some of the courses I have taken at Wellesley. I didn't like the first year courses at Edinburgh, but I imagine they are similar to many courses at large universities--powerpoint presentations to a crowded lecture hall of 200 students. I didn't feel like I learned much from these lectures, as they were rather tedious.

On-site administration of your program

I think the Visiting Students section was always helpful and the people there were very nice and willing to listen. I didn't really need to utilize them much but the knowledge that they were there was good and when I did use them they were very helpful.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in South Clerk Street, which is on the main street. It was apartment style but was university housing so all the people there were students, and my flatmates were all students which was nice. There were six of us, two bathrooms, and one kitchen/living space. That sometimes got a bit tight when we were all cooking but overall made for a cozy atmosphere where we got to know each other. I didn't get to know many other people in the building because there was no central common area to the building. <br /><br /> I really loved the location--it was very close to a lot of my friends and was in a central area, so I was often only a short walk away from my most basic requirements. Even though we were on the main street, it was a pretty safe area--Edinburgh in general is quite safe and there are mostly students where I was living. Needed to buy all utensils, but the flat provided some cooking equipment (a few pots). I mostly bought the rest of what I needed, but sometimes shared with my flatmates. Was only a ten minute walk from any of my classes, a 20 minute walk from Princes Street (the main shopping area) and there was some nightlife closeby. Some clubs were farther away, but still within walking distance. Edinburgh is a very walkable city.

The majority of the time I cooked, but would go out sometimes if I was very busy or with friends. Britain, and especially Edinburgh, is not really known for having good food, but it's still fun to go out to pubs or kebab shops with friends.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I tried to attend the trips sponsored by the International student Centre at the beginning of the year, but while I found that these trips were interesting (they went around to interesting places in Scotland and sometimes northern England) they weren't what made the social aspects of my program. Again, my best advice would be join at least two organizations and then stick with the one you feel most at home in. That's how you'll make good friends and have fun experiences. Also, try to make it something that challenges you in some way, even in a small way--you'll find yourself growing and feeling more confident around the people you meet. For example, I joined a dance society. I've always been an incredibly self-conscious dancer, feeling that I couldn't dance, so joining this society challenged me to dance in front of others and helped me feel comfortable around the group.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Edinburgh is a very safe city. There were one or two violent incidents throughout the year that I know of, but I never once felt unsafe in the whole year. Walking back to my flat in the early hours of the morning, I felt perfectly safe. No matter what hour it is or what day, there were always people on the street in the area I lived, which made me feel safer. Obviously just use common sense and be careful and if you're walking around at 2 am let someone know, but it really was quite safe.

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

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• Apartment

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• International Students
• Local Students
• Americans

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• Local Students