YAY Scotland! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Edinburgh is well-respected and one of the best universities in Europe. If you're looking for a study abroad experience with easy classes, don't go to Edinburgh. They're very strict about which courses you can take, and you'll have papers that make up 50% or more of your final grade. There aren't many small assignments which is super stressful. I would recommend studying abroad at Edinburgh if you're planning on going to grad school since it's such a well-respected uni. There is an extensive amount of books available online and in the library - I didn't even need to purchase textbooks for any of my classes there.

On-site administration of your program

It's an exchange, and you're pretty much on your own, and are responsible for finding your housing, classes, student organizations, etc.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in off-campus housing (Canal Point), which was nice, but the rooms were very small and it wasn't a super social place to meet people. There was construction going on behind my flat and it was super loud and woke me up every single morning. However, the management for The Student Housing Company is very good and easy to work with and they are genuinely very nice people.

Edinburgh is a great city with a lot of good places to eat, and grocery stores are very accessible. British food doesn't have the exquistieness of food in countries like France or Italy, but it is still very good. It isn't too hard to find vegetarian food options in Edinburgh.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Scottish people are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet! Assimilating isn't too difficult and it's culturally similar and has the same language, though sometimes it's very difficult to understand Scottish accents! Edinburgh Uni offered day/weekend trips to sites around Scotland and England, however, these filled up SUPER quickly (like, within an hour of it being posted) so most of us weren't able to go there. Edinburgh students are nice, but it's a bit more reserved and traditionally Brits are a bit slow to warm up to you, though they are very nice. Compared to Ireland or Australia, it's probably going to be a bit more difficult to get integrated into the student community at Edinburgh.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Ah, the NHS. Scotland has its own NHS system independent from the rest of the UK, so there are differences, like the fact that prescriptions are free in Scotland. I'd say US healthcare is above and beyond better in terms of quality, but UK healthcare is free. Sometimes the wait for treatment is long depending on your condition and area. I went to the hospital there and the wait is terribly long and the staff is quite rude and don't really care about making it a quality experience. But it is free and better than healthcare in developing countries. Edinburgh Uni didn't really help out with any healthcare or registering for a GP and I had to do that all on my own.

Edinburgh is EXTREMELY safe. I walked alone in the dark on several occasions and felt safe the entire time (I'm female). There's no gun violence because there's strict gun control in the UK. I've traveled around the world to nearly 30 countries and Edinburgh is by far one of the safest and most livable cities I've been to, particularly for women. I felt way safer in Edinburgh than I did in Austin and on the UT campus.

Yes, but at a different time of year. Summer would be much nicer than winter weather-wise. I would live in a house with more exchange students as well rather than an off-campus student flat. Edinburgh is an excellent and well-respected university in a beautiful city.

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

2.5-3 - The UK is going to be more expensive than Ireland since it's on the pound, but Edinburgh is significantly cheaper to live in than London. You can get cheap flights on easyJet and RyanAir to travel throughout Europe, BUT it is Europe, and as a whole Europe is significantly more expensive than Latin America, Asia, and Africa, and a little bit more expensive than Australia (I think, it depends on the current economy).

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• strong academics
• absolutely beautiful city

• social integration/meeting people
• weather

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