Student review [#99108] for History
at The University of Edinburgh

My experience at the University of Edinburgh so far has been a very positive one. As a second-year History student, I find the biggest selling point of studying here is the privilege of living centrally in the city itself.

Edinburgh is walkable, friendly, safe and constantly buzzing. The freedoms of student life mean you can truly make the most of everything it has to offer, and its perfect size allows you to settle in quickly but never feel short of things to do. For me, the quality of life the city provides is, in itself, enough to recommend the university.

Academically, my experience has been more mixed. The quality of teaching varies between courses, with some being far more engaging than others. The compulsory History modules, especially in first year, are extremely broad, which means there is less depth in the topics studied. However, in pre-honours years, I find the elective system at Edinburgh majorly compensates for this and allows you to explore specific areas of interest. For me, my electives have complemented and directed my historical interests, helping me decide what areas I want to pursue further in my honours years.

Additionally, there are not many contact hours for History students, which means acadmics relies a lot on self-motivation, yet there are benefits to this. I find the university administration unsatisfactory at times, but there are no issues with the professors themselves, who are more than willing to help if you contact them directly.

Socially, while there can be elements of cliquishness and elitism among some students, the general population is friendly, and it is easy to meet new people. When it comes to accommodation and meeting like-minded people, it is often a matter of luck, but this is not unique to Edinburgh.

Then there is the notorious Scottish weather. Heavy wind and rain are, at first, unappealing but something you quickly adapt to, and even find adds to the city’s charm when there are cosy pubs and warm cafés to take refuge in. Edinburgh’s location also makes it so easy to explore more of Scotland and the surrounding natural landscape, which is something uniquely valuable to take away from university.

Overall, I deeply recommend the University of Edinburgh; though the academic experience can be unsatisfactory at times, the teaching can still be very rewarding, and the student lifestyle is, in my opinion, unmatched.