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Student at University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh

Whether to study at Edinburgh or not

So edinburgh is one of three considerations of mine for uni, that or UoLiverpool or Lancaster University. Im at a bit of a crossroads at the moment and im uncertain as to where I would like to go. If there is anyone whos been to edinburgh for any sort of engineering and could share some insight as to the pros and cons of going there it would be much appreciated. Thank you.
I didn't do engineering there so I can't help with that, but if you have any questions about Edinburgh Uni generally or the city and such I'd be happy to try and answer them :smile:
Student at University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
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JM314159
OP
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Original post by nellybelly29
I didn't do engineering there so I can't help with that, but if you have any questions about Edinburgh Uni generally or the city and such I'd be happy to try and answer them :smile:

Ive heard alot of good things about Edinburgh as a city and as a uni, for you, what was the experience like with the city and the campus itself? your favourite and least favourite parts?
First, let me preface. I'm American and I did IR with Quantitative Methods. Overall, I loved loved loved my time at Edinburgh. There were of course things I wished could've been better, but overall, I'm happy with my time and there and the education I received.

1) Facilities are generally good or in the process of being improved. The gym is excellent. Some lecture theatres are a bit aged, but they've been renovating them. Appleton Tower was recently revamped whilst I was still there, and it's a very nice building with lecture theatres and seminar rooms, for example.

2) The main library is a monstrosity from the outside, but inside it's very nice, with quiet/silent areas and areas for group work. I don't have much experience with the other libraries except for the Edinburgh College of Art library, which is small but very nice as well. The libraries are well stocked and if they're missing books or articles, there's a form to fill out and the uni will 9 times out of 10 buy it for you.

3) The city was the highlight of my time in Edinburgh. It's a beautiful city. It's small for a capital, less than 500,000 people, but it was the perfect size for me to feel like I was in a city but not too crazy like London. It can be pricey, but there are hidden gems all around that aren't expensive and student-friendly. I adore Edinburgh if you can't tell haha.

4) Overall, the uni is a large research university. Teaching can sometimes be lacking because of this, but if you're willing to work hard you can succeed at Edinburgh Uni no problem. My main issue with the city is that in winter it gets dark at like 3pm! I didn't know this when I moved to Edinburgh but boy, it's an adjustment. But overall, I love love love love Edinburgh.


Edinburgh is a large, well-respected, world-renowned university. That means that it has lots of facilities and funding. However, sometimes these don't fully trickle down to the undergraduate population. I had my issues with the university (and man it gets dark so early in winter haha) but overall, I really enjoyed my time there and I received an excellent education. It was a lot of independent self-study but I learned a lot and have set myself up for a good future, I think. This answer was very long and parts of it I just took from a different post I had commented on haha, so let me know if there's anything that's unclear or you'd like extra information on :smile:
Reply 4
Avatar for Cipriani
Cipriani
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Original post by JM314159
So edinburgh is one of three considerations of mine for uni, that or UoLiverpool or Lancaster University. Im at a bit of a crossroads at the moment and im uncertain as to where I would like to go. If there is anyone whos been to edinburgh for any sort of engineering and could share some insight as to the pros and cons of going there it would be much appreciated. Thank you.


I think it really depends on the kind of people you want to encounter. Edinburgh is by no means a modern university, (one of my theories as to why the SSR is so low). It takes a particular type of tolerance for a particular social class to go there as well as dealing with the profoundly pretentious administrative team.

The positives are pretty straight forward, Edinburgh is extremely well known and ranks as one of the top 20 best universities in the world amongst Cornell, Duke, Yale, Princeton and UCL. The professors and teaching staff tend to be experts in their respective fields and the facilities are amazing if you know where to be and when to be there. There are numerous societies and clubs which provide ample occupation for your free time and the university offers excellent post-graduate employment opportunities. A degree from Edinburgh is very competitive and will only do you good when looking for a career internationally.

Ultimately I would pick Edinburgh, for all its downsides it is a great university and like anything old and dusty but strangely nostalgic, it will eventually grow on you.

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