University Of Edinburgh

Study and Research
Global oppertunities
Not to big nor small

Edinburgh University remains to be one of the hardest universities to get into in the country and as such will always be respected by employers as long as this fact remains true. The university has a wide range of courses from medicine, veterinary science, engineering to all the traditional arts degrees.
A key issue of complaint about the university is that there seems to be a lack of support from university staff. Speaking with my friends in other universities such as Bristol and York, they both seem to talk about getting more support from the university– their tutors seem to have a much closer relationship with their pupils, which doesn’t really seem to happen here. This can be a good thing, as it means you need to get some initiative and work things out for yourself, but it can be detrimental if you feel a bit clueless.
The fact that it has a few ugly buildings, really doesn’t make that big a deal, I mean who really chooses which university to go to according to how many eyesores the university creates. What’s really important is that the university gives you a well rounded education, and I believe Edinburgh University does do this.

Edinburgh has one of the more traditional and older universities and this has both its benefits and drawbacks. The benefits are that you will get a degree from a respected university that is a name to be recognised for given good degrees. However, the drawbacks are that the university does not offer a great amount of support and it will be up to you to direct your own learning — they simply do not mind if you fail on your own faults.
If you are self motivated and disciplined then this will work out for you and you’ll have an impressive degree. However, if you think that you might struggle without support then I recommend one of the smaller universities. They may not have the same prestige, but their careful guidance should get you a better degree.

The past two years at Edinburgh University have probably been amongst the best of my life. The lifestyle is great — go to as many or as little classes as you like, do your work for the classes, go out and get messed up with your friends, do it all again the next day. The only downside is having to live on virtually small change.
Edinburgh Uni itself has some pretty ugly buildings like Appleton Tower, but also some grand ones like McEwan Hall. The lecture theatres are all a good size with comfortable seating and decent sound equipment.
The teaching is good, although the Uni has apparantly got a reputation for leaving students to work out a lot for themselves. This takes some adjusting to, however, it encourages you to be proactive and take charge of your own stuff.
I’d recommend Edinburgh University to any prospective students looking for a good, well-​rounded education.

After being a student for the past four years, I have come to love the University of Edinburgh! It is a great institution but what makes it stand out is that it is located in one of the best cities in the world!
George Square and Bristo Square are both full of magnificent buildings, but also share some architectural horrors! The main library is always buzzing with activity and has gained a new lease of life due to its renovation. Additionally, many of the buildings in George Square are getting refurbished which will improve the area and make it a more attractive place for students to study!
With four student unions, students are spoiled for choice! Teviot has become my second home more or less and have enjoyed many, many good nights in there. And Potterrow provides one of the best student nights out in the form of the Big Cheese — dodgy pop tunes galore!
Furthermore, the student body itself is made up of students from all over the world and I think that adds to the whole student experience. Teaching is generally at a high quality, which is what you always need at a world class university.
The university has many great facilities, but what makes it such a great university is the city and the many thousands of students!

I love Edinburgh Uni.
Yes, some of the buildings are 60’s concrete mnonstrocities — but the very best ones (such as Teviot Row House and McEwan Hall) are prime examples of listed buildings and very pretty indeed.
I’ve always found the whole ‘student culture’ at the uni to be one that is completly unique — the history, the academia and just generally the feeling of being in a great university all adds up to create an experience that I find hard to decribe.
The departments are all well equiped, and at the cutting edge of recearch, so study wise, you cant get much more advanced or groundbreaking.
Maybe the night life isnt as great as it could be, but I’ve never complained after rolling in from a night out.
I’m a proud student of this university and I truely think it is one of the best in the country.

Ok, the buildings are horrible… well, David Hume and Appleton are, but lets not forget the beautiful Teviot and McEwan Hall! As well as Reid Hall, Drummond Street, High School Yards… I could go on.
The University itself is great… but I suppose I have to say that because I study here!
Even if I didn’t though, I would be full of praise for the University. They are extremely professional and very modern with their technologies and operating systems. It’s almost intimidating how up-​to-​date it is.
My favourite part is George Square. It’s a lovely area in the summer and is absolutely beautiful in winter.
Edinburgh University does have a bit of a reputation for being full of ‘yahs’ … which is true, but to be honest they stick together, so unless you’re one of them they won’t cross your path!

We stayed in dorm rooms here some years ago: we got what we paid for at $ 35 a night. Breakfast included, but a longish trip to town. NEVER again.

Home to some of the ugliest buildings on earth (can I get a round of applause for Appleton Tower’s sheer foulness please?) the University of Edinburgh was the place of my ‘further education’. Superficially the Uni does well in the league tables (23^rd in the world I think) but the real student experience is pretty patchy. The main library is probably the best example of this. Spanning over six floors this building houses millions of books and resources but for some reason there never seemed to be any of the ones I wanted! At the beginning of every year at least one of my courses was complaining that their books hadn’t been put on short loan and that keen students had already checked out the course work for the year. There was also a constant issue of people hogging computers, leaving their books and coats on the table and then heading off to Bristo Square for a leisurely lunch. Annoying!
Nonetheless I did enjoy my studies at Edinburgh a lot. The uni attracts some brilliant lecturers especially in the History and Politics departments (my degree). Dr Day, Dr Cogliano and Dr Bates were my favourite historians although I would have to say that the international relations and politics of human rights courses were very impressive.
In recent years the University has come out quite badly in ‘student satisfaction’ surveys primarily because of the time it took to get coursework marked and returned. As I left I could see that there were real efforts being made to reverse these patterns but as far as most of us were concerned it was a bit too little too late. Despite this I would still say that Edinburgh is a great University and I miss it a lot!