Hi I’m Adam Vacek, just about to start Year 2.
Edinburgh is an amazing city. It was what ultimately convinced me to choose this university out of all of my offers. You can experience everything from culture, nature, nightlife, restaurants, pubs, clubs, etc.
My recommendation is to grab a bunch of your friends and just wander around exploring the city whenever you can. Find places you like and ask other people for recommendations too. If you want any specifics, there are some amazing cafes at Portobello.
Settling into University style learning
The first year is amazing to experience, everything is always new and exciting, but also quite challenging. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends or staff questions and make friends who can help you solve difficult situations. Everybody has something that they struggle with during the first year and it is very normal.
Use the first year as a trial year for different types of studying – university is very different than high school so you will most likely have to adapt your learning style to it. See what works for you and what does not, that is what the first year is for.
Make your room comfy and cosy
Try to make your room as homely as possible and keep it clean. There is nothing better than coming back from a hard day to a nice, cosy and clean room where you feel comfortable. Make sure to make a bunch of friends outside your degree as well around your accommodation, it helps you to have a conversation about something non-academic as well.
Getting used to be away from home
The most important thing you can do is to figure out how to keep in touch with your family reliably before you leave. In addition to that, I would recommend figuring out how to do the basic household chores you might not be used to doing all by yourself – laundry, cleaning, cooking, etc.
Try lots of clubs and societies
Use Welcome Week to try out as many societies and clubs as you can and then sign up for the ones you really like. You will probably drop 50-75% of them later on as you slowly start to discover which ones you like the most and can manage time-wise; however, it is important to have a bunch of options, and also a great way to make loads of friends
Making the most of Welcome Week
Welcome Week is an amazing opportunity to stock up on items and try out huge amounts of new things all for free. There are free taster sessions for pretty much anything you can imagine and a lot of companies also offer discount vouchers and coupons. So go grab those 50% pizza deals, stock up on pens and try that sport you always wanted.
