Blog by Martha C
Hey everyone! I’m Martha and am just going into my second year of studying Politics at Edinburgh. I’m from Essex in the South-East of England, and chose Edinburgh partly because I wanted to go quite far from home for university to experience a totally new city.
Politics is something I have been interested in since secondary school, as I believe it has such a significant impact on society and is integral to combatting inequality. However, it was only after I enjoyed studying it for A-Level so much that I realised it was something I wanted to do a degree in.
I’m particularly interested in showing my perspective of Edinburgh University as a widening participation student, as I want to reassure those who may feel nervous about coming that there is such a diverse student population here so it’s impossible not to fit in or make friends.
I love how being a student at Edinburgh doesn’t just teach you what you learn in your lectures, it also teaches you about different countries and cultures by suddenly expanding your social bubble to include people from all over the world. I also really enjoy the social aspect of university. Living in halls was one of my favourite parts of first year, as there was always something going on and it was so easy to hang out with my friends.
I honestly believe that Edinburgh is the perfect student city. It’s big enough for you to always have something to do, but not big enough to get overwhelming and lose its sense of community. I think what makes Edinburgh such a great place to live is the amount of nature embedded everywhere, as this is something most people living in cities must sacrifice. However, in Edinburgh we can go to the beach, go on walks through massive parks, and even climb up extinct volcanoes! I also love its surrounding neighbourhoods such as Leith, Stockbridge, and Portobello, which are easily accessible by walking or public transport, and travelling to provides a refreshing break from fast-paced university life.
I’m really excited to join the blog – you’ll definitely hear more from me soon!