Philosophy, performing arts and a functional bus system
By Molly, from the USA, studied MSc Philosophy
My name is Molly, I am from California in the United States. I graduated in November 2024 and am permanently living in Edinburgh while searching for full time work.
Deciding to study a masters at Edinburgh
My decision to study in the UK was heavily influenced by my dual citizenship with the US and UK. I was born in the US and lived most of my life there so I really wanted to do my postgraduate degree in the UK just so I could see if I preferred living here as opposed to the United States, and I can definitively say that I do!
I chose Edinburgh specifically because of the very high arts presence throughout the city, not just in terms of the shows, music and acting but working within those as an industry. There’s the Edinburgh Fringe Festival which is in August every year and that was huge.
I chose to study philosophy based on my undergraduate experience in liberal arts, where I found myself drawn to philosophical discussions and wanted to delve deeper into this field. Something that really concerned me was the lack of critical thinking skills amongst younger students, especially with the rise of social media. My focus was on studying the epistemological problems arising with echo chambers and certain media spaces.
While I initially considered using my masters as a stepping stone to a PhD, I’m currently taking a break from academia and just focusing on living life a little bit here in the city and pursuing a couple of business-related jobs. However, I will most likely be pursuing a PhD down the line.
Age range on the programme
The age range on my programme was broad which was nice to see. Most students were probably around my age, so in their 20s, but we had several mature students, some were married and I think one or two had kids. There was a lot of support for mature students that you can find on the university’s website. During our social events, we didn’t really form into cliques based on ages, we all just hung out together which was really nice.
Living in and getting around Edinburgh
Edinburgh is a very walkable city. Coming from California where there is basically no such thing as public transport, I appreciated having a functional bus system. I’m not sure how it compares to other locations, but for the most part, it tends to be reliable.
I found buying a Ridacard very useful as it covers Lothian buses and the tram system, which gets you to and from the airport. I found that to be a worthwhile expense because of how often I was using the service. If you don’t want to spend money on public transport, the city’s layout means you can walk pretty much anywhere with some planning. One thing to keep in mind is that for Science and Engineering students based at the Kings Buildings campus, located further from the city centre, there are less transport options, though there is a free direct bus from the centre to that campus.
Student accommodation is dotted throughout the city too. Generally, it’s a good idea to apply for it earlier on if you can because it tends to go quite quickly. I was allocated rooms with people that I didn’t know, but who I luckily got along pretty well with and it was close to a bus stop that got me into central campus pretty quickly.
Meeting new people by joining a society
There are tonnes of societies! They range from community-based groups representing various countries and cultures, to interest-based groups for activities like Dungeons and Dragons or music, such as the folk society. Then there are also numerous performing arts societies like choirs, musical theatre, Shakespeare and all the rest.
The number of postgraduate students probably does change depending on the society, but in my experience with performing arts, there is a strong presence of postgraduate students in there.
It was a good way to meet some of your peers. For the theatre societies, even as an alum, I’m still participating in some of them. There’s a wide range of age groups that you can connect with, and events are typically organised around academic schedules, making it pretty easy to find something that works for you, even if you’re busy.
Societies are also a really great way to find like-minded groups of people but also, differently-minded groups of people, if you want to broaden your perspectives as well. For instance, if you’re new to the UK, joining a Scottish-related society can be a great way to immerse yourself in local culture and break social barriers.
During welcome week, there’s a huge event where you can explore these societies, talk to members and learn more about them. Commitment is generally low so you can sign up for lots of new things without the obligation of joining. It’s very chill and is a great way meet people and try out some new things when you have the time.
Molly was sharing experiences of Masters study during the ‘student & graduate panel’ webinar that was part of the Postgraduate Discovery online event that took place in April 2025. Find out more about our online recruitment events:
