New to Postgrad life: Getting to know the city and meeting people
By Annabel, from France, studying MSc American History
Hey, my name’s Annabel. I’m currently doing my master’s in American history. It’s been a really good time so far in Edinburgh. I love it, and I can’t imagine not being here after August.
Advice for people preparing to start
I would say my best advice before actually starting is to really make the most of that time off to get to know Edinburgh because there’s so much to do and see. I would also suggest making the most of the good weather in September and climb up Arthur’s Seat, it’s 7 years bad luck if you don’t climb it within your first week of living here! Get to know all the new streets and new places and find that one coffee shop or sandwich shop near campus because you never know when you’re going to need some fuel to keep going with your studies in the middle of the day.
Feeling safe in a new city
Edinburgh has actually been ranked one of the safest cities in the UK. I feel very safe walking around at night, for example, coming home from uni if I’ve been at the library really late. I’ve never really been scared even though I’m carrying my bag, which has my computer and everything in it. Obviously, you have to be careful if you’re walking alone at night so I’m not saying to let your guard down completely because it is still a city, but compared to London or Paris or New York, to me it’s very safe.
Settling in and making friends
The ‘New Students’ events app was incredibly useful at the beginning. Also, looking into different societies that the Uni has is also really helpful, especially if you haven’t been to a UK university before as societies may be a new thing for you. You can meet people who have similar interests to you, and they organise so many events, especially at the beginning of the year. Everyone gets to mingle and meet new people, make friends and it really helps foster that sense of community. It’s a big part of university life in Edinburgh and in the UK.
Definitely go to events that are organised by the Uni because that’s how I met my closest friends. I went to an intro lecture and then a coffee meeting straight after. Don’t be afraid to just go up to a group of people and say hi because everyone is new, especially for masters programmes. Most people don’t know anyone else either, so you’ve got nothing to lose by saying, ‘hey, my name is…where are you from?’ You could meet your best friend!
There was also a big vintage sale in Bristo Square which sold posters and plants to decorate your flat or room with. They also had a lot of clothes, which were all vintage or second hand. They had a lot of good stuff and it was really cheap. I got my go-to coat there, so I would highly recommend going if it’s on.
How to get to know people on your programme
The history programme organised a drinks mixer in the Playfair Library which is gorgeous. I haven’t had access to it since so that was incredible. It was really fun and a good opportunity to get to know professors who I then had in class, literally, the next week. It felt like more of a chilled environment where it wasn’t so stressful. They provided free drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, so that was also quite nice. If your programme offers that type of thing, it would definitely be worth going.
