Hi guys, I am back with another blog post! In this post, I want to talk about how I feel about Edinburgh as an international student. Just to briefly talk about my background, I am from South Korea but lived almost half of my life abroad. The two countries I lived in were India and Russia! So even before coming, I was used to living somewhere different from my home country.
The first thing I want to talk about is the weather. As you might expect, Edinburgh is a city located quite up north so it tends to be windier throughout the winter. And we sometimes get many kinds of weather in one day; there was one day when it rained, snowed and the sun shined at the same time! At the beginning of November, it would get dark quickly as well. So, my biggest tip is to bring warm clothes and get like a thick blanket to keep yourself cosy during winter.
I like Edinburgh because it is not too big but not too small to explore around. There are many local cafes and restaurants in the city centre and I enjoy trying them out with my friends when I have some free time. Especially during exam season, I go to have a hotpot to catch up with my friends and destress for a bit. And most places are within walkable distance, so I tend to walk more when I am in Edinburgh. The Meadows is a large park by the university library and it is absolutely stunning when the sun sets in the Meadows. So, definitely try to visit when you are here!
These are my personal thoughts about Edinburgh, and they can differ from person to person but one thing I can say for sure is that I have not yet met anyone who does not like to stay here. Edinburgh is an amazing city and I do not regret living here as I am having the best time of my life!Lastly, it is really the people that make the city much more vibrant and welcoming. At first, I was worried about not having to understand the accent here, but I realized it is the friendliest accent I have ever heard 😊. And the city is very international so you would have a chance to interact with a range of people from different countries. An advice that I want to give you is that if you are an international student, it is always nice to have a few friends from the same country as you do! It makes you feel like you are home by being around them and speaking the same mother tongue language.