After I got nominated by KI to visit University of Edinburgh (UoE) as a Master’s Student, I had to find a lab to do my 16 ECTS project in, as well as an advanced level course covering at least 9 ECTS. This would enable me to successfully apply for enrollment in UoE.

Finding a lab was quite an easy task and took more or less a month. I just emailed a couple of labs that seemed interesting, did a phone interview with the PI of the lab that had a vacancy and got accepted. Two months before my arrival in Edinburgh we talked more specifically about the project and I wrote the detailed project description after reading the appropriate literature.

However, finding a course was more difficult. As an exchange student from the EU, choosing a Master’s Level course in UoE was not possible, so I had to enroll in an Honor’s Level Course. Honor’s Level courses are advanced level courses, so they can get acknowledged by KI when one is back. UoE has a great archive of all their courses (http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk/10-11_Archive_at_01-09-2010/ipp/cx_subindex.htm) where you can browse and find what suits you best. Although I found several courses that I liked, it seemed that many of them were full and could not accept more students. With the help of people from the Biomedical Teaching Organization (BMTO) I managed to find a course that had free spaces and I could enroll in. This was “Synaptic Function and Plasticity in Health and Disease”, worth 10 ECTS.

After making clear which course and project I would do during my exchange, I was able to fill in my visiting student application form, with which you provide 2 referee letters, your project description, a persona statement and some personal information. The application gets processed quite fast and after that you get registered and have a UoE email, as well as access to EASE, the UoE student portal where you can manage everything about your studies.

I had the luck to arrive in Edinburgh in the middle of August, when the Fringe Art Festival was ongoing and the city was very lively. Upon my arrival I met Karen Harris, the BMTO academic administrator, in order to ensure that everything was fine with my papers and get some tips. Some days after (end of August) I also got introduced to my lab, took a tour, and got a temporary pass for the building since the official library pass takes some time to be issued. 

Finally, during the second week of September it is fresher’s week, which means that many nice welcoming events and activities for students are going on, organized by the Edinburgh University Students’ Association (EUSA). During this week you can get to know some of UoE’s societies (they are more than 260) and maybe join some. Societies offer you the chance to develop your interests, network and meet like-minded people. Courses usually start during the last week of September.

I would also like to mention that UoE has a great tutoring program during which every undergraduate student has a Personal Tutor, a member of the teaching staff who provides academic guidance and support.

The cost of living in Edinburgh is similar to Stockholm. For a room in a centrally located apartment I paid 400 pounds per month, bills included. Even if accommodation was expensive, I found grocery shopping there quite cheaper compared to Stockholm. Moreover, eating and drinking out was slightly cheaper compared to Stockholm. Concerning transport, Edinburgh is a small city, and since both my lab and flat were downtown I preferred to walk and occasionally take the bus which costs 1.60 pounds for a single ticket.

Finding accommodation in Edinburgh might not be the easiest, but there are quite many alternatives. I found my place through an advertisement on Facebook, in a group called EdinRoom. It was a beautiful Victorian house on Leith Walk, the street that connects Edinburgh with its shore, and it was rented through EdLets. Other websites that are good for finding a room are; Gumtree, Zoopla, Rightmove, Spareroom and Citylets. Finally, one can also rent a flat directly through agencies (they usually have a minimum of 6 month contract).  Concerning student accommodation, if you are on exchange for one semester you are not entitled to get any student housing. However, if you have a higher budget there are also private student housing companies such as IQ.

Concerning areas to live, Tollcross, Marchmont, Leith and Holyrood are nice areas close to the centre and well-connected, which suits one that studies at the George Square buildings. I would like to mention that the house “quality” is usually not as good as in Stockholm, with houses being quite old, so I would suggest to always check if the place has double glazed windows since winters in Scotland can be quite harsh.

Studying in UoE was quite similar to studying in KI. There were theoretical lectures, exams, oral presentations, reports. The lecturers were very friendly and approachable, trying to help as much as possible. However, I think that studying in UoE was more demanding, something that represents very much the traditional British education style.

Living and studying in a country where English is spoken natively is a great chance to improve one’s language skills. The Scottish accent might seem tricky to understand but it takes very little time to get used to it. 

The culture in Scotland is quite similar with Sweden’s culture, although locals there are way more open. Edinburgh and UoE are very multicultural, so you can still enjoy an international environment.

Edinburgh is a very lively and deeply historic city full of cultural opportunities. No wonder it is called “Athens of the North”.  As I mentioned before, every August there is the Fringe Festival, where thousands of artists gather from around the globe. Apart from that period, Edinburgh has very good theatres, cinemas and concert halls. The discounts for students are very good, so you can enjoy a ballet, classic music concert, movie, or musical for 10 pounds. Moreover, there is a lot of stunning nature in a stone’s throw (Arthur’s Seat, Hollyrood Park). 

As I mentioned before, the university has plenty of societies about any interest one could have. Is that Baking? Dancing? Debating? Harry Potter? UoE has a society for all of these. Finally, Scottish people are very welcoming, so one can very easily socialize.

I would also like to mention the great travelling opportunities that one has in Edinburgh; London, Glasgow, the Highlands, Stirling, Isle of Skye are only some of them.

To sum up, living and studying in Edinburgh is a great experience that I am very grateful for. The city is absolutely charming, the education provided is top-level, and there is some top-notch science happening. I would definitely recommend to anyone to visit UoE and Edinburgh for a semester or more.