… by Joe / from Oxford / MMath Mathematics / 1st Year (UG)
Hi! I’m Joe, and my first year as a Mathematics student finished (prematurely) a few weeks ago. Since then I have done a lot of reflecting on my first year at Edinburgh University so I thought I could share these thoughts with you all.
Accommodation
Having chosen to study at Edinburgh, the first decision I had to make was where I was going to live. Initially, I was set on self-catered however, after speaking to friends already at Edinburgh, I was told the catered accommodation was exceptionally good, so I ended up living at Chancellors Court (a catered en-suite accommodation). I never regretted my decision. Everyone with catered accommodation eats together in the same hall which meant mealtimes were very sociable and I made many friends through the setup. There was always a wide range of food and a salad bar at every dinner. I thought that have set times when I had to eat would be restricting, but due to long opening times of the dining, I never once was forced to miss a meal because of the time constraints. Also, all of the catered accommodation is located right next to Arthur’s Seat, so if you are lucky you wake up every morning to a beautiful view.
Studies
Probably the biggest advantage of studying at Edinburgh is the flexibility you get in your academic studies. During Welcome Week I had the choice of doing the standard four-year course, during which the first two years are a mixture of maths and basically whatever else I want, or switching to a three-year course, where you have less choice and practically only study maths (similar to a standard maths course at English universities). I opted for the four year course which meant as well as the first year maths courses, I also did Economics and Politics. These courses were so much fun! I met a new set of people I would not have done otherwise, and it allowed me to pursue further some interests I haven’t been able to in the past. Most importantly though, it confirmed to me that despite enjoying the elective courses, I had definitely picked the right subject to do pursue as my degree.
The City
Finally, I want to briefly talk about the city itself. The fact the university is so integrated into the city makes student life so much easier. The morning walk through the meadows is a perfect start to any day, and the seemingly endless list of amazing and unique pubs is an amazing way to detox and destress in the evenings. Not only does the beautiful city improve my daily life, but it is also so nice that I had quite a few friends visit me throughout the year, who seemed to be keener on seeing Edinburgh then they were on seeing me! Edinburgh is a great place to both live and study and I cannot wait for Year 2 to begin.