… by Fionnuala / from London / BSc Mathematics / 1st Year (UG)
Choosing which university to apply to, firm or insure on UCAS can be a very daunting experience. I can remember submitting my application, which I had spent ages preparing, to then realise there would be harder decisions to make once I had received answers from my five options.
Choosing a university is a very personal decision. What one of your best friends at school might love when choosing somewhere just might not do it for you. There may be something small, but which will be really important for you during your time there so my main piece of advice is to make sure you don’t base your decision off somebody else’s. The two biggest factors which affected my decision were; the degree programme itself and the city which I would be living in.
Background:
For a bit of background about myself, my name is Fionnuala and I have just completed my first year studying on the BSc Mathematics degree in Edinburgh. I was eighteen when I started at University last September and moved from London. I had only ever been to Edinburgh twice before moving (for an open day and offer holders day) so I didn’t know the city particularly well. Deciding to come to Edinburgh was probably the biggest decision I had ever made last year but after completing my first year, I have absolutely no regrets!
Degree programme:
I had, and still have, no set idea of what I would like to do after I graduate so, when deciding which uni to choose, I knew I wanted a degree course which would allow me to keep my options open as much as possible until I start figuring this out. I also investigated teaching style as I wanted to make sure I would get the most out of my studies. The flipped classroom style in first year helped me in the transition to University level study and the weekly assignments and reading tests made sure I stayed on top of my workload.
At A-Level I studied Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Spanish so I was also looking for a degree which would allow me, at least to some extent, to continue Spanish alongside my Maths work as well as having the option to do a year abroad in future years. During my first year here, I have been able to take elective courses in both Data Science and Spanish which were both very interesting and have helped me start making decisions about which paths I want to continue down next year.
City:
Having grown up in London, I knew I wanted to move to somewhere else which would offer the fun, vibrant and multicultural lifestyle which I had loved being so close to the city at home. Edinburgh most certainly doesn’t disappoint!
The city has so much to offer and even after a whole year of living here, there is still so much more I want to explore when we return! I would be lying if I said that the beauty and history of the city wasn’t one of the main attractions to coming to uni in Edinburgh. Exploring the winding cobbled streets off the Royal Mile, climbing up Arthur’s Seat for sunset or midnight trips to Portobello beach are something so unique to Edinburgh and give such variety to how you can spend your free time.
There is also a very lively night life scene every day of the week with society nights, pubs, clubs, bars, restaurants and so much more so you can never be bored!
Societies are one of the best ways to make friends during your time here as you will get to meet so many people who share interests outside of your daily degree work. Living in a capital city, however, also allows you to get involved with different groups and societies away from the University e.g. I sing in the St Giles Cathedral choir which is such an amazing thing about being in the middle of the city!
