Going into university, I knew two things: I wanted to go on an exchange, and I wanted to go to medical school. Balancing both would be difficult, so the main criteria for an exchange university was that the courses would translate well back to Queen’s. This made the University of Edinburgh my top choice. With a diversity of programs and rigorous academic standards, Edinburgh had exactly the classes I was looking for that would keep me on track for my future academic goals.
I also fantasized about the idea of living in Europe for a semester. I loved the ease of travelling, the picturesque and walkable cities and the richness of interconnected cultures. If I was going to have the opportunity to uproot my life for a few months, I wanted it to be somewhere in Europe.
Beyond this, however, I did not know much about Scotland. Before my exchange, I received a massive book about Scotland that I read within the week. Through reading (and soon enough, through my lived experience in Scotland), I discovered a lot about Scotland’s rich culture: clans with extensive histories, a vibrant football (soccer) and rugby culture, the birthplace of golf, a lively pub culture, Harry Potter, kilts, and bagpipes.
I love the city of Edinburgh. With a medieval feel and lush green parks to balance each other out, Edinburgh is very cozy. Be warned, however, that it does rain a lot, and the winter nights tend to be long because Scotland is so far north. The streets are lined with cute shops and charming cafes that make the rainy days more manageable. Edinburgh is very walkable, but biking and busing are also great options.
The academic practices were different from those at Queen’s. I was required to take 3 courses, which made my weekly class schedule very manageable. There were only a couple of assignments all semester. They place a lot of emphasis on self-guided learning, so the expectation is that you do research in your own time to expand on the topics covered in class. The exams are more heavily weighed than at Queen’s and getting an “A” requires that you apply your personal research.
The transition to Edinburgh was easy. The university provided accommodation based on my preferences. Each student is assigned an advisor that can help with your needs, whether that be with academics, immigration, mental health, physical health, travel, etc. There are also several other student resources that can help with mental health, meeting people or getting to know the culture.
I loved living in Edinburgh and how easy it was to visit other countries. Over the course of my exchange, I’d done several trips around Scotland and was fortunate enough to visit 9 other countries with different travel partners each time. It was an eventful 5 months that I wouldn’t change for the world. My advice to anyone considering going on exchange is to just do it. Put yourself out there and take every opportunity that’s given to you.
