Edinburgh Guide for Students: How to Explore Your New City?
Edinburgh has a solid Scottish flavor and a rich history, making it the second most visited city in the UK after London. Edinburgh’s architecture perfectly blends ancient and modern, with a bridge dividing reality from history. But Edinburgh is also a city of outstanding natural beauty, with mountains, lakes, and even forests within a 15 or 20-minute walk of wherever you are. It’s also home to the world-renowned University of Edinburgh, which attracts countless students yearly. Whether you’re visiting Edinburgh for sightseeing or studying, this Edinburgh guide for students will offer a useful manual on Edinburgh’s accommodation, food, clothing, and transport.
Edinburgh Guide for Students: Top Tips for Living and Studying
Following are the tips for living and studying:
1. Student Accommodation in Edinburgh
Student accommodation in Edinburgh is divided into two categories:
1. On-Campus Halls of Residence
Booking: Official halls of residence are the university’s halls, which students can book from the university’s official website. Choices are usually sorted voluntarily and randomly allocated by the university.
Room Types: Twin rooms, single rooms, and ensuites.
Advantages:
- They are much cheaper than off-campus student and rented accommodation.
Disadvantages:
- Allocation is by lottery.
- You may get a room type you don’t like, a location far away from the college, or a roommate you don’t know.
2. Off-Campus Student Accommodation
Booking: Off-campus student accommodation in Edinburgh is built and leased by commercial builders.
Room Types: Ensuites and studios.
Advantages:
- You can be sure of the location and type of room you want to live in and even book a whole ensuite with a group of roommates ahead of time.
- The facilities are much better, with study rooms, gyms, and even cinema studios, and the décor is more up-to-date and luxurious.
Disadvantages:
- You must consider the high price, the flat’s maintenance, the staff’s service attitude, and the risk of subletting.
Recommendation: You should consider Edinburgh student flats carefully and make a choice that meets your actual situation and mental expectations.
2. Shopping in Edinburgh
Edinburgh offers students a unique and authentic shopping experience, from high-end designer shops to quaint local shops. There is something for everyone in this vibrant city.
Popular Shopping Areas:
- Princes Street is generally a popular destination for tourists, with a collection of small grocery shops selling everything from souvenirs and scarves to sweet treats. It is a great one-stop shopping destination, but with a relatively high footfall.
- Grass Market and Victoria Street offer many shops for students who prefer a more artsy and niche shopping area. It is also perfect for taking photos.
For Luxury Goods:
- For those who want to shop for luxury goods, Multrees Walk is a pedestrianized street next to St Andrews Square, home to Harvey Nichols. This 100-year-old British department store has luxury goods shops and trendy brands.
For Bargains:
- For those who like to find good bargains, we recommend going to Waverley Mall in Edinburgh’s city center, next to the central train station. Here, you can find high-street brands such as Superdry and New Look.
3. Eating in Edinburgh
There is a variety of specialties near the University of Edinburgh that will always satisfy your taste!
Chinese Cuisine:
- Students who like Chinese food and have a good appetite can try China Red, a Chinese buffet with hot pots, roasted meat, and desserts.
- The most popular Chinese food for international students is Lian Pu Express, a combination of hot pot and barbecue meat. Students who like to eat meat can’t miss this.
Western Cuisine:
- For those who like Western food and want to have a unique dining experience, you can go to the Witchery Ghost Restaurant, which, as the name suggests, has a “spooky” atmosphere with a bit of vampire castle.
- Ting Tai, a Thai restaurant, is affordable and tastes more authentic.
Buffets:
- For students with big appetites who like buffets, try Cosmo. It is a multi-cuisine buffet restaurant with a 10% student card discount.
Local Specialties:
- For those who want to try a local specialty, we recommend the Scottish restaurant Aizle, which serves a five-course meal daily and is also very tasty.
4. Entertainment in Edinburgh
As a famous tourist city in the UK, Edinburgh has a lot of places worth hitting, and students can enjoy a colorful life here.
Must-See Attractions:
- Edinburgh Castle is a must-see; it overlooks the whole of Edinburgh’s cityscape and gives you the feel of a medieval fortress.
- We also recommend the high point of Edinburgh, Arthur’s Seat. Those who like rock climbing can also try the steeper side, but be careful.
Museums and Galleries:
- If you like museums and galleries, you can go to the Royal Mile. It runs through the center of the Old Town, connecting Edinburgh Castle at the top of Castle Hill with Holyrood Palace (the summer palace of the British monarchs in Scotland). The street is also home to endless acrobatics, guitar shows, and other performances.
- Museum enthusiasts can visit the National Museum of Scotland, which is free, except for the annual festival of memorable performances. A dozen halls in the exhibits, from Darwin’s collection of species specimens to the mummies from 3,000 years ago, have everything. It is worthwhile to stroll in the afternoon.
Nature and Wildlife:
- For those who want to get closer to nature, there are the famous Botanic Gardens, ranked fifth in the world in terms of the diversity of higher plants.
- Edinburgh Zoo, home to Britain’s only pair of pandas, is very popular with the locals.
- Both these places are often recommended in any good Edinburgh guide for students as they offer discounted entry for students.
Final Thoughts
As a student in Edinburgh, you should make the most of the different accommodation choices, tasty food options, and fun cultural spots. Get involved in campus life and use student discounts to save money. Studying this Edinburgh guide for students beforehand will help you explore more hidden gems and better prepare for living in this beautiful city.
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