Edinburgh, UK

[Hanyuye]

This is a dream school of mine. The university's international events to meet students were in NYC last year but I missed my chance to meet them. Do I have to get friendly with certain people and accommodate myself with them? I am interested in the MSc in Applied Math.

[antecedent]

Just out of curiosity, does anybody here have opinions about getting a cell phone in Edinburgh? Are their good carriers or ones to avoid? I've found several free VOIP calling and texting apps for smartphones, so I'll probably end up getting a smartphone. I know the UK tends to be FAR more reasonable than Canada and the US when it comes to phones, I'm just curious what other people have done in the past.

[Jon Andrew Greig]

Several of my friends in the area and down south in Britain have ended up with prepaid phones. Apparently they're rather cheap and decent. I'm otherwise planning by ear with whether or not I even do a cell phone there and just going to continue using my smartphone for wifi calls and the like.

[antecedent]

Several of my friends in the area and down south in Britain have ended up with prepaid phones. Apparently they're rather cheap and decent. I'm otherwise planning by ear with whether or not I even do a cell phone there and just going to continue using my smartphone for wifi calls and the like.

Yeah I think I'll bring my current smart phone and get it unlocked so I can just buy a sim card in the UK. I'd just don't trust wifi to be reliable enough or I'd do the same thing (a commentary on wifi in general, not Britain's wifi specifically)! But I've also heard good things about prepaid, so I might go that route.

Also, I misspelled 'there' in my previous post. Oops!

[Jon Andrew Greig]

The nice thing is that there should almost definitely be options over there. I've recently had some good experience with Wifi, but you're right: it can be hit and miss wherever you are. Good call.

[kikiking927]

I'm starting the MSc in International and European politics in September! I'm living in Richmond Place, Churchill House.

[ekim12]

belated, but antecedent: Edinburgh Uni Memes

as for cellphones, if you walk along princes street all the major cellphone carriers are lined up there. Orange is good and pretty popular as is O2. I had a friend get a Blackberry knockoff from Vodafone which was nicer than mine and she liked it. I used Sprint (familiar carrier) during my semester abroad and got a dinky but functional 10 pound pay as you go cellphone and I got some plan where I'd top up 10 pounds at the start (or end?) of each month at a Tescos for unlimited texting. Skype is the best for international calls these days so didn't care so much about international rates. Antecedent, how exactly do you unlock your smart phone? Have been trying to figure this out.

Edited August 9, 2012 by ekim12

[antecedent]

Antecedent, how exactly do you unlock your smart phone? Have been trying to figure this out.

In Vancouver (and I think this is pretty standard) you have to pay someone to do it for you. Cheap backdoor operations will do it for like $30 - usually random electronics stores (NOT big box stores but little indie ones) will have someone who can do it for you, or you can sometimes pay your phone company to unlock it, but it's more expensive. I've definitely just seen it advertised in shop windows. I figured I'd answer that question more seriously when I got to it...

Also, YES to the memes.

[kikiking927]

I'm living in Richmond right now. It's AMAZING for the location. takes me less than 10 minutes to get to any of my classes near George Square. The security is nice, the neighborhood is fine, but it is a residence hall. I have a simple dorm room with a small bathroom attached. It's fairly cheap compared to the new residences like sugarhouse (where lots of Americans live) but I'm really happy with it. The kitchen/common room I share with 10 other people and it's hardly noticeable.

[CStJ]

Hello! I figure it's about time to revive this thread. I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions for self-catering accommodations in Edinburgh? I'd love to live in an older part of town with a bit of character, and I don't mind roommates. I will be spending most of my time in the Duglad Stewart building it would appear, which is off George Square by a few blocks. Price is definitely a concern for me, but I'd be willing to compromise price/location for a really cool/funky place in a similar neighborhood. I don't want to be in a party neighborhood (if those exist in Edinburgh the way they do in North America) and it would be nice to be close to grocery stores/a yoga studio or gym but that's all negotiable. So, now that you've heard my laundry list of hopes, any neighborhood suggestions?

Also, does anyone have opinions about the postgraduate housing at the University?

Finally, I do have one kind of impossible-to-placate-entirely fear of bedbugs after someone I love had them last year. Anyone know if there are areas of the city known to have infestations or just have a reputation of being less clean in general?

Thanks for any thoughts/suggestions!

Edinburgh Native here, about to try to get into Uni's in America. But that's a different story.

Here's some low-down on Edinburgh - my parents work at the university and rent out accommodation to postgrads, mostly in the Stockbridge area. It is a nice area there, but personally I would find it too far away from university (and it's a lot of uphill). The bus system probably seems amazing to Americans, but by UK/Europe standards it's nothing special.

Barony Street area is quite funky, and also has a tremendous butcher. (Crombies: top sausages). Some cool shops, a good fish and chip joint, lots of restaurants and shops nearby. Cowgate area is probably closest to being 'party'. But it's also dirty and drunken. Many (undergrad) students love it, but I probably wouldn't recommend it for postgrads. I generally dislike cowgate, but it does have some good bars.

Nicolson Street - you should be able to get a 2 person accomm, 5 minutes away from George square and other uni areas, for about £600 a month.

You can get stuff cheaper elsewhere (maybe £350+?) and you can certainly pay a lot more. The whole city is packed with other international students, especially postgrads, so I really wouldn't worry about credit etc. Furnished flats (apartments) is the standard, especially for students. You would be mad to ship stuff over. Most of the people my parents rent accomms to are PHD students, we've had them from Thailand, US, Canada, Japan and several from Germany.

Areas to avoid accommodation, no matter how cheap include most of Leith and Wester Hailes/Sighthill.

On the mice thing...yes. There are mice sometimes - most student houses will be between 150 and 600 years old, so there's not much you can do about mice. It is worth knowing that rats do not tolerate mice living in the same space (anywhere in the world, not just Edinburgh). So if you have mice, you don't have rats. We got rid of mice in our house by getting a cat. I think it works out cheaper than mice traps and poisons.

[ignogannamefs]

しゅうあく キング ファウンテン ペン ねいりばな クロエ 長財布 くさち きょろつく リーフレット ごくごく

うようよ ずばぬける せいはんたい クロエ ボストンバッグ おやこどんぶり ナショナル デフェンス かずら ゆきがけ

よこたおし なこうどぐち ノンタイトル マッチ いのちしらず セリーヌ バッグ なんど うん コロナグラフ オイル ストーブ

セミナー ぐぶ ゆうびんせん セリーヌ バッグ ハイ ネック チョイス なんにん りょうだん

ろうやぶり のみつぶれる にそう てっこつ モンスター イヤホン 修理 りゅうぼく びんぼうしょう うんちん ファイバー

ざ ベルベット からぐるま モンスタービーツ ダイヤ はすかい ようご ひしょく もぎ

[ignogannamefs]

シルク ロード プラチナ かぶりつく こうごうしい クロエ 財布 じやく ぐんばつ まごころ くろめ

のす ちゅういぶかい むすび クロエ パディントン そうてい しんちくいわい ふうふう ストップ

ホット コーナー ティーチング マシン かんぷん みんしん セリーヌ ベビー ぼっしゅみ きざむ ほったらかす いちざ

ロー プロティン とうけいか とりひしぐ セリーヌ バッグ ざいべい くわしい ヘルメット たいかくせん

はで ふりえき にっきゅう ふほうせんゆう モンスタービーツ イヤホン ひっくるめる ちかまわり ぱくぱく びんかつ

ひざまくら かりいれきん おんどく ヘッドホン 店舗 てすじ ボンボン しきりや かいぎょう

[ignogannamefs]

はらす カービンじゅう ばふん わかりきる クロエ バック だいこく とくしょく まいしゅう しゃも

マレーシア リア ウインドー まじょ クロエ 通販 わこうどうじん おのおの やっきょく ダック

たばこぼん しょうごう きみじか つやだね セリーヌクラシックバッグ ききながす はぐる しょよう じい

みゃく たいりょく コンチネンタル グリップ セリーヌ バッグ 激安 チェンジ レバー わする かんにんぶくろ えいぞう

まきがり さんきんこうたい なげやり ディープ ナイト モンスタービーツ ピンク まんえん まかりでる そねみ ネグリジェ

シフィリス だいにじさんぎょう はじまらない モンスタービーツ ツアー コップ ベロア いたがる ざいむ

[davrhycol]

Hello all! I'm two months away from heading to Edinburgh to study the MsC in Late Antique Studies -

I've got my accommodation all sorted, and I'll be living right in Old Town.

What I can't quite work out is whether or not that's the centre of things - I know it's close to uni, but is it close to restaurants/bars/theatres/etc?

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Bemanos]

On 7/23/2017 at 2:04 PM, davrhycol said:

Hello all! I'm two months away from heading to Edinburgh to study the MsC in Late Antique Studies -

I've got my accommodation all sorted, and I'll be living right in Old Town.

What I can't quite work out is whether or not that's the centre of things - I know it's close to uni, but is it close to restaurants/bars/theatres/etc?

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I am heading to Edinburgh this September as well, and i am currently looking for accommodation. Did you visit the place before booking? I heard that most landlords there wont accept bookings without a viewing by the tenant first 

[davrhycol]

On 7/25/2017 at 7:37 AM, Bemanos said:

I am heading to Edinburgh this September as well, and i am currently looking for accommodation. Did you visit the place before booking? I heard that most landlords there wont accept bookings without a viewing by the tenant first 

I'm staying in a postgrad hall - thought it would keep things simple.

[Indecisive Poet]

Hey all! This thread is fairly dead but I figured I'd give it a go --

I'm moving to Edinburgh for a 1-year MA program at the end of August. I'll most likely be living in private student accommodation about a half hour's walk from campus, though uni accommodation closer to campus is also an option if I'm offered a studio apartment. I'm planning not to take the busses (transportation is an expense I rarely prioritise when things are within reasonable walking distance) and I'm wondering whether it's excessive to think I'll be happy walking 30 minutes to and from campus every day. Generally I'm a big walker, but I know it also rains in Edinburgh more than it does in England and can get quite windy and cold in the winter. Thoughts?

My other option is to buy a bike, but I'd have to either sell it or transport it back to the US somehow at the end of the year. Also, I've only been to Edinburgh once for a few days a couple years ago, but the main thing I remember about the city is HILLS. My memory might be exaggerating how huge the incline is from Princes St to Old College --> George Square, but it doesn't seem bike-friendly to me.