Blog
Student Reflections

Finally! Classes Have Begun.

Ellie Witham
October 3, 2021

I finally finished my first week of classes here at the University of Edinburgh. One down, ten more to go! I’ll walk you through my first week as well as the intricacies of going to university in the UK. Being a student here in Edinburgh does differ slightly from the American equivalent! Going to Northeastern, however, has prepared me for a rather unique school structure. Between the staggering of schedules with co-op and summer terms, I feel that we as Northeastern students are prepared for new environments. My experience has truly been experiential, and study abroad is the newest component!

At the University of Edinburgh, unlike a good amount of UK universities, degrees typically last for four years. Sound familiar to most American students? However, for most degrees, students are only enrolled in three courses per semester, not the standard four. When I was applying for my study abroad program, I took notice of this. It’s definitely strange to be in fewer classes! Some people are enrolled in four, though. A full course load is 60 credits, most classes being 20 credits each. However, classes can be ten credits, too. For my degree, which is history, I was given options of 20 credit classes. I believe labs and perhaps more STEM-directed courses have more options for 10 credits. Perhaps the three-course load is intended to give students more depth and attention in their degrees. I’m not sure, but I’m excited to see the difference!

For the first semester of the 2021/2022 school year, the University of Edinburgh is operating under a blended learning situation. Larger lectures are online due to social distancing requirements. Smaller seminars are held in person. However, even if a lecture may be online, there still is an opportunity for in-person contact time for most courses. Every week, the larger classes run tutorials, which is similar to a recitation. I do have lectures online, but at the end of every week, I’ll attend their tutorials, where a small group of students and an instructor go over the material we have read and watched throughout the week. 

The tutorial system, I believe, will benefit and enhance my learning. I anticipate that these small groups will manifest themselves into study groups. Being able to collaborate with other students in this way will hopefully give us all a boost when it comes to exam time! I can already picture myself sitting in the library with my fellow classmates. 

Since classes just began at the end of September, I’ve taken notice of how short the semester here is! There are eleven weeks of classes, and then exams. The three weeks difference from Northeastern’s schedule may seem slight, but I now only have ten weeks of classes left, which feels strange! Once again, it’s just another adjustment I will have to get used to!

I am currently a visiting student in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. This is similar to the College of Social Sciences and Humanities (which is my home college) and the College of Arts, Media, and Design at Northeastern! For anyone interested in applying to Edinburgh, I gather that you can take courses from both of their colleges: the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and the College of Science and Engineering. I know lots of people have preconceived notions about study abroad and it’s appeal and ease with humanities degrees, but Edinburgh is a large school with many options! I’m sure most disciplines could find relevant courses here, so my advice is don’t hesitate, just apply! 

The three courses I selected to take were in the history, history of art, and cultural studies departments. I am enrolled in a history course about Great Britain and the ‘Swinging Sixties’, a History of Medieval Art in Europe course, and then a Scottish culture studies course. When I was selecting classes, I wanted to take regionally-relevant courses. I want to be able to learn inside and outside of the classroom, as I sit in my lectures and seminars but also simply exploring Edinburgh! Being an exchange student in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences definitely makes this experience. 

I’ve already gotten a taste of the intersection of the city and my classes. Independent of my course, I visited the Scottish National Gallery. Admission was free, all that was required was contact tracing! In the gallery, I saw art ranging from medieval to impressionist. While not all of the art was made by Scottish artists, the collection did highlight a good amount of them! I was able to see a Rembrandt, and also a Raeburn (a famous Scottish Portrait Painter). My trip to the National Gallery was of my own volition, but my art history tutorial will supposedly go on small excursions to museums and galleries. I don’t doubt that I’ll be back to the National Gallery soon! The medieval collection was quite substantial.

 

Inside the National Gallery of Scotland.

As I mentioned earlier, I am only enrolled in three courses. My schedule only has classes three days a week! On Monday and Wednesday of this first week, I spent my time preparing for my seminar and lectures by doing readings, watching videos, and listening to podcasts. I found quiet spots on and around campus: two cafes, and I also sat outside and enjoyed the nice weather in Bristo Square, which is centrally located on campus. Of course I needed caffeine to get me through the days- I had a delicious latte from August_21, a cafe near campus! 

My photogenic latte from August_21.

It is still early in the semester (literally the first week, I know) but I hope everything continues as smoothly as it did this week! I want to bring my experiences and skills from my time as a student in Boston to the University of Edinburgh, and vice versa.