IFSA - University of Edinburgh Partnership

IFSA offers great support, but you must engage and take up their offers to meet up and chat etc. Studying abroad can be isolating if you don't know anyone on your trip (or even if you do)- so do not be afraid to reach out for resources. Personally, I found a community through joining a few on campus societies (major suggestion!) and a group that was associated with the university in addition to friends I made within and outside the program. Don't be afraid to branch outside of the host program and make friends with other uni students and get involved with the community. Edinburgh has great organizations for environmental improvement and food share platforms to reduce food waste I personally found cool. The farmers markets, museums, hiking, and botanical gardens are awesome and make to explore the wonderful city of Edinburgh beyond just the Royal Mile (and honestly go explore the rest of Scotland, the Highlands are incredibly beautiful). Make friends and take trips, in and outside of Scotland and make memories that you will keep forever. Sure, classes are "important" (they are ugh) BUT the Scottish system keeps contact hours with professors and class time pretty short to what I was used to (from the American system) so I had lots of time to explore and travel. The University also hosts cool speakers and guest lectures, so find your department of interest and go give it a shot.
There are so many ways to be engaged if you wish to follow that route on campus, with IFSA, and in the community. Likewise, if your prerogative is to get out and go to as many places as possible, that is also super doable (airport shuttle on the bridge by Princes St has a great deal for round trip).
TL;DR: I like the option for autonomy IFSA gave- offering support and connection if needed while encouraging independence. Great source for telling us about on campus resources and setting up a (temporary) home abroad.

I loved my time abroad with IFSA-Butler! In my 6 months in wurooe, I visited 16 countries, made countless friends and learned an incredible amount about scotland, its history and people. IFSA-Butler plans two trips each semester, our year it was to the Argyll forest and to the isle of Skye. These trips were an incredible way to immerse myself in scottlanss natural beauty while getting to know my cohort better. The natural beauty of scottland never ceases to amaze me, as does the friendliness of the population
One of my favorite memories is the honestly i completed as part of the program with a dairy farming family in northern England. I took over 20,000 photographs while abroad, with even more memories that I will cherish forever.

I didn’t know anyone in Scotland or in the IFSA program and ended up meeting one of my best friends through the program. I also found Edinburgh to be the perfect study abroad experience as the culture was easy to integrate into, the school was a quick walk from my housing, and the city was a lot of fun. IFSA did a great job of providing resources for getting to know the country and city as well as a comfortable transition into the study Abroad’s experience.

When I decided to study abroad, I wasn't completely sure what I was getting myself into. Others had told me studying abroad was a life changing experience, so I took the opportunity and pushed myself outside of my comfort zone. I'm extremely thankful that I went with IFSA's University of Edinburgh Partnership because I felt that they really made the difference. They told me everything I needed to know about navigating life and academics at Edinburgh, provided great resources and support for dealing with culture shock, and our trip to Inverness in the Scottish Highlands was the highlight of my semester. I met a lot of incredible people thanks to IFSA and I feel like they greatly reduced the stress of adjusting to a new country and made the entire experience so much fun. I recommend that even if you're not planning to go to Edinburgh to try and find a program through IFSA because they know a lot about the local culture and host school and the staff really want to make your time abroad special.

I AGONIZED over whether to pick a program in Scotland or in Ireland. The most important thing to me was being in an interesting place where I could both explore independently and have the opportunity to make really close friendships. Scotland ended up being PERFECT for me. I fell in love with Edinburgh, with my classes, with the people I met. The IFSA-Butler staff are SO NICE and knowledgeable and helpful about literally everything - from practical questions like registering to class to finding a hostel in Nice for Spring Break. It was a big program, sure, but there definitely was a strong sense of community in our cohort and I wouldn't trade the experience I had for anything.

I always knew I wanted to study abroad, but I really had no idea how incredible the experience actually is. During my time at the University of Edinburgh, I made lifelong friends, explored places in Scotland and Europe as a whole, learned a lot, and gained the ability to truly call someplace my second home. I did not want to leave, and my only regret is the fact that I went for just a semester and not the entire year. Edinburgh is, in my opinion, the perfect city. It's small enough that by the end of your time there, you can actually feel as if you know it inside and out. There's a mix of culture and history and nature, tons of amazing restaurants, museums, bars, and other venues. The people are ridiculously friendly and though whenever I told someone I was going to Scotland they commented about the weather, I really came to like it. IFSA-Butler was an amazing resource, with welcoming and accessible program directors. I particularly loved the various weekend excursions they offer (if you have the chance to go to the Isle of Skye, do it) as well as the homestay weekend, which allowed me to see part of the Lake District. Overall studying abroad was, as the review headline suggests, absolutely the best decision I've ever made.

After five months in Edinburgh, I never wanted to leave. The excellent quality of the University of Edinburgh, the city's myriad attractions, and the friendly and welcoming nature of the locals all made this a memorable trip. I can't wait to go back and visit.

My year at the University of Edinburgh was challenging, bewildering beautiful, and life-changing. The chance to study at an international university brought new angles and light to my studies back at home-- the classes that I took at the University of Edinburgh have inspired my thesis topic for my upcoming year. Edinburgh is the first UNESCO City of Literature, and studying lit there was a very moving experience. One of my favorite memories from the University of Edinburgh was when my art history professor took a group of students an hours drive outside the city to see the garden-installation by the internationally renowned artist Ian Hamilton Finlay, called "Little Sparta" (in conversation with Edinburgh's nickname "The Athens of the North"). The chance to see that piece really brought together the things that I valued most about my time at the University of Edinburgh-- amazing professors, a beautiful country, and unique, location-specific experiences.