Exchange Report

When doing your application, I would recommend highlighting community engagement (e.g., clubs, volunteering, projects, etc.) as UK universities are very social and much of the university life will happen in societies and socials outside the classroom. Additionally, I would prepare skills and relevant experience in diverse and international settings. As preparation, make sure to have your prerequisites in order and your top picks for classes in advance. The timetable from the university comes in quite late compared to what we are used to so it's better to have your own plans ahead, especially if you would like to travels around and take a few longer trips around the country as well.

Accommodation is generally expensive and not modern / ideal. I searched privately, but ended up choosing a university provided dorm due to the location. I lived next to Old Collage (5 minute walk to the Business School) in an older building, so maintenance was a hassle throughout the semester, but make sure to report these problems because they do fix them. A tip would be to call the university when they offer you a dorm outside your budget / one that wasn't on your list originally, as they allocate you to exchange dorms (usually off campus and more expensive) and ask for an offer within your budget / list. The dorms get professionally cleaned every 2 weeks, but after many budget cuts in that area I would suggest cleaning the apartments as soon as you arrive and additionally to the cleaning staff (especially if you live with more people together) for basic hygiene and pest prevention as that is a common struggle throughout the older dorms. Go to the freshers week (only in winter semester) and stand in line to get free kitchen wear, you won't need / use much in your exchange months anyways. Your dorm will only have a mattress so make sure to bring bedding and sheets or arrive at a time when stores are still open.

The campus is beatiful and fits perfectly with the Edinburgh aesthetic you would imagine. The campus buildings you will be assigned to are all in one area and you have all necessities on and around, coffee, snacks, food etc., and the main library is open 24/7. The academic culture and teaching style differs quite a lot, the grading is different, there is much more required reading that will take many self-study hours to get through, many of your classes will require you to focus on your essay writing skills and the grading on them is very tough, but most of the professors will be friendly and available. The courses will have lectures and seminars / tutorials throughout the teaching weeks with a reading week in the middle and 2 exams weeks at the where you will be handing in your final projects, main essays, and maybe have an exam. Group projects and assignments are less common in general.

I lived right on campus, so almost never took public transport and when I did it was an easy tap and go system. For only one semester students usually don't qualify for the youth travel card so it's a big budget saver to live close by or commit to walking (regardless the city is very walking heavy so be prepared for that and of course its hilly nature). Edinburgh is one of the safest cities in the world so very comparable to Vienna. For extracurricular activities regardless of the nature the university will have a society for it and I would highly recommend joining them - I personally met all my friends and local students through the societies, so I would recommend it to anyone trying to advance or pick up a hobby or just meet people outside the exchange bubble. P.s. previously you saw my spending estimate and I would like to add that I chose to allocate a very large chunk of my budget to memories, activities, weekend trips and travels around the islands that is not reflected in that figure, so the previous amount is low because I made trade offs to let go of some everyday comforts for those few months. I would highly recommend doing it this way, especially since these memories don't take up space in your suitcase on your way home :)

Everyone has high expectations for their exchange, but it is important to remember that your focus will make your exchange experience. I recommend you go wherever you wish to and are able to, because you will learn so much about yourself, what you like (what you don't), who your people are and how to meet them. Good luck!