A whirlwind three weeks Posted on September 28th, 2005 by Bridget Traut

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been in Edinburgh for three weeks already. There are moments when I feel like I’ve been here forever. I’ve been slowly exploring the city, which is absolutely amazing. Everything from the incredible architecture to the cobblestone streets and the blend of modernity with history is new and exciting for this Minnesota farm girl out of the country for the first time.

I got here on September 7th and spent the following three nights in a four-star hotel for my orientation. My room even had a view of Edinburgh Castle! I met many other students from all over the U.S. during orientation, and I’ve kept in touch with a few who are living in different areas of the city. I moved into my flat (apartment) on the 10th. From the building descriptions we were given during orientation, I expected to have 3-4 flatmates. As it turns out, I have a few more. I’m living on the top floor of Kincaid’s Court, and I’m living with 11 other girls. I’ll admit that, at first, the idea of sharing a flat with so many other people was a little intimidating. Now, however, I wouldn’t change a thing. There is a huge variety of cultures and languages in the flat, as the girls are from all around the world. There are girls from England, Northern Ireland, France, Poland, Italy, China, and the U.S. Everyone speaks English, but the majority of the girls also speak at least one other language. It’s quite humbling. Granted, I have taken five years of Spanish, but I would hardly consider myself fluent. There is also a flat of 12 guys right next door to us. The two flats have become very close, and we even have group dinners and go out together.

I am now into my second week of classes. I remember thinking that the introductory biology and chemistry classes at Gustavus were huge. Yet two of the classes that I am enrolled in at the University of Edinburgh are downright overwhelming. I am taking History of Art 1 and Scottish History 1, both of which meet in gigantic lecture halls that can, and do, hold hundreds of students. Both of the classes have three 50 minute lectures each week plus one 50 minute tutorial. The tutorials are much smaller. One of my tutorials consists of five students, the other has about eight. In addition to History of Art and Scottish History, I am taking a class called Saints and Their Cults in Medieval Europe. This class is much more similar to a typical non-introductory class at Gustavus. There are about 20 students, and it is a seminar-style class. Something that has been driving me, along with several other American students I know, absolutely crazy is the fact that most classes here hand out long lists of books and readings. There are dozens and dozens of books listed, and, generally, there are no specific page numbers. Most of the books are on reserve at the library, which means that I’m not allowed to keep them for more than three hours at a time. I’ve found this system rather frustrating because I prefer to study and read in my room, not in the library. Also, because of the horrible exchange rate, I’m trying to buy as few books as possible in an attempt to save money for other necessities, such as food.

During my research on the city before coming to Edinburgh, I was repeatedly warned that it is an expensive city. And, indeed, it is. The prices of goods in pounds are nearly equivalent to the prices of the same goods in the U.S. in dollars. However, with the exchange rate, I basically multiple by two. So most items in Edinburgh are almost twice as expensive as items in the U.S. I guess the exchange rate isn’t a completely bad thing. I’ve come to look at the exchange rate as somewhat of a challenge to my thriftiness and as an opportunity to practice the skills I’ve learned from my mother and grandmother. Within my first few days of getting settled into the flat, I located what I hope to be the cheapest supermarkets and charity shops. As a testament to my family of rummage-salers, I managed to purchase almost all of my dishes and cutlery for a grand total of 50 pence (about $1)!

I have yet to experience the more “touristy” side of Edinburgh, but I have a mental list of all the places I need to visit before I leave. This weekend I hope to climb Arthur’s Seat just before dawn to capture some amazing pictures of the sun rising on Edinburgh.

I spent last weekend in Cumbria, England, for a home-stay as part of the IFSA-Butler program. The family I stayed with lives in a tiny village called Shap and was very welcoming. The couple has three children and a dog, and the entire family made me feel at home. I must admit, it was nice to get a break from the big city and enjoy some hot, home-cooked meals again. I also got the chance to see some of the English countryside, which is gorgeous, and lots and lots of sheep!

Since I’ve never been more than two hours away from home for an extended period of time, I have been a little bit homesick at times. I went into the program fully aware that I probably would be homesick occasionally, so it hasn’t come as much of a surprise. Ironically enough, my worst case of homesickness came on the very day that I arrived in Edinburgh. I’m not sure why, but the moment I arrived here I was ready to return to the U.S. After a warm shower and a little walk around the city, I changed my mind. I’ve met so many amazing people from all over the world, and I’ve found the Scottish to be very friendly and helpful. The city itself is beautiful and the countryside is breathtaking. I took a day trip to Portobello Beach and saw the North Sea, which is also gorgeous. So far, I’ve had so many positive experiences that I’m convinced that I will not want to leave come December.

Last night I met up with an ’05 Gustavus grad who is now a grad student at the Uni. It was so good to see a familiar face and be able to talk about life back at GAC with someone who actually knows what I’m talking about. She’s promised to go to London with me for a weekend, so I’m really looking forward to that. There’s a five-day break from classes near the end of October, and I’m hoping to spend that time in Dublin. Fingers crossed!

I came to Edinburgh without a laptop, thus I am currently in the Main Library. I think the GAC library could probably fit into one floor at Edinburgh. The library is so big that it’s a bit overwhelming. But I have managed to find an open computer whenever I’ve been here. It’s just after 8:00 pm here, and the library is deserted. It really is true that students here tend to study during the day and then go out at night. And the kicker: they don’t pull all-nighters here! I’m really going to work at adapting to this system! For now, however, the books are calling.