Hello, can some of the British posters tell me how this university is regarded in the UK? maybe not compared to Oxford, Cambridge and the University of Liverpool but to the other big Universities of the UK?
Your opinion will be greatly appreciated.
Whats this university famous for?
Does it have South African connections?
Does it have a good student life ?
Anything else that stands out....
Outstanding city if I do say so myself. Seriously, my favourite city by some margin (although folk rave about Manchester if you don't mind the rain). A bit quiet and reserved but also very relaxed and an okay climate by Scottish standards. Very cosmopolitan at present (though that may change slowly with Brexit and you probably would be back home during the August International Festival). Most of my friends are from overseas and they all rave about the place. There are loads of outdoors opportunities within an hour or twos drive in the Highlands to the north and Borders to the south.
In terms of the Uni, a 4 year degree in some faculties gives you a masters degree. It is consistently a top 5-8 Uni across the U.K. and should only be considered markedly "inferior" to Oxbridge in my opinion. Edinburgh has a huge private school population so I don't agree that the establishment hates private schools.
A relative of mine loved the science faculty (very well connected). I did social sciences a long time ago, and it was very mixed. Academically there was a variation in quality of lecturer, with many terribly conservative and pro-establishment which was reflected in some highly subjective marking (once I learnt to play the game and say what they wanted to hear my scores went up from averaging a 2:2 to averaging a 1st, which disgusts me to this day - although I'm sure that'd be the same in any "establishment" university. This would probably only be an issue in social sciences as that is so heavily based on justifying opinions and positions on current affairs).
My courses were also filled with Oxbridge rejects who just seemed to treat the place as a holiday camp in between visits to the Alps and settle for a 2:2 or a 3 - whereas I had state aid to attend - so I largely stuck to my old friendships from my youth.
I got a good degree and was young and inexperienced when I did it, so the teaching can't have been all that bad. I'm certainly not a natural talent, so I have to give them some credit.
I'd say the majority of alumni would score it
City - 10
Uni - 8
People - 6
Whereas I'd go, 10, 7, 4 personally. All terribly subjective!
