Study in Scotland

Catharina Klaus from Germany spent a semester studying in Scotland

Let me have a guess... You think it is always raining there, you cannot understand the Scots because of their dialect and that it sounds boring to live in a country where most of the people work in agriculture or oil industry? That is the common impression people have of this region, but I can assure you – life there is totally different!

Studying abroad is one of the best things you can. You might never have the chance again to expand your horizon in this way once you have settled down. In Scotland you will discover a country with the most beautiful landscape and wonderful, friendly people. There is just so much to see and learn there.

Most students choose an English speaking country to improve their language knowledge, and rightly so. Improving language skills is one of the most important things to do in a world of globalisation. As I mentioned before Scottish people do speak in a dialect, but that is no obstacle because at university, teachers are speaking with a typical Oxford English accent. So you don't have to fear misunderstanding, you will understand everyone and they will understand you. If your English is not as good as you wish it won't be a problem because Scottish people are very patient and helpful to people from abroad.

The prejudice of bad weather is totally wrong. The weather in Scotland is not much worse than the rest of the United Kingdom: you have rainy days and you have glorious sunny days. My experience was that during my time is Scotland I have had more sunny days than rainy days!

Scotland also has many tourist attractions. The most famous of course is the Loch Ness but there is so much more, especially when you are interested in history. The capital Edinburgh offers you a large number of sights, so many that you will find it tricky to decide what to do first. I would suggest visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia as well as the impressive Edinburgh Castle. The Castle is situated in the city centre and radiates a special atmosphere. The Royal Yacht Britannia is a famous ship that carried the Royals on many voyages. Glasgow is great for shopping! A trip to the highlands will treat you to breathtaking nature. It is amusing when you cannot get to places because of sheep obstructing the streets! In Scotland you can really escape the stressful and hectic pace of life.

The standard of living is like in any other industrial state. Every country has its peculiarities. But there should be no problem to cope with the Scottish way of living. To immerge into another culture is very interesting and a challenge itself. Today observation via CCTV is a topic almost everywhere in the world and that includes Scotland and its big cities. It is kind of normal that you will be observed at university or if you are going through the streets, and it is there for your safety and others.

The food in Scotland is as British as in Wales, England and Northern Ireland. Traditional food means fish and chips. If you are in Scotland you will have to taste the traditional breakfast. Order it and you will see. And if you like it to eat sweets, for example cookies, muffins or shortbread, Scotland will be like a paradise for you.

Scotland is well known for their whisky manufacturing. Because of this background people like to drink, sometimes more and sometimes less. Scots are sociable people. They like to get together, have a beer and perhaps watch a football match.  Scottish people are generally very interested in sports. You will find many golf courses in Scotland, as it is a very popular sport there. They like to attend football matches at a stadium or just watch it together down the pub. If their team does not win they will take it very seriously and react very emotionally.

I would love to go to Scotland again soon.... The East coast of Scotland was a great place to study. It is very calming to walk along the coast after a long and stressful day at university.

The exchange was the best experience I have ever made. So have no fear and take the challenge. It is worth it!

Catharina was studying Corporate Communication at the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen