The University of Edinburgh 101

*** Please forgive me, but most of this blog is from the University website or google image because of time constraints this week!

University of Edinburgh FACTS:

~Founded in 1582 from a Royal Charter making the Uni over 400 years old. This means, unlike most universities in Europe at the time, the University of Edinburgh had no religious affilliation at its founding. The benefits of this type of establishment simply means that the secular could be taught without debate for the church.

~ The first campus structure build in the 18th Century is what is now known as Old College and another attractive structure is my neighbor--New College which houses the School of Divinity. Both are a step back into time. New College Library is amazing!!!! Another beautiful structure is McKewan Hall which is a gorgeous neo-classical arena built specifically for graduation.

~The University is divided into colleges which then divide into schools. There are three colleges: Medicine and Vetenary, Humanities and Social Sciencies, and Science and Engineering. The school are History, Classics, and Archaeology for example. There are twenty-one different schools.

~Today the University has 23,000 students with a International Student Population of over 5,000. The International student represent almost every country in the United Nations.

~Some famous alum include: David Hume (Philosopher), Sir Walter Scott (Novelist and founder a Scottish "Identity"), Sir Arthur Conan Doye (Creator of Sherlock Holmes), Robert Louis Stevenson (Author/Poet of "Treasure Island" and "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde"), Sir Patrick Geddes (Founder of my Residence Hall), Elsie Maud Ingles (Founder of the Scottish Women's Suffrage Federation), and more recently featured as "Alumnus of the Year" Ian Rankin and Alexander McCall Smith who are both well loved writers. A very special honorary degree holder from the University is J.K. Rowling!!!! And the pride of the School of History is Gordon Brown the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom who received a PhD. from the University. This are just a few of the incredible individuals apart of the 400 year legacy of the University.

~With prestigeous Alumni, the University has also had some very noteworthy achievments. It is a top research University that still has great facilities and opportunities for graduate students in all subjects. Lots of scientific as well as philisophical questions have been answered at the University. Presently the University of Edinburgh is considered the top university in Scotland, the fifth best in the United Kingdom and part of the top 30 in the world!!


As for my first weeks here, I have been so impressed with the University, resources, instructors, and most importantly my fellow graduate students! I still have a lot of work ahead, but I definetly understand the value of the degree I will hopefully earn next fall..

"Dear, Green Place"--Glasgow in Brief

I am lucky enough to go to a Uni that bolsters a huge International Student population to entertain. Every Saturday the International Student Center sponsors trips to various place. This weekend I accompanied my flatmate to Glasgow. Touring a large city, a day is hardly ever enough. However, after this trip I am very content in the fact that I did not decide to go to The University of Glasgow.

We began our journey from the Edinburgh Bus Station in New Town around 10 am and pulled into Glasgow's station by 11. The trip was actually shorter than the distance between Hattiesburg and Biloxi, Mississippi. There was a lot of chaos leaving the station becasue Glasgow was so crowded!!! We walked through the main shopping district and through the city center. I broke my rule (no eating at American establishments abroad) and had Subway for lunch because corporation had already sunk it's claws into the streets of the city.

The first cool thing we saw was the City Chambers built in 1888. It was a beautiful building with a WWII monument in the front and statues comemorating Sir Walter Scott. It was very impressive, but out of place in the gridlocked streets.

After a further hike through the city we came to the Cathedral. Which was the only thing that I actually knew was in Glasgow besides the University. It was actually very nice. Not as big as Canterbury, Wincester, or Westminster. It had great stained glass windows and statues so detailed they made me a little nervous. It is one of the only gothic cathedrals to survive the Scottish reformation. Today the religion that worships there is the Church of Scotland or Presbyterian. We also found a street fair with all kinds of booths and live music. My mouth watered as I noticed a crepe tent with huge jars of Nutella. We settled for a coffee break.

Eventually we just walked to the River Clyde and back to the bus station. All in all the weather was beautiful and the city was not too intimidating even with the high murder rate and the old ladies who wore mini skirts. I'm sorry there is not too much to say, except that the symbol for the city is the trout and Nae Botha! (Glasgoegian for no bother!/Your welcome)

A Tour of my Humble Abode

I cannot believe I have already been here for two weeks. Classes began and I already have a ridiculous amount of reading to complete in the next two weeks. My supervisors are really interesting and nice. I had no idea how much my dissertation topic fit into the new initiative made by the Centre for the Study of Both World Wars is creating. War and religion are both key in their joint partnership with Birmingham University. Now my reason for admittance has become increasingly clear. As for the city, it is such a wonderful place. I have seen a few things, but still have a lot of other things to adventure out and try in the upcoming year. Now for the subject of my blog tonight. I would like to make an introduction to my residence hall, which in itself is an experience.

I live in a series of buildings on the Royal Mile known as Mylne's Court. They are a series of converted tenement buildings made to accomodate students and purchased for that purpose by the University of Edinburgh in the 1960s. However, my particular building Patrick Geddes Hall is known as the oldest student flat in Scotland. It was an idea from medical(?) professor Patrick Geddes in 1887. My particular dorm is five stories and yes I have absolutely no elevator or lift. It does provide a spectacular view of Princes Street and New Town.

The series of building's in Mylne's Court creates a maze of sorts. Adjoined to New College which is a section of the University that specializes in Divinity and history of the Church of Scotland. The structure of New College creates a close or small allyway which connects the buildings. There is also a back garden behind my dorm that is only accessed by students of New College or Mylne's Court. There is even a secret tunnel. Yes that is right. The common room in the other buildings has a little side room with mailboxes. There is a set of double doors almost always locked. But on rare occassions like our orientation meeting for Mylne's Court extra space is needed. Those double doors unlock to enter into a grand hallway with the huge black and white tile floors and portriats of past headmasters. This hallway leads to New College's dining hall which is like a miniature version of the grand halls found at Oxford and Cambridge.

Now living here is pretty amazing, but there is drawbacks. The tourists pose a problem because they are always lost and needing directions. Tour groups stop in front of our building which is a little unnerving when your dragging laundry down street. Laundry itself costs about three pounds for a load which is about six dollars in American dollars. But I look forward to an interesting time here in my flat with my four other flat mates and the best view of the city. I wish everyone in much warmer climates the best, until next time!

Break Down in Paris-- My Adventure Getting to Edinburgh

So... finally I have an internet connection in which I can post on. I feel that it is appropriate I start from the beginning. So tonight I am going to share with you the experience I had getting to Edinburgh.

I left was at the Gulfport/BIloxi Airport at 4:30 am because I went for the cheap tickets. (When I say cheap tickets I mean VERY cheap tickets.) It was hard saying goodbye to my parents and Edward. How do you say goodbye to someone that you will not see for a year? Getting through airport security with my huge carry-on, pillow, and laptop was tricky. I also had a gallon bag full of "liquids and gels" which I had to downsize because a quart bag is all we're allowed. As the plane left the airport it was very nice because the sun was just rising, but the street lights were twinkling. I made sure to get one last glance at home.

Altanta was quite boring. I had a seven hour layover (again the cheap tickets). I sat at one gate for four hours only to find out that we were leaving from a gate on the opposite side of the airport. The wait was just so long... I completed several Sodoku puzzles to say the least. The flight borded on time, but taxied around for awhile. Not a good sign for my hour layover in Paris. The flight went alright. Not too big of a plane so we experienced some turbulence. I watched the movies Georgia Rules and Spiderman 3. I also viewed an episode of Heroes, which was really strange especially after six hours of flight.

We arrived to Charles DeGaulle at 6:15 am their time. Again the plane taxied around. Deboarding took forever because I was in the second to last row on an International flight. (Yes again the cheap tickets) I rushed as fast as I could through the buses, had my passport stamped twice for some reason, and went back through security only to have my bag checked and to be patted down. I missed my connecting flight from Paris to Edinburgh. The next flight was seven hours later....

Hence the beginning of my breaking point. All the doubts of this decision began dancing around my exhausted brain. I began fearing a drastic rise in the dollar pound exchange. I was scared that I would not be able to handle the cold or the coursework. I feared arriving in the city and trying to get my bags into my room. In the middle of my breakdown I called Edward. Bad idea because he caused me to worry about my bags which he had shipped for me the day before. I was concerned because I thought if the bags arrived before me that they would be returned to sender. So yes, you guessed it... I cried in the Paris Airport. I think if I would have been offered the opportunity to cut my loses and return home I may have taken it. But there was no turning back.

The excrusiatingly long lay over did end and I did make it to Edinburgh. Getting through customs, collecting my luggage, and getting to my accomodation was the easiest part of the trip. The day I arrived in the city was beautiful. The airport shuttle drove into the city and I saw all the site of Edinburgh I love so much. Arthur's seat still stood over the city. I was deposited on the side of the Royal Mile where I was greeting my the residence staff and I did not even have to carry my cases up five flights of stairs.

My room faces Prince's Street and the view I have is the best. (Reference my first post... yes that picture is my view!) I discovered my AT&T phone card was not working properly so in order to tell my parents I was alive, I had to find a UK phone card. So with all the travel grunge I walked down the Royal Mile and for the first time in a long time.. I wasn't worried about anything. The sun sparkled off of the cobblestone streets and the breeze was such a relief after the hours I had been cramped inside. It was if the city had waited patiently for me to return four years later and greeted me like a long lost friend. For that rare and special moment in time I knew the drastic decision I have made was the right one.

Update

I have made it here safe!!! Post pending the connection of my internet! Cheers!!!!

Preparing for Take Off

So I am on the verge of the biggest adventure of my twenty-three years. I will be completing a year abroad at the University of Edinburgh in the capital city of Scotland. I will be a natural Mississippi girl joining the ranks of the many prestigious people who walked the hallowed halls of the best University in Scotland. Robert Louis Stevenson (author of Treasure Island), Charles Darwin, and honorary alumni J.K. Rowling just to name a few.

However, the past few days these exciting details have been far away from my mind with trip preperations. Packing for a year away in a different climate and an exchange rate where I automatically lose half of my budget have been keeping me up at night. Arriving to this point has been a long hard road. When I fell in love with Scotland four years ago I had no idea I loved it enough to return to it, leaving behind the only home I ever known. After half a dozen failed scholarship applications and turning down one of my top US choice grad schools, I decided that I would always reget not taking this opportunity. Things work out for the best. I have a partial scholarship, a federal student loan, and some very fortunate savings to get me through my year.

Come join me for my adventure. I will post bi-weekly every Sunday and Wednesday I can. Hear about my travels to exciting locations such as the French Riviera, Amsterdam, and Croatia to name a few. Feel the cold breeze of the North Sea as I go to meet my advisors which are some of the most respected in field of modern history. Learn of my cultural mishaps and wrong turns. All you have to do is read on and enjoy the ride!!!!