This blog shares my year of study abroad in Glasgow, where the experience was different from what I expected. Before I left my home country, a recurring entry in my search box was ‘What was the experience of studying abroad in Glasgow?’. After I arrived in the UK, this turned into a topic that my friends often asked about.
I’ve asked many of my classmates who, like me, have studied abroad in Glasgow, and amazingly enough, all of us felt the same way while we were there: too tired! I don’t want to learn anymore! I want to go home! But after we left, the experience of studying in Glasgow coincidentally became one of our fondest memories.
Living In Glasgow
International students living in Glasgow, like any other city in the UK, can live in the university halls of residence, off-campus student apartments, or rent their own house or homestay. Renting your own house or homestay is undoubtedly a better way to blend in with the locals. However, living in student apartments with other students from various countries is also a unique experience.
There are many apartments near the University of Glasgow and in the city centre, the price ranges from ￡100 to 300 per week with the change of the type of house. Basically, all have ensuite toilets to share the kitchen and the living room with the housemates, the studio is a lot more convenient, and all the facilities are for private use. Such prices in London and other places compared to the cost-effective lot.
I chose to live in student accommodation in Glasgow before I went to the UK because I could avoid paying taxes and bills, and all the expenses would be included in the room’s price, which is a lot less hassle for students. My apartment is iQ Elgin Place, Silver En Suite, 4th floor facing south. It’s worth mentioning that most of the rooms in the UK don’t have air conditioning, so the south-facing side can get very hot in the summer. If you are afraid of the heat, you can choose a room that is not facing south or buy a second-hand fan, and you can spend the summer comfortably. The apartment is located near the city centre, with restaurants and supermarkets, and the University of Glasgow is only a 10-minute bus ride away.
Eat In Glasgow
They say the UK is the kingdom of dark cuisine, but it’s nowhere near as exaggerated as the rumours. First of all, the fish and chips in the Glasgow University canteen are pretty good! Besides that, Cafe Orlando, across the street from Kelvingrove Museum, sells delicious fried chicken, and my roommate and I have ordered takeout from them countless times late at night. There are also a lot of different cuisines on the streets of Glasgow, Japanese, Korean, Indian, etc., so there are still a lot of choices if you’re willing to try them out.
However, restaurant meals are costly, and I still like eating my country’s food. So, most of the time, I would go to the supermarket to buy food and come back to cook by myself. Many international students have developed their cooking skills this way. Many supermarkets near the school include Lidl and Morrisons, Waitrose and M&S, and some Chinese supermarkets. No matter where you come from, you can get the right ingredients here. However, it should be noted that the hood in the UK is not particularly effective, so if you want to cook “big dishes”, you may need to discuss it with your roommate first. Otherwise, the fumes and the smell of food will likely be sent into other people’s rooms.
Move In Glasgow
As one of the few cities in the UK with a metro, public transportation in Glasgow is relatively well developed. Glasgow’s subway has been in use since 1896, making it the third oldest subway in the world. The carriages are old and small but comfortable. However, the signal is inferior, and the noise is deafening, so you can see many people reading newspapers. There is only one subway line in the city; it’s a loop line with few stops. Most famous places, including the city centre, are basically accessible.
Metro tickets cost £1.75 for a single ride, £3.30 for a return, and £4.20 for an all-day ride. If you travel frequently, you can apply for a smartcard on the official website, which gives you even more discounts.
In addition to the subway, Glasgow’s buses are also very convenient. On a rainy day, it is an unforgettable experience to take the bus from the city centre back to school.
Play In Glasgow
In my opinion, Glasgow is a city of commerce and art. If you want to go shopping, just take the subway to Buchanan Street and St. Enoch in the city centre. Although there are two subway stations, they are very close to each other, so you can get off at any station, and you can often meet street performers around Buchanan Street.
If you’re not interested in shopping but want to go to a museum or something more interesting, you can do that in Geylang. The University of Glasgow has museums, and the Kelvingrove Museum off campus is fascinating. In November, there is Fireworks Night in Glasgow, where you can go to the park and watch the fireworks. There is also a Christmas market and parade during the Christmas season, which is also very atmospheric. If you’re in Glasgow during New Year’s Eve, stop by the need for a glass of mulled wine, warm and sweet with a hint of cinnamon!
If you want to go out and see nature, there are many parks in Glasgow. The botanic garden near the school and Kelvingrove Park are great places to catch squirrels. When you are really busy with your studies, you can just walk around the campus of the University of Glasgow. In spring, there are cherry blossoms; in summer, you can see greenery and flowers; in fall, there are golden leaves; and in winter, there is snow covering the roofs of the main buildings, which is also a gorgeous scenery.
Study In Glasgow
Studying at the University of Glasgow can be a vastly different experience for different majors. Here, I can only share the liberal arts major I read. During my master’s degree, there are a lot of papers to read in daily classes, and if you want to study seriously, the time is very tight. Of course, if you just want to muddle through, then even if you don’t go through those papers, the teacher usually doesn’t check them.
Regarding the classroom experience, some of the teachers I met did have accents and spoke very fast, but don’t worry, you can tell the teacher that you need help understanding them and they will slow down. There is also a question and answer period that you can schedule with the teacher via email. It is easy to understand as long as you carefully read the paper list the teacher released before the class and listen carefully to the lecture.
During midterms and finals, staying up late is a common occurrence. The library becomes the place where everyone goes. The library at the University of Glasgow is extensive and new. It is open from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. on weekdays and is extended to 24 hours during exams. It has 12 floors, and each floor is divided into different functions. For example, the 5th floor is a study room. You need to swipe your student card to enter, basically a single person with a single table. However, such locations are top-rated, and you must go early to find them during midterms and finals.
Leave Glasgow
When in Glasgow, one gets more or less homesick. This emotion can be tough to deal with at the end of midterms, especially when tangled up until dawn in the library.
But when I really started to pack my bags and leave the small room I’ve lived in for a long time, and wandered around the apartment for the last time and saw the roof of the Kelvingrove Museum glistening in the sunset, I suddenly felt that I was still full of reluctance to leave this place.
Now that I’ve returned to my home country and started working, whenever I talk about that time in Glasgow with friends, it’s always with a bit of nostalgic melancholy. Time has erased the pain, leaving us with a wonderful memory.
