Recent graduate Michael is interested particularly in medical history. One thing Michael enjoyed since moving here is reading books set in Edinburgh and exploring the city in life and literature. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and the Rebus novels are probably favourites. What attracted you to the University of Edinburgh and this programme, in particular? The rich history and culture of both the city and university were a huge draw for me. As a history student, I’m obviously very interested in the past and the opportunity to study at such a historic institution was one I couldn’t pass by. The course offered me the chance to explore themes of interest to me, especially medical history. What do you wish you'd worried about less about coming to university? I was worried about whether the workload would be overwhelming; while it is challenging at times the workload has been a natural progression from my undergraduate studies and I’ve been given the necessary support when needed. What one thing would you recommend new students at the University of Edinburgh do? I love Surgeons’ Hall Museum! A little gruesome but so fascinating! Give it a miss if you’re squeamish! What aspects of student life do you enjoy the most and why? The community with others on my course. It’s great to be surrounded by people who share my interest in the subject, to talk about our research and just have fun. What do you most like about studying here? The city is just incredible. It’s so beautiful and historic with so much to do and see. I never want to leave! What do you find most challenging and most rewarding about your programme? The flexibility of the essays for my course are both a challenge and ultimately rewarding. The course is organised so that we can choose the topic and focus of our essays ourselves. No more set essay questions! This was daunting at first but I’ve found it so rewarding. It’s allowed me to really think about what my research interests are and pursue the aspects of the course that have resonated with me. It allows a specificity and flexibility not available when answering set questions. What are your tips for student life in Edinburgh? Just try and meet as many people as possible. There are so many students from different backgrounds and countries, and with different interests: that mix is so rewarding. How is your programme equipping you for your future career? I’d like to work in research so the skills I’m learning from my degree are highly relevant: my ability to sift through large amounts of information, extract the key points and form an argument have been particularly developed. What advice would you give to anyone thinking of studying at the University of Edinburgh? Come! If in doubt, visit Edinburgh and you’ll fall in love with the place! This article was published on 2024-08-01
