Erasmus Experience in Glasgow, United Kingdom by Marina

Why did you choose to go to Glasgow, United Kingdom?

Out of the universities I could choose to go to, the Paisley University (near Glasgow) has modules that I was most interested in.

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How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

The current Erasmus grant (2014/2015 and 2015/2016, for the time being) only covers 5 months maximum and that's what I got paid. As I was only there for a term of Erasmus, the grant covered my whole stay.

As I had a B2 level of English when I applied for the grant, they gave me €400 a month. My home university made a contribution of €50 a month.

What is the student lifestyle like in Glasgow?

There are a few universities in Glasgow and on its outskirts. The population is young and that is evident in the streets, in the pubs, etc. There's a lot of night life, a wide range of gastronomy and leisure activities to offer.

Would you recommend the city and the university of Glasgow to other students?

I don't study at the University of Glasgow, but I'd recommend going on Erasmus in general.

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What is the food like there?

In my home country, the food is good, high quality and it doesn't cost very much. The food here is expensive, the meat, in general, is bland and going out to eat is prohibitively expensive.

Was it difficult to find accommodation in Glasgow?

No, but I'd recommend starting to look in advance.

How much does it cost to live in Glasgow?

In general it's expensive. It depends on the area, but I'd say it costs approximately £350 a month.

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Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the university?

The English spoken in Glasgow is pretty difficult, because they don't just speak with a Scottish accent but the "Glaswegian accent" is a type of dialect there. The locals speak very quickly and they drop a lot of syllables and sometimes entire words.

Regarding the courses, they offer various English courses at my university depending on your level.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Glasgow from your home city?

By plane with Ryanair from Barcelona or Girona to Glasgow Prestwick Airport, then you can get to Glasgow by train from there.

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Where would you recommend for a night out in Glasgow?

It depends on whether you're looking for pubs or clubs. There are a lot of pubs and music bars in the city centre.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Glasgow has a lot of museums and a pretty big cathedral and cemetery. It's not the best city for tourism in general, I don't personally feel like there's a lot of things that attract people for their cultural value here.

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Do you have any advice for students coming to Glasgow in the future?

Enjoy the experience, don't be shy and try and meet as many different people as possible, I would personally recommend not hanging out with other Spanish people, more than anything just because hanging around with international people will teach you a lot more, much more than just the English language.

Travel a lot throughout Scotland and the north of England.