Erasmus Experience in Glasgow, United Kingdom by Tea

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

I had thought about wanting to visit Scotland for a long time. When the opportunity came to do an internship in Glasgow I was all for it.

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

I staid in Glasgow for three months. I don´t remember the exact amount of money that I got from Erasmus but it was maybe somewhere around 300€ per month. On top of that I received my student benefits from the state every month. I didn´t keep up with my costs that much so it´s hard to say how much I spent money on average per month.

What is the student lifestyle like in Glasgow?

I did´t do a exchange period in any university in Glasgow but an internship at the Burrell Collection museum so I did´t participate on the student life.

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

Just like I said I don´t have any experience of the Universities in Glasgow but the city in it´s self is nice. It can seem a bit rough at first but places like Shawlands has really good bars, cafes and restaurants.

What is the food like?

Generally I think it´s really good. There´s a large variety of different kinds of restaurants and lost of vegetarian dishes. One of my favorite restaurants is Ranjit´s Kitchen near Shawlands. The place serves Indian style vegetarian food and it´s really tasty and relatively cheap.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Glasgow?

No.

How much does it cost to live in Glasgow?

It´s hard to say since I did´t really keep up with my budget. I would say that in average I spent something around 500 to 600 pounds per month with rent included.

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

It depends where you go. I think that that very strong Glasgow accent is quite hard for a foreigner to understand but you´ll get by just fine with a bit of imagination and good sense of humor. And no I don´t think that they will teach you that accent at the University. To learn it you just have to go to the local pubs and sit there with the locals.

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

By plane first to Heathrow and from there to Glasgow. Although I believe they started straight flights from Helsinki to Edinburgh this month. Then you can just take the bus or train to Glasgow.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Glasgow?

To the pubs in Shawlands. Glad Cafe is my favorite. Atmosphere there is relaxed and they have good gigs there.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Glasgow?

Ranjit´s Kitchen on Pollokshaws Road

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

The Burrell Collection is the best museum in Glasgow with a very interesting collection.

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Glasgow in the future?

Go and meet people. They are the best part in Glasgow!