Experience in Glasgow, Scotland by Alba

Why did you choose to go to Glasgow, Scotland?

I chose Glasgow, because I really wanted to go to Scotland and to travel around it. Besides, as people have often said, Edinburgh is a great city to visit and Glasgow is a great city to live in.

The size of the city and how well connected it is also influenced my decision. Despite Glasgow being home to over half of the population of Scotland, it's smaller than Barcelona and it combines the rural and metropolitan very well.

Source

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

I was in Glasgow for a total of 5 months and I got two grants: the ministry grant and the one from the Generalitat.

What is the student lifestyle like in Glasgow?

It's great. Glasgow is a student city and there's a lot going on, as much in the universities (clubs, student unions, events... ) as outside of them (pubs, clubs, organised trips... ).

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

I went to Glasgow Caledonia University and I would definitely remember it. What's more, it's right in the centre of the city.

Source

What is the food like there?

There's a bit of everything. While the food in the rural areas is delicious, in the city centre, they give the Americans a run for their money with all of the hamburgers and general fast food.

Was it difficult to find accommodation in Glasgow?

A little bit. I was lucky enough to get into the university residence, I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't. If you're there for the whole year or for the second semester, it's easy to find accommodation (always look in advance; you can't just turn up in Glasgow without knowing where you're going to live), but if you're only going for the first semester, it's a bit more difficult.

How much does it cost to live in Glasgow?

It's expensive. Being that it's a city, everything was much more expensive than in the surrounding towns.

Source

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

The Glaswegian accent is horrible, but you'll end up getting used to it. The Scottish accent is pretty cute in general and don't wait to start talking to them.

I didn't go on any English courses at the university, because I already had a pretty high level of English.

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

By plane to Edinburgh.

Source

Where would you recommend for a night out in Glasgow?

All of them! Everywhere in the city centre! You can't just go to a couple of places; you'll go to four or five different pubs or a couple of clubs.

And to eat in Glasgow? What are some of your favourite places to go?

There are a lot of good Mexican, Asian and Italian places. Then you can also find some one hundred different burger places and a few traditional Scottish restaurants. I couldn't tell you to my favourite places, because we always went to different places and we liked them all.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

The museums are free to get into in Glasgow, so you can go over and over again. If you get a bit further out of Glasgow, you'll find the Burrell Collection, it's somewhere you mustn't miss, along with the park it's in.

Source

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

Ignore the rain and travel: you can't just stay cooped up in your bedroom. And you can't leave Glasgow without going on one of Gary's tours, a guy has a tourism agency called Student Tours Scotland and he tells the best stories and takes you to the best sights in Scotland (what's more the price is adapted for a student budget).