<p>Hi All - new here.</p>
<p>Anyways I am just about positive I'll be going abroad in the 2011 Spring Semester. I originally wanted to go to London but am now considering some other places. I wanted to go to London for the city life / party life, english speaking, and all the sightseeing. However, my advisor made a great point to me. She said if someone from Europe wanted to come to America, they would come to NYC looking for the American experience. In my mind NYC is fun but doesnt exemplify the American experience. </p>
<p>So I was looking for some input on London, and maybe Edinburgh. The biggest thing is the social life.</p>
<p>depending ont eh aprt of London you stay (just outside the city, you would probably get the British Experience. Edinburgh is in parts the same as one of the other top tourist destiantions in the U.K.
There are other big cities in the U.K that might be worthwhile and possible cheaper as London is meant to expensive being the capital.</p>
<p>If you donāt like NYC you probably wonāt like London! London is as big as some European countries just by itself. If you main aim is partying, deifnitely choose London.</p>
<p>Edinburgh is lots smaller (as is everywhere in the UK compared to London) but it is still extremely busy and touristy. A lot cheaper to live there though. I think you would probably socialise more in the university/at student events in Edinburgh compared to London, just because it is smaller.</p>
<p>If you want to go somewhere where there wonāt be lots of tourists, try somewhere more obscure and less fashionable. Eg Lancaster, Bangor, Bedfordshire, Sunderland.</p>
<p>If you want a big city you can also try Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow or Newcastle (there are several unis in each of these cities in fact).</p>
<p>I just saw an advert today for the Isle of Man Business school. That is definitely quite random!</p>
<p>Most UK universities have lots of foreign students wherever you go.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies guys. Another aspect of this is thisā¦This is the one time in my life where āI will have the accentā in the city. With London being so touristy, will most people not think of it as much of a big deal that I am from America? Whereas another country might be more interested>?</p>
<p>Generally: If youāre in a larger city people will hardly care a lot. Europe today is so international and especially the younger generation is completely used to being around all foreigners. Nobody will really care. Your accent will draw more attention in Edinb, though - again - its pretty touristy too.</p>
<p>Concerning your descision: Edinb is a great city with lots of art and nightlife. But its still not what youād consider <em>real UK</em>. Though I think its a bad assertion that big city life doesnt equal real country experience, youād be more immersed in stereotypical britain if you went to a rural campus.</p>
<p>I personally prefer London because of the clubbing. Its bigger and more expensive so be warned</p>
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<p>Tobiz: I disagree. Americans are very common in Edinburgh; no one will bat an eyelid at meeting someone with an American accent, what with the tourists, and all the exchange students who come over for a year/semester.</p>
<p>London is lovely, but Iād hate to stay there for more than about a week. Also, itās well expensive. Edinburgh is smaller and more manageable, though it still has a pretty good club scene. Itās also a much prettier city, and you can go up to the Highlands on a weekend.</p>
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<p>What you might not know is, there are literally hundreds of different accents within the UK. You wonāt be the only American in any case, and you certainly wonāt be the only person with a āforeignā (ie non-local) accent. I am pretty sure there are more English students than Scottish at Edinburgh uni for a start, and they will have all sorts of accents which initially you might not pick up on, but later you will. </p>
<p>(Everyone has an accent. Itās pure arrogance to say you donāt. Outside your home town, you do).</p>
<p>Thanks for all the replies guys. While on the subject I had another random, sorta specific question. I was looking at a couple universities in London and their housing. I original wanted to go to City University but they said there housing is like 20min from Campus. Is this pretty standard for a University in London, or are there better housing options with different universities?</p>
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<p>Hey Iāll answer all your questions - London is without a doubt the best city in the Uk and deinately one of the top three in the world - I lived there all my life. However you should probably look somwhere better than city universityā¦</p>
<p>Any recommendations besides City for London</p>
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<p>Like all the other universities in London? ā¦ a little research does not go amiss, try for example UCL, KCL, Imperial, LSE for a startā¦</p>
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<p>Other people have made excellent points, and I am Completely biased in saying this, but chose London! Edinborough is amazing, but I have to say London feels like the capitol of the world! When I was there, I definetely felt there were parts of the city that had a very English flare. The possibilities in this city are endless. Yes it is quite expensive, but if you manage your money then it is certainly possible! If you have any questions about London, feel free to message me.</p>
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<p>to the OP:</p>
<p>Iām in a similar situation as yourself. Iām in the same boat as you, pretty much trying to go to either KCL or Edinburgh in the spring. As Iām trying to transfer from my current school, the prestige of the university that Iām studying abroad at will come into play for my decision to some extent. Right now Iām leaning towards KCL, but Iād be very happy to be going to Edinburgh as well.</p>
<p>London is definitely a lot more cosmopolitan than Edinburgh, but both cities are very touristy to a certain extent. You wonāt be escaping that by going to Edinburgh.</p>
<p>Hey IrishLad, where in Ireland are you from? Can you study abroad in the UK like that? I thought it was mostly an American thing.</p>
<p>IrishLad23 canāt transfer in the American sense, heād have to start the whole process again (though some universities in Scotland do allow entry to the second year if you have really good grades). Iām assuming heād be studying abroad through Erasmus, which I think has to be for the whole year and not just a term?</p>
<p>Looks like ill be going to Edinburgh. Anyone else on here going to Edinburgh in the spring?</p>
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<p>ā¦me.</p>
<p>see you in january!
:^)</p>
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