<p>I've been lurking for quite some time now and after reading through other threads and not really finding what I'm looking for I decided it was time I finally started posting. I'm going abroad in the UK next year, possibly for the entire year, and every time I think I've finally decided on a university I start looking into others and change my mind. Most recently i've been thinking about University of Kent and University of Edinburgh.</p>
<p>I absolutely love cities and currently attend a very rural university at home so while abroad I'd like to be around somewhere a little more lively. At the same time I would like to make friends while abroad and feel like that can be easier at a University that isn't spread out like those in a city. Also, cities are expensive. </p>
<p>Experience wise I'm not looking to drink my way through the year. I am not really a drinker but I understand it is more of social thing in other countries. I want to be able to experience the cultural differences in a place so much older than where I'm from and I want to travel. </p>
<p>And finally, I don't want to be surrounded by Americans. Obviously, a lot of American students study abroad in the UK so I know they'll be around too but I would prefer to meet people from other countries as well.</p>
<p>So, please, I need some real advise from the people who have been there. Are there any schools I'm missing that I should look into? What are Kent and Edinburgh like?</p>
<p>Live in england but haven’t visited either. I am, however, considering studying at Edinburgh so I’m in a similar boat. </p>
<p>Edinburgh is much more highly regarded. It’s not really one of the very best, but it’s certainly difficult to get a place as a domestic applicant. They have a policy of accepting all internationals who meet grade requirements, I believe. Kent isn’t bad, but it’s not well known. You would probably also prefer the course structure. English universities are normally very focused on the course that you’re studying, but scottish universities offer a bit more freedom. </p>
<p>I get the feeling that Edinburgh is very popular with Americans. I’m not sure about kent. However, Edinburgh is a big city, you’ll certainly find that most of the people you come into contact with aren’t even students, let alone american students. Kent is much more rural. </p>
<p>If you really like cities though, you might want to look at one in London. It’s the only really big city we have here.</p>
<p>Lukec1, university reputation really doesn’t matter; the OP is coming here to study abroad not study full time.</p>
<p>I strongly recommend you visit [UnionView[/url</a>]. It’s a website which offers short introductory videos on most British universities; these videos will probably answer your questions better than I could and give you a decent understanding of both places and what it’s like to live there.</p>
<p>That’s a nice link, thank you for posting it. I have found various blogs from students visiting UK colleges and sometimes send them to my daughter who is applying to St. Andrews and Sussex this year for a year abroad in the Fall.
I will pass this on. She is hoping to make friends, not a drinker as of yet and her biggest worry is affording to travel. I told her when it’s official I’m sure she’ll get good advice from past participants that weren’t rich.</p>
<p>Universities have a good or bad reputation for a reason. A university with a good reputation is well know for research, the quality of the students it produces and the opinion graduates share of their time there. A university with a bad reputation or is fairly unknown it’s probably that way because it doesn’t do anything outstanding.
When you say that you’ve chosen a university because of it’s reputation, you mean that you think it will provide you with a good education because people speak highly of it. You don’t, or at least shouldn’t, mean that people will think better of you for having studied there.</p>