Students spelling out UofG in Qaudrangle

Words by Judith

If you're like me and you have an event to attend but you're unfamiliar with the location so you try to map out your route to and from home to your destination, then this is for you. Even if you're not like me, still read on because you’re definitely in for a treat. Having such information will only do you good so tag along with me. 

Bringing it round to the topic of the day, moving to a new country can come with a lot of uncertainties; the first and most concerning one being an adjustment to your new environment. 

Let’s take a little dive into my experience if you don’t mind…

Knowing I was about to go into a new country for the first meant a lot of things: an exciting new adventure, some culture shocks(probably), weather acclimatization (considering the fact that I'm coming from a sub-Saharan region), familiarizing myself with the campus, adjusting to the new environment, locating convenience shops close enough and all the other essential landmarks,--- the list goes on. It was only natural for me to try to resolve some of these uncertainties so what did I do?--- I went to YouTube! I mean it is everybody’s go-to right? And Google of course!

So I did just that; I searched for ‘University of Glasgow’ and about 3 to 4 hours later, I felt a little more confident, especially about knowing my way around the campus and the accommodation I was going to be in.

Fast forward to safely arriving in Glasgow and my accommodation, it really didn’t feel like I was in a strange land; everything was so familiar to me because of the videos I watched (the Campus tour especially). The weekend before orientation began, I went on a brief tour of the campus with my new flatmates, and it's safe to say that I was the tour guide :)

This might be me reiterating things you already know or have seen but if you haven’t, here you go:

1. People indeed make Glasgow

Everybody here is just so lovely and it makes your adjustment less overwhelming. People relate here freely! Even the dogs are friendly. I mean you can just be walking on your way to class, see a really cute dog and go pet it and play with it if you have the time, of course. I’m sure you didn’t see that one coming but this is just me showing you how friendly it is here! 

2. An umbrella is your best friend…sometimes…

Trust me, initially, it felt like a little bit of an exaggeration when I heard “You experience four seasons in a day” but IT IS TRUE! The weather does change a lot within a short period of time. The rain always comes with its favorite companion, the wind. This is why the umbrella only saves you occasionally. Unless you don’t mind purchasing a few umbrellas from time to time XD. Some boots would help too. On days when I don’t have classes and it happens to be raining, I just make myself some hot chocolate and stare out through the windows! 

*cues in a scene of a rich man sipping hot chocolate as he stares into the distance through his glass window with sounds of fire blazing through inglenook in the background*

3. The dialect is different.

It's obviously still English but certain words used mean a different thing altogether. The one I have noticed so far is “a wee bit” meaning “a little bit”. It’s my secret desire (not so much now) to eventually be able to speak in that dialect. I love how rich it is. It does take a little bit of acquiring to get used to it.

4. Great accommodation

If you are looking to stay on one of the school accommodation residences, be rest assured that you will be well pleased with it in reality. I mean you also get a free membership into the gym on the weekends and off-peak times during weekdays. There's truly no disappointment really; they meet expectations.

BONUS…

5. You feel like you’re featuring in a Harry Potter reality show. HOGWARTS!

If you're a fan of harry potter, this is for you! You are going to love love love the architecture! So rich in history and just a sight to see. Who wouldn’t want that?!! Not to burst your bubble but Harry Potter wasn’t actually filmed at the University of Glasgow though…

There is a whole lot of information out there in general so knowing which one is actually genuine or not is a little dicey but from experience, I can say with confidence that the information you do find on UofG official websites and accounts are reliable! 

If it so happens that you are still unsatisfied with the information available with a certain concern(which is seldom), you can be rest assured that there is an excellent admissions team that would promptly reply to your queries.

Well, what are you waiting for? Come join us on a new and exhilarating experience <3

First published: 15 December 2022

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First appeared on Unibuddy.