Study in Scotland?

[BigToe2]

My DC are planning a trip to Edinburgh to get a feel for journey. Missed the open day but have booked a guided tour of university.

I would be interested in yours and your DC experience if studied in Scotland if from south of England but primarily about whether it’s actually worth doing a 4 year degree.

Are the extra modules taken into account seriously by employers eg if chose economics related modules for a non economics degree.

Will still need a masters following most degrees to be able to progress professionally in alot of industries. Concerned that following 5 years of study potentially not any more employable than doing a 3 year degree at plus masters?

I'm from Edinburgh but attended university in England. My DS applied for Edinburgh and had an offer from Glasgow which he didn't take up. Sorry I can't give you the benefit of direct experience here, just a couple of observations.

Edinburgh is v competitive and I understand rejects about 60% of applications outright (DS didn't get an offer from them and we weren't surprised). It has a very good academic reputation but not so much for pastoral care. Glasgow has a rather odd system of self-enrolment where students have to partially build their own timetable, and I've heard that this can cause problems with timetable clashes and modules being full.

The whole business of doing modules in subjects outside of your degree sounds interesting and may well constitute a more well-rounded education, but DS wasn't convinced that doing this and spending 4 years on a bachelors or 5 years on an integrated masters was really worth it. He did a lot of research and didn't find any reason to believe that the extra year improved employability in his subject (CS).

Edinburgh is 4 - 4.5 hours by train from London. It's a great city and university (as is Glasgow). Loads of English students attend Edinburgh (and Glasgow and St Andrews) and have a great time. Your DC also need to weigh up how they feel about the travel, the colder and darker winters and the 'feel' of a Scottish city - it's different to England, I can't really explain that, you either like it or you don't!

My DC is English in Glasgow. She was always going to have a year abroad so she was 4 years at an English or Scottish uni. The go abroad programme is good as lots of students want to come to Scotland from abroad so places available for their students at prestigious universities abroad.
We are northern so she gets train but her friends in south east tend to fly.
In terms of careers support there seems to be big range of employers visiting not just Scottish.
Glasgow offer academic scholarships for RUK students. Not sure if Edinburgh do.
She wanted a big city, not London and something different to northern cities near home and has been a good fit for her.

Re 4 year degree, if students do a year abroad or work placement then that year is still within the 4 years of the course, meaning that it's the same length as a 3 year English degree with a year abroad or work placement.

Edinburgh offers 2nd year entry for some subjects

My DD graduated from Edinburgh in 2025 but we are Scottish. Did economics modules (and sustainable development modules and a language) as part of another social science degree. Liked the four years as not so much of a rush and she could try subjects not studied at school. Has found graduate work in her degree area without a masters (degree is undergraduate MA). Found Edinburgh Uni good for career advice (got a couple of summer placements paid by the uni). They also allow you to intermit for a year (no fees and you remain a student) to do a work placement which she did, Her employer have counted her additional modules/work experience in her band grading so not wasted. I think if you are career focused throughout your degree and mitigate the extra costs by working (lots of festival/tourist work that you can fit round uni)) then it’s definitely not a wasted extra year.

DD has just started at Glasgow so can’t comment on whether the extra year is worthwhile - although her degree has integrated masters so it’s actually 5 years! This first year is actually recapping a lot of what she did at A level (and the maths is covering some of the further maths curriculum), I think she quite likes this as she’s not been thrown into the deep end. But I guess others might find it a waste of a year.

One thing she struggled a bit with socially is that a lot of the Scottish students know others from school there so have a ready made social network. But now she’s a few weeks in she’d making friends and settling in.

Good point, meant to mention this but forgot! Glasgow (and doubtless other Scottish universities) do this too. Whilst saving a year of fees, it does of course mean that the student is missing out on foundation/recap elements of first years, as @mrssquidink mentioned. Also, some students might prefer the social aspect of starting alongside a new intake, rather than dropping into 2nd year, where people already know each other, etc.

Make sure the strike action and related issues are fully resolved. Weeks of no lectures and the prior impact on assessments and marking have a huge impact. I’ve a child there at the moment but wouldn’t/won’t allow another to start there as things stand.