Heriot-Watt University

Edinburgh

What's it like as a place to live? Heriot Watt is on a campus just outside Edinburgh. The campus atmosphere is fantastic and you've got everything you need in one place. There's catering, cafés, shops, a bank, and most importantly the Students' Union for nights out. The City is a 25 minute bus ride away as well, so really you've got the best of both worlds.

How's the student accommodation? Our accommodation is university owned which is a real plus point because they employ older students to be wardens and they organise inter-hall competitions, etc. The rooms are quite small, but the atmosphere is great, people have their doors open and are always chatting to each other. There are communal areas in most of the halls which are nice to hang out in.

What's the student population like? 30% of Heriot Watt's students are international which makes for a really multi-cultural atmosphere. It's great because you make friends from all over the world and learn so much about other people's cultures.

How do students and locals get on? We don't have many problems as we are a campus out in the countryside. Most people live in the centre of Edinburgh after their first year though and it's a great place to live. We're lucky in Edinburgh that there is plenty of accommodation available for students and in the majority of places there's a good relationship with the local community.

Scottish Borders Campus

Campus is 15 minutes walk from the centre of Galashiels – a small but growing town in the beautiful Scottish Borders, 35 miles south of Edinburgh. It’s home to the school of textiles, and a small section of the management department. Formerly known as the Scottish College of Textiles, it’s internationally recognised for the high calibre of its design graduates; excellent employment in the textile industry. Most students come from Scotland but lots of international students too (around 100 students form 30 nations). High female:male ratio (around 85% female). With only 600 students on campus, there is a good staff:student ratio and a very relaxed atmosphere. Many courses have industrial placements and assessment by a mix of coursework and exams. Excellent facilities; newly-refurbished works shops and high mill containing specially designed laboratories and studios. Design department has a vast hand-weaving shed, extensive high-speed weaving and knitting looms so students get first-hand experience of designing fabrics; the printing facilities are some of the best in Europe. Library is in the halls of residence, so excellent access. Hot food available on campus on weekdays. Halls of residence (self-catering) is 2 minutes walk, on hillside overlooking campus and close to new multi-purpose gym (has classes and student membership rates). Also flats in town (some university-owned) good links with the Edinburgh campus: a shuttle bus runs twice daily. Students’ association provides welfare, social and cultural facilities; student societies include fashion show, textile design society and graduation ball. SA runs a full term-time entertainments programme eg ICE and Bright Light events. 

What's it like as a place to study? Heriot Watt's courses are pretty special as courses are much more applied than most universities and you get to see real applications of what you're learning.

What are the teaching staff like? Teaching at Heriot Watt is generally really good. The staff are supportive and there's a really good staff-student relationship; students aren't afraid to ask questions and tutorials are much more interactive than just going through a few questions on a white board. 

What are student societies like? There are a wide range of societies at Heriot Watt and there's more being affiliated all the time. The University and the Students' Association are really interested in giving students more opportunities to help out in the local community and further afield, and although they're not the centre of most people's social lives I'd say this area is really starting to thrive.

What's a typical night out? There's a really wide range of things to do so it varies from person to person. The big first-year night out is an event called The Big F in the Students' Union. It's themed differently each week and it's full of the best student music anthems around!

And how much does it cost? A pint or a spirit and mixer in the centre of Edinburgh is normally about £2-£3, but since there are four universities situated in Edinburgh, you can find a student night  most nights of the week with drinks offers and cheap entry prices.

How can you get home safely? Buses run to Heriot Watt campus and other parts of the city 24 hours a day so there's always a way of getting home. 

Is it an expensive place to live? Edinburgh isn't too expensive a place to live. People do watch their pennies, but there are loads of student deals for eating, drinking and socialising so you don't have to spend a fortune here to have a good time. Rent prices in the city are quite high, especially for Scotland, so a lot of people live slightly out of the centre to get the cheaper flats.

Average price of a pint? £2.80.

And the price of a takeaway? £5.

What's the part-time work situation? The University understands that part-time jobs are hugely important to students nowadays and offers support wherever it can. The careers service is great for finding part-time jobs and there are even quite a few jobs available on campus. It's normally pretty easy to find a job in the city centre as well. We're lucky in Edinburgh that it gets tourists all year round so there's plenty of random part time jobs available. Wages are normally pretty good.

 What's the best feature about the place? The atmosphere on campus is fantastic. You've got all your friends, social space and sports facilities in one place so when you need a break from studying it makes life so much easier.

And the worst? Study spaces are too few and far apart in my opinion. However, the university is aware of the need to update them and we hope to see this happen in the next few years.

And to sum it all up? Heriot Watt has the best of both worlds: a strong campus community in a safe, countryside environment, and a buzzing city full of excitement only a short bus ride away. Its unusual applied courses attract people from all over the world.

Irvine Welsh (Author), Gary Younge (Writer for the Guardian and past HWUSA Officer) Sir Russell Fairgrieve MP, Lord Sanderson, Sir Alan Smith. 

Edinburgh Campus:  Ring SA on 0131 451 5333, email president@hwusa.org or logon to website, www.hwusa.org.

Scottish Borders Campus: Contact Vice President Galashiels on 01896 892170, email vpsbc@hwusa.org.