With some of the top universities in the UK, Scotland is a popular place for many students from all over the country to go to. Many of my peers mention the awe-inspiring landscape, the rich arts and culture scene, or even just the opportunity to live somewhere totally new and far away from home as a reason for attending a Scottish university.
Yet it’s important to consider the differences between higher education in Scotland and the rest of the UK before you make your final decision. Although most aspects of university are the same, I will outline the main differences between Scottish and English universities that I think are important to know before you go.
4 key differences about Scottish universities
1. Four-year degrees
At any Scottish university you can expect to do a four-year degree as opposed to three years in the rest of the United Kingdom. This has the benefit of being able to enjoy your university experience for longer, but there are also more specific advantages. Going on a year abroad is more accessible as you won’t be adding another year to your degree, instead, at most Scottish universities, everyone has the opportunity to go abroad in third year.
However, another year of university does also mean another year of fees. While Scottish students go to university for free, students from the rest of the UK can expect to still pay the 9,535 pounds for all four years.
2. Specialising later on
Another benefit of the Scottish four-year degree is its system of pre-honours and honours years. The first two years of your degree are pre-honours, when you are able to take courses outside of your degree. Generally, each semester you will have to take at least one mandatary course for your subject, leaving the other courses open for you to choose which courses you would like to do. During my first two years studying History and Politics I was able to take courses in Spanish and Law; in some semesters all of my courses were mandatory for my degree and in some semesters, I was free to choose all of my courses.
This means that it is far easier to change your degree as long as you take the right electives for it. It also means that the first two years of your degree don’t count towards your final mark as long as you pass your courses. As such, the Scottish system allows for much more freedom and might be the right choice for you if you’re not sure exactly what you want to study or are interested in many different subjects.
3. Scottish students tend to be younger
One thing that surprised me when I started at the University of Edinburgh was how many of my peers were still seventeen. This is because Scottish secondary students do their final ‘Highers’ exams in their penultimate year of school. As such, unless they want to take Advanced Highers, which are only necessary if they are applying outside of Scotland, they can finish school a year early, if they choose to do so. In this sense, the first year of university acts for many Scottish students as a last year of secondary school. Although this makes less of a difference for humanities degrees, many of my friends who are in STEM and did A-Levels were offered direct entry into second year as much of the material covered in first year was similar to their A-Level subjects. So, if you are a prospective STEM student, this is something to be aware of.
4. Bonus of free transport
Photo by Ant Rozetsky on Unsplash
One of the best things about studying in Scotland is the free public transport. If you are under 22 and have an address in Scotland, you are entitled to a Young Scot Card, which gives free bus travel all over Scotland. I would recommend applying for this as soon as you move into university!
Because the search for housing begins later, this means that you have more time to figure out who you want to live with, but it can also be stressful to not have your housing situation sorted quite late in the academic year.
Most things are the same!
Although there are some key differences between Scottish and English universities, most things, such as first year guaranteed accommodation, the course structure of lectures and tutorials, and the many student societies, are the same. So don’t worry, you’ll probably have a great time wherever you go – you can check out more information about choosing the right university for you here. But, if you like having more freedom and flexibility, then a Scottish university might be the right choice for you!
