Freshers’ A – Z: Part 2

N: Napier

One of the ‘other’ universities in Edinburgh, along with Heriot Watt, with whom we have gentle banter about which institution is better academically recognised.

O: Old College

Usually full of tourists taking pictures and comparing it to the Oxbridge quads, the Old College is the haunt of the law students. But it’s also a great place to eat lunch with your friends, looking like the front page of a uni prospectus.

Ye Old College.

P: Potterow

A religious dwelling for any Edinburgh student. By day, it serves as a lounge area to waste time between lectures, but by night it turns into the beloved Big Cheese club, adored for all the wrong reasons.

Q: (Pub) Quizzes

Recruiting an unbeatable quiz team is essential to take on tour with you around uni. Essential components comprise of at least one sportsman, someone who occasionally watches the news and a hilariously punny team name.

R: Rugby and Reeling

Even if you take absolutely no interest in sport at all, you still won’t be able to avoid the rugby players (partially due to their weekly presence at the Big Cheese, but mostly from the initiation tales and the fateful games of ‘fives’). Reeling is just a social gathering where rich kids get drunk and dance a bit.

UNAY!

S: Societies and Scotland

You’ll undoubtedly sign up for at least 30 societies at the Freshers’ Fair, and probably only go through with about 3 of them at most. And that’s ok. With the Scotland thing, you probably think it’s full of kilt-wearing, bagpipe-playing people eating fried mars bars. That’s exactly what it is.

T: Teviot

The student hub, comprising of several, different bars and home to the world famous Edinburgh Nachos. The Library Bar is always preferred, but settling in New Amphion for a cup of tea (or a pint of diesel) between lectures does just as well. Also the venue for the famous Freshers’ Ball, which is usually quite shit.

Anyone seen Harry Potter?

U: Undergrads

That’s us lot by the away. We’re the ones with the terrible reputations of drinking too much and studying too little, in comparison to our much more disciplined older siblings who even get free reign of the fifth floor in the library.

V: Vets and Medics

Presumably the most hard working students, Vets and Medics spend most of their time incestuously drinking with their academic families. Kudos however to the Vets, who usually will still wake up at 7am after a hard night at the Hive to handle farm animals.

W: Wine

You’ll learn to live and die by Lidl’s £2.50 wine, as it’s a fine alternative to Scotland’s favourite medicinal wine, Buck Fast. It tastes like vinegar mixed with dishwater, that’s been fermenting with Marmite for 2 weeks. Avoid.

All you need.

X: X-Box and Fifa

If you’re in Pollock especially, you’ll regularly partake in the continuous arguments of why exactly Fifa has to be played what seems like 25/8, when it’s not actually real.

Y: You

Going to uni is usually always your choice, and the memories you make will be yours to keep until you’re senile. So try and make the best of your time in Edinburgh, because it’s only you that’ll regret it. You can start by making regular visits to the Hive.

If ever you get into an argument at home about who’s going to the best uni, just remember: we have pandas.

Aww