Preparing to be an International Student in Scotland

There are 19 Universities in Scotland, each with its own character and successes. It’s easy to see why foreign students are keen to some to Scotland to study. There really is something for everyone. From the University of the Highlands and Aberdeen based universities in the north, to the Glasgow and Edinburgh universities in the South, and with Dundee and Scotland’s oldest university, University of St Andrews's in the middle, each university has something special to offer.

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The University of Edinburgh is one of the oldest universities in the UK, and one of the largest and most prestigious universities in the world (currently ranked in the global top 15 in the QS World University Rankings 2023). Its Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies is currently ranked first for veterinary science.

The University of Glasgow is a World Top 100 university, positioned within the top 1% of world universities, particularly known for its "internationally excellent" research achievements. Its list of alumni includes the current First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), Nicola Sturgeon, who studied Law there. Glasgow is ranked first in the UK in three subjects: Food Science, Sports Science and Dentistry. Last year it won the title Scottish University of the Year.

The University of Aberdeen also has amazing research credentials and the university’s students are renowned for having an ongoing impact on the basis of this research – world class, world changing and truly international.

The University of Stirling is Scotland's university for sporting excellence, home to no less than five national governing bodies and ranked first in Scotland for sports facilities, and within the top five across all of the UK.

Abertay University university created the world’s first computer games degree in 1997 and remains at the forefront of this sector. Whilst that may not sound like an academic discipline at first glance, the university’s achievements include games simulations to help cancer treatment, interactive training tools for both the police and the fire service, and a virtual reality project cataloguing the memories of war veterans.

Scotland was even considered good enough for British royalty. The heir to the British throne, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, studied at the University of St Andrews, ranked the best university in Scotland in the Guardian University Guide 2022. He graduated with a 2:1 in Geography, and later earned a Scottish Master of Arts degree (MA) in geography.

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The accolades are many, so we could continue, but suffice to say that Scottish universities attract more than 50,000 students from over 180 countries each year on the basis both of their excellence and of Scotland being a great place to study.

As a student, it’s also good to know that the cost of living in most Scottish cities is around 10% cheaper than other UK cities, and living in Scotland is purported to be around 30% cheaper than London, mainly due to lower housing costs. (The University of Dundee is the cheapest place to be a student in the UK. Dundee is also both the most fun city to be a student in Scotland and one of the safest cities in the UK.)

And then there’s the beauty of Scotland itself, from major cities to rugged coasts and remote rural areas. With so much on offer, a unique and colourful history, and a completely different culture to most of the UK, it’s no wonder that so many foreign students fall in love with Scotland, to say nothing of the famed friendliness of the Scots. Scotland is now home to 150 secondary languages, like Arabic, Punjabi, Mandarin and Polish to name a few. Mosques, temples and synagogues sit alongside churches, ensuring freedom of religion.

This is the time of year when those students are preparing to arrive here to study. Many will ship their things across to the UK in advance. We realise it’s just one of many things that students have to consider when moving abroad to study, but it’s one thing you can sort well in advance, making sure you have some familiar home comforts that may not even exist in Scotland.

There are numerous organisations that exist to help you ship things across, and moreover many universities have links with them.

For foreign from whichever continent, it's well worth sorting the shipping out soonest. Cramming everything into suitcases for the four years you’ll be living abroad in Scotland just isn’t feasible. It will often prove exorbitantly expensive, with people throwing good clothes, and more, away at airports rather than pay exorbitant excess baggage prices. And the sooner you book, the more certain you are of getting transportation slots to ensure your things have arrived for when you start student life in earnest.

To get things shipped across, you’ll need to provide information about how much you want to ship so that your removal or relocation company can provide you with an accurate quote and sort out any import/export paperwork. Read your contract carefully to see what’s included and what extras you may have to pay, when. And always make sure that the company you choose is properly insured if anything goes missing or is damaged whilst shipping.

Bringing things over in advance, however, can sometimes create an issue for overseas students, whose accommodation isn’t always allocated by universities in advance.  And for those where accommodation has already been allocated, sometimes there’s no-one there to accept the goods. Both can result in high storage charges from the shipping company.

This is where easyStorage can step up and help you out, by either arranging collection from your removal company or international shipper, or by arranging for the company to deliver your things directly into storage. The company can even support the University’s facility teams as well.

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With low prices specifically for students, this option gives students the space they need to arrive and settle in before their belongings are delivered directly to their door. Many students will choose to arrive early themselves and travel to see some of their new country and acclimatise themselves in terms of both language and culture before heading to their university. Having your things safe until you need them is one less thing to conside.

Living abroad is an adventure, and the easier you can make it for yourself, the happier your stay will be.

easyStorage comes in at about half the price of traditional storage, and with the collect and return facility, there is no need for students to worry. easyStorage Scotland additionally offers students FREE transportation of belongings, FREE fuel when picking up and dropping off those belongings, and even FREE Security seals for belongings.  

As a friendly, flexible company, easyStorage Scotland can help find the right solution for you, your things and your storage. Our Scottish team can’t wait to help and provide visitors with a huge warm welcome, for which the Scottish are famous. They are even going to be giving away Scottish easyStorage gift bags as a welcome, complete with traditional Scottish goodies like fudge, shortbread, oatcakes and more.

It’s almost worth signing up at a Scottish university just for this – our Scottish team work incredibly hard but have LOTS of fun along the way. The team is incredibly proud of having Scottish roots and of the relationship they have with so many customers across Scotland. They have a great reputation that they truly deserve and are working hard to preserve.

The easyStorage Scotland team can be contacted, with no obligation, for a quote and discussion of your needs on freephone 0800 061 4091 from numbers in the UK, or, from overseas, our Main Scotland office on 01333 406480.