I apologise for making you wait, but consider this my official welcome address reporting to you from the place I am so grateful to call home for the next few months, the one and only… Glasgow.
After being here for about four weeks now, I feel as though I can provide a proper introduction to the university and the city, though rest assured, there is still much to discover.
Let me first say this – never have I ever been so excited to go back to school. The University of Glasgow is truly a sight to behold. The university was founded in 1451 and is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world. If you heard me gushing about the architecture in Edinburgh, please excuse me while I now swoon about my new campus.
The atmosphere of the main buildings on campus is unmatched. They are regal and historic and truly striking as they sit at the top of Kelvingrove park and overlook a bit of the city. The gothic style of architecture makes you feel as though you’ve been transported back in time, or perhaps to a fantastical location. There’s rumours that the university inspired some of the design of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films and I don’t doubt it. The school was in fact actually used as a filming location for the popular TV series Outlander.
The main campus is where the magic is. The famed University Cloisters sit in the centre of the courtyards, and the main campus also has the University Chapel, its very own museum: The Hunterian, and many academic buildings. The campus spreads beyond the main building towards the west end area of town, with a mixture of historic and impressive, newly built modern buildings. I even have a couple classes across the street from the main campus in a building that looks rather similar to a charming brownstone walk up apartment. Around campus you can find an array of libraries, a sports club, and two student unions that each have restaurants, study spaces, and host countless socials and club activities every week. Glasgow University Union is known for its nightclub and bars (yes, bars on campus), and Queen Margaret Union is home to a famed music venue where I’ll be seeing a few concerts later in the semester.
As for the living situation, I am in a student accommodation complex called Kelvin Court, and honestly, I couldn’t have asked for anything more for the time being. The apartments have a shared kitchen and living space, and everyone has their own bedroom and bathroom. I have four roommates: one from Japan, one from Switzerland, one from Mexico, and one from Canada. We are all exchange students here for the fall semester and getting to know them and the beautiful people that they are has been one of the best parts of this experience.
My apartment building is a 12 minute walk from campus and in a pretty perfect location. It sits at the base of Kelvingrove Park in a more residential area that is very quiet and I always feel very safe walking around. There are countless restaurants, coffee shops, and grocery stores at my doorstep. Right across the street is Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, which is a stunning, historic building where I’ve already enjoyed some lovely art-filled afternoons before I continue on my walk to campus.
You might’ve heard it said that the work-life balance is much more respected in Europe than compared to the states. While this could technically be proven through stats such as healthcare benefits, PTO, workplace culture/priorities, and the overall well being and satisfaction of employees, it also relies heavily on the circumstance of the location and the individual. So at least for my location and my personal circumstance, I have noticed a rather positive and drastic difference in the school-life balance in Glasgow compared to Florida (I’ve only been here for a month, so I understand things could change at any moment).
For my classes, I am taking two upper-level courses in the English Literature and Creative Writing Department and an introductory linguistics course. For upper-level courses, the physical class time is very limited (once a week) and the focus is more on independent study. But for all three of my classes, I only have a couple of large assignments for midterms and finals and very rarely have been given daily/weekly assignments. I’ve noticed this has given me the opportunity to be much more intentional in my school work and I am much more prepared and confident with what I contribute in the seminars, rather than being constantly overwhelmed by new assignments every day, an overload of readings, discussion posts, etc. I’m extra thankful for how my schedule worked out and for the school-life balance here because it has given me time to explore this incredible city.
Mastering the public transportation within the city has been a breeze. There is a subway that operates in a circle and wraps around campus, the west end, and downtown/city centre area. There are also buses that go anywhere around the city, and the train. The Scotrail train has stations all around the city and can either take you two miles across town, or (as I’ve used it), can take you to Edinburgh, Stirling, Inverness, and beyond.
Overall, I believe this is a wonderful city to be a student in. Finance wise, my rent here is almost identically comparable to what I was paying for rent in Gainesville and my weekly grocery bill is also fairly comparable, if not cheaper than what I would be spending at Publix. Restaurants are also all fairly priced from what I’ve noticed; before I arrived, I was worried it might be overpriced like every big US city, but thankfully that is not the case in Glasgow. Not to mention, there are student discounts all around (restaurants, shops, cinemas, etc) so it can never hurt to ask.
Now, to the music lovers and art enthusiasts… welcome home.
Some of the museums that I’ve already visited and loved are the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the Riverside Museum, and the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA). While these museums house works by big names such as Andy Warhol, Claude Monet, and Vincent Van Gogh, they also offer wonderful displays by Scottish artists and much about the history of Glasgow (my favourite so far has been the display at the Riverside Museum that delved into the history of Glasgow’s music scene in the late 1900s). The other exciting thing to note is all of these museums are free for visitors.
Fancy a trip to the theatre? Glasgow has got you covered. The Theatre Royal and King’s Theatre have seasons booked with performances by the Scottish Opera, the Scottish Ballet, West End/Broadway musicals and plays, and more.
There is also the Royal Concert Hall which sits like a grand estate at the top of Buchanan Street downtown. The Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Scottish Concert Orchestra, among others, are set to play an impressive range of classical compositions at the venue, from Tchaikovsky and Mozart, to the famous movie scores of the Harry Potter and Avengers films.
Classical music not your thing? Not a problem. It just so happens that Glasgow was named as the UK’s first UNESCO City of Music. Between all the music venues across town, you could easily fill your weekends with concerts and gigs till the end of the year – jazz, rock, pop, indie, and everything in between. One of my favourite musicians from America, Charlie Burg, happened to be playing a gig at a live music bar called King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut (which I’ve since learned has played a rather important role in Glasgow’s music history) during my first weekend in the city. It was such a cool, intimate venue with a spectacular performance by the singer and the band, and it felt like a proper welcome to the city of music. I’m not embarrassed to say that I’ve actually made a spreadsheet of all the concerts I plan to attend while I’m here, because who knows when I’ll be back in a city that loves to sing this much?
A few other things to love about Glasgow:
- The surplus of charming independent cafes (that aren’t horribly overpriced and aren’t starbucks)
- There are hardly any chain restaurants in sight (just ignore the occasional Subway)
- There’s a lot of fun vintage and charity shops and a lot of record stores
- There’s a great assortment of absolutely darling, historic movie cinemas
- There’s a lot of green space if you know where to look for it; try the Glasgow Botanic Gardens, Kelvingrove Park, or the Glasgow Necropolis
Within my first month here, I’ve found Glasgow to be a very friendly city, a safe city, and a great city to wander, because you never know what you might find. I know I already mentioned this, but I cannot imagine a better place to be a student. The opportunities are infinite.
I was so unbelievably stressed when deciding where to study abroad, as an avid overthinker and generally anxious person. Sitting here now, I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else. I’ve had so many days that I’ve come back to my apartment completely exhausted but with a smile that wouldn’t dare leave my face, and I know exactly why.
I’m truly getting what I came here for and I’m feeling so fulfilled. That’s not to say everything is perfect of course and all my problems are solved, but I am learning to recognize the things that I am grateful for, and being in Glasgow is one of them. I chose Glasgow hoping to be surrounded by art and music and people who value culture and creativity; hoping to be in a place that would make me eager to learn and ready to explore, and it has done just that.
I have to pinch myself when I’m walking back from class in the evenings. It’s my favourite part of the day. As the main campus is on a hill, I find myself walking through gothic courtyards lit with lamp posts, and you can see the city beyond the hill as the setting sun reflects light on all the chimneys, and the air is cool and soft, and it’s so calm outside. The leaves are starting to change colours now too. In those quiet moments, when I look at the university grounds and back out over the city, life feels so surreal I could cry (happy tears, of course).
I hope you don’t mind my romantic interlude interrupting my first impressions/city introduction, but I wanted to set the scene. It seems I just can’t help myself these days. I mean, what’s a girl to do when she’s fallen in love?
… Welcome to Glasgow.
The Global Gator 
I loved the pictures and narration. What a beautiful place . Thankyou !
I came across your blog rather by accident, and living in Glasgow and having been to Glasgow Uni in the 1980’s (another time, another age!) I have found your experiences and insights incredibly interesting. I’m so glad you enjoyed your time here!