College student moving on my own to Edinburgh - advice?

Lollipop95

Hoping someone hear can give me a bit of advice. I'm 22 and it's looking likely that I'll be moving to Edinburgh in June for 6 months as part of my college placement. I'm hoping to fly over in April for an interview with the company. I'm excited as I think this will be an exciting and fresh new chapter in my life (I've never lived away from home before and I'm looking forward to get a chance to become independent) but I'm also slightly terrified as well because I am going over there knowing absolutely nobody so I'm kind of worried about feeling homesick.

The issue of accommodation is also a concern. Could anyone recommend really good websites to search for accommodation on or even good Facebook groups as I would prefer a house/flat share with other students. Part of me wonders why I'm putting myself through the stress but I know I'll never get an opportunity like this again and I'd like to go out there and make these 6 months really count. So I guess what I'm asking for is any advice on homesickness/accommodation?

mahamageehad

100% you should go for it.

I did a year abroad (9 months in Uni, 3 months working) and it's one of the best things I ever did. I'm actually back here in Germany a few years later, and have been here almost 2 years. I understand feeling nervous, I did too and I also had a language barrier to deal with!

What industry are you in? What year are you in in college? I'm assuming second or third year. If it's a big company, chances are that they'll have a few interns at the same time, that's going to be a big help to you. Having some people to hang around with, many of whom are going through the same thing, will be immensely helpful in heading off feelings of homesickness.

As for accommodation, have you asked the college if there are any resources available? My little sister is moving to Belgium for 6 months shortly for a placement in microbiology. She's in UCC and they helped her find a place. CIT and the Uni I was going to in Germany helped me find a place for the 1st 6 months of my stay, then I had to find my own place by word of mouth. Alternatively, (and, imo, most importantly) find Facebook groups local to the area. It's very difficult to find a room in a nice apartment in certain areas of Frankfurt, and they are always advertised in the Facebook groups before anywhere else. I imagine college students in Edinburgh live in very similar standards to those in Ireland, so I'm sure you'll be easily able to get a room in a student house. Again, find a relevant Facebook group and ask there where students get rooms, people are usually very helpful.

The other thing I'd say against homesickness is to make sure you can easily contact people. For me that involved teaching my parents how to use Skype and WhatsApp. You'll be there during the summer, any chance a few of your friends or family could arrange a weekend trip for a few months in? Even when you're feeling a bit blue, you'll have something to look forward to. If all else fails, crass as it sounds, head to an Irish bar! (That's probo more important to me as there was times I just needed to hear someone talk to me in English!!) I also find keeping up with sites like Boards.ie helpful in keeping the connection to Ireland alive and well.

Honestly, I know it's scary now but 6 months will absolutely fly. That's only like 24 Monday mornings! Christmas feels like it was yesterday to me, and it's already 3 months ago!

Polka_Dot

In terms of accommodation, gumtree and spareroom.co.uk are good places to start looking. Your college might be able to help out if they have an established connection with Edinburgh as well, but those two are good for finding houseshares in the UK. One thing to watch out for in Edinburgh though is that some landlords will up their prices, or even kick people out in August because of the Fringe festival, as the demand for places there is so high when it's on. Make sure you check when you're renting if that's the case, and try to avoid anywhere like that.

Homesickness is a weird one, in my opinion. I'm a similar age to you and moved to England for a job last year. At first I didn't miss home one bit, as I was enjoying my new independence, going out with new friends all the time, etc, but then started to feel lonely after a few months. But home isn't far away, and especially if you're only there for 6 months. My advice would be just to take every opportunity that comes and enjoy yourself for the time you're there. Meetup.com is a good way to find groups in the area that are interested in things you are, and is great for meeting people outside of your work/house circle.

Merkin

Please don't start duplicate threads. You have the same thread open in the UK forum so I'm going to close this one.