Lili – Edinburgh Napier University
Semester 1, 2024
Bachelor of Fine Arts
My first impression of this grey, stone-ladden, story-book haven was… of course… Damn it’s cold! I was warned Scotland would be chilly, but jeans really weren’t enough. I was surprised that, although Edinburgh was so cold (about-4 degrees in January) the flats weren’t built to sustain the warmth, and my little room was as cold as it was outside. My first trip out took me to a store similar to Kmart where I was able to source a heater, an electric blanket, thermal leggings, and gloves. I was ready.
My cozy little flat was situated in the beautiful Marchmont! This lovely little suburb allowed me to live in walkable proximity to my uni, the city centre, and the meadows, which are a large stretch of lush trees and grass. But basically, anywhere was walkable by 20-30 minutes!
I found my flat through Facebook marketplace (which I believe is definitely the way to go if you’re not seeking on-campus accommodation). My flatmate and I quickly forged a close friendship, and she became an older sister to me during my time in Edinburgh.
I studied at Edinburgh Napier University where I was able to continue my film degree! I was really fortunate to find that the film course at Napier was as collaborative and hands-on as the one at QUT. This meant that I was able to make a bunch of new friends on the first day, already added to group chats, and signed up to work on the short films assignments.
I loved that all of my new friends in the Film course also lived in cute little flats walkable to campus. This meant that they were always free to study in cafes, show me around to some cool sights, and hit the local pub for a cheeky afternoon pint. 🙂
My film course at Napier was way more demanding than I anticipated, and I was basically doing uni work every day. I decided to switch my mindset, accepting that I wasn’t here to party, and instead would focus on enhancing my industry skills and professional connections. I thus lent into any industry experience that I could get. I worked on 3 short films at Napier and with Screen Scotland, 1 of which was a grad film that was shot in the Highlands. For this project, I got to stay at a lodge in Glencoe, and work with more experienced students in their final year. I also secured a week-long internship at a video production agency in Dean Village! These experiences were invaluable to my professional growth, and I would not have gotten them if I didn’t have an open mind.
One significant challenge I faced… was the cost of living. Edinburgh turned out to be a way more expensive city than I had anticipated or budgeted for, with rent and food prices almost double what I was paying in Brisbane. After about 2 months, I was almost out of money. To combat this, I made a strict allowance for weekly spending and cancelled some of my travel plans. I also got a casual job working at a pub! This ended up really helping me with money. I was able to balance my job well with uni, and it was actually really fun and I made so many friends! Although I was skint with funds, I managed to squeeze in a wee bit of travel during my time in Edinburgh. I was lucky enough to go to Berlin, on a weekend trip with my new Scottish friends.
This was probably my favourite city I’d visited in Europe. I also made sure to travel around the Highlands! With a friend, I rented a car for a day and we traveled from Glasgow, up to Glenfinnan viaduct, to Fort William, and up to Loch Ness. I definitely recommend maximising the travel options you have near you, as it’ll be a more affordable way to see so much.
The main difference between the way of life in Edinburgh compared to Brisbane, is the walkability of the city. I had absolutely no problem getting around without a car, and rarely used the bus (unless it was literally too cold to walk). I’d say as well, there was probably less to do in Edinburgh as Brisbane, as it wasn’t as young of a city and was more of a tourist spot. I found myself venturing to Glasgow on occasion to seek out the art scene and activities there.
I would recommend Edinburgh Napier to a student wishing to pursue film units on their exchange. I found that, while QUT’s facilities are of such high quality, the students at Napier had a passion for film that I had never witnessed. They were all incredibly driven and talented, and this really reflected in the work we created, with a lot of the films we made being submitted to film festivals.
I’m going to miss Edinburgh. For all the dogs it had. All the cute coffee shops. All the pints of cider. I’ll miss how old it is. There really isn’t a single part of Australia that’s as old as that city stands. It was so interesting to gradually learn about its history. I hope I can go back in my young adult life and it won’t have changed too much.
Find out more on how you can apply: Student Exchange
