University Guide 2008!

I didn't know it was out so I'll just dedicate this entire post to my university. =P
Read the university's profile here.

Edinburgh retains a special status in Scotland where the university is regarded as the nearest thing to Oxbridge north of the border. The university dropped out of our top ten for the first time in 2004, but soon regained its previous position, overtaking St Andrews to become the top university in Scotland.

This year, the University of Edinburgh ranked 13th overall in the table.



Although it's not really a braggable position.. uh... uh.. ok let's look to specific subject categories.

Economics
Edinburgh's ranked joint 12 alongside St Andrews, meaning that both of us are best in Scotland for Economics.

Accounting and Finance
We got 2nd! Losing only to LSE, but beating the likes of Warwick (3rd), Manchester (4th), etc.

Medicine
This is probably what Edinburgh is best at. Losing only to Cambridge (1st) and Oxford (2nd), but beating Imperial (4th), UCL (7th), Liverpool (9th), King's (20th), QMUL (23th).

Veterinary Medicine
4th, behind Cambridge, Glasgow, and Liverpool but beating Royal Vet. College and Bristol.

The rest is pretty decent in the top 15s - 20s.

Now on to The Guardian's 2008 University Guide,


It's ranked at number.. 7!

Economics
Edinburgh's ranked 8th in the UK. With Warwick (3rd) topping LSE (4th), I should have beaten myself to a pulp for missing out on the offer for Warwick!!

Medicine
This is even better. Edinburgh is 2nd, beaten only by Oxford, but beating Cambridge(4th), UCL (6th), Imperial (7th), King's (15th), QMUL(25th), SGUL(26th), Liverpool (28th).

Law
8th in UK. Seriously I didn't even know Edinburgh was good for Law.

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Ok now onward to a little bragging about Edinburgh's city and university. The University is the sixth oldest in the UK, having founded in 1582. It's annual turnover exceeds £400 million, leaving it with the title of the 6th largest University in the UK, and the largest in Scotland. The university is also a member of the Russell Group of large research-led universities in UK. The Russell Group is a collaboration of 20 universities who receive and is regarded as the Ivy League equivalent in the UK.

To name several prominent figures from the university,Gordon Brown, the current UK Prime Minister, A.G. Bell, inventor of the telephone, Charles Darwin, you know who he is, Lim Chong Eu, Penang CM 1969-1990 (thought it'd be nice to include this), writers Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Robert Louis Stevenson, Adam Smith, widely regarded as the founding father of economics and the face on the new £20 note, and even an astronaut (who knew!) Piers Sellers who flew the UoE emblem to space.

The city itself is also one of the prettiest in the British Isles, some would point to Bath when I say that, but I'd still say Edinburgh, from the first time I saw it. A city of 450,000 people, it's considered pretty small. But with per capita income at $55000, it's also one of the costliest to live in in the UK, mostly due to a high influx of tourists (13mil a year). Student population is also rife, making up 14% or 63000 of the local populace. Unemployment is below the Scottish average and crime rates are widely regarded as one of the lowest in the UK. The city's home to several massive festivals like The Fringe and The Edinburgh International Festival (which I have both missed T.T). Plus, my local friends here have also commented on how pretty Edinburgh's main shopping street becomes during December and the cherry blossoms in The Meadows during spring.

To end it I shall post up two pictures. (Time to take more pics!)

The view from North Bridge eastwards (one of the three bridges connecting Old and New Town)

The view from North Bridge westwards.

Edinburgh's design is pretty much 2 sides, Old Town and New Town, Old Town's built up on a steep ridge that runs eastwards from Edinburgh Castle, and below the 3 bridges are railway lines and Waverley Rail Station. It was once a Loch before it was reclaimed during the expansion northwards. More on the geography,history and cultural lifestlye of Edinburgh in the coming future. Not now.. not now..