The actual campus is lovely! I really like all the greenery and nature spaces. I’ve never had to use the student support services but I’m well aware of them if I ever need them

All my teachers have really pushed me to improve and practise my languages. I’m not really aware of many internships but as I’m only in 1st year, this doesn’t really impact me. One of my lectures doesn’t have office hours, and meetings are by appointment only, but then never really replies to emails.

I like how the halls are on campus and LT is in a nice location because it’s not in a place where everyone passes it so it’s not too noisy, most of the time. There used to be security in the halls at night but I don’t know why they’re not there anymore. Random room allocation is good, I like where mine is because it’s in a quiet corridor and opposite my kitchen so I can see if there is anyone in there. The wifi can be quite temperamental, and cute out sometimes. It’s seems quite a steep price to pay for what I’ve got but it’s okay.

Heriot-Watt, although officially in Edinburgh, is some distance from the city. I get to campus by driving, and it is a very convenient destination to reach by car, however it could be a little tedious to get to by public transport if you don’t drive nor already live in Edinburgh. I know other students who do already live in Edinburgh, and still have to get 2 buses to get to campus. However, when you do get here, the campus is really great. Everything feels connected, and you can access most buildings through a central building which branches off, which has cafés and the student union shop, as well as offices for student support. When looking at your timetable, the classes are represented by a combination of letters, such as “HP” or “MB”, followed by the floor they’re on and the room number (e.g. MBG32). This can seem a little daunting at first, but there is a key at the bottom of the timetable telling you what each abbreviation means, and there’s a campus map on the ‘myHWU’ app which is really easy to use. In my experience, classes that are related tend to be located together, meaning that almost all of my classes are in the same two buildings which are conveniently next to each other. This helps build a nice sense of community, as it often means you’ll see your lecturers and fellow classmates multiple times a day, going to their office or from class to class. The library is a wonderful space to be, always busy and vibrant, and located pretty centrally too. Of course, it has many books you can use to research various topics, but just as important, there’s plenty of space to find a seat and get some work done if you’re someone who can’t work very efficiently at home (like me). There are also silent study areas which you can use, and a small stand selling Costa coffee right by the entrance. Entering the library is nice and simple too - you just hold your student ID card to a scanner and the little barrier opens for you. From my personal experience, lecturers are all very pleasant and happy while teaching, and any time I’ve had a problem relating to a particular class, the lecturer has been very quick in responding to me and helping me out. Also, if any lecturers have any immediate messages they need to share, like the time or location of a class changing, it tends to be done in plenty of time so that you’re never left without important information. I would also say the university is pretty good technologically too. For example, I study interpreting, and the interpreting labs in the languages building are fantastic. Most rooms in which classes take place will have projectors and whiteboards for lecturers to make use of, and most lecturers will have powerpoints to use, and the internet at their disposal if they need it. The campus is kept very clean, and personally I have never noticed anything be in poor condition while studying here.

Classes are all held in person, and for the most part you are expected to complete a piece of preparatory work (more or less homework), which will then be discussed in class. For spoken languages classes, the prep work you do will often be necessary to participate fully in class - same goes for translation & interpreting classes if and when you have them. Written classes can tend to be more focussed on covering something in class, like a particular part of the language’s grammar, and then the prep work will for the next class will be to practice what you’ve learned. Lecturers are easy to reach. You can either email them, to which they usually respond pretty promptly, or visit them during their office hours, which they will make clear to you at the beginning of the year. Lecturers are also keen to share any opportunities that arise regarding language learning with the class, and often do this by mentioning it in class or sending an email out to students. Classes are mostly in 1 hour slots, where the class will begin at the turn of the hour (10:00am), and then the class will last for 50 minutes, leaving you 10 minutes to get from one class to another in time. Some classes, such as History or Linguistics classes which are mandatory on language courses, are set up to be 2 hour long lectures (most lecturers give students a break of 10-15 minutes in the middle), with an hour long tutorial at a different time in the week. In the tutorial class, you will further discuss the topic of the lecture that week, and it allows you to ask the lecturer questions or to discuss with your classmates.

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