Elena and Andrew Thompson

Name: Elena and Andrew Thomson
Born: USA and South Africa (respectively)
Lived in Scotland: 5 years

If you’re wondering what it’s like to study in Scotland, look no further than Elena Thomson and her husband, Andrew. They can give you the pupil and teacher perspective.

"I did my Masters here and now I’ve started my PhD,” Elena explains, “and Andrew is a secondary school teacher."

Elena is from the west coast of the United States, Andrew is from South Africa and they met in Spain!

Elena laughs: "When I told my mom I’d met a South African guy in Spain I suppose I thought at least I’d end up some place sunny!"

Shock

"Andrew had been supply teaching in London and he was finding it hard. He’s from this beautiful little town on the Eastern Cape and now he was in London. It was a shock.

"So he applied for some other posts and one was in Edinburgh. He took the night train and when he arrived the taxi drove him through the Old Town and dropped him at the door of Stewart’s Melville College.

"He thought he’d died and gone to heaven!"

(Elena and Andrew are pictured in the grounds of the school above)

Deciding factor

"At some point we obviously had to decide what country we were going to live in and it was Andrew’s job that was really the deciding factor.

"Conditions for teachers in Scotland are really exceptionally good, in terms of salary and conditions. Especially compared with places like the States."

Having decided to follow in Andrew’s footsteps and relocate to Scotland, Elena took the opportunity to go back into education herself – as a student.

"Studying in the States is exorbitant, so having the chance to do my Masters in Politics here in Scotland was a great opportunity.”

Scottish system

"And I found that I really enjoyed the Scottish education system. I think it’s much better, less prescribed. In Scotland, you define and control what you do.

"Now I’m doing my PhD with funding from the ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council). It’s a big commitment but it’s also the most privileged position to be in – to have the funding and the opportunity to dedicate myself to such a high level of study."

Forward-thinking

"I couldn’t pick another place in the UK I’d rather live than Edinburgh. It’s a beautiful, forward-thinking city. There’s a commitment here to things I really value, like education, recycling and integrated public transport. And as a newly-devolved country, Scotland is an exciting place to be.

"Having the Highlands nearby is also incredibly invigorating for the mind. Andrew runs the hill walking club at school, so he goes walking every three weeks."

New phase

"We took the train once, from Edinburgh to Fort William. Everything was covered in a sprinkling of snow. It was just spectacular.

"I suppose I was quite naïve before I got here. I knew I’d be leaving friends and family and my job, but I was just so excited to be starting a new phase of my life, going back to university, living in a new country. I never really thought about whether it would be hard or not!

"We’ll definitely stay until I’ve finished my PhD and then see. Although, you know, I can imagine Andrew happily spending the rest of his career at Stewart’s Melville."

Insider Info

Elena says: "I'm a coffee addict, so I’d recommend you try some of the gallery and museum coffee shops. The Dean Gallery and the National Museum of Scotland both have great cafes."

If you like the sound of studying in Scotland, why not find out more about it?