Aberdeen has it all

Hello, my name is Paula. I'm Mexican, and in September, I moved to Aberdeen, Scotland, to pursue my MSc Digital Marketing at RGU. This process took me over two years to finalise, as I kept postponing it because I knew I would miss my family, friends, and the comfort of home. Perhaps, deep down, I was afraid I wouldn’t succeed, but I couldn’t be more grateful for having made this decision. I now understand that it happened at the right time, and I never imagined that in the process, I would meet the right person to share this experience with—my husband, Gerardo.

Since my first contact with the agency Across the Pond, my advisor was always attentive and understanding of my process. And when I decided to take the next step, the agency was always there, offering her support and motivation through advice and guidance for each of the steps I needed to take. Thank you for everything!

A month before this adventure began, my life took a 360° turn—I married the love of my life! Of course, we had many doubts at first about how the long-distance relationship would work, but I can tell you that, although it’s not easy, it is possible. We were very fortunate to be able to move to Aberdeen, a city that has been very generous and has allowed us to grow, enjoy, appreciate, and value each of the experiences we’ve gone through.
 

Student Life

Robert Gordon University makes you feel welcome from day one. All the activities and events they organize during the first weeks of classes help you meet many people and find the club/society that you like. In my case, I joined dance, swimming, and the Latin American society. I also met the Mexican society at the University of Aberdeen, and it’s nice to feel a bit of home in a new country.

Regarding classes, I was surprised by how flexible my schedule was. I mostly had 3 to 4 subjects per semester and attended classes 2 to 3 hours a day with at least one weekday off. This is very different from my home country, but it’s something I appreciated because it allowed us to explore the city, travel, engage in other activities, or work. Additionally, the classes connect you with the industry by working directly with live clients who come to the classroom to talk about their companies, and they allow us to propose strategies and campaigns for them. This was great for me because it was my first time experiencing this area. Overall, the campus is large and offers many facilities that make student life more comfortable, stress-free, and easily accessible, such as the library, gym with a pool, or the cafeterias (there’s a Starbucks). However, it’s important to develop the ability to be self-taught. All the professors are very kind and available via email or in class, and the topics they cover are precise and with plenty of material for us to learn more, but it is necessary to be organized and committed.

I lived for four months in a school residence, which was a great experience sharing with six other people. The villa was lovely and a 30-minute walk from the school. The best part was that I had my own bathroom in my room. Perhaps something I didn’t quite get used to was adapting to the different ideas of cleanliness that each of us had, but overall, everything went well. Then, my husband arrived in Aberdeen, and we moved into an apartment by ourselves, which is also a good option if you prefer to have your own space. The only downside is that the electricity and gas bills can be high in winter, but good organization can solve that.

Lastly, as I mentioned, it’s easy to combine work and studies, and although the job search process can be slow, you will find something. In my case, I’ve worked as a receptionist, nanny, accountant (remotely), but the best part was finding a job that allowed me to give back a little of what RGU gave me—I’m a Student Ambassador, and it has been an experience that has taught me a lot.
 

Aberdeen

Aberdeen has it all. It’s perfect for students, couples, and entire families. It has beaches, mountains, parks, museums, international restaurants, and much more. It’s located in the northeast of Scotland, three hours from Edinburgh and Glasgow. It’s actually very easy and even economical to travel between these three main destinations in Scotland and around. My favourite part of Aberdeen is undoubtedly the beach. It has a boardwalk where you can walk, grab a snack from food trucks, visit the mini amusement park, dine at delicious restaurants, go to the cinema, shop, or even see the Northern Lights.

Scottish people are very friendly. They always try to talk to you, see how you’re doing, or ask if they can help with anything. The weather in the city depends on the time of year, but what’s always present is a bit of wind and rain. In December, there’s snow, and it’s fascinating to see it fall and wake up the next day to streets covered in white. The sunlight is something very drastic here. In autumn-winter, the sun can set as early as 3:30 pm and rise around 8:00 am, but in spring-summer, night almost doesn’t exist. There can be light from 4:00 am until 11:00 pm, and well, it depends on each person’s preference, but what I love most about the weather is that you get to enjoy both the cold and warmth without it going to extremes.

For me, this adventure felt like starting over in many aspects of my life. I feel it has been an opportunity to grow both professionally and personally, with some challenges but also with many unique and special moments, and above all, with new dreams that I can share with the people I love.

Today, I can say that it has all been worth it. Thank you!

- Paula