Student life is perhaps the most exciting, and terrifying, time - new city, new friends, new places.
In Edinburgh, a place where people across the world flock to study, there’s a collection of things to do that are designed for students.
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Whether it’s the union at the Three Sisters, or spending time with the library cat - there’s a good few things that only a seasoned Edinburgh alumni will remember.
We've put together a list of some our best memories of student life in Edinburgh, but let us know if we missed anything.
Pizza Paradise
Where else could you get a full sit down meal after a night of clubbing?
Proudly open till 5am, Pizza Paradise is every student's dream.
Unfortunately most of us don’t actually remember being there, but according to Tripadvisor that might be for the best.
One user described his visit in a scathing review: “Staff here were rude and the offerings were disgusting…I did not know it was possible to do pizza so badly.”
You have to wonder if this user had visited the establishment during daylight hours, which quite frankly was a mistake on his part.
Student Union at the Three Sisters
Up the stairs of the Three Sisters sits a magical land - with discounted drinks and food for any and all Edinburgh students.
Much like Hive, the floors were always coated in a sticky layer that quite literally had us chained to the dancefloor.
Returning as a graduate is never quite the same as it was back then, when you could turn up alone and bump into at least ten people you knew.
Long live the Three Sisters.
Library cat
Sadly, the Edinburgh University Library cat went missing in 2016.
Those lucky enough to have met Jordan will remember his black and white markings and friendly nature.
Jordan was owned by Father Dermot, a Catholic Friary, who had hoped to raise the cat to be an expert mouser.
Unfortunately the kitty was more interested in literature, and by the age of eight had been given his own library card and gained 18,000 followers on Instagram.
Jordan is even memorialised in a book; Library Cat: The Observations of a Thinking Cat written by Alex Howard.
Quidditch Societies
Any trip to the Meadows wasn’t complete without a sighting of the Holyrood Hippogriffs.
The oldest quidditch club in the UK, the Hippogriffs compete across Europe and train regularly in the Meadows.
Unfortunately they are not professional wizards and are indeed muggles, so if you’re looking for broomsticks and flying golden snitches then keep walking.
Mice
It’s part of the Edinburgh experience that each and every flat you rent will at some point include some extra house guests that definitely aren’t chipping in for bills.
You could have the cleanest, most sparkly flat ever - but one day when you least expect it one of our tiny rodent friends will appear.
Whether you choose to ignore the problem, stand up on a chair and cry, or alert your landlord for the five hundredth time - that is up to you.
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University rivalries
Edinburgh vs Glasgow, Hibs vs Hearts, Sauce vs Vinegar - all pale in comparison to the rivalries between the capital’s four universities.
At the head of the battle are the University of Edinburgh and Napier, almost the Slytherin and Griffyndor of the city.
It’s unclear why, but students of Napier have long looked at the University of Edinburgh as pompous and ‘holier-than-thou’.
On any night out, the crucial first question to a potential mate was definitely which uni they went to.
Any love affairs which crossed the boundary lines were definitely seen as a Romeo and Juliet situation, and it was guaranteed that your friends would not like them straight off the bat.
Hive till five
Every August when the tourists flock to our great city, one of the finest student clubs in Edinburgh extends its arms to us for extra two hours.
Whether or not this is a positive is debatable, but we all got stuck right in anyway.
Stumbling out at 5am drenched in sweat and smelling like a toilet, it was a harsh dose of reality when the daylight smacked you in the face.
Meadows
The minute a bit of sun was peeking out, almost every student in the city pelted towards the Meadows as if they were competing in a relay race.
Sainsburys ran out of Strongbow Dark Fruits by midday, and it was pretty likely that any lectures that day would be sparsely attended.
While Edinburgh has so much going for it our weather isn’t always the brightest, and any day that breaks that trend must be enjoyed to it’s full potential.
The Cowgate superiority
Only a seasoned Edinburgh partygoer is aware of the facts - the Cowgate is ultimately a better location for a night out than the George Street strip.
The drinks are cheaper, the clubs are wilder, and the people are happier.
Who wants to pay for entry to a stuffy George Street venue to stand amongst uncomfortable people just trying to have a good time, when you can actually have a good time over in the Old Town.
Quick & Plenty
After a day at the Meadows, an all night dance session at Hive, or a terror experience with a mouse, all roads lead the same way - a full breakfast.
What better solution to all of life's problems than a big greasy breakfast in a cafe that looks like the losing team on the Apprentice could hash it out in.
One of Edinburgh’s finest establishments of the sort sits on Leven Street, right beside the Meadows and offers exactly what it says in the name - Quick and Plenty.
