All the things you forgot you hated about Edinburgh over the summer

It’s inevitably going to happen at some point within the first few weeks of term – be it when you’re walking around George Square, doing your first food shop or on a night out. Something happens that really, really annoys you, and you’re filled with a sudden pang of longing for summer and the care-free days of home comforts.

Here’s a few of the things you forgot you hated about Edinburgh over summer.

The weather

I know it’s a joke for your fam to make before you leave for uni about the brisk Scottish air, wrapping up warm and getting some thermals, but when you’re losing your feet to frostbite in October it’s no longer a joke. On the flip side, autumn weather in Edinburgh can (sometimes) be deceptively warm, meaning that 10 minute fast-paced walk to the tutorial you're running a bit late for can result in you turning up looking like you’ve just finished a major gym sesh. It's also mad how many outdoor seating areas there are when the weather can change in a flash, or just be really random. Last St. Paddy’s Day, I sat being SNOWED ON outside Pear Tree with a cold Guinness – which let's just say wasn't ideal…

Vom

The wind (it deserves a subsection)

Wanna wear a skirt? A scarf? Your hair down? Don’t bother. Trying to look presentable is futile when in all likelihood wherever you go you will look like a drowned rat or Hagrid.

The overpriced coffee shops

Now I can’t deny that Edinburgh does have really nice coffee shops – but the fact that I could easily spend my entire student loan in them is concerning. And I’m not talking about the indie/ edgy ones humanities students love to visit so much – even the EUSA cafes on campus seem to be exploiting our caffeine addictions.

Why u so spenny, Peter's Yard

The way in which we all start to dress like Pollock students

Has anyone else has noticed the weird Pollock-y vibe we all seem to slip into as soon as we get back from summer? Grab your grandad’s old cardigan and some PJ bottoms and strut your stuff! Look like you’ve just got out of bed? Perfect, you’re on trend. The most dangerous thing to do at the start of term is an ASOS shop as the weird trends you suddenly think you can pull off end up sitting in your wardrobe for the rest of eternity.

Tbf bucket hats are v weather-appropriate

The cobbles

My personal foe after an alarming experience negotiating them in heels, these little menaces aren’t just difficult to navigate in less conventional footwear. I’ve seen people in trainers take a tumble, and recently noticed that just to make things more difficult, the cobbles are now loose. What chances do drunk students have of staying on their feet on the walk home from a night out when none of us can manage it sober around George Square?

The cost of rent

The only way I can make myself feel good about the value for money I’m getting at uni is by talking to my friends studying in London. When you speak to your other friends dotted around the country, you feel you should be getting a palatial five-bed mansion with ensuite and an acre of land for the rent that you pay, whilst your friend paying half as much has a walk in wardrobe.

The bike lanes in the Meadows

There is absolutely no issue with bike lanes in general – really they’re great for encouraging people to stay fit and help the environment, but is anyone else now living in perpetual fear of being run over by a cyclist? The bike lanes around the Meadows the "crossroads" at the bottom of Quartermile are a literal death trap.

But am I on the right side though?

The sirens

For a regional capital boasting a decreasing crime rate, there sure are a lot of sirens going on. Whether we all acclimatised to it last year and just stopped noticing I don't know, but the break has given my eardrums time to forget the constant wailing, so now any time a siren goes off I jump out of my skin. That said, they obviously serve a purpose and nothing restores your faith in humanity more than watching traffic part for an emergency vehicle. Maybe it's not all bad after all – good on you Edi.