“If you had told August me I’d done that, I would have laughed in your face,” said Jenna Broyles as she described how she ventured to London alone for a concert while studying abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland. Jenna is a third year Hospitality and Event Management major at , who spent fall 2025 participating in the ISEP program at Edinburgh Napier University.
Studying Abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland
Jenna had always wanted to study abroad, and Scotland had always been the number one place on her bucket list. When she saw there was a program for her major in Edinburgh, she knew she had to apply. Her family was very supportive of her endeavor and helped her prepare to study abroad.
Jenna said her flatmates were a big part of her study abroad experience and helped make the transition easier. Because her seven flatmates were also from the US (from different universities), it was easy for them to understand any culture shock or home sickness she experienced. She made quick friends with them, and they are still in contact even after returning to the U.S.
Because she was under twenty-two, Jenna had access to free public transportation in Edinburgh. She loved how walkable the city was, and how safe she felt walking at night. She explained that since the sun set earlier there, she would be heading to or from places in the dark but never felt uncomfortable even when traveling alone. She said that the walkability of Edinburgh also helped with her anxiety;
“If I was ever feeling a little anxious or anything, I could just put my headphones on and just walk around the city for as long as I need to.”
Her favorite part of the city was The Meadows, a very nice park in Edinburgh.
“I really loved it there [Edinburgh] and really thrived there. I’ve kind of been more homesick now that I’m back.”
Another of Jenna’s favorite things about being in Scotland was how she could travel between countries, getting to also visit Italy and England during her time abroad. Her favorite experience was getting to hike the Scottish Highlands. Jenna had taken up hiking in recent years and being abroad really helped with that. A plus side to hiking the Highlands she said, was seeing the Highland cows.
Food to Try While in Edinburgh
Jenna admitted she did try haggis, a savory meat pudding and Scotland's national dish, which she enjoyed. But her favorite food she got to try while abroad was a margherita pizza from Franco Manka, a pizza chain in the UK.
Looking Back on Studying Abroad
Jenna believed that studying in Edinburgh helped her education at State tremendously. She got to focus on event management, and how the different festivals in the city were organized and put together. She learned a lot about tourism, and her favorite festival she got to experience was Edinburgh’s Christmas Market. Hogmanay, the Scottish New Year’s celebration, was also a festival that drove a lot of tourism into the city, and Jenna loved the opportunity to learn about it.
Her favorite part of the program was being able to experience so many new things that she wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. She was also very thankful for having met all the friends she has now because of the ISEP program at Edinburgh Napier University. Though she was the only State student studying abroad in the location, she did not feel nervous and decided to just go for it.
Advice for Future Study Abroad Students
Jenna’s advice for future study abroad students is to just go for it. She said that it may be scary at first, but you won’t regret it once you’re there.
“You’ll always regret not going, but you won’t regret it if you go. Genuinely, it was the best decision I could have ever made for myself even though I was scared at first.”
She learned that the experience helped her become more comfortable with doing things alone, than not doing them at all.
Jenna believes her time in Edinburgh made her a better person and urged other students to just do it if they are thinking about it.
Interested in the ISEP program at Edinburgh Napier University? Head to the Office of Global Education's website to learn more. partners with , a non-profit organization made up of over 300 universities in more than 50 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America, Oceania, and South America.
