A great city where everything is in close proximity and cost of living is much cheaper than other cities.
On 22nd April 20
A great city where everything is in close proximity and cost of living is much cheaper than other cities.
On 22nd April 20
Living in Dundee
Dundee is Scotland’s fourth largest city and has the highest ratio of students to locals in Scotland. This is good news for you if you’re studying at the University of Dundee because it means that a large portion of life in the town is geared towards you!
Whoever designed the geography of Dundee must have been on the energy drinks at the time, because it seems to have every possible kind of landmark you could think of. A river? Why yes, the Tay is the longest river in Scotland. A beach? Absolutely! Broughty Ferry beach has won awards for it’s gold sandy beauty. A hill? Not just any hill, this one’s made out of the remains of an extinct prehistoric volcano! Show offs.
That volcanic hill is called The Law, and you can walk up to the top of it quite easily. It’s actually a really good way to start your time there, because The Law is right in the middle of Dundee and will give you a perfect view of most of the city, including the two massive bridges that cross the Tay - quite a feat of engineering once you see how wide it is. You can bond with your new housemates while simultaneously figuring out where everything is in the city. People will actually give you directions by compass-point here, because of how blindingly obvious these natural landmarks are, so it’s best to get acquainted with them sooner rather than later.
Dundee’s city centre is relatively small, but you’ll still find it has more than enough to meet the needs of any student. As well as the two big shopping centres and the usual high street shops, there’s two skateparks and an historic ‘tall ship’ moored down at the docks. This is the RRS Discovery, which was used by the extremely hardcore Robert Scott and Ernest Shackleton to explore the Antarctic. If you thought your student digs got cold in the winter, you’ve got nothing on these guys.
Finally we should probably mention the Blackwell’s bookshop, because at some point you are going to have to sit indoors and study like the diligent student we know you are. This Blackwell’s contains the largest room in Europe that is devoted only to the written word. It’s called the Norrington Room and it’s 10,000sq ft filled purely with books, glorious books. We’re pretty sure that whatever your course, you’ve got a good chance of tracking down your study books in there!
It’s cold outside! Where should I go to warm up?
- The 24 hour bakery: Meet your new best friend. This wonderful haven of crusty rolls is a lifeline for students with the post-clubbing munchies. You’ll find it on Anfield Street, north-west of the Student Union.
- Dundee Contemporary Arts: The DCA has a cinema showing current, classic, and independent films. There’s also a shop, galleries, food... Maybe take your sleeping bag and just camp out there.
- Find a club: Default student locations are Fat Sams (a range of music), Cubic (R’n’B, dance) and the Reading Rooms (Indie, D&B etc), but don’t be afraid to branch out once you’ve got your bearings.
The sun came out! Where should I go before it disappears again?
- Explore: You’re in scenic Scotland! To the north of Dundee is the incredible Cairngorm National Park so the further that way you go, the more amazing the views are going to get and the more outdoor sports you’re going to find.
- The Beach: There’s that one we mentioned before, Broughton Ferry, or even go a bit further abroad to St Andrews. I know the prospect of a cold northern beach might fill you with dread, but it’s actually very lovely.
- Edinburgh: You can be in Scotland’s capital in just over an hour by train.
Read Dundee Reviews
Cool student city. Cheap but with enough things in bus range to still be interesting to live in.
Lovely beautiful city by the sea
All really good! Not too overwhelming if moving away from home
Cost of living can range but you can get very cheap flats. Cafes etc in Dundee are expensive even for sandwiches places can charge like £4. Dundee is very big for nights out. There are 2 shopping centres and then there's kingsway and a tkmaxx etc. There's bus links and trains.
A great city where everything is in close proximity and cost of living is much cheaper than other cities.
As a city, it's pretty good... a bit underrated I'd say. The shops are decent but not amazing. Food places are good and nights out are pretty decent.
Dundee is very cheap but 'you get what you pay for' ;) The city is dead and has nothing to offer. Low-quality night clubs where you can see people fighting all the time. Bars with just the cheapest beer and vodka. No music scene beside a rock in pubs and mainstream pop music in discotheques. The last real club has been closed a few months ago. The city during the weekend at night looks like a ghost town. Dundee is boring and depressing especially with all those homeless people on the streets. It's a city for old people, not students. Also, everything is far away. Jumping to Edinburgh or Glasgow for a night out is limited to a few night busses. Oh, and it's always very windy and cold here all year. Wind very often spoil even the most sunny summer day
As a whole it’s not too bad but if u like going out having fun with ur mates then Dundee isn’t really for you. There are only around 3 clubs in Dundee and they’re nothing compared to clubs in Glasgow or Edinburgh.
Nothing much is happening in Dundee. There's very little to say about it.
crap because there is nothing there in the whole bloody town
Dundee, you really must avoid at all costs. The massive amount of money spent to regenerate this city would’ve been better spent on our failing public services. This town has a massive amount of dimwits every four years or so that come here to further their so called education , one would argue that the majority of them would’ve been fortunate to pass the11 plus. Our city fathers believe that Dundee will indeed be reborn with the likes of the new Victoria and Albert Museum. Bars and Restaurants alike to name but a few are tired , smelly and lack any quality of service , this gets no better as you head east to the so called posh suburb of Broughty Ferrty. Bars a plenty of which are at the very most average. Again most are manned by young immature staff with no formal training , the dimwits as previously mentioned , more interested in talking to pals abou whatthey got upto on Saturday night than paying any attention to the clientele. Although Broughty Ferry would like to believe
It costs quite a bit to live here but the fantastic nightlife and number of shops definitely make up for it.
As a city Dundee is compact and everything is easily accessible. Great nightlife no shortage of things to do whatever your interest. Plenty of choice in resteraunts of varying price ranges. Public transport is relatively cheap.
Love Dundee, haven't left since graduating 2 years ago!
Best place for students plenty of nightclubs, cinemas and places you can go and things you can do
Amazing city. Great places to go eat. Nightlife is good. no need for public transport, we go everywhere walking.
Great little city... reminds me of home but soooo much better! Love living here!
Excellent location. Easy access to both University and City Centre. Lots of places to eat and plenty of bars and nightclubs to enjoy the social life to a greater extent.
Everything you need is central, lots of clubs and restaurants
a bit small but perfect for student living- wouldnt stay afterwards!
Everything you can think of in one place, beautiful city, beautiful people, amazing nightlife, shopping heaven and amazing food!
The cost of living in Dundee is incredibly cheap. The halls you stay in aren't that cheap sadly and they're not catered however eating out and about is cheap, easy and convenient. The nights out are genuinely out of this world - the union is about 5 seconds away from the University halls and has 5 floors: Two bars, a games room, a nightclub and floor 5 (Which plays the best cheesiest music in all of Dundee!) Shopping is good although leaves a little to be desired compared to places such as Glasgow. However, I've never struggled to find anything I need, the choice is just is a little limited. The overgate shopping centre will generally satisfy all of your needs. Public transport is also good, train station in the centre of town, good frequent buses etc. Dundee has so much more to do in it that I ever expected and I've been pleasantly surprised at how nice it is. The West End is completely designed around students with hundreds of cheap bars, pubs, restaurants, shops, cafes, etc!10/10
Great small town, quite cheap, one of the best for night-life, yet provides excellent academic opportunities. One negative aspect is perhaps the limited job market if you're looking to work, though there are opening if you're patient.
Locals are a bit hit and miss but the city and its people quickly grow on you. It's not the flashiest or the prettiest, but it's very loveable.
Such a great city! Especially for people moving from Notthern Ireland as its great to be so far away from home for independence and living on your own, but you can get home via megabus and stenaline for £49 return lol! It's such a lively city at night, and during the day it had plenty to do! It truly is my second home :-)