How to Live in Edinburgh - AGH!

I am heading over to Edinburgh for a year long postgrad program and I am so clueless I am disgusted with myself.  I am still in the loan application process and pending approval of loans and visa, there should be no reason for me not to make my epic (probably disastrous in some hilarious form or another) journey over to Scotland in September.

However, there is also the issue of living quarters.  I want to spend as little money as possible in order to make as least devastating an impact on my poor bank account as I can and also to have money for a few trips while I'm on that side of the pond. 

My thought was that I would live off campus since that is generally cheaper than living on campus.  However, I want to make sure that this is a good option.  What have other people experienced?  (FYI: I am not a big fan of partying, noise, co-ed drama, etc, and I just want to study and travel in peace, so I was a little leery about living on campus for those reasons as well).

Also, if I do decide to live off campus, I have no clue where I would look to find a decent flat.  It seems that I'd need at least one roommate to make it worth the expense.  I just don't know where these things are advertised and how to make a smart decision since I won't be able to see the place clearly until I move over there.

Advice?  Other thoughts on my adventure?  Commentary on the fact that I have two college degrees and am heading on to a third one and still seem to have no idea how to function in the real world?  sigh...

I lived "on campus" (university accommodation, which I call it because it was actually off campus  ) at University of Glasgow for 1 month before I realised that it was way too expensive and totally not worth it.  I don't know how similar or different it is at other universities, but I would still say that you are right to go for a private rental.  After 3 weeks, I got a flat with someone from my course for almost £200 less per month.

As for looking for a flat to share with someone, there are a couple of options.  You could wait until you get here and stay in a hostel for a few weeks until you find something, if you're worried about not being able to look at the place or meet the people you could be living with.  There are usually adverts posted at student unions or shop windows in student areas with people looking for flatmates.  You can also look on Gumtree for flats or flatmates.

You could also e-mail your department at your uni and ask them if they could send out an e-mail to the people in your course (or put you in touch with them) saying that you are interested in sharing a flat with someone.  If there are any other international students in your course, they'll probably be in the same boat as you.  If you don't necessarily find something before you move, you at least might have someone to look with.

Hope that helps a bit and good luck with your move! 

http://www.spareroom.co.uk/

Is a great place to find room mates and flats to rent. You can either find a group of people  and find a flat together or move into a free room in someone's existing house share.

It's probably cheapest if you move into an existing house share. zomg I wish I could find a room for £350 a month! You're lucky to get that per week in London!

http://www.spareroom.co.uk/flatshare/flatshare_detail.pl?flatshare_id=1298733&search_id=53205674&city_id=&flatshare_type=offered&search_results=%2Fflatshare%2F%3Fsearch_id%3D53205674%26&

zomg I wish I could find a room for £350 a month! You're lucky to get that per week in London!

My room was £275/month and it was the nicest flat I've ever lived in.  I'm from NJ which has a super high cost of living.  I could not believe that I could get a nice room for so little.  It's just so incredibly cheap up here!