Why did Thomas Carlyle study at the University of Edinburgh?

Thomas Carlyle’s attendance at the University of Edinburgh was driven by his father’s ambition for him to enter the ministry. Carlyle first enrolled in 1809, though he did not follow a precise course of study during that time.1

After leaving to pursue teaching, he returned to the university in December 1819 specifically to study law. However, he ultimately abandoned both his legal studies and the prospect of entering the ministry, finding his time there characterized by isolation and spiritual struggle.1