Does anyone go to/ did anybody go to St. Andrews University, Scotland?

Question

Please let me know what it's like. Did you enjoy it? Was there much to do? Were the people nice? Did you find the degree good? Is there much student support?

Please don't tell me to go to their website as I've looked at it and I want to hear what it's like from someone who's actually been there, and not a webpage trying to sell it to me.

Answer 1

It's small. There are quite a lot of shops for a small town (but not that many compared to other univeristy cities). There are a fair number of cafes and resteraunts and lots of pubs (1 for every 1000 people). It's an off-campus univeristy and the buildings are spread over about a 40-minute walk. The union is okay and is were most first years go. Some of the pubs tend to be designated for yah's (especially those on the street by the sea), and the ones near St. Mary's was were I use to go with the rest of the St. Mary's lot (psychology, biology, divinity). Most students don't have cars and complain about cabin fever part the way through the semester. So you have to get the bus to Edinburgh or Dundee (quite good bus route for the country).

St. A's is Scotland's top university for the majority of its subjects (considered the Oxbridge of Scotland). Having a degree from there is very prestigious. Remember though, that you are accepted into Faculty rather than degree scheme. This means that you have to compete with other students in second year to get into the Honours years. This is why the Scottish education system is so vigorous and well respected as it induces highly competitive behaviour in its students and washes out those that aren't up to par. Second year can be very stressful though. After that, you get the benefits of classes of 40-60ish for third year, and less for fourth year.

I don't know much about the student support. I remember that the university wasn't big on hand holding. You either cut it or they wash you out. They aren't big on excuses for things either. That was 10 years ago though so things might have changed as a lot of the uni's have gone over to major hand holding with students now

Answer 2

I visited St Andrews about a year or 2 ago and, to be honest, for all its traditions, architecture and its intimate teaching methods, I am still glad I didn't go to university there. The university boasts one of the highest rate of first class degrees- that seems to be because there is so little to do there except study- unless you play golf or want to go swimming in the sea. You also have to study for 4 years to get an honours degree(rather than 3 in England). This is partly because Scottish students can go to university from the age of 17 rather than 18. Everything is 'low rise'- it's like studying at a typical seaside town. Although it's Scotland's oldest university, (1411) far, far younger universities have a better known alumni. As the university is not in a big city with lots to do, it doesn't seem to attract ultra-trendy students- rather it attracts either serious, dry academics or people from public schools who have enough money to make a trip to Edinburgh every weekend. Though some subjects officially demand quite high grades, (typically BBB at A-Level for an Arts course) the isolation of the university means that many subjects end up in clearing where they will accept lower grades.
St Andrews has a repuation for being a university where many meet their future wife/husband. (Prince William maybe?) but very confident people would surely find St Andrews far too small and not lively enough for them whilst shy people would find the lack of things to do (other than to converse with other people) intolerable.

If you are after a similarly traditional university that has a bit of life, I would go for Durham University. (near to where i live). It has beautiful halls of residences (including a castle near the cathedral) and you are close to Newcastle for even more entertainment.

Answer 3

One of my mates went there and had a great time. The town's tiny though, and dwarfed by the golf course and swamped with golf tourists in the season. You'd have to like "making your own entertainment" as there's not much in the way of nightlife. On the upside, it tends to make people organise lots of other extra-curricular activities, parties etc.

Very pretty location, with the old castle sitting there on the coast. And Edinburgh's not too hard to get to to visit, though not for the evening I'm afraid!

Answer 4

Well Prince William went there so it's pretty good.

Answer 5

Presumably, otherwise it would have been closed long ago.

Answer 6

sorry not i