University of St Andrews
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St Andrews University: A Warning
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University of St Andrews
lauram992
Is Dundee actually good? I know this is going a little off topic but I saw you mentioned Dundee. I visited there for an IV and was really impressed by the uni, but like you said, I noticed the city is pretty small and it was a bit bleak on first impressions. Does anyone have any comment about Dundee that would help me make a decision (provided I get an offer? :P)
Speaking as someone who spent 2 years there, don't go to Dundee unless its for Architecture/Life Sciences/Dentistry, the academic value is really poor. Plus there's too many homeless/chavvy people around, and there isn't much of a City Centre. Its one saving grace is the nightlife, DUSA is one of the better unions in the UK.
ish90an
Speaking as someone who spent 2 years there, don't go to Dundee unless its for Architecture/Life Sciences/Dentistry, the academic value is really poor. Plus there's too many homeless/chavvy people around, and there isn't much of a City Centre. Its one saving grace is the nightlife, DUSA is one of the better unions in the UK.
i would add medicine to that and scottish law but mostly I agree
It's so crap that there's no Google Streetview! 
fg08
The OP sounds like someone who received a rejection and is now trying to slag off St Andrews in return 
Poor poor guy
Poor poor guyI'm a girl and I've been here for two years....well, one and a half.
sadie-kiki
okay so OP went to a uni without visiting and now regrets their decision, and expresses said emotion by belittling a place and the entire student population.
I live in London and can't WAIT to get out of here. It'll be fine to come back to for vacations, but I hate the fact that you can't avoid using public transport, the air quality is vile, everything is absolutely heaving with people even on a quiet day, if you want to take a walk along the south bank or through covent garden you have to fight your way through legions of tourists and duck out of the way of their massive DSLRs that they haven't a clue how to use, and if you want to go out somewhere you spend a quarter of your evening on the tube - just everything is so so frustrating and argh and takes ages.
Personally, the idea of living in a smaller, quiet place, where going out for dinner or having a house party takes precedence over "omg lyk lets rave lolol!!11 I NEED CLUBS TO FUNCTION" is a very appealing prospect!
I live in London and can't WAIT to get out of here. It'll be fine to come back to for vacations, but I hate the fact that you can't avoid using public transport, the air quality is vile, everything is absolutely heaving with people even on a quiet day, if you want to take a walk along the south bank or through covent garden you have to fight your way through legions of tourists and duck out of the way of their massive DSLRs that they haven't a clue how to use, and if you want to go out somewhere you spend a quarter of your evening on the tube - just everything is so so frustrating and argh and takes ages.
Personally, the idea of living in a smaller, quiet place, where going out for dinner or having a house party takes precedence over "omg lyk lets rave lolol!!11 I NEED CLUBS TO FUNCTION" is a very appealing prospect!
Exactly! I am too a Londoner and was really exicted to leave. At first, settling in here was a bit tough - quite a culture shock, as even though I knew what I was getting into, I was still not used to being in small places, seeing the same faces, and public transport that doesn't run every couple of minutes :P
But it was all new and exciting and small but pretty and I like the atmosphere here. I also love the little quaint things like talking to your bus driver, the walks along the beach, bumping into people in town, the flat parties etc....ahh small town life!
I do enjoy it, and personally think I have a pretty good balance, I study in a gorgeous, safe, friendly litle coastal town and have my thriving city to go home to! Best of both worlds
OP - of course St Andrews isn't for everyone! Much like staying in London wasn't for me, and being far away wasn't for most of my school friends. I have friends who have gone to uni and now live for clubbing etc, but I'm not like that - so I knew when I decided that it'd be ok. I didn't even visit St Andrews, but research online etc into it and a bit of luck and it worked out well. Sorry you're having a bad time, but to other people reading this - I personally (and many others) do not think it bad at all!
Sambo2
to be fair the locals can be extremly unpleasant and hostile to students at times..
That's not restricted to students...we're Scots and therefore hostile is our default setting.
catchkt
Then why aren't you going?
'Cause I'm going to UCL
!!!I only said that bath is better than southampton, not that bath is better than ALL UNIVERSITIES EVER!
What bothers me is that you're trying to make people aware that they need to consider the nature of a university before committing to go there, but the way you're going about this is portraying St Andrews in a very, very negative way.
Yes, it doesn't suit you, yes, you're allowed to voice your own opinion, but in doing that, it's irresponsible to suggest that the entire library system is substandard, or that all the teaching is bad, or that the whole town will be boring to everyone, when that's evidently not true. If the tutoring of a particular module in a particular department is bad, then it's great to let people know, but in communicating this, it shouldn't sound like all the teaching in all the modules in all the departments is bad.
You could have achieved your original goal in a much more helpful way, by saying what things you sought and that St Andrews didn't suit your lifestyle. The title is very negative, and as I said before, I think this thread is more likely to make people think 'Oh, St Andrews is awful', rather than thinking, 'I should consider the nature of a university before committing to study there for several years'. I admire the intention of encouraging people to do some research on universities before choosing, but I do not admire how this thread is reaching that goal.
Yes, it doesn't suit you, yes, you're allowed to voice your own opinion, but in doing that, it's irresponsible to suggest that the entire library system is substandard, or that all the teaching is bad, or that the whole town will be boring to everyone, when that's evidently not true. If the tutoring of a particular module in a particular department is bad, then it's great to let people know, but in communicating this, it shouldn't sound like all the teaching in all the modules in all the departments is bad.
You could have achieved your original goal in a much more helpful way, by saying what things you sought and that St Andrews didn't suit your lifestyle. The title is very negative, and as I said before, I think this thread is more likely to make people think 'Oh, St Andrews is awful', rather than thinking, 'I should consider the nature of a university before committing to study there for several years'. I admire the intention of encouraging people to do some research on universities before choosing, but I do not admire how this thread is reaching that goal.
I sympathise very much with Unmissadorable's view. I spent a year at a northern university that I felt isolated at - and although I had visited the city many times I hadn't visited the university. I have also visited St Andrews for a day and found that it is indeed very small scale. The age, tradition and ranking of the university are admirable on paper - and probably in some actuality - and some of those who love it clearly love it a lot (so I hear- I didn't go during term time so there was not a lot on) but it you are more inclined towards modern things and not a naturally social person it may not be for you.
If changing university, and assuming that you are happy with the course itself, I'd want the next university to shorten the course by a year. Personally, I'd choose an English university if you go to another university as their courses are usually shorter. However I wouldn't necessarily start studying there straight away. You could consider a gap year or 2 doing whatever is going to be useful- but check with other universities before to see what the exact implications of that would be for those universities and that course.
It sounds like a cliche to say it but I think that perhaps people who have lived away from home, especially in a small town, with traditions but no bells and whistles in terms of modernity, who are used to fending for themselves, organising things, getting into a group, which may be a far proportion of grammar and public school students, may be more immediately comfortable with living in St Andrews. I suppose that some international students who like the quaintness may quite enjoy it but you can get quaintness and a little bit of modernity in some other cities.
If changing university, and assuming that you are happy with the course itself, I'd want the next university to shorten the course by a year. Personally, I'd choose an English university if you go to another university as their courses are usually shorter. However I wouldn't necessarily start studying there straight away. You could consider a gap year or 2 doing whatever is going to be useful- but check with other universities before to see what the exact implications of that would be for those universities and that course.
It sounds like a cliche to say it but I think that perhaps people who have lived away from home, especially in a small town, with traditions but no bells and whistles in terms of modernity, who are used to fending for themselves, organising things, getting into a group, which may be a far proportion of grammar and public school students, may be more immediately comfortable with living in St Andrews. I suppose that some international students who like the quaintness may quite enjoy it but you can get quaintness and a little bit of modernity in some other cities.
ImperceptibleNinja
What bothers me is that you're trying to make people aware that they need to consider the nature of a university before committing to go there, but the way you're going about this is portraying St Andrews in a very, very negative way.
Yes, it doesn't suit you, yes, you're allowed to voice your own opinion, but in doing that, it's irresponsible to suggest that the entire library system is substandard, or that all the teaching is bad, or that the whole town will be boring to everyone, when that's evidently not true. If the tutoring of a particular module in a particular department is bad, then it's great to let people know, but in communicating this, it shouldn't sound like all the teaching in all the modules in all the departments is bad.
You could have achieved your original goal in a much more helpful way, by saying what things you sought and that St Andrews didn't suit your lifestyle. The title is very negative, and as I said before, I think this thread is more likely to make people think 'Oh, St Andrews is awful', rather than thinking, 'I should consider the nature of a university before committing to study there for several years'. I admire the intention of encouraging people to do some research on universities before choosing, but I do not admire how this thread is reaching that goal.
Yes, it doesn't suit you, yes, you're allowed to voice your own opinion, but in doing that, it's irresponsible to suggest that the entire library system is substandard, or that all the teaching is bad, or that the whole town will be boring to everyone, when that's evidently not true. If the tutoring of a particular module in a particular department is bad, then it's great to let people know, but in communicating this, it shouldn't sound like all the teaching in all the modules in all the departments is bad.
You could have achieved your original goal in a much more helpful way, by saying what things you sought and that St Andrews didn't suit your lifestyle. The title is very negative, and as I said before, I think this thread is more likely to make people think 'Oh, St Andrews is awful', rather than thinking, 'I should consider the nature of a university before committing to study there for several years'. I admire the intention of encouraging people to do some research on universities before choosing, but I do not admire how this thread is reaching that goal.
I didn't say that the library or the teaching is substandard, but at the same time i think its a complete joke that this place is ranked 3rd after Oxbridge considerong how sparse library resources are and just how OLD the systems they use are (we were on Windows 2000 until last year, no joke)- and this has been commented on by several students not just myself...and also the variability of the standard of teaching makes me question its prestigious reputation too. I just won't accept that this is the next best thing after Oxford and Cambridge....also I think you should give people enough credit to be able to think for themselves- some poeple have actually read what I wrote and said it would be perfect for them!....And I've never in my life heard of voicing an opinion about something as an 'irresponsible' act- the poeple who come on this site aren't impressionable little kids.
academic quality has nothing to do with libraries or computer systems - although there is little wrong with the computer systems really.. - actually the facilities are mostly very good - look at the new IR building, new medical school, centre for biomedical science etc..
it's true that this has turned into a negative slag st andrews and all nothern universities forum which is unhelpfull - most people commenting are probably in no position to comment and are simply jumping on the popularist bandwagon instead of going to research the facts for themselves.
It's a tribute to the quality of the place that the spend per student is far far lower than oxbridge and as you say the library is **** but the student satisfaction and teaching satisfaction ratings are enormously high as is the research rating..
it's true that this has turned into a negative slag st andrews and all nothern universities forum which is unhelpfull - most people commenting are probably in no position to comment and are simply jumping on the popularist bandwagon instead of going to research the facts for themselves.
It's a tribute to the quality of the place that the spend per student is far far lower than oxbridge and as you say the library is **** but the student satisfaction and teaching satisfaction ratings are enormously high as is the research rating..
Umiisadorable
I didn't say that the library or the teaching is substandard, but at the same time i think its a complete joke that this place is ranked 3rd after Oxbridge considerong how sparse library resources are and just how OLD the systems they use are (we were on Windows 2000 until last year, no joke)- and this has been commented on by several students not just myself...and also the variability of the standard of teaching makes me question its prestigious reputation too. I just won't accept that this is the next best thing after Oxford and Cambridge....also I think you should give people enough credit to be able to think for themselves- some poeple have actually read what I wrote and said it would be perfect for them!....And I've never in my life heard of voicing an opinion about something as an 'irresponsible' act- the poeple who come on this site aren't impressionable little kids.
Sorry I upset you. I didn't mean to.
I'm not saying you were wrong in what you said, but I genuinely do feel that people could take a brief glance at some of the stuff here and take away completely the wrong message. I'm glad some people have read what you said in enough detail to get what you're saying, but some people won't. I'd like to think people think for themselves, but some will read the beginning of a long post, get bored, and only take away some negative messages (I can see tl;dr's). I'd be annoyed if I found information that accidentally made me think somewhere was crap when in fact it would be very enjoyable for a lot of people.
Again, researching would have shown anyone that not everyone thinks St Andrews is in the top 3.
Voicing an opinion is AWESOME, but it's like diplomacy. You can think about how you do it and try to optimise it. If I though my friend was wearing something unflattering, then I can choose whether or not to say anything, and if I do say something, I can phrase it carefully. Telling her she has a massive bum and knobbly knees won't end well, but saying I preferred the other jeans because they give her a lovely silhouette will be more productive. I don't disagree with the core of what you're saying, but I think how you're communicating it is potentially damaging to people who could thrive in St Andrews, and I don't see that action ad being very responsible.
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