[Callum17]

Hi, I am looking for universities to apply to start in 2013.

My school have recommended me to take the Oxbridge entrance exam but after looking around on the internet I prefer the look of St. Andrews but fear I may be wasting an opportunity I will never have again.

Any opinions on what I should do would be appreciated

[Usernameitis]

[Happydude]

So, you're basing where you want to go (not counting the fact that you haven't even applied, let alone received an offer) on one uni looking good on a website!?! WHAT?

Go to open days. Talk to students that study there. Talk to students that study the course you want to do.

[Callum17]

I thought talking to students who go there was what this website was supposed to be about, hence me posting my question here.

[Norton1]

(Original post by Happydude)
So, you're basing where you want to go (not counting the fact that you haven't even applied, let alone received an offer) on one uni looking good on a website!?! WHAT?

Go to open days. Talk to students that study there. Talk to students that study the course you want to do.

(Original post by Callum17)
I thought talking to students who go there was what this website was supposed to be about, hence me posting my question here.

SLAMMED!

To be honest though it's quite a limited way to find out about a University, you already know everything anyone will tell you about St Andrews. It's small but there's a bus to Dundee...do you like small towns or cities? On and on it goes and there's very little point to it; visiting is the only way you're going to get any sort of idea.

[Callum17]

The autumn visiting days haven't been announced yet but I'll definitely be going on one.

I just wondered how people would rate the teaching quality at St. Andrews compared to somewhere like Oxford.

[Happydude]

(Original post by Callum17)
Any opinions on what I should do would be appreciated

(Original post by Norton1)
SLAMMED!

LOL no.

>OP asks for advice on what to do in order to make mind up
> I tell him to go to open days and ask students there
> no slammage occurs

[Norton1]

(Original post by Happydude)
LOL no.

>OP asks for advice on what to do in order to make mind up
> I tell him to go to open days and ask students there
> no slammage occurs

Alright buddy but I'm gonna get you a napkin cos you got served.

[Happydude]

(Original post by Norton1)
Alright buddy but I'm gonna get you a napkin cos you got served.

Seriously man? I think you're just an idiot who has nothing constructive to say in relation to the OP's post.

But it's fine, trolls gonna troll!

[Callum17]

Just booked a place on an open day in October.

It was less about the place that I was worried than the teaching standards compared to other universities and, since league tables can vary so much, I hoped some current students might be able to inform me about this.

[Oh-WOW]

(Original post by Callum17)
Just booked a place on an open day in October.

It was less about the place that I was worried than the teaching standards compared to other universities and, since league tables can vary so much, I hoped some current students might be able to inform me about this.

I'll be honest here. It's difficult to compare because I go to St Andrews and not Oxford. But I would say teaching standards are probaly better at Oxbridge. Some lecturers are really good. I think it depends on what you're studying and what year you're in. I hope the quality of teaching will improve when I reach honours. I've had some really fantastic, interesting and informative lectures in my 2 years here but I've equally had some very dull, confusing lectures. Sometimes you can tell that the lecturer is really interesting and really knows their stuff but they just aren't very good at delivering it.
I also find in some subjects, the tutorials are far too big. At Oxford you get a lot more one to one teaching, which I can imagine is stressful as you will always have to do the work but you're bound to get a lot more out of it. I certainly enjoy my smaller tutorials like history with 5 or 6 students compared to social anthropology which is 14 or 15.
The module system is different at St Andrews and may suit you better. St Andrews is also alot more relaxed for the first two years as your grades don't count for the first two years. You just need to pass (which is 7 out of 20) whereas I imagine you're thrown right into the deep end at Oxbridge. This is useful as it gives you time to settle into uni life and to make friends without worrying too much about work. and time to learn from your mistakes and learn how to work a university.
Oxbridge teaching standards are going to be better than St Andrews. It's Oxford. but St Andrews is up there for some subjects and there are many things to think about other than teaching standards. Like do the modules offered interest you and does the structure of the course suit you.

[Bubble87]

Well since you can apply to more than one university it's still worth taking the entrance exam and applying surely?

[LadyBunion]

(Original post by Bubble87)
Well since you can apply to more than one university it's still worth taking the entrance exam and applying surely?

And during the application process / visits / oxbridge exams and interviews etc the OP will learn much more about the places and what he likes or dislikes about them.

There are 2 quite different ways in which students look at the unversity - the first is during the time when they ask themselves - "shall I put this on the UCAS form" and the second is "OK now I have an offer, shall I accept it?"

[Callum17]

Thanks for the advice guys.

I'm looking at doing Ancient History and Archaeology so both courses seem pretty similar. I think the sttructure of the course at St Andrews sounds better, with the first 2 years being low stress and giving a chance to get used to the course etc. I wasn't keen on going through all the stress of the exam and interviews and things and ending up not actually wanting to go. But I worried I'd be losing out on an opportunity to do something better.

I think I'm going to give on Oxbridge. St Andrews is still a good university and since teaching standards sound pretty good and overall it just sounds like a more enjoyable experience to me