Another, 'stranger needs help making major choices'

So, I got in to read English at St Andrews, after a string of rejections everywhere else. However, I *could* take another year out, take Maths and French A-levels in a year, and re-apply to a bunch of UK and US schools, better qualified. Do I take St Andrews, not sure if I want to study in Scotland/English lit for four years/haven't even seen the uni, or do I take a second gap year?

Reply 1

c0co

You could try clearing or UCAS Extra but St Andrews is generally a prestigious uni that's good for arts subjects like English and History! U gotta go see the uni to find out whether u cud b happy in a small town in Scotland or whether u need to re-apply.

Reply 2

Elusive Moose

What they said ^. You need to see the university before you can decide whether you'd be there happy or not, and to make sure that you definitely want to do English there. If you don't feel like you could spend three years there/ doing that course then a year out would probably be the best option, but I don't think you can really decide that until you've seen the uni.

Reply 3

KerriT

St. Andrews is excellent for English Literature and even if you do take a gap year you are not guaranteed to get lots more offers.

What sort of place do you like? I've been to visit St. Andrews and sat in on the English talk so maybe I can help a bit.

Reply 4

cloudofcalm

I have a bunch of friends here in the US, who are really relaxed, undemonstrative of wealth regardless of advantages, debate a lot - I loathe the drinking culture of the UK, and far, far prefer the US in this regard. I danced competitively, and St Andrews lack of substance in that regard is worrying - I like to be able to get around and do things as and when I want to do them, and escape from the university environment when I want to.

Reply 5

Jelkin

To be honest, it doesn't sound as though you'd be -that- suited to St Andrew's, given how prevalent the drinking culture is among students in the UK and how small the uni/town is! You can go to Dundee when you want to escape the uni, but it's a train ride away...I can't comment on Dundee itself, having never been there.

What makes you want to go to uni in the UK, if you don't mind me asking? I don't want to put you off with the 'drinking culture' thing, and there are many people over here who don't drink yet have an excellent uni experience, but if you really 'loathe' it like you say, I'm interested to know what attracted you to the UK.

I have an offer for St Andrew's and will say that I'm very tempted - it's beautiful and has a great course. But what do YOU think?

Reply 6

cloudofcalm

Uh... I applied to St Andrews because my English teacher said she could see me there... And I'm English? I'm studying on my gap year at a school in the States. Friends have just had their acceptance letters for Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, etc, etc.

Reply 7

c0co

If you don't like the drinking culture in the UK then surely somewhere quiet and beautiful in Scotland like St Andrews is perfect for you rather than a uni in a big city.

Reply 8

cloudofcalm

I'm just worried about my social life being restricted to a very small town - The school where I am is a small town, and I get frustrated at the difficulty in getting anything I need, like clothes, books, etc, etc. I also took ballet, ballroom, latin, tap and jazz for a while, and Andrews doesn't seem to have much of anything to do with dance. How well represented is the uni for dramatics, debate, newspaper, etc, etc?

Reply 9

KerriT

Well, Dundee has all the major clothes shops etc and is around twenty minutes on the bus, if you lived in a city you'd probably be that distance from the shops anyway. As for books, you'd have very little problem in St Andrews, there's WHSmith, Ottakars and Blackwells, enough choice really, and there's always Amazon. St. Andrews has the oldest debating society in the UK I think, it's well thought of. There's also the Mermaids, which is a dramatic society and you can be given money for whatever production you want to do and you have the added bonus of a crumbling castle for a set. St Andrews is a small town but your everyday needs are met, Dundee is not far and Edinburgh is just over an hour.

Reply 10

Elusive Moose

My parents met at St. Andrews and had a great time there, socially. There were no clubs or anything like that (don't know about now, but can't picture it) but there were loads of pubs, etc, to keep them busy.

That said, this was almost 25 years ago now so a lot could have changed... I sort of get the impression of it being quite like York as a place though. And I apologise for htis message being a bit weird... It was my 18th yesterday so that explains all :P

Reply 11

Purple

If you dont feel you will enjoy it there and really want to take a gap year then do so but there is no guarentee that you will get anymore offers, you could always do an AEA during your gap year?

Reply 12

cloudofcalm

Slight update, I got my offer changed from AAA to unconditional, which is ...somewhat easier to achieve. Um, in answer to previous poster, I *have* an AEA, and I probably would spend a gap year taking A-levels. I'm considering going to St Ands, then transferring out.