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St. Andrews vs. King's College London

I got an offer from both St.Andrews and King's College London for a postgraduate study in Management and International Management respectively. As I am really confused as to which one to choose: What are the pros and cons of both?
King's is a huge university in the center of London, a massive city. It has a very international outlook. It has a good reputation, although is perhaps not as prestigious as St Andrews within the UK. It can feel very fast-paced and high octane, not to say impersonal. KCL is very international and you will meet people from all over the world, from countries you didn't even know existed, and from lots of different walks of life. It has a very international outlook. It's a member of the university of London, which means that you will probably end up meeting people from UCL and LSE as well, especially if you partake in the societies and sports clubs run by the intercollegiate University of London Union (aka Student Central), and the various London university networking and professional events. You have access to all the entertainment, professional opportunities and international organisations that London provides. There is a relatively high risk of crime (I had my bike stolen while I was there, though to be fair I did leave it unattended without a lock). London has the best weather of anywhere in the UK, better than most parts of Northern France and Germany too. I don't think it ever went below 0 degrees for the three years I attended KCL and it never snowed once.

St Andrews is a relatively small university, in a small town in Scotland, without even a train station. It's nearest city is Dundee. It's nearest large city is Edinburgh. It has a very laid back feel in historical, rural environs. You're likely to mix with the same people every day (this is less of a problem for Postgrad courses since you're not there for 4 years like undergrads). St Andrews is less international and is mainly British people and Europeans. You will be unlikely to meet anyone in St Andrews who isn't connected with the university. St Andrews is very safe with almost no crime. St Andrews is cold in the Winter, probably the coldest part of the UK. If you're not from the Northern half of the British isles you might find it noticably different in terms of climate.
Original post by Copperknickers
KCL = There is a relatively high risk of crime (I had my bike stolen while I was there, though to be fair I did leave it unattended without a lock).

St Andrews is very safe with almost no crime. St Andrews is cold in the Winter, probably the coldest part of the UK.


That's not necessarily true that London has a high crime rate. Its just like any other city it depends upon where you go, what time of the day i.e if its dark outside. I agree with the weather up north its miserable and personally I'd choose KCL as it has a better international reputation, you can choose modules from intercolleges in London i.e UCL/LSE/Imperial + Its no where as near as cold as St Andrews. Think about how you'd survive November-early February up north. :getmecoat:
Original post by XxKingSniprxX
That's not necessarily true that London has a high crime rate. Its just like any other city it depends upon where you go,


It's not just like any other city, it has a much higher crime rate than most British cities even during the daytime and in the central parts, because it's much more densely populated and is full of tourists and other easy targets for pickpockets and thieves.

I agree with the weather up north its miserable and personally I'd choose KCL as it has a better international reputation, you can choose modules from intercolleges in London i.e UCL/LSE/Imperial + Its no where as near as cold as St Andrews. Think about how you'd survive November-early February up north. :getmecoat:


'Miserable' is a relative word. London weather is pretty miserable to someone from Southern Europe or Asia. The happiest country in the world is Denmark, and Denmark gets similar weather to St Andrews, so really it's a myth that cold weather is miserable, but it does take some getting used to.
StAndrews is a great uni, but quite remote. KCL has a better international reputation and is based in London.

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