St Andrews

(Original post by Anonymous)I don't go there but I went on the open day and found it a bit sad. I guess it depends on the person! I was going to apply there because the course structure and flexibility is just what I wanted but I don't think I could bring myself to live there sadly

You made the right decision I reckon. I am seriously considering dropping out.

Anyone else who goes to St Andrews – is it just me or is it a terribly hard place to be happy in? I have found it impossible to make friends, and I am honestly terrified of returning. It feels neverending.

St Andrews... #1 uni for student satisfaction, traditions like academic families and raisin, a compact student-dominated town, beaches and coast, cobble stones, medieval ruins, lots of shops and restaurants, A list celebs for the golf, near to Edinburgh i could go on. no where is perfect and such a small town is not tolerable for more than 4 years. every uni will have its pros and cons

I’ve also found a lot of people feel isolated and ostracised. Those stats need to be taken with a HUGE helping of salt

i cannot fathom how anyone could feel ostracised there?! isolated is understandable... but i've made the point before that the opposite is to feel isolated as a student in a non-student city like London, so it balances out i think.

from my recollection everyone would have a moan about this or that during their time there (eg. about the place being small, no proper club etc.), but no one would swap it for another uni cos of the absolutely unique experience (except obvs the Americans who didn't get into Ivy league colleges lol)

Hiya,

I’m a returning student. Have you tried jointing any societies?

R

Honestly I haven’t because I’ve just been so depressed there, and once freshers was over both years I was too scared. I’ve got three years left and I’m not sure it’s worth taking the risk to be stuck there for that long

Have you been in contact with student services or the GP.

I know going to a new society can be daunting but they’re all friendly and accommodating. After the first time you go, that initial awkwardness will lessen

Are there any societies that you’re interested in?

They’re some, but I just don’t know if it’s worth returning and relying on them when it’s such a huge amount of time I have left to complete there. Also my experience has been so bad I would even call it traumatic, and it’s so risky to return when I might lapse back into how I was feeling at the start of last year without even planning to.

I haven’t been in touch with the GP, but I have contacted student services regarding a different matter and it didn’t feel personal enough to help me.

I have another course to go to if I leave but might lose out on it because of logistical problems. Honestly I think it’s worth risking not having any course at all over returning to St A, but I just don’t know.

i cannot fathom how anyone could feel ostracised there?! isolated is understandable... but i've made the point before that the opposite is to feel isolated as a student in a non-student city like London, so it balances out i think.

from my recollection everyone would have a moan about this or that during their time there (eg. about the place being small, no proper club etc.), but no one would swap it for another uni cos of the absolutely unique experience (except obvs the Americans who didn't get into Ivy league colleges lol)

The great thing about most of the societies is that there are no time requirements. I have a chronic health condition which can limit how much energy I can give and the societies I am part of have never grumbled when I haven’t turned up to things etc.

I haven’t had much experience with Student Services but from the little I have had I do understand your feelings towards them.

The GPs are a great place to receive help and honestly they are probably the best GP practice I have been to.

You have done so much to be on the course you are on right now. You deserve to give yourself every single opportunity to help yourself.

As of tomorrow a new academic year is starting at St A, this would be an excellent time to make a change

PMs are always open if you want a chat

I don't think the mental health service in St A is good, just because nhs fife is so underfunded and there is no actual help there and lists to therapy are over a year wait and the only think they might do is just give you an SSRI. I've done a previous degree elsewhere and the mental service was there to actually help, completely different experience in St A. If anything nowadays when things get bad I just wait for it to pass because there is no actual help in St A, and student services if you ask for help are just overbearing and treat it like a formality tick box exercise rather than actually trying to help. If someone has mental health problems, I don't recommend coming to St A because there is limited mental health infrastructure here and actually feel like my mental health suffered in this place.

I haven’t actually been seen by the MH service but other services. I know of others who have.

The part about student services and tick boxes I agree with, there doesn’t seem to be much proaction with them.

Unfortunately some peoples MH is so poor that those thoughts don’t pass. Surely interacting with those services is better than staying with those feelings?

Me being honest and interacting with uni services made my mental health worse because they tried to kick me off my course and infantalised me saying I'm not fit to do it when that was not true so nowadays I'll never admit if I'm not feeling great.

I meant interacting with GP etc instead of student services.

Fobbed off. And thought the gp was insensitive about my mental health issues and tried to blame me for feeling the way I do and for my struggles, as if I bought this upon myself. Anyway under local mental health team, and secondary care here is pretty poor compared to where I was at my previous uni.