Opinions on St Andrews?

Hi,
I've received an offer from St Andrews and went a couple years ago to look round the uni. I love the feel of it and my parents went to uni there so it would feel so special if I went. However I'm worried that it is so small- is it quite suffocating being there for 4 years? I would be moving from London so it would be quite a change in terms of size. I would love some insight into student life, accommodation (what if I end up in Dundee accomm first year??) etc. Would you recommend St Andrews? Thanks :smile:

Reply 1

S1098

7

Original post by ketchupavalanche

Hi,
I've received an offer from St Andrews and went a couple years ago to look round the uni. I love the feel of it and my parents went to uni there so it would feel so special if I went. However I'm worried that it is so small- is it quite suffocating being there for 4 years? I would be moving from London so it would be quite a change in terms of size. I would love some insight into student life, accommodation (what if I end up in Dundee accomm first year??) etc. Would you recommend St Andrews? Thanks :smile:

It's quite a personal thing about whether you'll like it or not. Yes it is small but there is lots going on with societies etc (my daughter is in second year). You wont be put in Dundee in first year. They have used halls in Dundee in the past but mostly for post grads or those in later years.

Reply 2

A Rolling Stone

20

Original post by ketchupavalanche

Hi,
I've received an offer from St Andrews and went a couple years ago to look round the uni. I love the feel of it and my parents went to uni there so it would feel so special if I went. However I'm worried that it is so small- is it quite suffocating being there for 4 years? I would be moving from London so it would be quite a change in terms of size. I would love some insight into student life, accommodation (what if I end up in Dundee accomm first year??) etc. Would you recommend St Andrews? Thanks :smile:

St Andrews grad, also from London here. one of the things i've found in life is literally everything has pros and cons. even the one thing i thought couldn't possibly have any pros, COVID-19, has given me a lifetime of WFH/hybrid working. without it i'd be waking up at 7am every morning to trudge into the office.

it is true the town gets a bit suffocating but you mainly feel it only by the time of your last year. everything else about the uni is amazing. and you wouldn't feel isolated in a student-dominated town as you would in a London uni that is not a 'student city'

(edited 3 months ago)

Reply 3

Cicero4325

7

We attended the open day this year and the Student Accommodation team said they guarantee new undergraduates a place in halls in St Andrews town for their first year.

Reply 4

ketchupavalanche

OP

9

Original post by A Rolling Stone

St Andrews grad, also from London here. one of the things i've found in life is literally everything has pros and cons. even the one thing i thought couldn't possibly have any pros, COVID-19, has given me a lifetime of WFH/hybrid working. without it i'd be waking up at 7am every morning to trudge into the office.

it is true the town gets a bit suffocating but you mainly feel it only by the time of your last year. everything else about the uni is amazing. and you wouldn't feel isolated in a student-dominated town as you would in a London uni that is not a 'student city'

Thanks for your opinions!
Just wondering, what is the demographic like there? I've heard it's quite concentrated with American students or private school kids too.
Are these just complete stereotypes or somewhat accurate?
No worries if this is the case because the number of international students at st andrews is very exciting but I just wonder what to expect!
Thanks

Reply 5

Cicero4325

7

Original post by ketchupavalanche

Thanks for your opinions!
Just wondering, what is the demographic like there? I've heard it's quite concentrated with American students or private school kids too.
Are these just complete stereotypes or somewhat accurate?
No worries if this is the case because the number of international students at st andrews is very exciting but I just wonder what to expect!
Thanks

If you google ‘St Andrews what do they know’ it should take you to the website where you can access the Freedom of Information requests for the Uni. Many responses give a breakdown of the demographics of the student body. There are lots of American students, lots of International students full stop, approaching 50%. But I quite like the mix and think it adds to the whole experience.

Reply 6

S1098

7

Original post by ketchupavalanche

Thanks for your opinions!
Just wondering, what is the demographic like there? I've heard it's quite concentrated with American students or private school kids too.
Are these just complete stereotypes or somewhat accurate?
No worries if this is the case because the number of international students at st andrews is very exciting but I just wonder what to expect!
Thanks

The prospectus gives a breakdown of where undergrads come from. 60% are from the UK, 20% from US and 20% from rest of the world.

https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/study/prospectus/ug-prospectus/

Looking online I can see a figure of 37% for the number of privately educated students in 2022. So on the high side. But lots of state school folk too.

(edited 3 months ago)

Reply 7

A Rolling Stone

20

Original post by ketchupavalanche

Thanks for your opinions!
Just wondering, what is the demographic like there? I've heard it's quite concentrated with American students or private school kids too.
Are these just complete stereotypes or somewhat accurate?
No worries if this is the case because the number of international students at st andrews is very exciting but I just wonder what to expect!
Thanks

depends on degree and hall...

if you study Art History and live in Sallies that stereotype will be correct, if you do Physics and live in Andrew Melville it will be mostly Northerners, Scots and North Irish people.

also it will surprise you that privately educated people are in fact nice on the whole, the stereotypical stuck up ones you are thinking of are merely a contingent of the uni like having 'the jocks'

Opinions on St Andrews?

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