St Andrews University: A Warning

Excellent post OP. St Andrews is such an overrated university. It isn't anything special academically, no better than twenty or so others, and clearly inferior to Oxbridge, and yet the actual student experience sucks.

The weather is dismal, there is absolutely nothing to do as you say. and those who sing its praises are either practising cognitive dissonance, or they don't know what they are missing.

OR they aren't being as honest as you are.

Well done for keeping it real.

To you and to the people who say there is nothing to do.
That's utter bull****.
There's PLENTY to do if you get up off your ass and do something. There are parties on all the time if you don't want to go to 1 of the MANYMANYMANY pubs. Then ofcourse there is the union, lizard, etcetc. If you know people, then there is always something to do. If you don't know people, then you should've made an effort to make friends.

& to the people who come from a lower class backround and who are worried. Don't be. About 95% of the people I've came across are just normal-not-up-their-own-arse kind of people.

I hate this board. It keeps getting regurgitated like last nights bad eggs and the point remains the same. Not everyone is happy all of the time. Live with it.

If you're disappointed with your university, way to go you - you've just had your first experience of many of life's disappointments.

Do i like the university? I love it and I wouldn't choose any other.

Are there some things I'd like to change? Of course there are, nothing's perfect.

Am i going to get all pissy when something isn't how i like it? No, now bugger off and get some studying done.

Is the proportion of 'rahs' to common folk really that bad? I'm just an ordinary Kent girl and don't mind hanging out with posh people unless we would literally have nothing to say to each other A few people have mentioned about cliques too, and rude locals: what's your take on this?

I am glad for this thread, it's useful to cover all the bases. I am doubting whether I should have applied for StAs but then again I actually feel the same way for all my choices (it all just seems so 'final'!!) But based on all I've heard so far, I think I'd really like it, and the course flexibility is my idea of perfect.... Only con is that it is so very far away, and since I haven't yet visited, the full impact of that hasn't quite sunk in yet. Really really hope they give me an offer so I can have the luxury of making that decision

I'm still enjoying Uni atm, and love the geographical diversity, although don't let their boasts in the prospectus of general diversity fool you, this place is very much elitist, That's every different however from having people wandering round spitting at poor people if you understand me?

I've spoken to so many people who act elitist because they went to a state school in a bad area and their parents didn't have much money. I've never heard anyone showing off about how rich they are and how their daddy used to fly them over from the US to play golf every weekend.

I hate this board. It keeps getting regurgitated like last nights bad eggs and the point remains the same. Not everyone is happy all of the time. Live with it.

If you're disappointed with your university, way to go you - you've just had your first experience of many of life's disappointments.

Do i like the university? I love it and I wouldn't choose any other.

Are there some things I'd like to change? Of course there are, nothing's perfect.

Am i going to get all pissy when something isn't how i like it? No, now bugger off and get some studying done.

O.K, I'm writing this because I wished someone had done the same for me when I was applying to University, and been honest about what its REALLY like at St Andrews. I am a Second year student at the University, and wanted to make a formal warning to people wanting to apply to this University, because I don't want others to be duped the way that I was and then arrive here and realise what a colossal mistake they have made.

O.K, academically, the university has a very strong reputation which in my opinion, isn't entirely justified; having been to a private school since the age of 12, I have actually been relatively unimpressed by some of the teaching standards here at St Andrews especially in the first two years which do not actually count towards the rest of the degree. So essentially, two out of the four years you'll spend here, unless you are actually studing medicine are a complete waste and count for nothing, and some of the tutors in the Arts honours degree are simply postgraduate students whose tutorial sessions are completely redundant and useless and essentially function as a means of checking that you've simply read the pointless articles and snippets set. The point is that St Andrews has a strong reputation primarily because it is an OLD university- the oldest in Scotland in fact, which is why its regarded so highly- so don't be fooled as I was into believe that it is truly anything special.

Now, to the most significant part of my article- the place itself is hopeless. Its like a tiny, picturesque little prison with no clubs, and a very limited amount of shops and NO SHOPPING CENTRE whatsoever. People really skim over that fact when talking about this place as if it doesn’t matter, but its important because it becomes maddening- even for people who claim to adore the place, the fact that the highstreet has basically very few shops is a drag, as is the standard and quality of the so-called 'nightlife'. As I stated there are NO CLUBS just tiny crowded pubs with embarrassingly little space that attempt to mould themselves into clubs, but have 'dancefloors' the size of a small bedroom and play awful music. Students BEHAVE as though they are enjoying themselves thoroughly, getting dressed up to stand around in grotty pubs and drink, but they’re either very sad or pretending, honestly, because there's never any space and ALL VENUES SHUT AT ONE O CLOCk in the morning. I'm not kidding. So people leave their little dorms at 11 to come back two hours later drunk and say they've had a great night. It’s very, very sad. If leaving the Union at 1 in the morning after spending your time in there listening to the same terrible music in a tiny box of a room sounds fun then perhaps not, but people behave as if they're SO excited for absolutely no reason at all because there is nothing to get excited about. I love going out, but going out here is not what i call going out because all you're doing is going to one of the pubs next to Tesco to the Union which are all five minutes away from each other because the place is so ridiculously, pathetically small.
It is a beautiful place if you like castles and rabbits, and there is a gorgeous beahc although its only really ‘usable’ for one moth over the two Semesters and the fact that it is as small as it is ruins things, because instead of being able as you should in a city or a larger town, to escape to the centre for an afternoon just to relax or go somewhere a little different with friends- here there is no 'centre' to escape to, and So little to do its incredibly claustrophobic.

The centre of town consists of three streets with tiny little shops and a few banks, like the bare minimum you would expect from an underdeveloped borough in London. There’s Dundee to go to which is 25 minutes away on a bus, but that in itself is actually a very dismal place with a few half decent shops although it does have a few clubs, which are the only saving grace of the place- I’ve been a few times and the clubs are actually good there which is a plus, but the cab fare to get there and back is 60 pounds- you know why? Because of the terrible transport system which means that there are no such thing as night buses here and so you HAVE to take a cab if going out to Dundee later than midnight- it’s things like that which bother me, because even ATTEMPTING to have fun is hard work here.

Its also very difficult to find decent work here because of the lack of opportunities because of the lack of shops, and the \university’s Career Centre is completely hopeless, and basically has no reason for existing, because all the vacancy details could just be sent by e-mail to students, but they refuse to do that and instaead obligate you to go there in person and look up a vacancy located in a single file, which yu then have to que for half and hour to get access to. I am NOT joking.
Most significantly, I have spoken to three people from London, two of whom are my friends and one who has now left because he hated the place so much, and they all say the same thing about it. I had to write this because since I came I have contemplated leaving several times, so if you’re from a decent, fun city, be prepared for the hugest disappointment of your life.

This is an excellent place for social climbers who live in Wellingtons and wear Ray Bans and tweed in December and actually consider drunkenly stumbling around in someone’s lounge or the crowded rooms in the Union until only 1 in the morning to be a fun night out. My experience here has illustrated the extent of people's capacity for self deception and delusion because sincerely, the place is pathetic. One of the most boring places I have ever lived, and a regretful and frustrating experience. If you want a real taste of University life, do not come to St Andrews- almost everyone I’ve spoken to since coming here has expressed that they dislike the place for the very same reasons I have stated here. Obviously, as I expect, people will disagree with me, but this needs to be said, because I have seen hints of others stating negative things about the place but no-one so far I have read has really given the place the dressing down it deserves.

Seriously, if you didn't visit before coming here for uni, that's your own fault, not St Andrews'.

As for the first two years being a complete waste, I'd like to see how well you'd do taking Honours modules straight off at the age of 18.

You sound like St Andrews promised you a massive shopping centre and millions of clubs and a huge city, and now that it's not what you expected, you feel totally let down. The Union is open til 2am Thursday-Saturday, Lizard is open (I think) til 2am Thursday/Friday, Fat Sams in Dundee runs a bus there most Friday/Saturday nights... basically everyone (at least the people I know) who came here knew beforehand that's it's a small town with no 'clubs' per se, but still a good nightlife.
And anyone who isn't in a 'really cool awesome club' til at least 3 or 4 in the morning, isn't REALLY having fun? Suuuuuure.
If you thought you were going to be sunbathing on a beach in Scotland.. then I would say it is you who is delusional! We still go on beach-walks now.. have been doing since September, so that would be 5 months usage...

My point of view is that if you find something boring, it's probably because you're not making the most of it. We have never had problems finding something to do on the weekends/evenings: whether it be pub crawl, movie marathons in the tv rooms, drinking games/pool in the common room, bop, etc etc.. And I haven't even been to the castle/museum/aquarium/cathedral yet!

What I love most about your post is that bascially because you didn't do your research properly, you're slagging off a really good town and university because they didn't live up to your ridiculous expectations.

Its proximity to Dundee and Edinburgh are its only saving grace, and transport links with either are pretty poor.

Sharkky You WILL mind it, trust me- the teaching is O.K, but they base tons of it on lecture slideshows which you have to print out and basically learn word for word in order to pass ( this is coming from my Medic friends)...also they hav very long class hours and seminars, so a lot of time in-class but i thinmk thats standard for most Medical students if thats a style of teaching you're comfortable with, you'll be fine.....but like I said, other aspects of the place matter as well. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I went to university in London, and ironically, had a lot of the same problems as you:

You get bad lecturers and tutors at every university. Even Oxbridge. Its because theyre primarily researchers not trained teachers like at school.

It takes far longer than 25 minutes to get anywhere in London and the taxis are more expensive. We generally had to travel for an hour on the tube to get to our favourite clubs

I often felt bitter that I wasnt getting the real university experience aswell. I wanted to live in a small campus town where there were lots of students all living close to each other and where there was a sense of community.

Castles, rabbits, house parties and beach parties sounds like heaven to me. Which just goes to prove what everyone has been saying - each to their own and go to the bloody open day before you agree to spend 3 years of your life living somewhere!

I disagree. Buses to Dundee are regular and convenient. Trains and buses to Edinburgh are the same.

I have commuted to Edinburgh at least once/twice a week from St Andrews and never had any problems

There is no train station in St Andrews - that's not remotely convenient. Realistically, having some buses and a railway line three villages over isn't really going to strike anyone as particularly effective.

As it happens, I've used the St A's-Dundee bus before despite my utter distaste for buses - took at least 45 minutes, when you can drive it in 20.

The Dundee bus takes ~20 minutes (I have got it many times), not 45 minutes. The train station is less than 10 minutes away by bus, and from most of the student halls you can walk to a bus stop in 5 minutes tops. In lots of other towns or cities you'd have to walk for longer than that to get to the train station, or get a bus anyway. It's not so bad, really.


There are lots of easy ways to attack St Andrews, but poor transport links to Dundee and the train station in Leuchars are not accurate criticisms of the town.

There is no train station in St Andrews - that's not remotely convenient. Realistically, having some buses and a railway line three villages over isn't really going to strike anyone as particularly effective.

As it happens, I've used the St A's-Dundee bus before despite my utter distaste for buses - took at least 45 minutes, when you can drive it in 20.

The Dundee bus takes ~20 minutes (I have got it many times), not 45 minutes. The train station is less than 10 minutes away by bus, and from most of the student halls you can walk to a bus stop in 5 minutes tops. In lots of other towns or cities you'd have to walk for longer than that to get to the train station, or get a bus anyway. It's not so bad, really.


There are lots of easy ways to attack St Andrews, but poor transport links to Dundee and the train station in Leuchars are not accurate criticisms of the town.