University of St Andrews

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St Andrews - Ask A Current Student Thread

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Reply 6780

hayheyley

Original post by platty1907

Do you have to empty your room at Christmas and Easter when staying in university accommodation?

Original post by Helsy

It really depends on which accommodation you're in. And from next year, there is a new academic year arrangement, which means that you don't need to be in St Andrews for most of January.
But generally, most of the self-catered accommodation includes Christmas and Easter, and the catered often doesn't include Christmas.

But here's a link to the residences guide on the website. On most descriptions it tells you about the breaks.

Just to add to what Helsy rightly said, even though you can't stay in certain accommodation over Christmas you don't have to empty your room, which is rather useful :biggrin:

And international students who aren't going home over Christmas can move into different halls over the break. But, again, the system may be different next year due to the longer Christmas break.

University of St Andrews

Reply 6781

cbredear

Original post by hayheyley

But, again, the system may be different next year due to the longer Christmas break.

Just looked at academic calendar 2011-12 versus 2012-13 and can see the difference re when exams are (and the revised end of the school year too). Just curious for a reaction from current students -- good or bad changes?

Reply 6782

platty1907

Original post by hayheyley

Just to add to what Helsy rightly said, even though you can't stay in certain accommodation over Christmas you don't have to empty your room, which is rather useful :biggrin:

And international students who aren't going home over Christmas can move into different halls over the break. But, again, the system may be different next year due to the longer Christmas break.

Ahh okay thanks. That's what I was unsure about. I'll definitely going home at Christmas, but probably on the train seeing as it's a 5/6 hour drive, so it would be a nightmare if I had to empty my room too :tongue:

Reply 6783

Ecosse_14

Original post by cbredear

I'd say good changes. At the moment, we have classes up until our Christmas holiday then we all go back in January to do exams then have 2 weeks off again. With the new semester structure, we'll be doing exams before Christmas so 1) we won't have to stress over exams over the festive period and 2) we won't have to travel so much (for those that want to go home) during December and January. The only downside from the semester reform is we don't get a Reading Week in semester 1 and just have 11 weeks straight of classes. Semester 2 will be quite similar to how it's structured already :yep:

Reply 6784

XYZ

I suppose it has been mentioned before, but I'd like to know the fastest as well as the cheapest ways to get to Edinburgh airport, if you confirm that it's the best option to fly to the continent.
Thank you very much.

Reply 6785

Oxy

Original post by XYZ

Cheapest way is to share a taxi from Edinburgh Airport. The next best way is to use the buses. There is a bus that takes you from the airport to a place called Ferrytoll (the bus stop just over the big suspension bridge that you go over), there you change and get the X59 to St. Andrews. It takes about an hour and half total to get from airport to St. Andrews (not including waiting for the bus). It is also one of the best airports to get to Europe, lots of cheap carriers.

Reply 6786

wino

What a girls like in St. Andrews?
I got an offer for 35 points yesterday to study Russian/Econ

Reply 6787

Ecosse_14

Original post by wino

What a girls like in St. Andrews?
I got an offer for 35 points yesterday to study Russian/Econ

They're like girls :yes:

Reply 6788

a big fridge

Original post by madelinehaze

hi, I'm an American and I've recently been accepted to read English. I have a few brief questions, and it would be great if someone could answer! Thanks :smile:

1) Do people generally like the English program?
2) What's the general student attitude regarding work/learning? I'm on the academic side, so would I fit in?
3) I don't really drink (I don't have a problem with it, I just typically prefer not to). Are there things to do at St Andrews for non-drinkers that aren't completely dull?

Thanks!

Seeing as no-one answered this, I'd like to know something similar. I'm English instead, but my question's more about points 2 and 3!

Cheers in advance

Reply 6789

EmeraldBoa

Does anyone know if the university computers allow headphones? I remember people using them somewhere, but when I plug in the jack nothing happens (though the soundbar is active).

Reply 6790

EmeraldBoa

Original post by a big fridge

Seeing as no-one answered this, I'd like to know something similar. I'm English instead, but my question's more about points 2 and 3!

Cheers in advance

A lot of people take their work pretty seriously and the library's always busy -- so that's a yes for the academic side. I know there's also people who just want to pass and spend most of their time partying :confused:

but that happens everywhere.

As for 3) you will never have enough free time. There's enough student societies to drown in; there's comedy nights, film viewings and music for all tastes; there's dancing and bops (I lived on a street near the Union last year and damn it's loud.) There is, I kid you not, a Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Appreciation Society. I'm a teetotaller and I know more than a few others: yes, it is possible to have fun without chemical aid. Unless you're in the Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Appreciation Society, mwahaha.

Reply 6791

ech602

What about the internet ? Did Scotland sign ACTA/SOPA ? I'm pretty curious wether I should be more careful with my personal data..

Reply 6792

Nat400

We don't know much about ACTA yet, but once we do it's something the whole of Europe will need to stop.

SOPA was only in America.

Neither relates to personal data they're about piracy.

Reply 6793

paperstars123

Hello, I'm just wondering how do most students travel from one place to another within St Andrews - are there many students who walk instead of cycling around? :smile:

Reply 6794

Ecosse_14

Original post by paperstars123

Hello, I'm just wondering how do most students travel from one place to another within St Andrews - are there many students who walk instead of cycling around? :smile:

Most students walk.

Reply 6795

007dunlop

Hey everyone. I'm just wondering, for the extra subjects you take in year 1 & 2, do you get any sort of certification for them? (to maybe prove to employers you've studied those subjects)
Thanks

Reply 6796

Helsy

Original post by 007dunlop

Hey everyone. I'm just wondering, for the extra subjects you take in year 1 & 2, do you get any sort of certification for them? (to maybe prove to employers you've studied those subjects)
Thanks

I think they sit on your university transcript, which if your employer wants proof will be enough. But there is no specific certificate (though the others can correct me).
The transcript will show which modules you did (and subject) and what your grade was and the credits earned.

Reply 6797

facepalm

Heya, just got an offer from St Andrews to read History, was just wondering, and I know this seems like a weird question, but what is the drug scene like at St Andrews? Because I know its not really a clubbing place and thus you might think that a drug scene might be pretty non-existent, but a mate of mine told me recently that its fairly druggy.

Also, what do you do in St Andrews ehn you just feel like a big night out, are there lots of house parties? And how often do people head off to Dundee/Edinburgh for clubbing and stuff.

I'm sweating over whether to go for Bristol or St Ands because whilst I loved StAs when I visited it and its a better and prettier university I have this niggling doubt at the back of my mind over wether I want to spend what are supposed to be the wildest and craziest years of your life in a small town without a single nightclub.

Thanks alot for any responses

Reply 6798

facepalm

Original post by Starkadder

There are a variety of nuanced reasons behind this, but essentially on a global level it comes down to funding. St. Andrews is currently trying to raise its endowment to £100 million, Princeton has an endowment of 17.1 billion! Even a University like Emory, which St. Andrews is certainly comparable with has an endowment of £5.3bn, in this sense St. Andrews (& British institutions as a whole) tend to punch well above their weight in global rankings / prestige.

Whilst true, that's slightly misleading as UK universities such as St Andrews rely mostly on Govt funding, so the size of their endowment doesnt matter so much. For examble oxford has an endowment of $5 billion, which, whilst big, ranks nowhere near that of Stanford, MIT, Princeton etc - universities they would be considered on a par with if not better than.

Reply 6799

Starkadder

Original post by facepalm

British Universities do rely on Government funding yes, but perhaps not to the extent you think. I seem to recall being told at a conference once that only around 1/3 of St. Andrews funding comes from the public sector. South of the border I assume that figure may even be less at the top institutions (especially given the slashed teaching budget).

So yes, endowment is not the only part of the story, but even factoring in gov. funding, it remains a large part of it...