I think they like to see volunteering and work experience, especially if it's relevant to what you want to study - they like to see in your personal statement that you are dedicated to your subject.
The nearest cities are Dundee and Edinburgh, Dundee is a lot closer but also smaller and not as nice. St Andrews doesn't have it's own train station (they closed in in the 1960s - stupid, right?), so you have to get the train to/from Leuchars which is about 15 minutes away by bus, the bus service here is pretty good, there's a big bus station in the middle of town and regular buses to and from Leuchars. Dundee takes about 20 minutes to half an hour on the train, Edinburgh 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 40. If you're interesting in ice skating (as i assume from your username
), Dundee is where the nearest rink is and the ice skating club do regular trips there.
Sorry, I don't really know anything about the earth sciences department (other than a girl in halls in first year moaning about the maths content of her geology module!).
If you're thinking of coming here you should definitely come to one of the open days, it really helps you decide whether you like it or not, and you don't want to be stuck all the way over the pond if you end up not being that keen on the place you'll have to study at for 4 years.
Unfortunately, it's really quite expensive to live here (partly because it attracts wealthy tourists), the Tesco (supermarket) here is apparently the most expensive in the UK.
Honestly, rent is horrific most places as the town is overcrowded with students and tourists and there's not all that much accommodation available; there's a bit of a housing crisis really. For first year you're guaranteed a place in halls, some of which is very expensive (catered single ensuite is around £7500 a year I think, and shared standard catered around £6000), although you can request one of the cheaper halls (Albany Park or Andrew Melville, around £3000 and £5000).
In terms of renting privately, prices vary a lot and are most expensive nearer the centre of town, I'm paying £500 a month (not including utilities) for a room in a shared flat a bit outside the town centre (10 to 15 min walk from town centre or my uni buildings). Prices can be as low as £350 if you don't mind being further out; town centre can be £650 or more a month.