St Andrews University: A Warning

After reading the OP, I had visions of St Andrews as a tiny village with nothing but a local grocer and a post office in danger of closing.

After reading your post, it's got more than where I live. Which is supposed to be a large town but we don't even have a bookshop. So I definitely won't be striking St Andrews off my 'maybe I'll apply there' list yet!

When did you visit all of Fife?

It is a nightmare for young people.

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 in your isolated and quite lonely experience 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 your opinion is very unimportant - that of the RAE is much more so, nd it supports the idea that the university is very strong academically; having been to a private school since the age of 12, I have actually been relatively unimpressed by some of the teaching standards here you're entitled to your opinion, but if you loo at both the formal teaching assesments and the student satisfaction ratings you are in the minority 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 or very beneficial - you get to broaden your degree and add value to your education 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. Again that is not true, it has an outstanding reputation because of its peer assesed academic standing - that is the fact, it is nothing to do with age lol

Now, to the most significant part of my article- the place itself is hopeless. the majority of students would disagree with this - again look at the student satisfaction ratings Its like a tiny, picturesque little prison with no clubs, and a very limited amount of shops and NO SHOPPING CENTRE who cares?? it has shed loads of character which provide for a unique student experience 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'. you obviously don't know the right people/places to go - sure if you're a crazy party monkey who can't live witout ravves it's not much good (although from this I've gotta say you dont sound like one) 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, no - they genuinly are having a great time... again look at the student satisfaction! 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.

you're feeling isolated and dejected in a place with the best student satisfaction ratings year on year in Britain.. that's a shame, I feel for you but the statistics show you are an isolated case..

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.

Go piss off to a english uni then

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.
Did you not bother checking this out before you went to the uni? This is nobodys fault and you should have checked this out before hand or went to a city uni
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.

gosh you sound stuck up. and a bit stpid did you not check this out previous to going to the uni
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.

.

I donlt care whther I'm in the 'minority' or not- this is my experience as a student, and I'm telling it like it is from MY perspective- none of the meaningless nonsense that you get from student satisfaction surveys, no bullsh** this is what I've witnessed and experienced- if your experience has been different from mine then fine, good for you but don't attempt to negate what I've said. I've written this to provide some balance, because everything else I've read IN MY OPINION doesn't actually give a clear picture of what this place is truly like and makes cloyingly silly onservations about how fantastic the coffee shops are as if that like an outstanding feature and nonsense like that. I'm just keeping it real, here.

I'm a current 2nd year at St Andrews and I'm really, really enjoying it.

Some of your points are ridiculous, but at least answer me this;

When you applied to, and accepted your place at, St Andrews university, did you really believe there would be many clubs or a large "shopping centre"?
St Andrews main appeal apart from its excellent academic reputation is the fact that it is a small, quiet, safe town. It is for exactly those reasons that I turned down universities like Imperial and Kings to come here.

It certainly doesn't sound like you're having a good time, and I am sorry for that - but were you expecting the town to be different to how it is? Did you not visit? Did you not look in a prospectus? Did you even go on the wikipedia? I can't believe someone could be as shocked as you apparently are.

edit: Some posts which stood out...


People generally don't think that, but the university performed exceptionally well in both the dreaded "league tables" and in other quality-measures (such as the RAE) this year. I do believe it is not only the best university in Scotland, but one of the top 5 in the UK.

I have visited every significant town there throughout the general course of my life rather than on any specific occasion.

Have you been to Kirkcaldy?

Have you been to Kirkcaldy?

Yep.

Come on man, we're not playing twenty questions. He says he's been to every significant town - Kirkcaldy certainly falls in this category. If you think he's lying, then who cares, this is only the internet anyway.

We should really stick to talking about the OPs thoughts on StAs in this thread.

And there I was thinking Kirkcaldy was a town next to St Andrews that may be of interest...but silly me.