Self catered vs catered

I am in the process of deciding on accommodation at St Andrews so i am currently researching.

I have an offer (AAB) to study medicine starting this year and I could use any advice on accommodation and whether to opt for self catering or not?

Thank you (this is my first post) :confused:

Reply 1

vague

Personally, I love self-catering. I cook what I want, when I want, and don't have to get up at time x so as not to miss a meal for which I've already paid. I'm also quite picky, so there's never any problem with food I don't like. It can get slightly repetitive, but if you take the initiative and follow a recipe once in a while then it's great.

Then again, I quite enjoy cooking anyway. Some people hate it and would probably be better off in self-catering. One of my flatmates brings dozens of frozen curries back from home every few weeks and another seems to survive on ready-meals and pasta.

(I'm in DRA, which is dead nice---en suite and everything---but ridiculously expensive. Nice to be comfy in my first year, though; it'll be into the ghetto (Fife Park) with me in September.)

Reply 2

Sub-D

I'm going for catered in my first year since I think it could very well be a great way to meet new people. I'm also slightly lacking in the culinary skills area so I don't want to cook myself to death. I can bung a pizza in the oven and make cheese on toast though!

Why is Fife Park the ghetto??? XD

Reply 3

la_banane_verte

16

I was going to go catered, but thanks to a mix up I ended up in self-catered in DRA, and I would really recommmend it. It's not as difficult as you'd imagine, and it means you don't have to worry about missing out on meals if you don't get there for a specific time.

Don't worry about 'not meeting people' in self-catered either. You'll meet plenty of people, same as if you're in catered :biggrin:

Reply 4

Steeeeevo

15

DRA for me too, mainly because it is cheaper than catered (no brainer huh!) and I thought I could easily cater for myself for less than the difference as well as being able to eat when I want. In the end its down to personal preference -

Would you prefer the freedom of having exactly what you want exactly when you want it, but also having to buy your own food, do your own washing and not having the formal meal aspect of socialising OR

Would you prefer having your meals cooked for you, the washing up done for you and the extra social aspect of hall meals but having to put up with food you perhaps don’t like, food only available at set times of the day, a repeating menu (correct me if I’m wrong) and having to share communal kitchens (for weekends, holidays and for between meal AKA midnight snacks) with a large amount of people.

Its up to you really neither option is truly perfect, only a personal 24 hour chef would be and your not going to find that in a hall of residence, you just have to ask yourself which one could I put up with the most. Also if your going ensuite and self-catered (AKA DRA) there is also a bistro serving 6 days a week for when your feeling lazy, where you can also buy bulk meal tickets by the semester.

Also Sub-D (if no one has answered you by the time I post) fife park is, perhaps unfairly, called the ghetto because of its crappy looks and poor build quality, not because the people who live there are gangsters or murders or anything. :wink:

EDIT: oh yeah, fife park is close enough to take advantage of the DRA bistro too.

Reply 5

Dalimyr

17

Sub-D

Why is Fife Park the ghetto??? XD

Because it's a bitching place to be, obviously :rolleyes:

Nah, Steve's pretty much right. Fife Park isn't anywhere near as bad as people will make it out to be, but it's not aesthetically pleasing by any stretch of the imagination.

Reply 6

vague

The only thing I don't like the look of about FP is the thickness (or lack thereof) of the walls: a friend of mine is right next to the kitchen and complains about his rather rowdy flatmates. Other than that, I'm rather looking forward to the spare £2k next year!

I imagine it's great if you have nice housemates, which I will do.

Reply 7

Dalimyr

17

vague

I imagine it's great if you have nice housemates

Yup, definitely :smile:

a friend of mine is right next to the kitchen and complains about his rather rowdy flatmates

Mmm, avoid the room next to the kitchen at all costs (in MOST houses that's room 3, though in a couple it's room 1). Other than that, it shouldn't be too bad.
You also want to avoid house 13 like the plague - the unfortunate souls who get that house for the year will ALWAYS have a hard time cleaning the house to meet the standards expected during the monthly inspections. There's just something about that house :s:

Reply 8

Sub-D

I'm considering catered for my first year so I don't have too much on my back for the year then self catered there after. Wise choice? And is the food any good? (Always an important question)

Reply 9

Steeeeevo

15

Sub-D

I'm considering catered for my first year so I don't have too much on my back for the year then self catered there after. Wise choice? And is the food any good? (Always an important question)

well TBH from what I've heard to be catered in 2nd year + you have to be a big hall player due to lack of spaces for returning undergrads, so its going to be a lot easier doing it that way arround at least

Reply 10

minimai

What are the times for the meals in catered and how long do u have e.g. 8.45-9.45? Also what are the meals like? Are they 'healthy'? Is there a choice of meal everyday and if so how many choices? Is fife park quieter than the catered hall of residence?

Reply 11

mousy

14

Whats the other self-catering residence like? (Albany Park??)

Reply 12

Steeeeevo

15

I dont think anyone on here lives / lived in albany park (or at least they havent mentioned it) I imagine though that its probably pretty much the same as fife park apart from the rooms are a bit smaller (I think) but make up for it with a proper communal area (as well as the kitchen as in fife park) and great scenery (right next to east sands). Other than that I havent seen / heard of any major differences.

Okay thanks

Times for meals in uni hall are: Breakfast mon-sat 8-9am, sun-9-10am, yes it sucks having it that early on a sat! Lunch mon-fri 12.45-1.30(ish) sat-sun 12.15-1(ish) and dinner mon-fri 6-7(ish), no evening meal on sat or sun.

Reply 15

Lou_

15

fille française

Times for meals in uni hall are: Breakfast mon-sat 8-9am, sun-9-10am, yes it sucks having it that early on a sat! Lunch mon-fri 12.45-1.30(ish) sat-sun 12.15-1(ish) and dinner mon-fri 6-7(ish), no evening meal on sat or sun.

What's the food like?
Also I'm quite shy and I'm worried that for some meal times what if no one I know is there or is there always some there you know you can sit with?

Reply 16

_dream

I just joined the forums - visited the open day yesterday and loved it, definately going now! - Lou, I probably saw you somewhere! I've decided I want to go catered, because of the social side of things. The halls (if uni hall is anything to go by!) seem really nice. I was wondering the same thing though, about not knowing anyone when you first arrive!

Reply 17

khuelin

The social thing really depends on the halls - I know someone in McIntosh who says everyone's really cliquey, especially at meal times. I'm in John Burnet (Atholl) and the community spirit here is pretty great, so not knowing people or not having anyone to talk to is rarely a problem. The food's alright, there's normally about three main courses to choose from and some form of starter/dessert. It can get a bit repetitive having the same menu on repeat every fortnight but it's not that big a deal, you learn to love it :smile:

Reply 18

Shoshi

I thought i would go self catered, but on second look have decided to go catered, for the social side of things.

i found this webiste, all about st andrews and the uni, written by the students of st andrews. You lot may find it useful - i certainly did.

Reply 19

Dalimyr

17

Sorry, Shoshi, but although The Sinner is a good website filled with info about pretty much every aspect of student life in StA, it is a forum and as such can't be linked to from TSR as per the rules...people generally know what you're on about if you mention it by name, though :wink:

Self catered vs catered

Related discussions

Articles for you