Accomodation at St Andrews

hi!! i lived in DRA in first year. here’s some pros and cons:
pros:

cons:

in short it’s got its ups and downs but i did enjoy living there (mostly for the heating and bathroom en suite — it’s very hard to find either of those elsewhere, having lived in two other places after) and you’ll have a good time regardless!! also DRA is the BEST hall ball and u get really discounted tickets. feel free to pm me if u have questions <3

Thank you for sharing! Do they separate males and females, or are the apartments mixed? Can you request to be put in a female, alcohol free apartment (since I am Muslim)?

no worries!! my apartment was mixed guys and girls with alcohol, but i put in my accom application form that i was okay with that (they have a place where you can put requirements+preferences in, if they don't ask already). i'm not sure if they have female only apartments but they definitely have alcohol free ones, at least when i applied they did.

I see, do you think it is ok to send an email to them asking about this? The email is at the bottom of the page for the accomodation description of David Russel apartments.

definitely!! they would be very happy to help

Thank you! I feel more certain about going to st. andrews, now thanks to you!

out of curiosity, are you not allowed to share an apartment with men at all or is it just a preference (minus the alcohol ofc)

In my religion, living with men who aren’t family isn’t permissible for several reasons. Islam emphasises modesty, personal boundaries, and avoiding situations that could lead to unnecessary interactions or complications. Although for me, it is mostly about maintaining a private and comfortable space, I’d like the freedom to not always wear my hijab, dress how I want, and fully relax. Plus, I feel like the atmosphere in an all-female apartment would suit me better—easier to connect, fewer potential awkward situations (since males and females need to maintain a boundary if you are not related and I feel I would be being rude as If he tries to befriend me it would be more complicated than if we were not living and sharing facilities), and just overall more in line with what makes me feel at ease! I think perhaps other girls who are not religious might not want to share an apartment with another boy for similar resons. I am aware that some things are quite religious; this might seem a bit unusual from a non-Muslim perspective, but it’s just what makes the most sense for me. 😊 Do you think it is a good idea to see if other Muslim girls are looking for accommodation?

i'm not muslim so am not very informed on resources for muslim students at st a but i know STAMSA (st a muslim students' association) is very active (stamuslimsociety on instagram) and might be good to join once you're here so you can possibly find roommates for second year + beyond!