The Student Room Group

St Andrews Culture – Any Issues with Class or Diversity?

I’m not here to attack the uni—I just want a more honest insight before making a decision.

So I applied to St Andrews got an offer and the main thing I was worried about was being clearly one of the very few black people in the whole community. But then I realised that there was an even more outstanding problem - classism.

I recently spoke with a black person who goes to St Andrews and she said that yes racism is a problem at St Andrews against black people and other POC. But there is also internalised racism/ classism between people of the same race. This is when, for example, privileged black people do not want to associate themselves with other black people because they don’t come from well-off backgrounds.

Another thing she told me was that sometimes people there can tell if you are poor and can be called the term “povo”. She found it shocking as she was called posh where she’s from but now she had been labelled with a derogatory term.

One girl left the university because of a really horrible vile racist gift she got from a friendship group so bad that even I as an introvert would not tolerate. The girl I spoke to also had been called the typical slur (I don’t need to say the word).

Is arrogance just common in the students of St Andrews?

What’s the actual support like—for Black students, or anyone from working-class backgrounds?

Please be honest. I don’t want to go in blind and regret it, but I also don’t want to write off a potentially great experience based on fear.
(edited 9 months ago)

Reply 1

Original post
by Bubble pop
I’m not here to attack the uni—I just want a more honest insight before making a decision.
So I applied to St Andrews got an offer and the main thing I was worried about was being clearly one of the very few black people in the whole community. But then I realised that there was an even more outstanding problem - classism.
I recently spoke with a black person who goes to St Andrews and she said that yes racism is a problem at St Andrews against black people and other POC. But there is also internalised racism/ classism between people of the same race. This is when, for example, privileged black people do not want to associate themselves with other black people because they don’t come from well-off backgrounds.
Another thing she told me was that sometimes people there can tell if you are poor and can be called the term “povo”. She found it shocking as she was called posh where she’s from but now she had been labelled with a derogatory term.
One girl left the university because of a really horrible vile racist gift she got from a friendship group so bad that even I as an introvert would not tolerate. The girl I spoke to also had been called the typical slur (I don’t need to say the word).
Is arrogance just common in the students of St Andrews?
What’s the actual support like—for Black students, or anyone from working-class backgrounds?
Please be honest. I don’t want to go in blind and regret it, but I also don’t want to write off a potentially great experience based on fear.

I don't think it would be as bad or toxic as alleged by one student.

Reply 2

St Andrews is a bit embarrassed about all of this stuff. They know they are essentially a white-middle-class Uni that attracts vast numbers on posh southerners etc from private schools etc. There was also a recent incident where a student brought a case against an academic for racism - how many other situations were/are there like this that don't touch the headlines, who knows. This is why St Andrews shoves all this 'we are lovely really' stuff on their website - Race, ethnicity, culture, and discrimination | Current Students | University of St Andrews.

Yes, you will find that most folk are lovely, and you will certainly not be the only non-white person there. There are always going to be t*ssers at any Uni who think they are so amazing / arrogant (and thick) that they can have a pop, subtle or otherwise, at other people for whatever concocted reason about 'difference'. Challenge it - call it out if you encounter it or if you spot it happening to others, but don't let 'perception' be a reason not to go to St Andrews - that in itself is just another form of prejudice.

Reply 3

Okay thank you. This is very much appreciated.

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