St Andrews University - The Image of a Royal Burgh

The freezing cold wind of Scotland when coming out of the airport. That’s what reminds me most of St Andrews. The shell of a frosty world, where the town is made of stone and the colour palette is mainly of the dark grey of the buildings and the bright green of the grass. But the shell is not empty, and on the inside there is a strong fire burning.

Popularly known as “The Bubble”, St Andrews is a world in itself. A town older than 6000 years holds the third oldest university in the English speaking world. St Andrews Uni is going to turn 600 in 2013. Just under a third of the term time population has something to do with the university, so it’s no surprise that academic life is fully integrated into the surroundings. There is a scholarly building almost everywhere you go (not very far to go though, there are only 3 main streets).

I decided to come to St Andrews without knowing much about it, apart from the reputation it gained by being prince William’s choice. Despite the cold weather throughout the academic year, the town actually has a very pleasant summer and beginning of autumn. It was mid-September when I first arrived, and the first two weeks felt like living in paradise. The exquisite beauty and charm of the town are best admired in the sun.

St Andrews is considered to be the best university in Scotland and one of the best in Britain. Although styles differ from school to school, the faculties seem to have quite a relaxed view on studying. Getting good grades is the responsibility of the student and most are not keen to control anyone else’s life or involvement. That’s why there are maybe less contact hours than at other universities, home research being encouraged (and I now find this to have been one of the best lessons I learned). Usually, Scottish undergrad is 4 years, masters 1 and PhD 3. The one extra year for a Bachelor compared to England relies in the fact that in the first year you can try out some other subjects than the one you applied for, with the opportunity to switch to them later on.

Tradition is deeply rooted in the student life, with customs like the academic family for freshers, the Raisin Weekend foam fight, the cursed cobblestones or the annual 5 a.m. May Dip in the North Sea.

Being a small town, entertainment is a bit more limited, but with over 100 university societies and sport clubs to join, there are plenty of options for spending the free time. And if none of them are suiting the taste, anyone can easily create a new one. Unfortunately, there are no proper big clubs in town; just smaller venues with club nights, although St Andrews is also said to have the most pubs per square mile in Britain (might be just a coy to excite students?!). Nearby Dundee has a few good clubs and there was a designated clubbing service bus going from St Andrews and back once a week. Although most of the times, house parties or dinner parties might be just as good if not better. As in most of Britain, alcohol plays a big role in the social scene.

St Andrews is considered to be quite a posh university, but you will find it to be so international as well. It is a great place to meet such diverse people with such different experiences. You’ll always have someone to learn from and who can open new doors of the mind and soul for you. The drawback is that maybe contact and friendships are harder to keep during holidays or after university when people are so far away.

St Andrews is the “home of golf”, as it was here that the sport was invented in the 15th century. It’s the element that attracts so many tourists during the summer and the championships, but it’s such an invaluable advantage for students playing golf or wanting to learn. The courses are considered by many to be the best in the world, and the prices for students are dramatically reduced than for the general population, so now is the time to learn/play.

The town is more expensive than most other Scottish places, with accommodation in the centre being quite pricey (don’t think London standards though). The competition for flats being quite high, it is sometimes difficult to get the best deal there is. The advantage though of a Scottish university for EU students (excluding non-Scottish UK) is the free tuition.

All in all, St Andrews is not a university for everyone. Some might be put off by the small size (and it was feeling smaller and smaller in my head in my 4th year), but it is a chance to tightly connect with a place in a way that would be impossible in a large city. If I had to choose one image to represent the whole spirit of the town as I felt it, it would have to be the way from the cliffs in front of the Cathedral, to the East Sands where people are having bonfires, trying to get warmer by sitting closer or by sipping some more from their plastic cups or glass bottles.