University of St Andrews! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I took classes at the 3rd year level though I was only a sophomore at the time. The history seminars I took were excellent; the professors were knowledgeable, helpful, and thorough, but also tough graders. If you want to do very well in these classes, it takes a lot of effort, especially since the final exam is worth 60% of the total grade.

On-site administration of your program

The University of St Andrews has a significant contingent of study-abroad students within their student population. The offices for study-abroad administration are friendly and helpful. Abroad students also undergo a basic orientation program to acclimate them to the general structure of the university.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My housing was outstanding. I lived in the oldest dorm building on campus, University Hall. It held several hundred people and was a pretty close community of students. I lived in a single dorm room that was easily as large or larger than double rooms at W&M. It was also well furnished. There were also plenty of common spaces as well as kitchens on every floor.

I thought the food was generally better than what is served at W&M. My dining hall was located in my residence hall, as is common at St Andrews. It served average English and Scottish fare. Unlike W&M, it is not served in a buffet-style system; everyone gets one portion of the option they choose (usually 3 options for a main dish; two meat and one vegetarian). If you want seconds, you must wait a period of time before the staff will let you have more food. The dining hall is also not open for long hours. Meals are served at 1-hour periods, 3 times a day. As a result, your daily schedule usually revolves around dining hall hours.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

St Andrews is a tourist town as much as it is a college town. Both the college and town have very large American student populations and American tourist/visitor populations, so going to St Andrews from the states is pretty easy. The Scottish students and town residents are generally friendly and easy to get along with. Because of all the English and Americans around, I wouldn't say St Andrews is a mecca of Scottish culture, but it is certainly easy to get used to.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

All students are assigned to a general practice clinic in case of any non-emergency medical issues and registered with the NHS, the National Health Service, which operates a small hospital just outside of town. I never needed to call on any of these services.

I generally felt very safe in St Andrews, even coming from Williamsburg, which has a reputation for safety. In my time at St Andrews I never heard of an incident that questioned this assumption.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

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• Dorm

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Friendly Scottish students
• Good classes
• Easy to have fun and travel

• W&M could to more to prepare abroad students