St Andrews: How can I possibly sum it up? Past Review
By A student (English/Economics, Trinity University) - abroad from 09/03/2013 to 12/22/2013 with
University of St. Andrews: St. Andrews - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned that I want to continue to travel for as long as I can, and that I'd like to live abroad someday. I found that I fit in far better in Britain than I ever have in America; you wouldn't think that the culture is that different, but it truly is. It was an incredible experience.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Adjusting to taking only 2 classes (at the Honours level) in one semester was very strange. There's much less contact time, but I ended up appreciating it because it gave me more time to read and research. Class lectures/discussions were similar to my experiences in English courses at home, but papers were more difficult because of the variations in the system. You need to be prepared to do more reading and research than you are probably accustomed to. Also, the St Andrews library is great. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Fantastic. The IFSA Scotland staff are wonderful and so, so helpful. Orientation in Edinburgh is a good balance of educational and fun--they try not to overwhelm you with too much information at once. They're great about staying in contact with students, both via email and with various events (like dinners or study breaks) or office hours in St Andrews throughout the term. They also arrange a weekend trip for the whole group of IFSA Scotland students (Inverness at my time), as well as a homestay. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in catered standard accommodation (St Regulus Hall) and it was lovely. The hall committee and the Wardens are very welcoming and do their best to help all new students (freshmen or abroad students) settle in. The rooms are pretty basic dorm-style rooms, but I'd put them on the high end of living facilities--clean, comfortable, safe. |
| * Food: |
Since I lived in catered accommodation, I had a meal plan. I thought the food was great for the most part, but if you like a very wide variety of options you probably don't want to live in catered housing. The dining staff does their very best to accommodate dietary requirements, and they try to make the food as nutritious as possible. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
St Andrews is a bit of a bubble. I absolutely loved the culture there because it's very diverse with students from all over the world, but if you'd rather connect with the country (as opposed to the university community), St Andrews might not be for you. Social events abound in St Andrews, though, so you're never at a loss for something to do, and it's only an hour-long train ride to Edinburgh if you want to get out. You can get basically anywhere from Edinburgh. I rarely left, though--you get drawn in to uni life. There's only one problem with studying abroad in St Andrews: you won't want to leave. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had a few health problems while abroad, but everyone from the IFSA staff to the NHS were very helpful. If you let the IFSA staff know you're ill, they'll continuously check on you until you're better. When you arrive at the university, you're assigned to a medical practice, and it's very easy to set up appointments. When I needed to see a doctor, I called and they fit me into the schedule for the next day. The system is much more efficient than the American one, and if you need prescriptions they'll set you up right away. It's very easy. No health problems with the city/country, no extra vaccines required. |
| * Safety: |
St Andrews is very, very safe. Sometimes there are problems with vandalism or assault (typical university problems), but overall I felt very safe. It's the kind of place where you can take a late-night stroll alone and not feel vulnerable. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
The exchange rate between Britain and the States does not favor Americans right now. Everything is going to cost more. Also, in St Andrews, you'll frequently buy tickets to social events, which add up quickly. If you join a sports club, you'll also pay dues and a fee for the athletic facility (or, in the case of some sports, you pay a fee per practice, so I spent more on sports--playing polo--than most people probably do). |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50-60 GBP |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | When you withdraw cash from ATMs, take out large amounts and store most of it somewhere safe until you need it. It's a lot more efficient than stopping by an ATM frequently. Also, when you go out, I recommend leaving your credit/debit cards at home and only taking as much cash as you want to spend--that way you don't spend more than planned or lose your money. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had known that I would want to stay an entire year--something I had absolutely no way of knowing, since I had no experience living abroad. I probably would have transferred to St Andrews at the end of a year abroad (which you can't do after just a semester). It happens surprisingly often there; I knew at least 5 people who had transferred to the university after studying abroad (that's a warning--you won't want to leave). If you aren't sure about doing a full year abroad, you might as well go for it if there's nothing else holding you back. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
