St Andrews: You'll Never Want To Leave the Bubble Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Grades were on a very different scale from William and Mary, but being thrown in with the regular students of St Andrews, you get used to it. The amount of class-time was a fraction of what it is at W&M, whereas the reading list for each class is massive. After a few weeks, however, the change was welcome, and the amount of suggested reading gave opportunities for essay- and exam-preparation. Humanities classes were small, with discussion sometimes mandatory and sometimes unnecessary. Work was very intense but, even more than at W&M, students embrace the work hard-play hard mentality. Overall, it will be hard to leave it behind.

On-site administration of your program

Strengths were challenging level of courses, student night life, and overall location. Weaknesses were expense (but that's true anywhere outside the States)... and that's pretty much it.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My hall (dormitory) was in an excellent location. The food was okay most of the time, but the dining was definitely the site of socializing, and most of the friends I made were from halls. Being so close to the town, the beach, and classes made almost everything easy. Laundry was expensive, but linens were provided and washed for us, as was the kitchen and rubbish.

Worst aspect of the dining was not the food itself, but mealtimes. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all offered for exactly 45 minutes each day, meaning that if you had class, you missed the meal. Queues often waited for half an hour before being served. Food ranged from rather good (very good at Christmas dinner) to pretty awful. There were options but, coming from W&M -- with its huge salad bar, lots of options, and flexible meal times --, it seemed rather average.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Scottish culture is so rich and welcoming, and St Andrews -- though not as thoroughly Scottish as it might first appear -- allows so much international cultural mixing, that all events, trips, and even simple class and hall experiences were wonderful times.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Police were around. One friend had her purse taken at a club, but that was the only occasion which merited some safety concern.

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

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• Local Students
• International Students
• Americans