Perched on a promontory jutting out into the North Sea, St Andrews at first sight might be deemed a bleak and grey place. In many respects you would be right. In the winter the wind whistles through the cobbled streets, past hunched and hurried undergraduates struggling for shelter. Seen, however, on a summer's afternoon with the Old Course parched brown and the sea benign in the background, one might be forgiven for thinking it the Scottish Riviera.
Such was the sight that greeted me when I first arrived there on a glorious May morning. The place seemed a veritable utopia for an inquisitive mind. The soaring ruin of the cathedral, the castle, and the crooked medieval pier all contributed in conveying an aura of a grandiose past. Thus impressed by the town, I was not to be disappointed by the university. The oldest in Scotland (1410), it also lays claim to being the earliest example of the modern-day university in the world.
My first time away from home for any considerable length of time - the prospect seemed daunting. The excitement and independence I felt, however, offset this worry, and I looked forward to spending the next four years there.
The University of St Andrews has been regarded as a rather pretentious and isolated university by many. Termed the "English University" in the days when it was a hotbed of British conservatism, and during which the English students far outnumbered the Scottish, it is, however, gradually shaking off its imperialistic past. It struck me as being cosmopolitan, with a diverse mixture of students from as far away as Nepal, Venezuela and Argentina. Due also to the university's strong links with the US and Canada, there was a large contingent of North American students. I was surprised at how relatively few Scottish there still are.
I soon settled into the routine of things and found that the universitys reputation for friendliness and openness was not ill founded. A "fresher week" is run to encourage interaction and ease the new students into college life. The startling abundance of pubs in the town also testified to the reputation of the students as hearty drinkers. I became aware of some of the more archaic and eccentric traditions, such as the red gowns, academic parents and the infamous "Raisin Sunday", when all the inebriated freshers dress up in fancy costume and gather in the quad to spray one another with shaving foam!
Most students opt to stay in the university halls of residence scattered throughout the town, at least for their first year, for convenience and financial reasons, as it invariably works out cheaper. The downside to this, however, is that it can feel like a large boarding school, with the possibility of sharing with a roommate and putting up with noisy neighbours. Added to this is the food, which at the best of times will be far less mouth-watering than your mother's.
The experience has certainly been a maturing one. The workload is manageable, and I found the tutors to be helpful and understanding. Irish students may apply to the Students Award Agency for Scotland in Edinburgh, which provides grants to cover the cost of tuition fees for EU students.
At times, St Andrews seems a long way from Edinburgh, as the nearest train station is seven miles away, and the bus takes more than two hours to travel the 50 miles or so down the coast. The social life revolves solely around the little pubs and the students union, as there are no nightclubs.
Going abroad to study, although at times difficult, is certainly a viable option. But careful research and consideration of living expenses must preceed any final decision. On the whole, most students find it a rewarding and challenging experience.
