University of St Andrews (reviews)

A conducive study setting often combines resources like libraries, supportive faculty, modern facilities, and a welcoming atmosphere—qualities that the University of St Andrews excels in. University of St Andrews stands out for its diverse course offerings and supportive teaching staff. My course’s strengths lie in its extensive subject coverage, engaging materials, and the opportunity to explore various topics.

The university is well structured and as a modern languages student, I have the opportunity to study many different things across multiple themes/topics. I am given chances to practise all communication skills across the languages that I study.

During my first semester and St Andrews, I was able to grow immensely and react to many changes in my school environment. The help from staff, especially tutors, was incredible, especially in regard to writing essays. I was new to this type of coursework required in my modules, so I was incredibly grateful to get the help I needed from office hours and email inquiries. One of the concerns I have with St Andrews is the accessibility of student help services. I know multiple students, including myself, who were going through mental health issues or crises during the semester due to coursework. However, meetings with student help services were limited, and they were not able to provide many options to seek help, leaving many students to deal with their issues on their own. One thing I would like to see improved is the resources available for students going through a rough mental period, and clear instructions on how to seek this help. Overall, the academic staff at St. Andrews are incredibly helpful and eager to see you improve, which is my favorite aspect about the school.

At sub-honours, the university’s module system feels very flexible, as students can choose modules from subjects that are not part of their degree title. However, at honours, the selection of modules available within your subject(s) changes each year. Some years are better than others. Additionally, the addition of a dissertation in your final year makes it much harder to choose modules you are actually interested in. Even with the option to not do a dissertation (an option available to joint-honours students), the student’s choices will still be restricted, as they need to do a year-long module rather than 2 semester-long modules. It becomes rather restrictive. No matter what module you choose, however, the teacher of that module will be extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their subject and, although you may not find it the most interesting, you still appreciate the passion that they feel for it.