Life in St Andrews

Loughborough University

7.1(10 Reviews)

Reason for choosing my college

The medical degree at St Andrews is an intercalated programme, which allows you to take on a research semester and also study at a partner school for the latter 3 years of the course. Additionally, the quality of teaching and the reputation of St Andrews were also a key factor in my choice.

University of Liverpool

8.3(24 Reviews)

The University of Manchester

7.8(38 Reviews)

Reason for Rejection

My UCAT score was not high enough for the Manchester cut-off for the year. Liverpool was my first interview, and I felt that I didn't prepare adequately.

the process is different if applying for medicine after giving your UCAT exam and providing IELTS, you're invited to an interview which is considered alongside your personal statement and results or predicted grades. St Andrews looks at your personal statement in depth, so focusing on that would be smart. and thorough interview preparation.

• I chose the UK because I was already studying here before university, completing my sixth form.
• St Andrews has consistently ranked in the top three UK universities for the past few years now and has a great student satisfaction rating. It has a great academic reputation.
• St Andrews offers a wide variety of courses but the most common ones are economics, international relations and management. They are in the process of starting a new business school. The science courses are also really good, from my personal experience the medical teaching is very good.
• The location is not very convenient as the nearest train station is a 25-minute bus ride and the nearest airport (Edinburgh) is about a 1hr15min train/car ride. But buses are very frequent and well connected (also free if you're under 23).
• In my opinion, St Andrews can improve on providing career opportunities information. My overall experience with academics has been great. There's almost every extracurricular activity available in St Andrews just like any big university. St Andrews has also some very unique traditions that are fun.
• Student life is great, but for St Andrews being a very small town with three main streets, it can sometimes be monotonous. There's an abundance of pubs around town, a couple of venues that host night outs as well and a nice student union with its club.

• For medicine - in a week, there are, on average, about 6-10 lectures, 3-5 practicals and 3-4 self-learning elements. The lectures are all recorded, so you don't necessarily have to go to class. Timings vary every day but between 9 AM to 5 PM.
• The average lecture is an hour, and the average practical is 2 hours. In my course, there are only about 4-5 Indian citizens. it is recommended by the School of Medicine to at least spend 2-4 hours of self-learning every day.

• Faculty members are very helpful, each student is assigned a tutor who you can meet as often as you like to discuss problems, grades or other things. The best faculties, in my experience, are the module controllers.
• Since St Andrews is only 3 years of the medical course, all students move on to a partner school, so there is no need for job references at this point. However, the faculty does help you get research opportunities or work experience internships.

• The university is based in a small town with different buildings scattered around. There's a community hospital about a 15-minute walk from Main Street, but it does not have emergency services, ambulances are available and quick and will take you to a nearby town for emergency care.
• There are multiple libraries in St Andrews. The main one is pretty big and makes a good place for studying, but there are also smaller ones that are beautiful.
• The sports centre is great and offers all major sports facilities and also provides different classes such as judo, boxing or dancing, the gym is a bit small and it, being the only one, can get crowded at times.
• Popular events include May dip when on 1st May, all students go for a dip in the North Sea when the sun rises in the morning. There are Scottish ceilidh, multiple fashion show events and a lot of formal balls, too. sports societies also extensively host events. Freshers week at the beginning of the year is also great.

About 10 pounds an hour on average. I've seen Indian students work at various places such as an ice cream parlour, coffee shop or a panini place. The usual process is just handing in a CV and then an interview.

Hourly wage for a part-time job is between 9-12 pounds an hour. You can either go through the Indeed app or go door to door. It can be hard to find jobs but with enough effort, you should be able to get one.

Since I'm studying medicine, I currently do not have to seek a job. But out of my seniors, I've seen a lot of them get jobs, but more of the Indian students decided to go back and get a job as the job market in the UK is currently tough.

• So, for your first year, you'll be able to get university accommodation in dorms. But after that, you are not guaranteed university accommodation.
• There is an accommodation crisis in St Andrews with the uni hasn't been able to help much. Private rentals are hard to get as there is a lot of competition and the prices are also extremely high. Because of this, some students have to live in nearby towns and commute.
• Best way to get private housing is to contact the agent companies, registering with them early enough in your first year would be best. Approaching seniors who are graduating to ask about housing is also smart. 55rent is a good company that does rentals.