St Andrews Open Days

[Nobledeedsandhotbaths]

Just trying to book tours for the open day at St Andrew's and getting a bit lost in all the options! Can I ask anyone who has any experience, should you go on each of the 3 hall tours? If we're travelling all the way up it seems sensible to see everything, but I can't work out how to fit it all in!

[ClerkMaxwell]

We just went on the tour for one hall choosing based on the time/location rather than hall itself. The student doing the tour covered accommodation in general In her talk. You apply for a particular type of accommodation rather than a specific hall and even then you might end up in another type. We know the area well so know the location of the halls but if you don't it might be worth walking around those you are interested in. Not sure if they still tend to put science students in the halls near the science buildings.

[Apolloanddaphne]

I live in St Andrews (and also did a degree here and stayed in halls many moons ago) . If you let me know what halls they are touring I can maybe advise on which would be the better ones to go see?

[LaLaFlottes]

I’ve booked for DD and I to go to the open day and I booked a tour of the Blackadder halls, mainly because her preference would be self catered and this hall has this option! If your DD/DS has a preference for this it might help you decide?

[Nobledeedsandhotbaths]

Thank you both, that's really helpful. The ones listed are University Hall, McIntosh and Agnes Blackadder (great name!).

[Nobledeedsandhotbaths]

Ah, that's useful, I hadn't quite registered that they were split into catered and not. DS would definitely fare best in catered for the first year so we'll check out those ones.

[Apolloanddaphne]

So Agnes Blackadder is one of the newer halls on the North Haugh. Not too far from town but a bit more isolated than University Hall (known in St A just as Hall) which is one of the oldest halls and right next to the Athletic union. Lovely hall with a big new extension at the back. McIntosh is right in the centre of town and is also old. All three are very different.

[LaLaFlottes]

I think Blackadder offers both catered and self catering. I think there are less “self catering options” so that helped us cut down the choices!

For catered it looks like you have:
University and Blackadder with en suite and then McIntosh and University for standard rooms.
So I guess University would allow you to see both en suite and standard catered accommodation!

Although I like the thought of catered for DD, she’s veggie, and also doesn’t like cheese! So she’s a tricky one! So she really needs access to a kitchen otherwise is she doesn’t like the options she would be a bit stuck!

[Nobledeedsandhotbaths]

Wonderful, thank you so much, we've managed to book some sessions. Now to work out some transport...

[LaLaFlottes]

Excellent!!
Same here with transport - there’s no particularly easy way...!!

[Apolloanddaphne]

Train is easy. Get to Leuchars and either get a bus (they are regular) or a taxi (quite expensive). If you fly to Edinburgh you need to get a tram to Gateway then a train to Leuchars. It all sounds complicated but it is fairly straightforward.

[IthinkIsawahairbrushbackthere]

We are going to St Andrews for the Offer Holder Day on the 29th. We looked at flights but as we are 100 miles from the airport and I can't drive the train works out cheapest. We used the Trainsplit App and it reduced the fares by 50% making it extortionate instead of impossible! It is going to take us 12 hours door to door.

The itinerary they have sent us just includes "Hall of Residence" along with teaching facilities and labs.