Living in southern England - Scottish University?

i wouldn't go into second year - purely for social reasons. most first years stay in halls and form friendship groups which they then move into private flats with in second year.
when i was at st andrews we were pretty much forced to take three subjects in first year which is very useful at broadening the mind... you then narrow down a bit for second year and down to one or two for honours years (third and fourth). i think it's a great system and a very good use of the extra year - it's not wasted.

I loved my time at St Andrews too - another NI student here. Most people on my course seemed to come from the south of England, though there was alaos a high proportion of Scottish people (obviously) and a surprisingly high number from NI. I also spent quite a lot of time in Edinburgh visiting friends - both universities are pretty vibrant and have plenty of international students. Mine was a 4-year course and I do remember my parents complaining about having to fund the extra year at the time, but if it's true that you can go straight into second year in some cases then the cost wouldn't be more than the English universities I guess. I always thought the 4-year courses were so that the first year bridged the gap between Highers and A levels.

to whoever asked - i LOVED my years at st andrews... most st andrews students do... it's a funny place that self-selects people who are attracted by being part of such a relatively small community and largely making your own entertainment but for students who like it, we love it... and it stays with you for life

Thanks for all info on public transport to St Andrew's! Obviously didn't look hard enough when I looked at this before...

If I were you, I would encourage your child to choose a uni that's four hours or less from home by train, and one that is in a lovely city - somewhere nice to live for three or four years. Another important thing is the cost of renting (usually in their second year - first years often live in hall). In Edinburgh, for example, a single room in a shared flat near the universities is likely to cost £300 or more a month. But it is a very safe city with a buzzing student life.

Unless your child is doing something quite special at uni, most courses are roughly comparable imo, but what really makes a difference to their lives and finances, and yours, is them finding somewhere affordable and in a decent area to rent, being able to go home when they want to, and you being able to visit them too. Also the availability of part-time jobs for students might be something to bear in mind.

I hope your child finds the right uni, and loves it!

I work at St Andrews Uni. It's a good university with a solid reputation. I would say it's as diverse as any other uni really - maybe more public school educated than some others.

I would definitely recommend going to an open day. St Andrews is odd in the fact it's a tiny city. The biggest shops are an H&M, Woolworths, a Tesco Metro, Pizza Express, WHSmith, Starbucks. There is no Mcdonalds, no M&S, no Gap, no Topshop. Myabe a bit like Durham (though I've never been to durham so I don't know, I've just heard)

There is no nightclub, so students social life tends to be parties at others flats. Some people like this as you bump into the same people all the time, others hate it (for the same reason) No getting away from embarrassing incidents

A lot of Scottish universities allow entry straight into second year for a standard 4 year honours course. So the cost shouldn't be any more than 3 years.

My first student flat had 10 of us. 4 from NI, 3 from England, 2 from Scotland and 1 from Canada.

I could never afford the train after I had spent my money in the pub bought the course books.

Used to get the London - Glasgow overnight coach. Was £25 return in those days. Left at 11pm and arrived at 6.30am.

Shows how much I loved being in Glasgow that I'm even feeling slightly nostalgic about the hellish coach journey. Ahh, Charnock Richard services at 3am. Nothing like it. :)

I did my MSc at Aberdeen (BSc was at Queen's in Belfast). Met very few Scottish students. Maybe because it was a post-grad course but we were a mix of English and International (and Irish of course). Even so, I lived in a hall of residence which mainly had undergrads and again, I didn't hear too many Scottish voices. Of the flat I lived in with 6 of us, 2 were Irish (N.I.), two were Scottish and two English so representative mix of the UK....not sure what happened to the Welsh Loved Scotland, similar to Ireland which is maybe why I got on so well there and the Scots that I did meet were lovely...had a sense of humour which is a bit lacking in my current surroundings (west london).

From Scotland and went to uni in South of England: don't see why it should seem more outlandish for people doing it the other way? There are some fantastic universities in Scotland - traditional and less so. I'd always say go to an open day to get a feel for the city where you're considering spending several years of your life. If you can't make the open day, write to the subject dept and ask if you can go and visit another time.

Your daughter would have a much more rounded view of Britain if she went further away from the South of England. She'd get a good education if she chose the right course and, dare I say it, she might even enjoy it.

God I loved my Scottish university days, I chose the course and there were very few uni's that did it............. oxford, edinburgh or ireland, not the posh ones. My best mate was at St Andrews, I visited at least once a week via train, not an issue. I miss it but left over a decade ago.

My options were - London to Scotland on train, used to take the sleeper during winter when they let you put your car on, drive (had own car), fly.

Many friends took the bus/coach too.

Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy when I think about it!

Oh and didn't have an interview.

Long time ago. Lived in London, went to Glasgow.

Loved loved loved it.

Didn't visit beforehand - though one of my brothers was at the end of his degree there when I arrived.

But it had exactly the course I wanted to do. I loved the more relaxed approach to specialisation afforded by the 4 year length, 3 subjects in first year. Then 2 carried on and one new subject. Then either single or joint honours in the following 2 years.

Had a london boyfriend when I went. Fizzled out after a term - but might just as easily have happened in other place. Particularly since was with DH (who lived in London) for the last year of the degree. He visited every 4 weeks. I came home every 4 weeks. So very doable. My mother visited a couple of times. My Dad was in Glasgow through work about once a term.

Was fine. :)

leuchars is probably ten mins by taxi, 20mins by bus from st andrews... buses and taxis meet every train.

i'm from edinburgh but my friends at st andrews were from:
harpenden
farnham
belfast
cheltenham
USA

i went to st andrews - most students were from surrey

and it's near Leuchars station which is on the main line from aberdeen to london.

Londonmother, St Andrews is five minutes away from an East Coast mainline station with direct trains to London.

Worth it though LondonMother for a weekend away! St Andrews is a beautiful city

Ah, St Andrew's! I saw that was imminent. I don't think I would travel all that way for an Open Day, personally, especially as St Andrew's isn't on a rail line.

It's not just cold weather you have to be prepared for in Scotland, on the East Coast the wind is like a knife when it comes off the North Sea. And on the West Coast you have to expect a lot of rain. And of course the nights are even longer all through the winter, although this is balanced by wonderful long days in the summer.

I am no expert but are English degrees not usually shorter than Scottish degree courses? So there is an "extra" year to pay for? English people are the largest minority in Scotland so I don't see the Scots as being insular, you will be hard pushed to find a more international mix of people in such a small place as Edinburgh IMHO. If your dd loves the arts, Edinburgh festival would be a great draw.

Teenagers need to decide their priority for university:
get on a great course which suits them;
stay close to home; or
go a far away as they can.

IMO being away from home is a big part of the experience - the further the better! In any case, the East Coast train line from London is fast - it surely isn't such a big deal? They'd only be making the return journey a few times a year.