St Andrews

[IthinkIsawahairbrushbackthere]

DD has received a very good offer from St Andrews. She loves the look of the course and is very keen to go there. Aside from the course she loves the idea of a small town, has no interest in nightlife as part of the "student experience" and loves the quirky traditions.

Does anyone have any experience of being there and the extra expenses that could be involved such as the extra cost of travel, formal dinners and the like?

We are a low income family in an economically deprived area. She is part of a very small 6th form - 12 in the Upper 6th. Her school is not in special measures but is holding on by the skin of its teeth! They are very keen for her to go to St Andrews but she is not going to be their responsibility!

We will support her as much as we possibly can but I am worried that it will be a lot more expensive than a less elite university.

Any thoughts?

That’s so helpful thanks Monkey - I did ask her to look into it and nothing was reported back...

Meals - no idea on guests. I
Imagine all the us parents would be all over that if allowed! It would be great to have that level of info wouldn’t it - I feel the uni are in crisis mode rather than ‘here are the nice things’

BBC headline news today has the UCU rep saying ‘it’s a covid storm waiting to happen’ and everyone else saying ‘it’s ok we’ve made plans’

Our media has a lot to answer for...

Monkey if lunch seems tricky perhaps they can picnic on the lawns which look nice? Surely no rules on that

How are your kids finding the pre-matriculation requirements? DD seems to be quite bogged down in compulsory training modules and getting stressed that they're taking longer than they should.

She does have form for over-thinking things like this and is also unclear exactly what the deadline is and whether she really needs to do them before we travel.

Anyone got any insight?!

Monkey just checked with Ds they are given a card they show at every meal time.
@AChickenCalledDaal I know what you mean about the online stuff!! We came back from holiday yesterday late afternoon and dd spent about 4 hours doing the stuff and still has one to go. We also need to do the GP stuff so that's a job before she goes up next weekend also. Dd wanted it all done before her virtual meeting with her academic tutor later in the week. It's more than I remember ds having to complete but then normally all of this is done in orientation week. My worry is there may be a lot of twiddling of thumbs during orientation week as it's all been done. Sorry not a very helpful response really but wanted your dd to know she is not alone.

Alittlewornout thank you - it's good to know she's not the only one. I'm finding it hard to tell whether it really is a lot of stuff or whether she's procrastinating and over-thinking it. Any suggestion that it's left till she gets there is being met with stress and anxiety, but she's also quite unclear what the actual deadline is.

My dd is the same chicken she just wants it done and any offers of help are met with a, I need to be able to do all this myself mum, and she is absolutely right. But I will help her with the GP forms as she will need to know where to find her nhs number imms history etc.

Can I ask a stupid question- how do you set up an instalment plan to pay the hall fees or do you just pay the first instalment directly without actually setting anything up? Have searched everywhere but all I can find is the university bank details and separately how much is due. Is that how you do it or am I missing something?

@haggisaggis we decided to pay in 2 installments so on my st if they go into the finance bit the invoice is there. You then input manually what you are paying so we paid half and will pay the other half just before the 2nd semester. We did email to check this was the correct way to do it and they said yes. So no special plan needed.

Thanks Alittle - I did wonder if that was how to do it!

@Newgirls, how is your DD feeling after the e-mail this afternoon? Does she have any labs? I think DS is getting off lightly as medicine was listed as one of the face-to-face subjects.

She is doing neuroscience so we don’t know if she will get face to face. She has an appointment with her advisor later this week so will ask. She didn’t know that week 7 is independent learning week so her question is can she go home that week like a half term - I think yes?

Seems like they will all have face to face after that if all goes well so better than I feared.

Sounds like an astonishing number of extra students. Seems bizarre to me?!

@Newgirls yes you dd can def go home for reading week lots of students do and it really breaks up the semester until the Christmas breaks. My understanding is that exams will also be on line and teaching stops a couple of weeks before exams start so she could also in theory come home and sit exams there??
Dd friend moved her stuff in today but only one parent went with her so am no further forward with if parents can go up one at a time, sorry ladies.

@Alittlewornout - I found out from the orientation page (www.st-andrews.ac.uk/orientation/once-you-arrive/your-hall/) that only 1 person can help move in. I am hoping that if we leave DS and GF to sort the room, we might be allowed to pop in later in the afternoon with masks in relay just to see where he is.

@Monkey2001 might try and do the same.

First uni to call it www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/fife/1547260/st-andrews-university-outlines-phased-approach-to-in-person-teaching/

I hope it means more normality after reading week. If tourists are down then surely overall numbers in St. Andrews are not that alarming. Seems a similar amount with many studying online.

In more positive news- have you seen university challenge? St. Andrews did very well

There's been a recent surge of cases in Dundee - but they are localised.
I don't know about "normality" - checking the departmental webpages, it seems that even some lab elements have been redesigned to be done online, at least for the first semester.
My "hope" is in the bubble-system, which at least allows some in-person socialising - albeit limited. I try not to worry about students spending endless hours in their rooms online - although that's all mine have been doing since March 🤣
Nicola Sturgeon is due to make a statement about unis today - so I await that with interest!

I do worry about DD spending her whole time sitting in her room staring at a screen. Although she's identified some fairly geeky societies that she might join, so perhaps she'll find other people that are inclined to do that but will still be happy to chat through the computer!

Has anyone got far enough through the GP registration process to know what evidence they need for their immunisation record? DD's GP has told her that none of the jabs she had at school are on her health records (!) and she has to ask her school for them. I think the odds of extracting info from school in the first week of term are basically nil. They are up to their necks in inducting each year group into all the new social distancing measures.

I have got a record of the date she had her MenACWY but no official evidence other than a date scribbled in her red book. Which miraculously I still have! I'm hoping that will do, but she's a bit worried.

LOL - I might get DH to watch University Challenge. He confesses to still having lingering feelings that it's a shame she didn't make it to Cambridge. I decided not to watch in case the atmosphere in the house got a bit tense!

I am hoping that they are in flats/corridors with course mates and therefore might watch lectures together and discuss as that is an important part of the university experience. DS not proactive in new social situations, but will be pleased if people ask him to do things, so hoping for some live wires who make social events happen. On the other thread they are talking about dining rooms arranged exam hall style with individual tables at Edinburgh. I hope that is not what happens for our DC!

I’ve done nothing re immunisation record! I was hoping that was aimed more at international students. I wasn’t asked for immunisation details when we moved and had to register with a new GP so kind of assuming it will be ok. At the end of the day we are close enough that she can get an appointment with our own gp if there are issues.
The online matric process is ongoing- dd plodding through the training. Paid first instalment of halls although it’s not updated in their system yet. She has meeting with academic advisor today and training organised on Thursday for all the software that’s been arranged through disability services. It’s certainly all go here!
Re learning online - not sure how that will go yet. Dd is doing IR so definitely no face to face for her.

I have found the video about catering at Edinburgh. Agree with other posters that the exam tables are dire!

I have heard it's a really snooty place. But I suppose everyone experience is different.

@Viviennemary

I have heard it's a really snooty place. But I suppose everyone experience is different.

I know people who teach there - lovely, geeky academics 😂

As for the students, I'm sure there are a cross section - but most go there because it's academically very good.

Anyone who looks down on you because of the car you drive, where you live or how much money you have is to be pitied really - real aristos don't do that!

Its a wee town in Fife, snooty people are definitely in a minority. Lots of very clever people but its actually a real mixture, friendly, and surprisingly down to Earth.
I dropped DS off yesterday and we ended up having lunch in Morrisons cafe so we're definitely not snooty!