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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Does anyone from down south go to St Andrews university? I didn't realise it was 50 miles away from Edinburgh?

254 replies

UlezSchmulez · 10/09/2023 17:14

Why do they call it At Andrews university Edinburgh when it's nowhere near Edinburgh!

It's 50 miles, 1 hour and 40 minutes by train.
If you're from Southern England do you just accept that you don't return for any weekend during term time.

Just thinking of booking an open day there but wondering if it's just too far?
Which is a shame as it's very highly rated for maths which my son wants to study.
Any thoughts?

OP posts:
Fleur405 · 10/09/2023 17:32

St Andrew’s is lovely and it’s a good university. But it’s not easy to get to on public transport as it has no train station. It is not in Edinburgh though and I don’t think anyone claims it is (I’m not even sure Edinburgh is the nearest city, I’d assume that was Dundee).

iatealltheminieggs · 10/09/2023 17:32

Theres a St Andrews Square in Edinburgh 😁 lovely place to sit in the sunshine.

Kingdomoffife · 10/09/2023 17:32

Baldiehead my DC knows lots of Scottish students there. True, it's difficult to get a place and accommodation can be v expensive which is off putting (although Edinburgh esp rents now seem crazy too)

Ddoglover · 10/09/2023 17:33

Who on earth is the "they" who call it St Andrews University Edinburgh?!

FictionalCharacter · 10/09/2023 17:34

It’s nothing to do with Edinburgh, who told you that anyone says it is?

Newgirls · 10/09/2023 17:34

Guardian just ranked it as above oxbridge again so if your son wants to apply, seems a shame to discourage him. If he gets an offer he could visit on offer holder day? It’s very low offer rate so worry about it if he gets one.

Silverdogblue · 10/09/2023 17:36

Out of curiosity, what is the best way to get there by public transport? Or do students drive?

My knowledge of Scottish geography is woeful but doing a road trip to Alness later this year! Probably not via St Andrews…

Baldieheid · 10/09/2023 17:36

Kingdomoffife · 10/09/2023 17:32

Baldiehead my DC knows lots of Scottish students there. True, it's difficult to get a place and accommodation can be v expensive which is off putting (although Edinburgh esp rents now seem crazy too)

I think accommodation everywhere is a bit of a nightmare, to be honest. Those who can afford to buy a flat for their kids find it's the only way. My friend's son was spending most of each year of his undergraduate and Masters studies looking for a flat share for the next. It was such a nightmare that they've put themselves into the fire and bought a flat (Glasgow) on the outskirts of the city, just so he would be able to focus on his PHD rather than desperately searching for a home instead. It's awful.

CurlewKate · 10/09/2023 17:37

I've never heard it called that....

Newgirls · 10/09/2023 17:38

Train to Leuchars then local bus or taxi. About 10 min from Leuchars station.

students tend to book the St. Andrews shuttle from Edin train station or airport which is about £25 - was free at start of term but not sure it is now

808KateO · 10/09/2023 17:38

Baldieheid · 10/09/2023 17:23

Reminds me of the urban legend of the American tourist in Edinburgh complaining about why they'd built the castle so far from the shops. It may be a myth but after the stuff I hear coming out of tourist's mouths, it would not surprise me if it were true....

Show quote history

My favourite is the tourist that asked if they take the castle down at the end of the festivals.

AMuser · 10/09/2023 17:38

This is hilarious!

It’s also got a very good geography department …

Many students come from all over England including “down south”. Princess Louise is reading English there I believe following in the footsteps of her cousin William. It’s highly sought after so the distance from London for example doesn’t deter very many people.

Optionyougot · 10/09/2023 17:39

It sounds like you confused this with Edinburgh Uni. As others say, it's called the University of St Andrews because it's in St Andrews.

It's definitely one that if you expected regular travel home you'd need a car, and would be perhaps better driving to the airport.

Stroopwaffels · 10/09/2023 17:39

St Andrews is St Andrews and doesn't call itself Edinburgh. Edinburgh uni is entirely separate. And in my experience, there is no shortage of "down south" students at St Andrews.

Yes to accommodation being a total nightmare, DD has just started at Stirling and is in halls for first year and could possibly get a place for second year but after that it's very difficult and she may well just end up commuting from home.

Baldieheid · 10/09/2023 17:39

Silverdogblue · 10/09/2023 17:36

Out of curiosity, what is the best way to get there by public transport? Or do students drive?

My knowledge of Scottish geography is woeful but doing a road trip to Alness later this year! Probably not via St Andrews…

Probably the bus from St Andrews' bus station in central Edinburgh. There's often a few students on that, it probably takes a couple of hours though as it'll go through all the places on the way.

The train station isn't particularly close, so they'd have to grab a taxi at the end...

CurlewKate · 10/09/2023 17:41

You'll be even more surprised to realise it's a 4 year degree.

<goes into a nostalgic dream about Pete's chip shop>

DupontsYellowDressingGown · 10/09/2023 17:41

The geography of Scotland (and Wales and NI probably) seems to be a mystery to a lot of people in the south east of England!

BackOfTheMum5net · 10/09/2023 17:42

Literally no one calls it that! Why would he want to go home of a weekend? Does he want that or is that what you want?

St A’s students typically have a very close knit community with so much going on they don’t often leave. It’s not for everybody, but it’s incredibly low drop out rate suggests it’s doing something right.

Baldieheid · 10/09/2023 17:43

DupontsYellowDressingGown · 10/09/2023 17:41

The geography of Scotland (and Wales and NI probably) seems to be a mystery to a lot of people in the south east of England!

You'd think Google maps didn't exist....

TenOhSeven · 10/09/2023 17:43

DupontsYellowDressingGown · 10/09/2023 17:41

The geography of Scotland (and Wales and NI probably) seems to be a mystery to a lot of people in the south east of England!

To be fair my knowledge of English geography is none too hot!

Baldieheid · 10/09/2023 17:44

CurlewKate · 10/09/2023 17:41

You'll be even more surprised to realise it's a 4 year degree.

<goes into a nostalgic dream about Pete's chip shop>

Janettas ice cream......I didn't study at St Andrews but if I had, I'd have been the size of a house. Their peach ice cream............ooooooooooooooooh

Psychonabike · 10/09/2023 17:45

@UlezSchmulez where did you get the idea that St Andrews University was in Edinburgh, rather than in St Andrews?

A lot of courses in St Andrews have an out of St Andrews component, because the university town is small and lacking in opportunities -medical students spend part of their degree in Manchester for example. Has your DC signed up to a course that has a component in Edinburgh?

Anyway -St Andrews is a bit awkward. No train station. There are buses. Leuchars is the nearest train station. Dundee is the nearest main train station and city (though its a small one even by Scottish standards). But once you've got to Dundee or Edinburgh, getting further south is pretty simple...

Brenna24 · 10/09/2023 17:45

It definitely doesn't call itself St Andrews university, Edinburgh. It is quite remote and accommodation is limited and very expensive there. Many students live in either Cupar or Dundee and bus daily to St Andrews. In terms of getting home you can get a bus every 10 minutes to leuchars station and the bus journey is only about 15 minutes. So 30 minutes to reach the station depending on if you have just missed a bus. Then the LNER trains do fast trains to London that stop at leuchars and (if memory serves me correct, it has been a while since I took one) it would take about 6 to 7 hours to reach London. So if his classes finished at 3 on a Friday afternoon he could be in London for 10 or 11pm if the trains were in his favour. But I was 2 hours from home and did not go home for weekends when at uni. My parents would come up maybe 1 Saturday or Sunday in term time.

CurlewKate · 10/09/2023 17:45

@Baldieheid Fisher and Donaldson fudge doughnuts!

Janettas is still there, by the way!

SauvignonBlanche · 10/09/2023 17:45

Thanks goodness it’s Maths not Geography that he wants to study.

St Andrews’s University has been in St Andrews since 1413, I can’t imagine them moving it to Edinburgh any time soon. 😆