St. Andrews social dynamics

[Charlotte]

I know everyone on this board is biased toward St. Andrews, but after getting an unconditional for medicine 2007 I'd like to get a couple things straight that I haven't really gotten a feel for the last few times I've been to the uni.


Is St. Andrews quite clique-ish, snobby, and/or chlostrophobic?
I'm quite concerned that if I were unhappy there for whatever reason, it would be quite hard (i.e. impossible) to escape, or that the societies would be hard to becomea part of. Generally, I'm an outgoing person at a very good school, but the whole thought of going to a uni with an uber-posh, snobby rep and making so many new friends is quite daunting! It's generally just uni-related things, and not St. Andrew's specific... but I'd love some reassurance!

Obviously it's always seemed like a great place to me, and it's still my top choice, but other people have been putting ideas into my head :-p

Thanks! xx C

[MadDog20/20]

It's totally fine. The student population is quite diverse and, assuming you aren't excessively weird or shy, it's pretty easy to meet kindred spirits.

Yes, there are loads of very posh people, but there are plenty of people from all walks of life, including foreign people. There are tonnes of Americans. If you dont like americans, dont come here.

It is quite cliquey, but it's nowhere near as bad as Edinburgh Uni. It's quite easy to escape to Edinburgh or Glasgow on the weekend to party, so I wouldn't worry about that, but there is definitely a slightly isolated vibe, which I find quite pleasant.

[hr]

I listen to feminists and all these radical gals - most of them are failures. They've blown it. Some of them have been married, but they married some Casper Milquetoast who asked permission to go to the bathroom. These women just need a man in the house. That's all they need. Most of the feminists need a man to tell them what time of day it is and to lead them home. And they blew it and they're mad at all men. Feminists hate men. They're sexist. They hate men - that's their problem. ~Jerry Falwell

[maenad]

I don't think of St Andrews as 'uber-posh'. Sure, there are a ton of weird southern accents around here, but (at least in my hall) all the friendship groups divided along socio-economic lines in the first week so if you're not a "yah" you probably won't hang out with any. And not everyone with a 'posh' accent is a cliquey snob . There have a been a couple of societies where I haven't fitted in but not because it was cliquey - I just didn't really gel with anyone else. Most societies have been really welcoming and are a great way to meet people.

[Manic23]

It's the same as anywhere else; yes there are a lot of wankers, but you tend to find people who you'll like regardless of their social standing etc. when you first start, especially if you go into halls.

Having said that, I haven't experienced the following things in other places as I have in St Andrews:

1) Witnessing a group of polo shirt wearing gents celebrating with champagne and cigars the delivery of their cars to the town (my first year, Ma Bells. After this incident I vowed I'd never drink there again, a promise that I've actually managed to keep)

2) A Student who had his 21st Birthday party in the Byre, and put a £2,500 open tab on the bar (my second year)

3) A guy who told me he refused to drink in the lizard, preferring to stay in the oak rooms as "there were less plebs there".

etc.etc.etc.

And as long as you have a high threshold for suffering men who wear tartan trousers and tweed jackets simultaneously, you'll be fine.

[novium]

Since I saw #2 at first, I thought this was going to be a list of awesome things about st andrews

Quoting Manic23 from 02:05, 4th Apr 2006
It's the same as anywhere else; yes there are a lot of wankers, but you tend to find people who you'll like regardless of their social standing etc. when you first start, especially if you go into halls.

Having said that, I haven't experienced the following things in other places as I have in St Andrews:

1) Witnessing a group of polo shirt wearing gents celebrating with champagne and cigars the delivery of their cars to the town (my first year, Ma Bells. After this incident I vowed I'd never drink there again, a promise that I've actually managed to keep)

2) A Student who had his 21st Birthday party in the Byre, and put a £2,500 open tab on the bar (my second year)

3) A guy who told me he refused to drink in the lizard, preferring to stay in the oak rooms as "there were less plebs there".

etc.etc.etc.

And as long as you have a high threshold for suffering men who wear tartan trousers and tweed jackets simultaneously, you'll be fine.

[hr]

"those who wish to be feared must inevitably be afraid of those whom they intimidate"
"In anger nothing right or judicious can be done."

[Guest]

go somewhere else. St a is really small, and there are a lot of posh people who think they rule the world running around...

[Rufus]

Fact is, they do rule the world, you'll find them everywhere and St Andrews is as small as you make it.

[exnihilo]

That utter bastard, putting money behind a bar for his birthday. That's unspeakable.

What is wrong with some people?

[mrssmith]

It's not really too claustrophobic. That's one of the great things really, all you do is pop out to Tesco or whatever and you'll bump into ten million people you know.
Also, everyone knows everyone. The amount of times someone's talking about someone and you can go, "yeah, they went to school with me / is in my academic family / I know them through x", seriously, it's so odd because I'm not all that outgoing -not one of those types who knew everything about everyone at school or anything - but still you manage to build up this huge circle. There's always a link with someone you meet, I'm not sure I've met anyone in a long time who I've not had a link with.
Saying that, every now and then you're trying to avoid someone, or want to be anonymous for just ten minutes, and yeah - you WILL bump into the very person you didn't want to within 60 seconds.
Usually it's not a problem though, I think St Andrews is a good size, good enough so that you're never alone, you do know everyone, you really will have links with everyone. But not too small so they all know you beforehand, it's not like school, yeah sure you talk to someone for ten minutes you're academically related, they live with your school friend, and you took some course together in first year, but it's actually fun finding the links.
It's not good if you don't want to bring your past with you. I know old friends who have completely reinvented themselves at uni, I'm not sure that's possible here! There are so many people I kind of knew years a go who have turned up here, and I've been to a few schools so each has about 8 people here!
I think it does take a while to get settled, I've never been one to make 100 friends instantly, but now I love it, unless you're totally reclousive you'll get a huge circle of friends. Maybe cliquey, I don't know. Felt like that at the start, but now, well maybe I got myself into the cliques without realising.

[Manic23]

Quoting exnihilo from 16:58, 4th Apr 2006
That utter bastard, putting money behind a bar for his birthday. That's unspeakable.

What is wrong with some people?

2 and a half grandsworth?! Forgive me if I'm wrong, but is that no rather far removed from the supposed poverty we students are meant to live in? For me personally, that's at least a term and a halfs loan, so I hope you'll understand why that seems a little extravegant to put it all on drink (even though the majority of my money, after rent,would probably go on booze as well, though at least in a staggered way), at least in my opinion.

Plus, I was jealous that I didn't get any.

[Eliot Wilson]

If he could afford it, what's the problem? Why do we have a say in how someone else (someone we don't know, at that) spends his own money?

[hr]

Bill and Ted beat the Grim Reaper at Twister

Bill: "You played very well, Death, especially with your totally heavy Death robes."

Death: "Don't patronise me."

[exnihilo]

Exactly my point. Unless you'd have it that because some students are poor, all must live in penury? What is an acceptable amount of money for a student? How much can someone spend on their birthday? What if the money's from parents rather than their own bank account - is that exempt?

The last point's the most telling, it's not to do with extravagance or fairness, it's to do with jealousy. Simple.

[novium]

yeah, my thoughts were: hey, if there are people around with that sort of money to burn, well, they can burn it around me all they want! i'll even bring matches.

Quoting Eliot Wilson from 18:00, 4th Apr 2006
If he could afford it, what's the problem? Why do we have a say in how someone else (someone we don't know, at that) spends his own money?

[hr]

Bill and Ted beat the Grim Reaper at Twister

Bill: "You played very well, Death, especially with your totally heavy Death robes."

Death: "Don't patronise me."

[hr]

"In anger nothing right or judicious can be done."

[Manic23]

Quoting exnihilo from 18:34, 4th Apr 2006


The last point's the most telling, it's not to do with extravagance or fairness, it's to do with jealousy. Simple.

Erm, yes, how observant. The reason it's 'so telling' is because that's exactly what I typed.

[motorhead]

I am from a middle - working class background, if you like to call it that and i have found wonderful friends at St Andrews who are not up themselves in the slightest(well apart from andy grayland ; p) The posh people in st andrews are top quality because its great to laugh at them because they live in cloud fucking la la land and honestly dont give a fuck, its not there fault. Its the social climber wankers that you have got to watch out for. You know the ones that come to st andrews in a pair of jeans and a t shirt and leave in a fucking pashmina and an asparagus up thier arse. Or the ones that turn up to staandrews fucking geeks and leave with hair lobger than thier arse and a pot habit. Basically the cats that are willing to change thier whole personality to fit in with the crowd. Fucking faulse pretentious wankdiddleers

[Gealle]

I was an arsehole when I arrived.

I'm the same arsehole having left.

Saying that, I met lots and lots of lovely like-minded arseholes when I was there.

[Malcolm]

Quoting gealle from 21:41, 4th Apr 2006
I was an arsehole when I arrived.

I'm the same arsehole having left.

Saying that, I met lots and lots of lovely like-minded arseholes when I was there.

Can't say any fairer than that.

[hr]

"I must have some booze. I demand to have some booze."

[Darth Fanboy]

Quoting novium from 18:59, 4th Apr 2006
yeah, my thoughts were: hey, if there are people around with that sort of money to burn, well, they can burn it around me all they want! i'll even bring matches.

I blagged a few of those cool ones that burn underwater if the need arises.

The great advantage of this place is it's full of geeks (or at least has a decent number). One of my flat mates for these two years and next year I started talking with after accusing him of not being a propper Geordie because he's the wrong colour and not wearing a headband over his eyes.

[hr]

Nobody wants to read about a single mom trying to raise a kid and keep a job. People want to read about explosions, monsters, and exploding monsters.

http://Nelson40000.bebo.com
http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37102260

[Bonnie]

I made friends according to people's personalities and not their father's wallet.

I'll go tell my friends with titles and those only able to be here on bursury that I can't be their friend any more.

Quoting maenad from 01:45, 4th Apr 2006
I don't think of St Andrews as 'uber-posh'. Sure, there are a ton of weird southern accents around here, but (at least in my hall) all the friendship groups divided along socio-economic lines in the first week so if you're not a "yah" you probably won't hang out with any. And not everyone with a 'posh' accent is a cliquey snob . There have a been a couple of societies where I haven't fitted in but not because it was cliquey - I just didn't really gel with anyone else. Most societies have been really welcoming and are a great way to meet people.

[hr]

I love cheese.

[Tigger]

What can i add.... choose your pubs wisely... thats all really. certain places attract certain types of people. heres a list, though people, feel free to correct me on any recent developments to it!!!!

Aikmans(and the Cellar): mix of everything, kind of like heinz soup.
Central: as above, more locals though, though in a good way.
Droughthys: as above...
West port: YAH BAR
Broons: YAH/Snob/Pretentious bar with a smattering of normal people
Gin House: depends on waht day fo the week you go
the Vic: see central
the union: everyone, except uber Yah, who wont lower himself, the pretentious twat.
TPs: used to be amazing, and John Burnet Hall/Macintosh Hall hangout, think its mostly caddies golfers and locals now..
the castle: great bar.... been a while though.
whey pat: see aikmans


[hr]

Can you smell that? It....it...its..... Bananas.