St Andrews in NY Times

[eggface]

I'm surprised no one has yet posted this snobbish and belittling article that was featured in today's New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/01/educa ... tland.html

[RedCelt69]

The article chops and changes between comments from both St Andrews & Edinburgh, giving the impression that what is true for one, is true for t'other.

But other Americans say they have been less than impressed by a system in which there are few assignments, and there is almost no help from professors. “Feedback on essays ranged from very little to none,” said Ben Wilkofsky, a philosophy student at Edinburgh. “There is no feedback on exams.”

This part is true... of Edinburgh - and played a major part in me turning down my offer at Edinburgh. It isn't true of St Andrews; at least not the School of Philosophy... nor Classics.

There is a broad array of student clubs — serious (the Philosophy Society, the Humanist Society), hedonistic (ChocSoc, for chocolate lovers, or the Water of Life Society, devoted to whiskey tasting) or peculiarly Scottish (Edinburgh’s Highland Society and the St. Andrews University Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Appreciation Society) — many of them meeting at pubs.

It's *whisky* FFS!

Easily remembered thusly:-

Whiskey from Ireland, which has an E
Whisky from Scotland... and as we all know (cough) there's no E in Scotland.

[schmod]

What a terrible article!

I came to St Andrews as a JYA, and received an offer to stay, but decided to go back home instead. Worst fecking decision I've ever made.

[Bizarre Atheist]

There is a broad array of student clubs — serious (the Philosophy Society, the Humanist Society), hedonistic (ChocSoc, for chocolate lovers, or the Water of Life Society, devoted to whiskey tasting) or peculiarly Scottish (Edinburgh’s Highland Society and the St. Andrews University Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Appreciation Society) — many of them meeting at pubs.

It's *whisky* FFS!

Easily remembered thusly:-

Whiskey from Ireland, which has an E
Whisky from Scotland... and as we all know (cough) there's no E in Scotland.

...and the 'Water of Life Society' doesn't exist, Quaich Soc does.

[munchingfoo]

and "there's f'in Falkirk"!

[orudge]

...and the 'Water of Life Society' doesn't exist, Quaich Soc does.

It exists at Edinburgh.

[Hennessy]

Agreed. Very snotty article. And that "little or no tuition" I pay is a large part of my loan, which they neglected to mention.

Good to see more young Americans are getting out there and travelling to the frozen wastes of Limerick, Waikato and Scotland. Maybe now they'll learn something

[What?]

After all, Africa is a country now.

[Spike]

What a terrible article!

I came to St Andrews as a JYA, and received an offer to stay, but decided to go back home instead. Worst fecking decision I've ever made.

It's never too late to change for semester 2! come back Schmod!