Let's talk about Albany Park.

[Snow White]

Hello, I will be spending my first year in Albany Park and am pretty excited to go. I've read the guide to Albany on the Sinner, but of course I'm still curious about what it will be like. If anyone has any firsthand experiences to recount, I'd love to hear them.

Also, does anyone know how our housemates are chosen? Do the interests we listed on our applications have much weight in that?

Any pointers/stories/warnings/random utterances would be greatly appreciated.

[iud]

Always good to look at the Albany website
http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~apkweb

they have got a message board as well.

Quoting Snow White from 20:11, 10th Jul 2006
Hello, I will be spending my first year in Albany Park and am pretty excited to go. I've read the guide to Albany on the Sinner, but of course I'm still curious about what it will be like. If anyone has any firsthand experiences to recount, I'd love to hear them.

Also, does anyone know how our housemates are chosen? Do the interests we listed on our applications have much weight in that?

Any pointers/stories/warnings/random utterances would be greatly appreciated.

[Colleen]

Lived in Albany last year and I loved it to bits. I met all my best friends there. The housemate thing is the luck of the draw, but just be prepared to make tea at each other for a few days and you'll bond quick enough! The interests thing didn't seem to make much difference for us, though.

AND you get the beach. When you can walk to lectures past the sea every day, you know you're pretty lucky.

[Si]

Albany is amazing, don't believe all the rumours that you may have heard. I'm not exactly sure how housemates are chosen but it does seem to be a bit random. When I was in the first year, I was in a house with 4 second years and 1 other first year, which seems like a strange thing for RESBUS to do. Still, the second years in our house were really nice and welcoming to us Freshers and before long it felt like we had been there for ever.

Make sure that you get to as many of the Albany freshers week events as possible and you will meet lots of lovely people all wanting to meet new people as well.

So, to summarise:

Best things about Albany: [l]
[li]We're next to the beach
[li]There's no warden so we don't have to worry about any of that crap about getting permission to have a party
[li]As long as you don't spend all day in your room, it is really easy to meet people.
[li]Many more
[/l]

Not-so-good things about Albany:[l]
[li]It's not exactly the closest hall to the centre of town (actually it's really not that bad, although I admit that the walk to the North Haugh on a cold February morning isn't always fun)
[li]We don't have en suite bathrooms, heated floors, etc. like they do in DRA. But, let's face it, they're hardly necessary for life.
[li]Some of the houses aren't exactly in perfect condition (although you could be one of lucky ones who gets a newly refurbished house)
[/l]

I hope all this helps. If you have any questions then feel free to email me (st82@st-andrews.ac.uk). Me and my housemates will be in house 10 from 15th September so come and say hello if you want.

[box_of_delights]

I've never actually lived in Albany itself, but spent second year in a house opposite the park, and did the same walk to town that most Albany students do, which is either along St Mary Street and Abbey Walk, past the Byre, or you can take the lovely route which is arguably quicker along the East Sands footpath. That route is lovely at all times of year (though unlit at night so be careful you don't slide down the bank onto the beach!). It's lovely to walk to town that way and take in so many of the city's landmarks in one go (beach, harbour/pier, cathedral etc) and it's quite breathtaking during late Autumn (around Reading Week time) and the early new year when the weather can be pretty dire - the waves crashing and the gale-force winds all quite spectacular. And it really does take no more than 10 mins or so to get to town.

[hr]

http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37101440

[streakeye_con]

Albany isn't exactly a palace but it does the job and like everyone says the beach is a massive plus point - i love it. I'm quite glad that it is a wee bit away from town coz if not don't think i would have done any walking and would be a pudding by now!! It's been good enough to make me stay for a second year and freshers should be ace this year.

I think Albany is quite a social residence compared to some. I met my best mates by living with them and it was just pot luck.