New Hall

[Guest]

I have just been informed of being placed in New Hall for the semester abroad at St. Andrews (I'm from New York) and have no idea of what to expect as far as living conditions. Are most rooms in this hall singles? It appears that this is the norm for British universities. I have read before that there are en suite bathrooms. Does this mean I get my own toilet and sink? If so, that would be quite a luxury. Also, how is New Hall as far as student body, atmosphere, etc.? I'd really appreciate your commentary. Thanks!

[naomi]

basically if you go to the article at http://www.thesinner.net/article-view.php?article=20 it will tell you all you need to know!

i lived in new hall last year (in my first year), selfcatering, and i thought it was great!

[David Bean]

Chances are you'll have a single, ensuite room with a sink, toilet, shower, double bed and television. The hall itself also has its own coffee shop/widescreen TV room, and a games room where you may find table tennis, vending machines and posters exhorting you to vote for me in the last election (assuming nobody's got round to taking them down yet). Don't worry about those: they did. Anyway, last year's Hall Committee was superb, and organised a wonderful ball (for which the advertising was particularly impressive), and as a resident you'll be furnished with two free tickets to next year's effort.

On the downside, it's about a fifteen-minute walk into town, and when you first come in you'll think you've mistakenly turned up at the St Andrews leisure centre. Sometimes I think tye pump chlorine gas into the place to add to the effect. Consequently, the sense of hall community in New Hall ain't great. But despair ye not! For next door lies the hallowed grounds of a right merrie place where there ain't no snow, where the rain don't pour and the wind don't blow, in the big rock candy Melville. My advice, then is to eat and sleep in New Hall, but go to Melville when you want to make friends. The Melvillites really are the cool ones.

[hr]

"Don't ask me what you know is true, don't have to tell you, I love your precious heart. I - I was standing, you were there, two worlds collided, and they could never tear us apart" - INXS

[Pedant]

Ignore David Bean; read the Sinner article.

[alastair05]

I'm moving in there next semester, allocated there as a Fresher [img]littleicons/wineglass1.gif[/img] It's the most upmarket of the halls, and I think overall the majority of the rooms are singles, but there are a significant number shared. All the rooms have toilet/sink/shower as far as I'm aware and some are catered. I've heard there are quite a lot of overseas students staying there, particularly Americans and Chinese. I'll probably meet you next month! [img]littleicons/yellowhappyface.gif[/img]

[lapetitegecko]

Hey buddy. You will have an en-suite with shower, toilet and sink, yes. If you have a shared room, that's between two. Your contract should say if you're sharing or not. Shared rooms are a decent size, so don't worry about being cramped.

To be honest, I found New Hall to be a painfully unsociable hall. Pretty much everyone I knew in New Hall was either in my corridor or someone I'd met previously at the Christian Union. Then again, I was self-catered. If you're catered, that's almost certainly going to help you meet new people, and there's always the communal areas to hang around it.

Some people really love New Hall, so don't let one girl's view put you off it. Enjoy your stay

[Guest]

I was just wondering if there is a bus service to and from New Hall to the city centre?

If so, how frequent is it?

[n01]

nah, but lazy people take taxis.

its actually not too far a walk, 15 minutes is a bit of an exageration.

[hr]

http://standrews.thefacebook.com/profil ... d=37104508

[David]

an american staying in new hall? what an unlikely event!

[Steveo]

New Hall isn't the most 'Upmarket' of halls. I'd say that David Russell Appartments is more upmarket, I did live there. Also, St Salvators is a the nicest hall in town, more upmarket that New Hall (which looks like a prison from the outside).

The atmosphere in New Hall is a bit crap, especially compared to a good hall like Melville.

[Untraveled_Worlds]

Ignore these people. New Hall is a great hall and is very social. it doesn't seem like it because it is so big, but it really is. You can always find someone in the common room or the kitchens, and everyone is friendly. Everything is nice, and the walk to town is plesant.

Quoting from 02:00, 21st Aug 2005
I have just been informed of being placed in New Hall for the semester abroad at St. Andrews (I'm from New York) and have no idea of what to expect as far as living conditions. Are most rooms in this hall singles? It appears that this is the norm for British universities. I have read before that there are en suite bathrooms. Does this mean I get my own toilet and sink? If so, that would be quite a luxury. Also, how is New Hall as far as student body, atmosphere, etc.? I'd really appreciate your commentary. Thanks!

[hr]

Thats not a barnical... thats GRANDPA!

[Setsuna]

New Hall is fab. I'm completely socially inept and I still met lots of people (granted when i lived there it was choc full with bunk-beds, which have been completely removed).

New Hall also has a lot of Americans, it seems, and they do tend to clump together at the start of the year. New Jersey/New York people are the worst for this as they all compare schools but buck the trend and talk to everyone. The social life is good, but it is very easy to study there too. The bathrooms and showers are great(although cold water after 10pm).

Get involved with the hall. Talk to people in your corridor. Those are my biggest regrets about living there... despite knowing lots of people, half of my corridor were completely unknown to me apart from a timid 'hi'.

[ninman]

Americans just fuck off and go home where you belong.

[DrAlex]

Quoting Setsuna from 15:58, 22nd Aug 2005
although cold water after 10pm.

By the end of last year, I was taking warm showers after I came home from the bars.

There have been some serious exaggerations about New Hall, I feel. First off, I made New Hall to St Mary's (probably the longest walk to class you'll have to make as a fresher) in 12 minutes every morning. You can do it in 7 I reckon if you know the quickest route to each building (there's a quick way to South/Market and another to North). The people who said it was unfriendly are probably not very outgoing. If you want to meet people there (and arguably anywhere in the real world) you have to go out and meet people during Fresher's week, etc.

I'll be there for my second year running because I loved it. Half Londoner, half Bostonian, room 3070, I'll take you out on the town (provided you aren't a Yankees fan heh heh).

And, to quote Tolstoy, ninman "is stupid and abnormal."

[hr]

RUSH KATO '05!

rush.kato@gmail.com

[David Bean]

Quoting pedant from 09:35, 22nd Aug 2005
Ignore David Bean; read the Sinner article.

Ignore me? That's never a good idea!

[hr]

"Don't ask me what you know is true, don't have to tell you, I love your precious heart. I - I was standing, you were there, two worlds collided, and they could never tear us apart" - INXS

[DrAlex]

It's true, one time I was walking down the road and David told me to watch out, but I ignored him, and then I was abducted by aliens. I'll never forgive myself.

[hr]

RUSH KATO '05!

rush.kato@gmail.com

[Rennie]

Is there no more shared rooms in New Hall any more?

[DrAlex]

I reckon it's about 60-40 single to shared

[hr]

RUSH KATO '05!

rush.kato@gmail.com

[niall]

Quoting Rennie from 18:23, 22nd Aug 2005
Is there no more shared rooms in New Hall any more?

there should be about 5 or six, but those are big rooms anyway and have two of the normal new hall beds in them anyway

edit: ment to say, those are the ones that have always been shared rooms, obviously i dont know if they still have vertical twins!

[hr]

do you have a tastyspoon?

http://www.tastyspoon.com/forum

IMAGE:www.danasoft.com/vipersig.jpg

[Setsuna]

There are no vertical twins anymore. I think out of about 500 rooms, only about 30 are shared rooms, but they are twice the size of a normal room. I lived in one and it was great. I assume if you have an 'a' or 'b' next to your room number, you will be sharing.

I could walk to the Buchanan in about 15 minutes if i was in a real hurry. If you have a bike, it is a pain getting to classes (they are mostly uphill) BUT its pretty excellent to freewheel all the way back.