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Quick Tips

Travelling independently and living across the Atlantic can be challenging. (Especially if it’s your first time like mine.) Here are quick tips and reminders:

First, do not forget to get a new sim card or switch to an international plan. Vodafone will be you best friend. It’s located on Market Street right in the center of town.

Check in on your medical history and update any prescriptions. Ordering a supply for a nine month period can alleviate any stress of accessing them later on. Scotland provides free healthcare with an emergency room located within the city. I broke my foot during the Spring and I felt very accommodated with a short wait period.

Routinely check your emails from HC and the university. In the Spring, you’re still responsible for picking your courses and housing situation.

If you love coffee, like I do, try the Pret subscription. You get 5 drinks a day and it refreshes 30 minutes after a use. My go-to order is a hot caramel latte.

Expect the weather to be overcast and rainy. You end up appreciating the sun so much more. As a New Englander you won’t be surprised by this, but the rain is a lot heavier. So, maybe bring an umbrella or water-resistant jacket.

Your mental well-being is very important! For many, this will be the first time you’re traveling away from home and experiencing a full year in solitude. The community here is very strong with different areas of interest. As I reflect on my time, joining Amnesty International, HASTA, and attending Fresher events opened me to new friendships. Make sure your therapist can also access you through Telehealth! Develop coping mechanisms are crucial in establishing healthy habits. As a C.O.P.E peer educator, you can always reach out to CAPS and use the OASIS app.

Remember to check in on your parents/guardians and tell them you love them.

I hope you have a great time and congratulations on your acceptance to St Andrews! Please feel free to contact me, I can be reached at kphan25@g.holycross.edu.

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Golf at St Andrews

At the home of Golf, there are a variety of ways to get exposure to the sport. I’ll explain here more about private lessons, the courses, and the nature of tourism.

Private Lessons at the Academy
I was able to afford lessons over the course of the semester. My instructor was very knowledgable and catered to my skill sets. While also strengthening the basics and learning new techniques. The driving range is highly equipped and spacious, which makes for a fun activity to go with your friends. In my experience, I would hit balls after lectures to clear my head. You can also expect a student discount which helps a lot with affording to play.

Old Course
The Old Course is beautiful. It’s very integral with the town and culture at St Andrews. You’re able to walk through it during closures and I enjoyed watching from the Road Hole Bar located in the Old Course Hotel.

Nature of Tourism
The golf seasons brings in various crowds to the town. You can expect to see professionals and your favorite celebrities around the block. During the peaks, we experienced a lot of people visiting the town so expect a busy Market Street.

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Friendship and Culture

In this post, I’ll be writing about my experience with the social culture in Scotland, while telling you about my favorite experiences forming friendships and getting adopted into an academic family.

Fresher’s week helped a lot with making friendships but most importantly were the spontaneous interactions I had on bus rides, study abroad advising, and in my dorm hallways. For me, the hardest social aspect has been maintaining friendships. On the hill, you’re running with your friend group because the campus is essentially a circle. In contrast, St As is majorly an international institution so they attract students from all over the globe. While living in the town and on the outskirts. There are not many dormitories that are as tightknit in comparison to Easy Street or off campus housing.

Additionally, you’re integrated with not just undergrads, but master students and PhD candidates as well. I’ve made memorable memories and friendships through grabbing coffee and scones, golfing, and even in class. Some of which are my mentors and aspirations to be. They have helped me stay grounded when I felt overwhelmed and lost in my own path of what I wanted to do.

Some major highlights have been attending Welly Ball and having an academic family. Throughout the year there will be balls hosted by charity committees that helps with building a network of friends. Welly is known for its black-tie attire paired with rainboots. It was an experience, and I would recommend trying at least one of these socials once.

During the first week of being on campus, I was with the Holy Cross girls on East Sands when a stranger sprinted towards us asking if we were seeking fathers. Don’t fret, this is very common because of a long running tradition at St As. Each year first years and any newcomers are adopted and guided by upper classmen to be a part of a family. You typically participate in Raisin week and May Dip that take part during the school breaks. Read more about traditions here!

 

Happy New Years!

Karen

Empire Shawarma
I lost my digital camera, but I would recommend investing in one to take with you one nights where you want to save some memories. My favorite are ones from Empire.
Halloween!!
Yes, they do celebrate Halloween at St As!
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Academics and Societies

This post summarises my academic experiences and describes the societies I joined!

To start, the equivalent of enrollment for HC occurs during fresher’s week known there as advising. It occurs during the introductory week where you’ll get off the plane and get the most important things done. One of which is picking your courses (modules) for the year with a small window to change. My advice is to look at the class catalog beforehand and then make changes through the school.

This fall semester, I have taken two modules towards art history. They were “Cultures of Collection and Display” and “Approaches to Persian Painting.” Although every school at the university is different in terms of how class schedules are structured, you’re exposed to a seminar and lecture environment quite equally. Truthfully, there’s a lot less small, graded assignments each week with more emphasis on heavier papers and projects. By the time midterm and finals weeks rolls by, you’re really just depending on projects, papers, and presentations to carry much of your grade (at least from a humanities POV).

This concept is very different to the Holy Cross curriculum and should be considered when you’re deciding on what academic path you’re choosing. I knew that this was an opportunity for me to expand on museum studies and take initiative of the departmental advantages that Holy Cross is more limited in. For me, my modules are upper levels (4000-5000), which I’ve experienced smaller class sizes, actively engaged conversations in class, and 3-4 readings per class every week, and no recorded lectures. However, for some that are interested in exploring a variety of subjects, taking introductory and lower levels (1000-3000) might be better to give you time to adjust to the academic and social scene.

On the other hand, there’s a lot of societies to join at your time in St Andrews. I’m a writer for the Scotland section for HASTA. It’s the art history magazine run by art history students. I’ve also joined an advisory panel for the St Andrews Museums. Throughout the semester I attend events hosted by Amnesty International and Capture Collective. There’s committees and general membership so it’s based on your own agency to pick the level of commitment you’re interested in. I’ve found the start to third year to be really quiet despite the consistent changes. There’s much more time to contemplate your calling and develop interests more genuinely.

At HC, I’m still maintaining roles on the committee for the Hanify-Howland Memorial Lecture Series and as a C.O.P.E peer educator. I do miss my friends and staff at the libraries and Cantor Art Gallery, but I know they’ll still be there when I get back.

Tartan Exhibition at the V&A in Dundee
For my museum studies course, one of our assignments was to visit a temporary exhibition and write a review. I chose “Tartan” because it’s related to fashion and a part of Scotland culture I didn’t know much about. The course was about understanding the practical development of museum institutions and art collecting in relation to the history of colonization.
Topping & Company Booksellers of St Andrews
Topping and Co. is my favorite bookstore, it has everything you need. Sometimes they offer you tea or coffee and you can browse for hours. Oftentimes the hustle culture at Holy Cross prevents me from developing my hobbies and interest for reading. But since I’ve started at St As, I’ve been able to read for fun and study at the same time. Novel titles I’ve read: “Watching Women and Girls” by Danielle Pender and “I’m a Fan” by Sheena Patel.

See you later,

Karen

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Greetings from St Andrews

Hi!

Thanks so much for making a pitstop to my blog. My name is Karen and I’ll be detailing my experiences at the University of St Andrews located in a small coastal town, Fife, in Scotland. To preface, I’m currently a third-year visual art history and international studies double major focusing on European conflict and resolution.

My hopes are that I treat this as a diary and brochure so you can enjoy quick guides, stories, sights and advice on life and academics at St Andrews. These include my favorite places to dine, bus rides into Edinburgh, academic families, golfing, the Pret monthly subscription, societies, balls, and the memorable friendships.

Initially, I was interested in the university and the UK for its highly regarded education. However, I ultimately chose Holy Cross for its study abroad program and the proximity to my hometown. As the semester concludes, I’ve been grateful for the chance to delve into a greater range of courses at the School of Art History and International Relations.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the application process, academic compatibility, or activities!

Cheers,

Karen

Snippet of St Andrews

St Salvator's Quad
Glimpse of St Salvator’s Quadrangle, surrounded are a few of the Schools. Off the road, you’ll be on the Scores heading towards the beaches.
East Sands
East Sands beach at sunset! I normally go on walks and collect seashells. In the distance you can see the ruins of St Andrews Cathedral.
St Mary's Library
St Mary’s library is my favorite place to study on an overcast day. Sometimes I run into Ester ’25 before class!!
St Andrews Harbour
Just the St Andrews harbour, another great location with a fish and chips restaurant located to the left. Ellen ’25 loves this place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wardlaw Museum
If you ever come to visit, the campus has a few museums around town. One of which is Wardlaw with a balcony view of West Sands beach pictured here.
Kinnessburn River
The Kinnessburn River here sits right off the hall that Kelly ’25 and I reside at. There’s some ducks that live here and we always see them on our way home from Morrisons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

East Sands at Lowtide
East Sands beach at lowtide! There’s a coastal path and one that the hiking society takes frequently.
Edinburgh City View
Edinburgh is the main city centre about a 2 hour bus ride away from Fife. This was taken at the castle.

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