St Andrews living costs?

GlasweJen

I've got an interview at St Andrews for medicine and i'm looking at the cost of living. The tables on their website are quite confusing because their hall prices don't include subscriptions so i'm not sure how much my rent will actually be. Does any St Andrews student know roughly how much this fee is?

Also i don't drive and would like to transfer my job up there so how easy is it to get from St Andrews to the local big asda (the store search says 10.5 miles but i was looking for info like is there a bus service that goes direct to asda)?

Is halls the cheaper option or can I rent a room/flat there quite cheaply? I don't mind sharing as I did that all through my current degree with no real issues.

In terms of living costs how expensive is st andrews for food and the basics?

Any info would be a real help.

La-Cara

when you say the local Asda, do you mean the stores in Dundee? I think there are at least two, and I'm pretty sure there is a big one to the north of the city that you can get a bus directly to. However, I think you would need to get a bus from St Andrews to Dundee, then change in Dundee city centre, which might take some time.
In St Andrews itself, there's a decent size Morrisons, and also an Aldi. I think the nearest Lidl is in Cupar, about 7 miles away, you can probably get a bus there.
As far as accommodation is concerned, I think it's pretty expensive to rent privately but I'm not sure how it compares to the uni halls.
One more thing that I should mention is despite it's popularity as a tourist resort, St Andrews has no train station, the nearest is Leuchars.

I'm sure someone who knows more about the town/uni will have more exact advice for you!

GlasweJen

yeah it's ASDA dundee, i'm an asda optical assistant so i'd need to go to another asda and apparently the big asda in dundee has an optical department.

oldsongsnewstereo

I don't go to St Andrews myself but this is what i've heard from good friends there- that halls are significantly cheaper than private. Also with halls, the rooms are big but you have to share a room with another student in your first year.

As for shopping and travel, I have no idea about food but apparently there's only 3 decent places to go for a drink which all close between midnight and 1am with the cheapest drink you'll find being a pint of Tenants at £2.80! My transport knowledge is limited though I know there is a very good bus link between the town and Leuchars train station.

Edit: Just remembered that one of my friends told me at the pub that Morrisons is a bit more expensive than some of the other branches and the St A's Aldi is heaven sent.

pogofish

There was also a Tesco on the high St the last time I was there & a good variety of local shops that still offered good quality fresh alternatives, at a price of course.

The charity shops were well above average quality as well.

GlasweJen

well that's always good to know. I'll be part-paying my own fees (about £2500 per year) so i wont have much cash to splash hence me wanting to try keep my job at asda at all costs.

pogofish

My memory of Dundee ASDAs is a bit hazy but IIRC, the big one is over by the A92 roundabout at the end of the Kingsway. So getting to it is fairly straightforward if you drive, you just cross the bridge, turn right at the roundabout & keep to the bypass in the Arbroath/Carnoustie direction. Dundee's big Tesco is the other way - Left once you are over the bridge.

The most consistantly cheaper petrol station in the area is also on that roundabout. A pal lives along the Arbroath road & makes the effort to use it.

As you don't drive, it might be time to learn. I'm afraid the public transport in that area is b.awful, especially late at night.

GlasweJen

i can't learn i'm medically disqualified

pogofish

Blast!

Maybe try hunting around for a liftshare or similar? IIRC, the student centre/community at St Andrews is still pretty active, unlike many other Scottish Unis, so you will hopefully find someone else in the same area.