Jassel Majevadia came from her home in Essex into our second year physics class as a "direct entry" student in 2004. She is pictured below in the second year photonics lab exploring the polarisation of light.

"I’m in my first year at St. Andrews and am a direct entry student to level two physics. Being thrown in at pretty much the deep end, I have found the course quite challenging but very interesting which keeps me hooked! The helpful teaching staff and lecturers have made understanding what would be out of this world ideas rather simple and so elegant. When I completed one of the most difficult modules, Oscillations and Waves, I found that something incredibly rewarding about this subject is the fact that I can look at some maths on a page (a foreign language to some people) and can see the physical phenomenon it describes and understand what’s happening perfectly.

My choice of university was based on two things: academic quality and scenery. So I found exactly what I was looking for here, and more. Because everything is so close in the town area it isn’t at all difficult to get about. Getting a view of the sea, the beach and the huge span of golf courses on my walk up to the physics building every morning reminds me how lucky I am to be here. One of the most wonderful things about St Andrews is in fact the people, everyone is in the same boat but they are all so different which makes it all the more wonderful getting to know them. You can see about ten different people you know whilst walking down a two minute stretch of road and end up taking ten minutes to get to the end! There is always something to do up here whether it’s sports, societies, music or even going down to the pub for a drink.

Some of the trademark St Andrews social events include the Opening Ball and Raisin Weekend. On Raisin weekend you get a party at your "academic mum’s" house and then take part in the most wild and hilarious foam fight in St. Salvator’s quad the next morning. The academic family system* is pretty unique to St Andrews and people tend to wonder what I mean by “academic” dad!

I have never regretted attending St Andrews and don‘t think I ever will. I have a feeling that the next few years at St Andrews are going to be some of the most rewarding of my life."

 

*The St Andrews "academic family" is a student-organised optional social activity. Those entrant students who wish to do so, search for a willing third or fourth year student to be their "academic mother" and "academic father". Through these people entrant students meet other entrant students as their "academic brothers and sisters" and also more established students who might be their "academic uncles and aunts". This is a tradition that has been going on for many years, and is just one way in which entrant students can rapidly get to meet a wide selection of people. Those students who take accelerated entry into our level-two physics class do not miss out on the fun. In their year of entry they are entitled to all the things that entrant students are up to, but in their next year they can suddenly become an academic parent if they wish to.

BDS 27.7.05