Maya, Level 3 Astrophysics, 2011
I came from my home in
Bulgaria to St Andrews three years ago without knowing what to expect.
It was my first time in the UK and I was just hoping that I would
get used to the completely new environment easily. I was really
pleasantly surprised when I found out that everybody around me was
extremely friendly and helpful. I am a slightly shy person but during
my first few weeks at university I managed to make a few new friends.
St Andrews has a very international atmosphere, which makes it easy
for the new students from outside the UK to feel more at home.
I chose this university simply because I wanted a good education
in physics and astronomy. The approach to teaching here is a bit
different from what I have seen back in my country. I love the fact
that everybody makes sure that you understand the things that they
are teaching you. There are always people you can ask for help and
staff members are very approachable. The challenges in studying
are also of a different nature. It took me quite a while to get
used to the lab exercises for example because I had never done any
of these before. We also had a few group projects which put us in
more or less real research situations. I personally found these
very useful and satisfying, since I am hoping to do research after
I finish studying.
As I said, I came to St Andrews just because it was a good university
but it turned out that there was so much more to it. There are various
clubs and societies for example, which are an ideal place for meeting
people with similar interests. I personally joined the Aikido Club
and it turned out to be an amazing experience for me, and I made
a lot of friends there. To all the students who are coming to study
here I can only recommend to get involved in as many things as possible.
It is a unique experience.
First published 23.8.11