Tell me about St Andrews in Scotland

[Anonymous]

It’s also a different country w a national heath care system.

I think it’s pretty crazy that US colleges have to provide student with mental health services - or any health services. Do they have their own fire department too?

It’s a big reason for exploding tuition

I fully embrace the idea that other countries may have wraparound arrives available to them that has no bearing on if they have a student ID. We should have that head.

I also think you should be able to drop a class or a semester and get back on track, which is an issues you’re all describing. That does suck. But lack of university provided health care doesn’t bother me.

[Anonymous]

“Imperial is the MIT of the UK. St Andrews is the Elon. You do the math.“

Students graduate from Elon every year, and continue on to impressive graduate schools and/or fulfilling, useful careers, but point taken. The majority of students in the world do not aspire to MIT. St Andrews has a way to go to be on par with its American counterparts regarding student life. Like it or not- colleges and Universities DO need to be thoughtful and change with the times. Right now the times demand thoughtful support for the gaps students have caused by covid.

[Anonymous]

“I also think you should be able to drop a class or a semester and get back on track, which is an issues you’re all describing. That does suck. But lack of university provided health care doesn’t bother me.”

Exactly this- Universities should be sensitive to
keeping students enrolled right now. Not saying that St Andrews needs to staff a mental hospital on campus. They are losing almost 20 students a year due to their punitive policies around covid failures. Source- a frustrated administrator

[Anonymous]

“Quick reality check: Virtually all UK (and most US) universities responded to Covid in the same way in 2020. Those issues are far from unique to StA.”

Exactly. It’s common knowledge that lockdowns and isolation knocked students sideways everywhere. Leading Universities should be *leading* in their response to these facts. It shouldn’t be a big deal to work with a University to make up for lost time. Universities shouldn’t be part of the problem. All the research about lost generations of students etc etc..

[Anonymous]

The DC "Big3" private kids tend to really thrive at St. Andrews as they're used to academic inflexibility: no late work, no retakes etc. Plus they take cumulative midterms and finals, etc.
I have kids in both private and public and I'd be far more worried about my public school kid making it work at St. Andrews.

[Anonymous]

British schools don't believe in ADHD and all of our other diagnoses that provide additional time or other compensations like here in the states. You can't expect "wellness services" at a British school to coddle like we do.

This is just not true at St A. My student is there and gets all the accommodations (and more) that they did in US. With barely any effort besides contacting student services...which is way less hoops than my US college student. We haven't interacted much with admin on other topics, but as far as academic help for ADHD...no problem so far.

[Anonymous]

The folks in student services are wonderful. I know of three private school students who have had to leave St A in the last 3 years, not because they couldn’t handle the work, but because the admin wouldn’t forgive various protocol irregularities. These wouldn’t have been major issues to hammer out in a stateside school, but the UK approach doesn’t offer a way to work through these types of problems. They expel you, and then you can reapply if you want.

[Anonymous]

My first thought was this all sounds a little like an extreme overreaction to a problem affecting a handful of students. Then again- was the same sentiment expressed in different generations about different issues of the day? Co-education? The GI Bill? Desegregation? Title 9? It is true that the “lost generation” of covid students includes students in elementary grades who are lagging behind already. Maybe this isn’t such a niche problem on St Andrews campus or anywhere, for that matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The folks in student services are wonderful. I know of three private school students who have had to leave St A in the last 3 years, not because they couldn’t handle the work, but because the admin wouldn’t forgive various protocol irregularities. These wouldn’t have been major issues to hammer out in a stateside school, but the UK approach doesn’t offer a way to work through these types of problems. They expel you, and then you can reapply if you want.

What is a 'protocol irregularity

[Anonymous]

For example -if a student has adhd, it’s to be reported to student services ahead of time, which makes a student eligible for extra accommodations. It’s a question of *when* an illness or disability is reported that determines if a student is allowed to continue; not whether the student has recovered and is ready to continue his/her education. Illness or disability is not considered a valid excuse unless it’s reported according to protocol. But sometimes illness or disability don’t work like that. Covid weirdness created a lot of headaches around this protocol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For example -if a student has adhd, it’s to be reported to student services ahead of time, which makes a student eligible for extra accommodations. It’s a question of *when* an illness or disability is reported that determines if a student is allowed to continue; not whether the student has recovered and is ready to continue his/her education. Illness or disability is not considered a valid excuse unless it’s reported according to protocol. But sometimes illness or disability don’t work like that. Covid weirdness created a lot of headaches around this protocol

That's unfortunate. Maybe students aren't well advised in advance about the procedures? I have 3 nieces/nephews in 3 different British universities who all have their accommodations but maybe those universities advise better.

[Anonymous]

It was hard to get advice during the virtual lockdown era because it was a punitive time. I know of one case where the student was ill, but locked down in her dorm room, and not able to keep up with work. She was afraid to ask for help because she was worried she’d be taken to “covid jail”. Remember those? So her grades suffered while she rode out the flu or Covid or mono or whatever it was in her room. Remember, these were 17 and 18 year olds we are talking about, ironically she was trying to handle it all on her own- no hand holding. At the same time, because of a computer glitch in the UK, St Andrews accidentally over accepted hundreds too many undergrads. They don’t have room for them on campus so it’s an unforgiving atmosphere as far as academic appeals go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Quick reality check: Virtually all UK (and most US) universities responded to Covid in the same way in 2020. Those issues are far from unique to StA.

In 2020, true.

In 2021-22, absolutely not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

British schools don't believe in ADHD and all of our other diagnoses that provide additional time or other compensations like here in the states. You can't expect "wellness services" at a British school to coddle like we do.

This is just not true at St A. My student is there and gets all the accommodations (and more) that they did in US. With barely any effort besides contacting student services...which is way less hoops than my US college student. We haven't interacted much with admin on other topics, but as far as academic help for ADHD...no problem so far.

Not true for Edinburgh either. Everything was put in place, free meds and an executive coach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

British schools don't believe in ADHD and all of our other diagnoses that provide additional time or other compensations like here in the states. You can't expect "wellness services" at a British school to coddle like we do.

This is just not true at St A. My student is there and gets all the accommodations (and more) that they did in US. With barely any effort besides contacting student services...which is way less hoops than my US college student. We haven't interacted much with admin on other topics, but as far as academic help for ADHD...no problem so far.

It's true with all British universities. It's called Socialized Medicine. It covers some but not all ailments, as you know. And yes St. Andrews kids are enrolled in it after a certain time period. My kid in another UK university says it is awful. They don't even know the NAMES of his physical neurological conditions, much less meds (you simply can't get them - he has to take a 90++ supply with him every time he goes) much less get any sound treatment.