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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I hope things have improved at UK universities. I was a grad student at St.Andrews a while back, & the dorm food was pretty bad by US standards.

They apparently hadn’t gotten the memo on fruits and vegetables. The diet was heavy on meat, potatoes, & bread. I developed that malady for which one takes Preparation H. I went to a local doctor there, & she said that the university food caused that sort of unpleasantness in quite a few students (which explained why they didn’t have a rodeo team).

Also, I was my dorm’s representative to the residence hall oversight committee. During the winter the undergrad dorm representatives were pleading for the administration to allow heat in their dorms to be left on at night. [/quote]

Things have definitely improved since the 1970s.  :roll: [/quote]

Lived in St Andrews dorms recently. Food was fine, certainly got the job done, and it accommodated vegans, food allergies, and other dietary requirements. There were homemade entrees and side dishes, with meat and vegan options, and then an array of fresh fruit and veg, a salad bar, coffee and drink machines, at every meal. It's not an insane ultra-luxury US college dining hall, but that type of amenity is unnecessary and is part of why college is so expensive in the USA.

The dorms (or "halls" as they're called in the UK) were adequately heated, had nice finishes, and common areas regularly cleaned, room carpets vacuumed by the cleaning staff. A good number of private shower and toilet cubicles—no communal—and each dorm room had a sink for brushing teeth. Some halls at St Andrews have ensuite bathrooms.

No RAs, no frills really, but a small budget given to each hall's committee, an elected body which plans events for the hall. They used this for parties, events, and provision of snacks and alcohol on occasion. The halls at St Andrews have a great community spirit, and even though most students move out after first year, they'll feel a sense of loyalty and connection to their hall. Unfortunately, some of the more newly-built halls (DRA) are worse in the sense of community aspect—their design doesn't foster it in the way that older or better-designed halls do. I hope the University looks to the likes of St Sallies, St Regs, Uni Hall, etc. when looking for models to base further dorm construction projects off of.[/quote]

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