A Community Relations Welcome
First of all, I would like to welcome you to St Andrews, your home away from home for the coming years.
Welcome from the Design Team
Hello all! To those of you who are new at St. Andrews: Welcome! And a warm welcome back to those who are returning.
I am the current Community Relations Officer for the Students Association, or what you may know better as ‘the Union’. It is my job to coordinate all things regarding Town-Gown. I also sit on the Student Representatives Council, Student Services Council, Community Council and the Executive Committee, where I represent you, the students, within the University and town.
As the SSC Design Team Convener for The Union, I am in charge of a wonderful committee providing services such as free design, photography and Adobe workshops to students and societies. The best part? Every student is automatically a member of our society, for free! So, I want to let you know what Design Team can do for you.
I’m sure you are nervous and excited to begin your studies in ‘the bubble’. You must have a million and one things going through your head and some of the smaller but important details might slip your mind. So, we have created this handy booklet with some tips for living in St Andrews.
If you are involved in some of the societies our university has to offer, Design Team can connect you with student designers who are able to help you create any designs you may need.:From new logos to promotional material, we offer it all!
Have a wonderful time and make the greatest memories in our beautiful town of St Andrews. I look forward to meeting some of you at the freshers fayre. If you have any questions, thoughts, ideas or suggestions please do not hesitate to shoot me an email at comrels@st-andrews.ac.uk.
Best Wishes, Morgan Morris
Community Relations Officer 2nd Year Biology & Geography Student
If you are a designer, or even aspiring designer, you can join our Designers Hub to find new projects to work on and add to your portfolio. You can hone your skills at our workshops. Check out our website at: https://www.youruniondesign.net. Again, welcome to St. Andrews, and we look forward to seeing you around town!
Warmly, Mika Schmeling
SSC Design Team Convener 4th Year Computer Science & Management Student
Going Out in St. Andrews
Whether you are going to Opening Ball, FS, a society event or to the Union, going out within St Andrews can be fun in so many different ways. However, although living in this small town is so perfect for getting to and from a night out, it does mean that we need to be thoughtful of the entire community who live, study and work here. Here are a couple of do’s and don’ts so you can have a great night out without disturbing the community!
Do: Be considerate and respectful to all residents, regardless of what time it is and what you are doing. Don’t: Go onto private land or property Do: Keep noise down after the end of an event or a night out when walking around the town
Night Out Safety Tips
ID’s Always bring a UK government issued ID (driving license
Don’t: Make any kind of mess or litter around the town or at an event Do: Look out for each other and ensure everyone is safe and having a good time Don’t: Enter into events or places you have been denied access to or have not paid for
Quick Tips
• Layer up and dress appropriately for the weather • Drink lots of water and eat throughout the night • Avoid unknown areas and always be with a friend • Keep away from situations that you do not feel comfortable with • Don’t accept drinks from strangers or take drinks that were Rules of the Union A matriculation card is required for left unattended entry into the Student Union at night. Remember, the Union • Plan how to get home at the end of the night can take disciplinary action for certain actions in the Union. • Keep an eye on your friends to make sure they’re okay. Night bus A free night bus run 7 days a week starting • It is illegal to drink alcohol, or have open containers of from 10pm to 2am. The route starts from the library at alcohol, in public in St Andrews 10pm then proceeds to Albany Park, Lamond Drive and Largo Road, David Russell Apartments, Agnes Blackadder Hall More information on Union policies, rules and disciplinary and Student Union Building before returning to the Library on action can be found at: North Street. The night bus only operates during the school https://www.yourunion.net/union/policiesandprocedures/ term. or BRP card) or passport (not recommended) and matriculation card whenever you go out. You may be required to provide ID when buying a drink if you look under the age of 25.
Academic Families
It is traditional for freshers to be ‘adopted’ into academic families at the beginning of term. Academic families are made up of a number of freshers and one or two third year students who will be your academic parents.
Raisin Weekend What is Raisin?
Raisin is celebrated on Sunday 21 October and Monday 22 October. On Raisin Sunday your academics parents will host celebrations all day. The largest foam fight in the world takes place at Lower College Lawn on Raisin Monday at 11am. Most students wear costumes selected by their academic parents to the foam fight.
Tips
Raisin is just like any other day, remember to drink plenty of water and to eat. • Stay with others. • You can enjoy Raisin without drinking! • You do not have to do everything your academic parents tell you to do • Don’t be afraid to say no • You are in control of knowing your limits. Do not be afraid to tell people when you have had enough. • Avoid going to unknown areas Photos: Harry Gunning
May Dip Photo: Henry Memmott What is May Dip?
May Dip is a tradition where students run into the North Sea at sunrise on the first day of May. For safety, students are allowed to participate only on East Sands. Many students host celebrations throughout the night.
Take care of the beach
• Pick up after yourself • Leaving rubbish is hazardous to the students, residents, and animals of St Andrews
Bonfires
• Make sure all bonfires are extinguished before heading home • The use of fireworks are not encouraged
Be Responsible
• Stay hydrated • Stay with a friend • Stay warm, layer up
Be Mindful
• Most of the residents will be asleep so try to keep a noise to a minimum • Speakers of any kind are not allowed on East Sands
Soakings
Soakings are celebrated for final year students after their last exam. • Remember to pick up after yourself • Only use water (sparkling water is fine!) • Stick to University property • Carry your Matriculation Card at all times • Glitter is not encouraged as it is a hazard to the environment If you are found to be soiling the beach, the water, or leaving piles of rubbish around the town, the University and Students’ Association will take disciplinary action
Photo: James Montgomery
Getting around St. Andrews
Walking is the easiest way and arguably the most enjoyable way to travel around St Andrews. When walking in St Andrews, please be considerate of other pedestrians and road users. Roads around St Andrews are fast and some drivers fail to adjust their speed. Please use caution when crossing the road and use pedestrian crossings when available. DO NOT cross over a roundabout. This is extremely dangerous. As winter approaches, consider wearing reflective clothing when walking at night. After settling in to life in St Andrews you may consider buying a bike to make travelling around St Andrews easier. For a full list of road rules and laws, see the Highway Code. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code
Car Parking
If you have brought your car to St Andrews, you will need a permit to park in student parking. You can obtain this here: https://portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/carparking/. The permit allows you free parking at Agnes Blackadder Hall, the David Russell/Fife Park complex and Albany Park. A majority of street parking is pay and display, so make sure you pay at the meter to avoid a ticket. St Andrews can be very congested so try and walk or cycle as much as possible. Photo: Sanay Fatullayeva
Cycle Saftey Do’s:
• Use cycle paths and cycle lanes on roads if available • Have lights for your bike. By law, you MUST have white front and red rear lights lit at night. • Wear a helmet and bright, reflective clothing • Be considerate of other road users and pedestrians • Remember, all road rules that apply to cars also apply to cyclists
Cycle Saftey Don’ts:
• Cycle on footpaths. It is against the law. • Forget to purchase a lock for your bike • Cycle after drinking alcohol When you’re out and about on the road and spot any non-emergency issues such as potholes be sure to report it to Fife Council at: https://www.fifedirect.org.uk/lagan/roadfault/
Accomodation Subcommittee Hi, My name is Lucy and I’m your SRC Accommodation Officer for this Academic year. Along with my subcommittee I am here to help you with all your questions about accommodation in St Andrews whether University Halls or private accommodation. Please have get in touch by email at srcaccommodation@st-andrews.ac.uk if you have any queries and remember to give our Facebook page, Accommodation St Andrews, a like!
Moving Out
It may be premature to speak about this now, but the time will come around very quickly. Make sure to be respectful of your neighbors and try not to cause any unnecessary disturbances. If you have any belongings you don’t need, donate them to St. And-Reuse. Remember to change your contact information and addresses as needed. Step 1: Make sure all furniture is back in its original place! Step 2: Leave your room clean to ensure a refund of your deposit! Step 3: Report damages; including cracks, stains, broken furniture, etc. Step 4: Return all keys, including duplicates!
Storage
There are a few different storage options within the St. Andrews area that provide students with storage through summer break. Different companies will have different restrictions or variations in pricing for luggage, golf clubs, bikes, etc. Boxes tend to be the cheapest option.
St. Andrews Storage Company +44 7902 502656 FREE STANDARD BOXES, TAPE, PICKUP, DELIVERY They also offer discounts for recommending a friend or using them more than once. Lucy Frances Allat
SRC Accomodation Officer
note: BIG SPACE is NOT permitted on University grounds
Local Student Storage
localstudentstorage@gmail.com +447494972641 All prices are for the whole summer.
Storage St. Andrews +44 7854 0283329
Tips of the Town and General Services
Bus Services: There is a bus station on City Road, on the way
into St Andrews. From here, you can catch buses out of town, or around the town. All routes can be found on the Stagecoach website: https://www.stagecoachbus.com/timetables. Train services: The nearest train service is from Leuchars Station, which is around ten minutes away by bus (99 service). All train times and prices can be found on the trainline website: https://www.thetrainline.com.
Taxi Phone Numbers:
There are a lot of taxi companies in St Andrews. Here are some numbers for them: Golf City Taxis: 01334 477788 G&A St Andrews Taxis: 01334 871030 H M Taxis: 01334 474700 Williamsons Taxis: 01334 476787 Independent Taxis: 01334 477777 Club cars: 01334 479900 St Andrews Taxis: 01334 477272
Airport Shuttles:
St Andrews shuttle service (https://www.standrewsshuttle. com/) provide a door to door shuttle service to Edinburgh airport. Prices start from £19. This is the cheapest way to travel between St Andrews and Edinburgh Airport. There are many groups on Facebook where you can book shuttles, but remember always make sure you are using a licensed taxi/shuttle. Drivers who do not have these may not have valid insurance, putting you in danger.
Locations of Services Post Offices: WHSmith on South Street. Banks: It can be a good idea to get your bank account set up online if possible, or if not to wait until after Freshers week as banks can be very busy during this time. There are RBS, Bank of Scotland, TSB, Barclay’s, Nationwide and Santander branches all on the main streets of St Andrews (Market Street, Bell Street, South Street and Church Street). Pharmacies: There is a pharmacy at Morrisons, Lloyds Pharmacy (Both on Largo Road), and one in Boots (on Market Street).
Bin Services
For students in private accommodation, it’s important to know when your bins will be emptied. There are four bins: blue for landfill waste, grey for paper and cardboard, green for plastics and cans, and brown for food and garden waste. The Bin Collection Calendar can be found on the Fife Council website: https://www.fifedirect.org.uk/env_bins/index. cfm
General Behaviour In Town
Be respectful of the locals who live here. Since we are not a campus university, a lot of us will live outside the centre of town. This means we need to think of the locals a little more. Introduce yourself to your neighbours and let them know before you hold a party – it will be a much better year if you are on good terms with them. If you are respectful and consider whether your plans will impact anyone else, then you can have fun without any issues!
Park Run for Fitness
Park run is a community 5K run at Craigtoun park, and it’s free to join. Just register online if you want to know your time: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/register/ This is a great way to keep fit, and to integrate into the town.
St. Andrews Day
Make sure to check out the St. Andrews Day Celebrations. From Ceilidh dancing to traditional Scottish pipers, you will be able to experience the essence of Scottish culture. Honouring Scottish tradition and the Patron Saint of Scotland, St. Andrews day is celebrated throughout the country, especially in the town he gave his name to.
Environment Subcommittee
The Environment Sub-Committee serves to promote sustainability and environmental consciousness throughout the University and town. We work with hall representatives to run inter-hall energy competitions and monitor food waste in the dining halls. The committee has accomplished a lot within the last few years. We have eliminated the use of plastic straws and introduced biodegradable coffee cups in The Union. This year, we intend to do a lot more by collaborating with groups and societies all over the university. We are the voice of the University when it comes to environmental issues and hold many events each year to allow students to get involved and see how they can make changes-both big and small-to improve their carbon footprint and quality of life. It is our goal to improve St Andrews’ sustainability ranking in the Green League table rankings within the UK. If you’d like to get involved, or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email eande@st-andrews. ac.uk and give our Facebook Pages a like: St Andrews Environment Subcommittee and St Andrews Green Week.
Lauren Davis
Environment Officer 3rd Year Geography & Management Student
Sustainability Events: Semester 1
Freshers Fayre: Come and meet the team. We’re hosting a stall with
information and a sign up sheet to get involved with us, as well as giving out free merchandise to promote sustainability (limited supply!)
Week 2: Meet the Environment Groups within St Andrews - The StAge Week 4: Green Week: the biggest event hosted by the sub-committee;
it is part of a national week of action on climate change engaging people and the local community through a week of activities. It raises awareness for practical local projects and solutions which you can get involved with in order to make a low-carbon future a reality. Green Week runs over seven days in Week Four (October 8-14). If you participate, you are able to organize any kind of event you desire as long as it is focused on, or helps, the environment.
Get involved and start planning an event with us today!! We have ample resources to make major changes within St Andrews.
Interested and dedicated to improving your carbon footprint? Are you wanting to change the way you eat or simply get more information on how to live sustainably? The Environment Subcommittee works with various groups to host skills shares, information sessions, movie nights, book clubs and speakers. All of them brining unique viewpoints about the fragility of the Earth and the importance of taking action to ensure we can live sustainably both now and in the future. We are still in the process of planning our events and are flexible and always looking for more people to get involved!
Quick Contact Guide
Photo: The Saint Student Newspaper and Mika Schmeling
Community Relations Officer: comrels@st-andrews.ac.uk
First point of contact in the Student Association for anything regarding Community. Design Team: sadt@st-andrews.ac.uk Student Association Design and Marketing: sadesignmail@st-andrews.ac.uk Environment Officer: eande@st-andrews.ac.uk Accomodation Officer: : lfa2@st-andrews.ac.uk Student Association President: president@st-andrews.ac.uk Community Council Chairperson: callummac@aol.com Community Groups:: https://www.fifedirect.org.uk/yourtown/
Police Nonemergency Line: 101 Police Emergency Line: 999 Medical Nonemergency Line: 111
Created by The Community Relations Committee with The Environment Subcommittee. Designed by the SSC Design Team. Printed by Student Associations Design and Marketing. Photos by Mika Schmeling (unless otherwise stated)