USAC Scotland: St Andrews - Full Curriculum

St. Andrews, Scotland is called The Bubble because of its location. It a tiny, 3 main street university town with a lot of things to do within and around St. Andrews. The curriculum and academics in St. Andrews were beyond phenomenal. Professors immersed themselves in the topic and had a passion for what they were discussing. The food was exceptional. There were so many options and many of them were local. The accommodations, pricey, but well worth it. I loved living in David Russel Apartments because despite the 30 minute walk to the plaza, it was a beautiful walk and the apartments were quiet enough to study in. St. Andrews is an amazing town, not only because of its outstanding university but also because of the traditions that you inherit when you become a student. I was living and studying in a place with over 600 years of history and many weird, but amusing, traditions to follow. It was also relatively easy to get to other cities or countries from St. Andrews, too.

I spent a semester in St. Andrews wandering the adorable streets and studying in the cutest coffee shops. The classes were interactive and challenging in a way that made me grow my academic knowledge and made me a better student. I got to travel around Scotland via train and car, exploring all of the amazing landmarks and historical sites that have shaped the life of the Scots. I had the most amazing time on the field trips put on by USAC, and I was able to make lifelong friends with others in this program also at St. Andrews. The leaders of the trips hired by USAC were charming and engaging, letting us play our own music in the vans and giving us insider tips about how best to travel around Scotland. My accommodation was in university housing; I was in the dorm St. Salvator's which just so happens to be the same dorm that Prince William and Princess Kate stayed in while they were at St. Andrews, so that was pretty amazing. Not to mention all of the outstanding events the hall put on including a Harry Potter themed dinner, a ball, and hall sports! I had the time of my life in St. Andrews and am already planning my trip back to Scotland! I 10/10 recommend studying in this unbelievably gorgeous and inviting country!! How can this program be improved? The first field trip I took as part of the USAC program was quite disorganised. The leader of the trip was not the same person as we had been told in the emails, so we were all a little confused at first. Also, upon arrival to St. Andrews, the communication between USAC and me was pretty much nonexistent. I was fine with this as I was able to gain a lot of independence and figure things out for myself, but it would have been nice to have a little bit more of a connection with the USAC employee about getting around St. Andrews and my resources there.

Scotland holds many historical castles, stunning coasts, and unique people. They also have a large amount of fields, sheltering fluffy cows with large horns. My time abroad allowed me to meet like minded people, being at an elite university. I was able to engulf myself is rare opportunities, such as participating in an archery competition older than the United States. I was fortunate enough to travel all across Europe, visiting places like Vienna, Budapest, and Versailles. I made friends from all over the world and broadened my understanding of the human condition. I ate haggis, and learned I didn’t like haggis! I ran into the North Sea to wash away academics sins on the first sunrise of May — a yearly tradition. I fell in love with a little seaside town. I wandered the hills around St Andrews with people from four nationalities before we found some highland cows and had a picnic. Take a leap. Be bold. Make some memories. Enjoy it!