Alumni Voices: Looking Back at a St Andrean Education

By Editor 6 years ago

Twenty years on, a graduate remembers.

I first went up to St Andrews more than 20 years ago, in the autumn of 1996. I’d been through the wringer a little bit; two years previously, I had gone up to Oxford to study classics at the age of 16, had crashed out spectacularly then spent a gap year largely watching This Morning with Richard and Judy, before getting back on the saddle.

Why St Andrews? Well, Scotland was the obvious choice; my family are Scots, so I applied to all the ancients (except Aberdeen – I’m not mad) and I had a great childhood friend who’d attended and loved St Andrews. Glasgow was a strong contender, my father’s alma mater; Edinburgh declined to respond to my application. But I knew St Andrews a little it too, having visited, and the small-town mentality and closeness of it appealed to me, more so than the big-city bustle of Glasgow.

Photo: Historic Environment Scotland

All of this, you must remember, was pre-Prince William. (He arrived when I was already a postgraduate, and I hoped I might luck into tutoring him – but the powers-that-be had other plans for our future sovereign.) St Andrews was respectable, and very venerable, but mid-table in academic terms. Of course, we had the marvellous Sir Kenneth Dover as Chancellor, probably the finest Greek scholar the UK has ever produced but also known nearly universally as “Dirty Ken” due to some choice recollections in his autobiography. Student numbers were about 6,000, give or take, and there was a comforting sense of community.

Why do I tell you all of this, I hear you cry? I was at St Andrews for eight years (don’t ask about the PhD), and commuted once a week to teach for a ninth year. So I know the old town well. And I noticed a change. I’ve continued to notice it when I, all too infrequently, get the chance to revisit. When I was a bejant, people generally fell into one of two groups: the first, a small one, were locals, Fifers who went to St Andrews because it was the local university (and, bluntly, better than Dundee). The second, larger, group consisted of people who were bright but not quite good enough for Oxford or Cambridge, but who wanted the lustre and the traditions of an old (very old) university. (Q: How many St Andrews students does it take to change a lightbulb? A: CHANGE??!) I had proven myself firmly in the second camp by my defenestration, and that was fine by me. It was a comfortable cohort into which I could settle.

Tradition is comfort, of course, for very many people. A dear friend of mine from university days once quipped that in St Andrews, anything which happened twice was a tradition, and the phrase came to be part of student lore. I enjoyed formal hall dinners, and chapel on a Sunday morning when I could be bothered (I’m Jewish but I’d bought my gown and liked wearing it), and, most of all, my beloved Debating Society, which I sought three times to lead and was each time defeated. The old buildings were a delight, and still are, and I loved tutorials in St John’s House on South Street or in Swallowgate on Butts Wynd; I loved the stories of a townsman killing a fellow burgher by accident when practising his archery; and Lower Parliament Hall may only have housed the Scottish Parliament very briefly, when Edinburgh was plague-ridden, but still it had antiquity. I should have spent more time in the divinity library, even if I wasn’t studying divinity, but I still cherish my memories of St Mary’s and wandering past Queen Mary’s Hawthorn.

I don’t know what it’s like now, but in my day lectures were not compulsory. No records were taken, no roll call. Tutorials were, of course, required, but for the most part you were left to your own devices. I probably went to three-quarters of the lectures offered, and had some brilliant lecturers: David Allan was first-class on Scottish history, Richard Savile knew more about the development of banking than was healthy, frankly, Hugh Kennedy on the Crusades was a tour de force and my eventual supervisor, Andrew Pettegree, was quiet and understated but presented the Protestant Reformation with cold, clear analysis that was impossible to fault.

Photo: Visit Scotland

But here’s my point. The academic work was what you were there for, of course, and it was intellectually enriching. It was not, however, the be-all and end-all. You had leisure time. Some of this was taken up with academic-related pursuits: the good tutors and lecturers made you want to read and discover more. Some was not. There was – I hope there still is – a thriving student society scene, from the Debating Society to the James Bond Society, from the Anime Society to Blind Mirth. There was SO much to do. And, my God, we did.

I took a fairly conventional course; I was an active debater, and I stood for several positions in the Students’ Association, to the extent that the fledgling student newspaper, The Saint (does it still exist?), described me as an “old-school hack”. As it happens, I was only successful once in a campus-wide election. I ran unopposed, and beat RON by two to one. But a win is a win, hey?

Photo: Pixabay

My worry, which has grown since I left and is reinforced every time I revisit, is that students aren’t as active these days. I know all the arguments which will be thrown up. Academic performance is more important than ever now. The University has moved up the league tables and is now world-class (in which I take vicarious pride). Students are paying for their education and want their money’s worth. All of this I understand.

What concerns me is that generations – and, Jesus, it is now generations since I went up – are attending a learning factory. That is necessary, but not sufficient. I’ve long believed that if you leave university the same person you arrived, then you’ve wasted your time. Those lucky and able enough to go through higher education should of course be transformed by the experience, not just become better informed. When I arrived in north-east Fife in September 1996, I was a shy, introverted 18-year-old with severely battered intellectual confidence. When I left in 2004, I had made my best friends in the world, knew my way around dinner-party conversation and could hold a room of 200 people in the palm of my hand. That’s no accident. That’s what my university education did for me.

Comments

comments

Tags:

44 thoughts on “Alumni Voices: Looking Back at a St Andrean Education”

  2. I was suggested this website by my cousin. I am not sure whether this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my difficulty. You are incredible! Thanks!

    Reply

  4. This is really attention-grabbing, You are an overly professional blogger. I’ve joined your rss feed and sit up for in search of more of your fantastic post. Also, I have shared your site in my social networks!

    Reply

  5. Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point. You obviously know what youre talking about, why throw away your intelligence on just posting videos to your blog when you could be giving us something enlightening to read?

    Reply

  8. Thanks for your post. Another point is that just being a photographer includes not only issues in recording award-winning photographs but also hardships in establishing the best camera suited to your needs and most especially problems in maintaining the standard of your camera. This really is very true and clear for those photography enthusiasts that are into capturing the nature’s captivating scenes : the mountains, the forests, the actual wild or seas. Going to these exciting places definitely requires a camera that can meet the wild’s harsh setting.

    Reply

  9. One thing I want to say is always that car insurance cancellation is a horrible experience so if you’re doing the best things as being a driver you won’t get one. Many people do receive the notice that they have been officially dumped by their own insurance company and several have to struggle to get added insurance after having a cancellation. Low-cost auto insurance rates tend to be hard to get after the cancellation. Having the main reasons with regard to auto insurance cancelling can help drivers prevent completely losing in one of the most critical privileges out there. Thanks for the concepts shared by means of your blog.

    Reply

  10. I?ll right away take hold of your rss as I can’t find your email subscription link or newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Kindly permit me recognise in order that I could subscribe. Thanks.

    Reply

  11. Hi there! I just want to offer you a big thumbs up for your great information you have got right here on this post. I am coming back to your blog for more soon.

    Reply

  12. Hello there! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with Search Engine Optimization? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good success. If you know of any please share. Thanks!

    Reply

  13. Attractive component to content. I just stumbled upon your website and in accession capital to assert that I get actually enjoyed account your blog posts. Anyway I?ll be subscribing in your feeds and even I success you get right of entry to constantly rapidly.

    Reply

  17. There are some interesting points in time in this article however I don?t know if I see all of them center to heart. There’s some validity but I’ll take hold opinion until I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we would like extra! Added to FeedBurner as well

    Reply

  19. Having read this I believed it was extremely enlightening. I appreciate you spending some time and energy to put this short article together. I once again find myself spending a lot of time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worthwhile!

    Reply

  24. Thanks for your write-up on the traveling industry. I’d personally also like contribute that if you are one senior taking into account traveling, its absolutely vital that you buy travel cover for seniors. When traveling, retirees are at biggest risk of having a health care emergency. Obtaining right insurance policies package to your age group can protect your health and give you peace of mind.

    Reply

  27. Simply desire to say your article is as surprising. The clearness in your publish is simply great and i could assume you’re knowledgeable on this subject. Fine with your permission allow me to snatch your feed to keep up to date with imminent post. Thanks one million and please continue the gratifying work.

    Reply

  31. I have noticed that rates for internet degree experts tend to be an incredible value. Like a full 4-year college Degree in Communication from The University of Phoenix Online consists of Sixty credits with $515/credit or $30,900. Also American Intercontinental University Online gives a Bachelors of Business Administration with a total course requirement of 180 units and a price of $30,560. Online learning has made getting the diploma far more easy because you can certainly earn your current degree through the comfort of your dwelling place and when you finish from work. Thanks for all other tips I’ve learned through the blog.

    Reply

  32. I don?t even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great. I do not know who you are but definitely you’re going to a famous blogger if you are not already 😉 Cheers!

    Reply

  34. Hello there! This post could not be written any better! Going through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He always kept talking about this. I am going to send this article to him. Fairly certain he’s going to have a good read. I appreciate you for sharing!

    Reply

  35. Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Thanks, However I am encountering problems with your RSS. I don’t understand why I can’t subscribe to it. Is there anybody else getting the same RSS issues? Anyone that knows the answer will you kindly respond? Thanx!

    Reply

  38. Hey there! I’m at work browsing your blog from my new apple iphone! Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward to all your posts! Carry on the fantastic work!

    Reply

  39. I cherished up to you’ll obtain performed right here. The cartoon is tasteful, your authored subject matter stylish. nonetheless, you command get got an edginess over that you wish be delivering the following. in poor health no doubt come further previously once more since precisely the same nearly a lot often inside case you protect this hike.

    Reply

  42. There are definitely lots of particulars like that to take into consideration. That could be a nice level to deliver up. I provide the ideas above as basic inspiration however clearly there are questions like the one you convey up the place crucial thing will probably be working in honest good faith. I don?t know if finest practices have emerged around things like that, however I’m sure that your job is clearly identified as a fair game. Each girls and boys feel the impression of only a moment?s pleasure, for the remainder of their lives.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

THE STAND