Anthropology, University of St Andrews

It's essentially a liberal arts degree, so I knew the experience could vary between each university. Overall, love the setup of heavy independent learning and would promote the programmes to anyone who mentioned the subjects.

At £24,000 in international student fees per year, plus an additional £8,000 per year for housing, I was really hoping that learning would be a priority at the University of St Andrews. I have quickly learned, however, that the amount of information that can be conveyed in 12 contact hours a week, 9 of which that are in lectures of 500+ students is nowhere near the cost of attendance. More importantly, however, your courses are not designed for you to be able to think for yourself or to develop course understanding. What you are told in lectures is exactly what you are expected to write on essays and write in exams, verbatim. Thus, students St Andrews teaches students patience more than it does guidance or feedback. Students learn there is a hierarchy and they are at the bottom of it. Whether they need support, feedback, have a question or want guidance, undergraduates learn that they are to absorb as much as they can and hope they can apply in the real world.