Politics, University of St Andrews

The Arabic department is very small and very close-knit, so you tend to get to know everyone else in your year very well. You learn at a much slower pace than you would with a romance language but, in the end, you'll come out with a solid knowledge of the language. IR is full of professors who have published numerous books and articles in their specific fields. Everyone in the department is very accomplished and, from my experience, they're very helpful and willing to answer any questions you may have. There's a reason we're #1 in the UK!

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.

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.

A well structured course with lots of great material provided

I have never regretted doing IR in this university. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and open, the students are creative and motivated, the curriculum is vast and extensive as well. However, there should be more critical case studies and approaches to balance out the theory-heavy and traditionalist teaching. There are indeed very innovative lecturers, but it is more about the content than their style. The course needs to keep up with the level of internationality (beyond Anglo-Saxon and Western European spheres) of its own students and the world as a whole.

Honestly, there's a lot left to be desired by these courses.

Interesting