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David Russell Apartments Reviews

51 Reviews by Students
#11 out of 20 halls at University of St Andrews

3.4 / 5
3.4 / 5

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Most helpful review

Many say that this hall is inaccessible because it is furthest from the school and the town centre. With buses this is not really a problem. There are coaches stopping directly in front of the apartment's reception and other compimentary buses right opposite to the reception. Hall environment is excellent, tranquil and with a high sense of personal space and privacy. You only have to share your kitchen with 5 flatmates which makes things much less chaotic. Catering of this hall is very nice too. quite a lot of food options - with soups / salads / mains / sides / desserts / drinks for every meal served in buffet style. The breakfast buffet is the best. much better than those you find in two-star hotels.

Value for money
Location
Property management
Cleaning
Social spaces
Social experience
Internet / Wifi
By athena99
On 31st January 20
verified Verified student
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University of St Andrews Hall Rankings


Ayton House #1
East Shore #2
John Burnet Hall #3
McIntosh Hall #4
St Regulus Hall #5
St Salvator's Hall #6
Andrew Melville Hall #7
University Hall #8
David Russell Apartments #9
Agnes Blackadder Hall #10

*Minimum 10 reviews required to be ranked.


Most helpful review

Many say that this hall is inaccessible because it is furthest from the school and the town centre. With buses this is not really a problem. There are coaches stopping directly in front of the apartment's reception and other compimentary buses right opposite to the reception. Hall environment is excellent, tranquil and with a high sense of personal space and privacy. You only have to share your kitchen with 5 flatmates which makes things much less chaotic. Catering of this hall is very nice too. quite a lot of food options - with soups / salads / mains / sides / desserts / drinks for every meal served in buffet style. The breakfast buffet is the best. much better than those you find in two-star hotels.

Value for money
Location
Property management
Cleaning
Social spaces
Social experience
Internet / Wifi
By athena99
On 31st January 20
verified Verified student
Read all reviews

Q&A


Q
How close are the halls to the old golf course
By member1265143 On 31st December 21
Q
Online grocery shopping
By member451386 On 3rd October 20
Q
The reviews mention "workmen and members of the public" stay in this accommodation. Can you please clarify if this is the case?
By member449850 On 10th July 20
Q
How far from center of town
By member1341972 On 5th September 19
Q

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Read David Russell Apartments Reviews


Student Review: 2.3 /5
By member667778 On 4th April 22 verified Verified student

Prison. Could be fantastic (insane wifi and all-you-need amenities, even if it is pretty far away from town), if not for the restrictions. Was threatened with further action three times for having my fiance stay over (never disturbingly or for longer than a few nights), sometimes only on the grounds that 'we saw a boy in your room', was randomly 'health-and-safety' checked without any notice where entry to my room was taken (they claimed it was legal in Scotland as it is in the agreement you sign, but this behaviour is illegal in the rest of the UK), and threatened to have devices confiscated if they were not PAT tested. Mail is seemingly randomly and unpredictably either dumped in the foyer (I've lost a parcel before this way), delivered to your block, or held at reception, with no responsibility taken by staff. This is a postgraduate-dominated college with people who are 30+ years in age, some married, some with children, and yet I feel as though I am stuck at a boarding school.

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All reviews are the views of StudentCrowd members, not of StudentCrowd Limited

Student Review: 4.1 /5
By athena99 On 31st January 20 verified Verified student

Many say that this hall is inaccessible because it is furthest from the school and the town centre. With buses this is not really a problem. There are coaches stopping directly in front of the apartment's reception and other compimentary buses right opposite to the reception. Hall environment is excellent, tranquil and with a high sense of personal space and privacy. You only have to share your kitchen with 5 flatmates which makes things much less chaotic. Catering of this hall is very nice too. quite a lot of food options - with soups / salads / mains / sides / desserts / drinks for every meal served in buffet style. The breakfast buffet is the best. much better than those you find in two-star hotels.

Value for money
Location
Property management
Cleaning
Social spaces
Social experience
Internet / Wifi
All reviews are the views of StudentCrowd members, not of StudentCrowd Limited

Student Review: 1.9 /5
By member437058 On 13th April 19 verified Verified student

Don’t bother! They rent out these to anyone from Public. Builders staying there right next door sexually harassing to Noisy unsupervised kids

Value for money
Location
Property management
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Internet / Wifi
All reviews are the views of StudentCrowd members, not of StudentCrowd Limited

Student Review: 4 /5
By member536451 On 10th March 19 verified Verified student

Good service all round, and also enjoyed using Local Student Storage to store my items over the Summer at www.localstudentstorage.com

Value for money
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Cleaning
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Internet / Wifi
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Student Review: 4.1 /5
By member734376 On 21st October 18 verified Verified student

The location is the only significant downside of this hall - it is only realistically suited for Computer Science, Chemistry, Management, Maths or Physics students as the buildings are relatively close (10 minute walk). Other students may find the distance from lectures to be too far if they take place in town.

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Student Review: 4.9 /5
By member933063 On 24th July 18 verified Verified student

If you like privacy this is the hall for you. Great for science students as the science faculty is halfway between DRA and town and the night bus is great for getting back after a night out.

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Student Review: 3.1 /5
By member932948 On 19th July 18 verified Verified student

Bit lonely, depends on the type of flat you are assigned and whether you gel with the people. Would have preferred a more social Hall.

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Student Review: 2.9 /5
By member728740 On 12th October 17 verified Verified student

It takes forever if someone comes when you have problems with your apartment. The reception does not want to help you when receiving a parcel when you're not there. If you want to book a room, they cannot check the booking list for you, even though the reservation book is right next to them - how helpful! I would not move in here again, as also the rest is mediocre.

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Student Review: 2.9 /5
By member728740 On 12th October 17 verified Verified student

It takes forever if someone comes when you have problems with your apartment. The reception does not want to help you when receiving a parcel when you're not there. If you want to book a room, they cannot check the booking list for you, even though the reservation book is right next to them - how helpful! I would not move in here again, as also the rest is mediocre.

Value for money
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Property management
Cleaning
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Internet / Wifi
All reviews are the views of StudentCrowd members, not of StudentCrowd Limited

Student Review: 3.4 /5
By member726125 On 22nd March 17 verified Verified student

Don't live here if you want to make friends or join lots of societies

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Student Review: 4 /5
By member922947 On 2nd July 16 verified Verified student

The facilities are great but the location isn't good (the furthest away from town)

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Student Review: 3.7 /5
By member521822 On 13th April 16 verified Verified student

It's not as "far away" as people make it out to be. Pretty good facilities, relative to the other St Andrews halls. Normal setup of the flat is great, with ensuite washrooms and a kitchen shared between however many live in your flat (5 total in my case). I wish our couches had armrests, though. Double beds are a good plus and there's a decent amount of storage potential in each room. Laundry facilities are average, the dryers can be hit or miss, though. Overall, I'd happily move back here.

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Student Review: 2.1 /5
By member620233 On 3rd December 15 verified Verified student

Far from centre. Halls were not properly clean when first moved in. No cleaning is provided. However, social side and parties are great.

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Student Review: 3.4 /5
By member619985 On 29th November 15 verified Verified student

nice, but wardens were a pain and the catering was stalinist

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Student Review: 3.4 /5
By member519931 On 28th November 15 verified Verified student

The facilities are completely worth the distance from the town! Double beds, en-suite and a kitchen only shared between 5-6 people!

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Student Review: 3.6 /5
By member819767 On 26th November 15 verified Verified student

Good room size, double bed and the room are always warm.

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Student Review: 2.9 /5
By member1119738 On 26th November 15 verified Verified student

DRA has nice rooms and has pretty good food, but it is at least a 20 minute walk into town everyday for class.

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Student Review: 3.7 /5
By member1218521 On 13th November 15 verified Verified student

The wifi drops quite a lot, but the facilities (especially the ensuite washrooms) are quite nice. However, the showers are inconvenient as I flood my washroom every time I take a shower (and my showers are not long).

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Student Review: 2.7 /5
By member1018439 On 13th November 15 verified Verified student

Nice hall, not much of a community feel though.

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Student Review: 2.7 /5
By member818410 On 13th November 15 verified Verified student

Way too far for even the double beds to be worth it.

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Student Review: 3.6 /5
By member1018375 On 13th November 15 verified Verified student

Good chance to meet loss of people but a bit far away

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Student Review: 3.9 /5
By member518320 On 13th November 15 verified Verified student

Great hall with good food and really nice living spaces! Living far away from town can be challenging at times but you learn to love the commute and the beauty around you. Only wish there were common rooms!

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Student Review: 3.3 /5
By member1317478 On 26th October 15 verified Verified student

Loved my hall, wish I had been catered

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Student Review: 4.7 /5
By Shween On 26th October 15 verified Verified student

All great hall with the only downside being the location with regards to the uni.

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Student Review: 3.6 /5
By member516396 On 6th October 15 verified Verified student

It's pretty far from the centre of town, but manageable with a bike. The food and bar are all good and would be massively improved with the inclusion of the anticipated cafe.

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Student Review: 3.1 /5
By member715744 On 25th September 15 verified Verified student

Great facilities although some of the buildings are much less refurbished than others, especially the one I currently live in.

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Student Review: 4.3 /5
By member1115226 On 4th September 15 verified Verified student

Had the best possible experience in DRA - fantastic room and for the vast majority of time the food was great. Living in a flat also adds a different social aspect.

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Student Review: 3.3 /5
By member614469 On 6th August 15 verified Verified student

A bit far out of town and a bit of a cold atmosphere, but still a nice hall.

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Student Review: 3.8 /5
By member510138 On 4th July 15 verified Verified student

I throughly enjoyed my time at DRA during first year. However, it is far from town for walking. I recommend cycling or taking the bus. The bedrooms are spacious and come with an ensuite bathroom. The kitchen/living room is good for socialising and having a small party. I was catered so I got breakfast and dinner during the week and breakfast and lunch at weekends. There are many social events throughout the year and there is a bar, one of the cheapest in town, where you can have a good drink. If I could give a mark, I'd say 8/10.

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Student Review: 4.7 /5
By HowlingHerbivore1256 On 4th July 15 verified Verified student

Love DRA so much! stayed there for 3 academic years! although its a bit far from town, but there's bus leaving DRA every 20 minutes to town on weekdays. The Kitchen is a classic location for flat parties XD

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Student Review: 4.2 /5
By 1234321 On 3rd July 15 verified Verified student

Although not situated right in the heart of St. Andrews, Thr DRA is a great community and has the best social life of all of the halls. The food is okay and the rooms are quite big and include your own shower which is a huge plus!

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Student Review: 5 /5
By member129807 On 3rd July 15 verified Verified student

Excellent halls, great house parties and not far from town (it's St Andrews, nothing is far away)

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Student Review: 4.2 /5
By member55302 On 26th March 15 verified Verified student

Apartments are lovely, double rooms, modern and clean. Just the issue of being far out of town and having to have the motivation to actually go to lectures. Extremely expensive but you'll not get much cheaper in St Andrews, particularly for an ensuite, double room.

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