The Post Reading Week Slump

The reputation of a ‘shit’ uni nightlife tends to precede St Andrews. However, freshers’ will find that with the anticipation of Raisin, many pubs, club nights, and planning an exotic reading week trip, the first half of the semester is busy and exciting. Freshers’ Week does not disappoint with its event offerings and neither do the weeks following. Despite the fun offered within St Andrews, reading week is unquestionably the climax of the semester and, amidst deadlines, students take advantage of the time to travel and to relax. Many expect to return from reading week and have their uni life resume as normal, but does the St Andrews event scene stay the same?

There seems to be a strange correlation between social life and weather. As the air gets colder and the sun sets earlier, students are less inclined to leave the comfort and warmth of their beds, especially with increasing workloads and no need for new friends. The social life doesn’t get boring, it just changes.

Instead of Vic nights, it starts to revolve around more extravagant events, like balls. People like the idea of going to events that are exclusive — dinner ballots at balls and the demand for tickets make those events more enticing. Welly Ball afterparty tickets sold out in 45 seconds and the same phenomenon will occur with Christmas Ball. If you didn’t get a ticket but your friends did, don’t stress, there are plenty of other events to look forward to. Or, you could just stay in, watch a movie, and save the £50.

In the coming months, St Andrews students will set up camp in the pubs, cosying up with a pint and deck of cards. While there’s nothing wrong with this, the desire to add variety to your social life comes with age and experience. Although the end of the semester might feel stressful, there are many things to look forward to. No matter the circumstance, St Andrews students are creative enough to find any reason for a drink.

Photo: Ilaria Freccia