Find the right space
With the semester progressing towards some deadlines, we thought you might do with an overview of some study spaces available in St Andrews. So, if you are new to our PGR community and didn’t know where to look for focus best, here is what you can try:
MAIN LIBRARY, which continues to undergo an exciting redevelopment, offers the longest opening hours. And if you happen to live further afield, it also offers a free-of-charge night bus to get you home safely and quickly! The library is as easy to stop by if you only need to print something, as it is comfortable to spend most of the day in. Finally, if you need to attend a MS Teams class, but have nowhere quiet to go, or would be looking for a space to meet up and discuss a group project with your team members, the library offers few study rooms, which you can pre-book here.
KING JAMES LIBRARY is much smaller, yet an inspiring space to study in, and with a lot of history on top of that. Not as busy as the Main Library, with St Mary’s Quad outside to enjoy if you fancy an outdoors picnic lunch or a quick walk as a study break, King James’ Library is truly a gem. But beware – you need to get there early to find a study spot.
MARTYRS KIRK is a library dedicated solely to postgraduate students and staff. Again, it is quite calm and quiet, but the few study spaces tend to be taken early in the day – so be there early to avoid disappointment! Martyrs Kirk, with its splendid stained glass windows and solemn feel, is also a prime example of new creative uses of historic buildings. You can read more about the space itself here, and maybe you will fall in love with working there even every day.
Various faculties often offer also smaller study spaces for either all or just their students. So, if you want to visit the library at the School of Management’s Gateway building, School of Chemistry’s Ettie Stewart Steele Reading Room, or the School of Physics’ JF Allen Library, just to mention a few, you might find it to your linking. The university website provides more details about the opening hours, an interactive map and the location of PC classrooms across the town.
And if the library setting is a bit too quiet for you, or you prefer to alter your study spaces, finding some cozy café like in the Byre Theatre, or some outdoors spots as in the above-mentioned St Mary’s Quad, might be what you are looking for.