“A semester’s worth of experiences in three weeks!” – Kate’s reflections from St Andrews Summer Study
Applications for St Andrews Summer Study 2025 are open,
More information on our courses and how to apply can be found on the St Andrews Summer Study webpages.
Kate is a student from Cornell University who recently studied Scotland’s History: Kingdom, Nation, People as part of St Andrews Summer Study 2024. Read some of her reflections as a Summer Study student in St Andrews.
Peering over a Dunnottar Castle window ledge, I watched the grass-coated cliff glisten in the sun and listened to the birds, North Sea, and Scottish wind making themselves known. The picture of Dunnottar Castle presented in lecture was nothing like the real thing.
But…the real thing didn’t seem real at all – it was so remarkable.
Still, it wasn’t just the view; it was also a moment of grateful reflection on how deeply enriching it is to study the history of that place in the actual place…led by passionate instructors, surrounded by a group of genuinely curious peers, and supported by a program
with great organizational logistics.
“Being immersed in physical locations while learning is an increasingly rare, yet exceptionally enriching opportunity”.
I took the three-week course “Scotland’s History: Kingdom, Nation, People,” and by the end, I left thinking I’d received the benefit of an entire semester’s worth of new experiences in three weeks. Throughout the three weeks, different specialist professors from the University of St Andrews History department took our class through the timeline of Scotland’s history. While engaging on its own, this classroom material was then reinforced with real-life academic excursions, allowing for the study of history at the locations it actually occurred. Having the opportunity to ask questions and visit historical sites to view the world around me on a deeper basis provided a unique real-life learning context.
I found this especially true given that many other programs of study increasingly occur through virtual, digital, and simulated environments. Being immersed in physical locations while learning is an increasingly rare, yet exceptionally enriching opportunity. This real-life learning context demonstrated to me that regardless of whether or not we are aware of it, historical precursors are very much interwoven across cultures and into how our current day-to-day lives play out. In understanding history, we also strive to understand each other and our today.
Additionally, the program went beyond academics and coordinated multiple social activities such as day trips to Edinburgh and Glasgow. I also found there was time to explore on one’s own outside of the set program schedule. In essence, Summer Study at St Andrews is a rare opportunity to combine the past and the present and to prepare for the future!
Thank you to Kate for sharing her experience. More information on our courses and how to apply can be found on the St Andrews Summer Study webpages or you can contact the team at [email protected].