Initially appearing somewhat unappealing to the eye, one would expect to feel apprehensive in preparation to settling in for a year inside Andrew Melville Hall’s sinking walls. This feeling is generally a given when living away from home for the first time, albeit in a strange new place amongst strange new people.

However, after spending a year in Andrew Melville Hall, one comes to genuinely appreciate its award winning architecture, much to the surprise of non-Melvillite students and, upon your return home, yourself. The unanimous sense of connection its students experience with to the hall derives from the unique atmosphere created by its 250 or so inhabitants.

Enjoying the benefits of being a smaller hall, residents of Andrew Melville are presented with the opportunity to form extremely close bonds with one another, enforced by the catered environment that allows for engrossing conversation at meal time. The closed setting of the hall’s rooms also makes for excellent preparation before a night out; one can expect a vast array of drinking and otherwise raucous activity occurring within the walls, inevitably leading to some better nights spent in rather than out.

Existing further outside the town than most of the University Halls, one may expect the leisurely walk into town to become a chore. However, on the contrary the walk will gradually become appreciated to be one of the highlights of your evening, primarily consisting of singing, dancing and the traditional rabbit chase (there are many rabbits on the North Haugh).

Upon your return from a night in St. Andrews, it is usually possible that a group of thoroughly satisfied early returnees will await you inside the front door, casually resting up against a wall for a giggling ‘welcome home’. Other more practical benefits of the location of the hall include having an extremely short walk to the University gym, racing track, rugby, cricket and football pitches; together with the less appealing Maths, Physics and Chemistry buildings, a small mercy on the predictable harsh winter day.

Taken as a whole you will never forget your first year at the University of St. Andrews and, especially if you spend it living within Andrew Melville Hall, you are guaranteed a fantastic experience. Residents leave the hall possessing incredible friends, memories and wisdom. One simply cannot ask for more.