We’re always talking about balancing school and life, but no one ever mentions the café, park, or pub in between. That’s where the real balancing happens.
In the 1980s, sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the term “third place” to describe a space outside of the undeniable pillars of “home” and “work.” The first place is home, where your personal life plays out; the second is work (or, for the sake of this article, school), where things are more structured and purposeful. But according to Oldenburg, human happiness requires something more: a public, informal space where people can gather, “put aside their concerns, and simply enjoy the company and conversation around them.” These include things like cafes, parks, pubs, and community centers.
The concept of a third place is critical—yet often underrated, especially during back-to-school season. Whether you’re moving into halls or schlepping Saint Storage boxes into a new flat, finding that kind of space is vital. Having somewhere separate from the unfamiliarity of halls or a flat, and the formality of a classroom, can do wonders for your mental health.
Speaking from experience, implementing this concept last year made adjusting to university life infinitely smoother. The bright red carpeting of my Agnes Blackadder room and artificial — dare I say jaundiced — bathroom lighting made things feel claustrophobic and uninviting. And while beautiful, the tutorial rooms and lecture halls felt formal and daunting. Naturally, I yearned for an escape.
I began seeking out these public, informal places and quickly built quite a collection of them. When finding a third place for myself, I had a few criteria. First, this place needed to be easily accessible, somewhere I could go whenever I wanted, for however long I wanted. In addition to accessibility, I prioritized places that were social but not overstimulating, where I could foster relationships and a sense of community without feeling drained. Lastly, I wanted to find places that I could go back to time and time again, and feel more and more comfortable each time I visited. Almost as if these places could, over time, become mine.
Throughout the first few weeks of school, I quickly found my favorite spots, one of them being Five Acres café. It strikes the perfect balance between yummy bites, good coffee, and a fun, inviting atmosphere. Social yet relaxing, Five Acres feels like a perfect little hub. Around lunchtime, when the place is buzzing, I almost always run into people I know. But if you catch it right when they open or just after the lunch rush, there’s a calm, quiet energy that always helps clear my head.
When I want to get outside, Lade Braes is my go-to (my friends are probably sick of hearing me talk about it). I love long walks, and the Lade Braes path is simply beautiful. It’s peaceful, green, and perfect for a solo stroll or a hot girl walk with friends. Last year, I walked there every day after class, and watching the landscape shift with the seasons became one of the highlights of my year. Nearby, the St Andrews Botanical Gardens also make for an amazing outdoor third place, weather permitting.
Of course, nothing beats sitting outside a pub on the first sunny day in St Andrews, Aperol Spritz in hand. Pubs also make for an excellent third place— social, fun, and in no shortage of familiar faces. It would be a crime not to include them on this list.
Through my search for a third-place escape, I realized something. While Oldenburg’s concept outlines only a third place, why not find more? I propose having a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth place. Maybe your third place is a cafe, fourth place is a park, fifth place is a pub, and sixth place is a gym? At risk of sounding too cliché, the possibilities are endless, and you have no idea the places a third place can take you!