I did not have the traditional freshers’ experience. I started my St Andrews experience completely sport-focused, which was a great way to stay fit and continue my love and passion for tennis, but there was an unfulfilled void that I had all my life prior: a girl group.
Growing up as an only child, I was constantly surrounded by amazing girl friends. They became like my sisters, and it wasn’t until I was only focused on playing tennis at St Andrews that I realised how much I missed and needed a supportive group of like-minded women. That’s why I applied to Her Campus St Andrews on a whim.
I had followed HC my entire first year, but was too nervous to come to an event alone. When I saw that they were looking for a new Head Secretary, I got the courage to apply and got both an interview and the position. Those were the very early days in our chapter’s rebirth post-COVID, so we were much smaller. Yet this marked the start of my time loving St Andrews because I finally had what I had long been looking for. Now I am lucky enough to be President of HC alongside a board, writing team and social members that I consider my sisters and best friends.
So whether you have followed Her Campus St Andrews since the moment you committed to St Andrews or you are just curious about who we are and what we do, Freshers Week is the perfect time to get to know us! We have a jam-packed week, and I’m going to give you the rundown of what is happening, when, and where, so you too can find your community here at St Andrews.
The first event we will be at is the Freshers Fayre, held at the St Andrews Union on Tuesday, September 9th, from 11 am onwards. This is a great way to meet pretty much every society on campus, and we will be there in our all-purple booth, waiting to meet you (with charcuterie cups and drinks for you in hand)! Here, you can find more information about how to join Her Campus and talk to some of our board members about who we are and what we do.
Freshers Fayre can get busy, so we always host a Her Campus Freshers Week event at Spoiled Life. This event allows you to have more in-depth conversations about HC and meet the entire board, social members, and writers! This event is on Thursday, September 11th, from 2 pm to 4 pm at Spoiled Life Café on Greyfriars Garden. Just like the Freshers Fayre, anyone is welcome to come to have a coffee and chat!
The final event we host during Freshers Week is our annual Launch Party, celebrating the launch of the first issue of our publication. This will be on Friday, September 12th, from 7 pm to 9 pm at The Saint’s garden. Think garden party with a HC-themed cocktail menu. This evening is a great way to meet writers, our editorial team, and learn more about our publication. It is also a perfect lead-up to Starfields on Saturday! Due to capacity, this event is capped at 50 people. Tickets will be posted soon (and are free, but required to ensure we do not exceed 50 guests)!
If you’re sure you want to join Her Campus and want a sneak peek at how to do so, we have a couple of ways you can be part of our community! The first is via social membership. As a social member, you get access to all our weekly events, early access to board applications, and a community of amazing women to meet. Our Early Bird Social Memberships open on September 1st and are £20/year. Our regular cycle of Social Memberships is open from September 8th onwards and is £30/year. While our Early Bird Writers’ Applications are now closed, we will be opening our regular cycle of Writers’ Applications on September 10th at 12 pm, closing September 19th at 12 pm. As a writer, you will contribute to our publication and also get access to editorial events. Currently, our board is complete, but we are looking for a Freshers Rep to join us in October, so stay tuned on our Instagram!
If you want updates closer to the dates of our events, check our Instagram, where information about Freshers Week with Her Campus will be posted (and for the cutest content on campus, in my opinion)!
Coming to St Andrews can be very daunting — while it’s a tiny town, finding your community can seem complicated. Whether you love to write, want to come to our weekly events as a social member, or strive to join the board, I can assure you that there is always space for you here at Her Campus St Andrews. We cannot wait to meet you all so soon!
XOXO,
Lily Andrews
Her Campus St Andrews President 2025/26