Study Spaces Used as Bedrooms in Halls

In recent years, the University of St Andrews has repurposed several study and communal rooms in halls of residence as temporary bedrooms — a move that has prompted mixed reactions among the student body.

The University operates twelve residence halls, offering over 5,000 beds in total. With accommodation fees averaging £8,769 per year, many students say the continued use of “non-bedroom” spaces signals an ongoing shortfall in suitable housing. 

Some undergraduates assigned to these larger rooms say they feel fortunate, while others report frustration over inconsistent conditions and what they see as a lack of transparency from the University. Students not placed in such spaces have voiced concerns over fairness and the limited access to communal facilities they were promised upon admission.

Second-year student Doireann Hockel told The Saint about her experience being placed in a converted study room in Agnes Blackadder Hall during her first year in 2024: “Before arriving, I was quite stressed as everyone was getting room numbers and all I had was ‘SR1.1,’” she said, “but as soon as I stepped into my room in September, I knew I’d lucked out.” 

She explained that while the study rooms were significantly larger than standard en-suite singles, with ample light and workspace, the bathrooms were notably smaller: “It was basically only a toilet and shower.” 

“The windows were poorly insulated [and] the room would get freezing at night in winter, but overall, I wouldn’t have traded my room at all for a standard room,” Hockel explained. “These spaces were not built to be bedrooms and should be updated to fit that role if the University continues using them.” 

Francesca Finistrella, a student who lived in McIntosh Hall in 2022, described a much less positive experience when study rooms were converted into shared bedrooms. 

“Because it was originally a study room, the windows looked directly into residents’ rooms, so they had to [...] keep the blinds closed,” Finistrella said. “There were at least three people living in those rooms, sometimes more, and midway through the year they were moved, and nobody knew where they went or why.”

Finistrella said the decision affected other residents as well, telling The Saint that the study spaces “were very nice, and we weren’t allowed to use them, while others were housed there.” She added that it “felt unfair — especially for international students paying full fees — and [they] were expected to just move in and out all their belongings when it suited the University.”

Similar situations have arisen in past years. At St Salvator’s Hall, computer rooms were temporarily used as bedrooms. This year, Nathalie Hanzlik-Meech, a second-year living in Sallies, said her wardens initially confirmed that the study room, library, and conference room would be repurposed as emergency accommodation. However, she noted that “as of [about] three weeks ago, that is no longer the case.” While no students in Sallies are currently housed in temporary bedrooms, she clarified that the Warden informed her that some students could have been.

More recently, Andrew Melville Hall adopted a similar approach during the summer of 2025, repurposing study rooms as temporary accommodation. First-year student Geneva Stockton recalled accidentally walking into one of these makeshift bedrooms. 

“I was confused on why there were a couple of beds and desk spaces. I had only known that room was supposed to be a study room and nothing else. I left immediately after because it felt wrong being in there,” she said. “I feel like [the University] can make it a room as long as it is promptly turned into a study room before the school year begins […] I could see how other students may consider it to be unfair.”

The recurring use of study and communal spaces as emergency housing reflects the University’s ongoing challenge in meeting student demand. Although St Andrews has seen a significant rise in application numbers in recent years, the growth of student accommodation has not kept pace.

At the time of publication, the University has not issued a formal statement explaining the use of study rooms as emergency bedrooms in recent years, nor clarified whether this will continue in the future.

Image by Abbie Arkless