The Stand’s Guide to Maximise That (short-lived) Sunkissed Glow

If there is one thing that can be guaranteed as a student in St Andrews, not getting a tan is one of them. Throughout the year students do their best to cover up their pale and pasty skin to prevent exposure from the blistering wind.

Come September, students flock back from their various summer destinations. It is the time to show off that sunkissed complexion in as many ways as you can as soon as you can. Here is a guide to help you make your friends jealous.

1. Invest in white clothing. There is nothing that shows off a tan better than a white item, preferably with a low neckline to show of the strap marks.

2. Partake in the ice bucket challenge (ideally in your white outfit). As your clothes quickly turn see-through, your friends will be able to see the tanned skin under the wet garments. Plus, it’s for charity.

3. Join the gym. It’s often too cold in northern Scotland to brave the bare legs. The gym is a great excuse to wear as little clothing as possible whilst pretending to work out in a warm room. If you don’t feel like doing anything hardcore, go along to a yoga class. Your fellow yogis may claim to focus on their breathing whilst in a downward dog position but the likelihood is that they are thinking about how your ankles are more tanned than theirs.

4. Go to as many events as possible in the first few weeks. Events such as Starfields and Crosswalk will provide a platform to wear your crop top to show off that tanned stomach. Try and get in as many photographs as possible; evidence of the tan will then remain immortal on Facebook.

5. Find yourself a postgrad. These guys have been in St Andrews all summer and will not have got nearly as much sun as you. When walking arm in arm, your glowing tan will look more pronounced. You don’t even have to date one, just sit in between them on the sofa.

If all else fails, I recommend Albetan on South Street – just £5 for 6 minutes of UV sun and you’ll look like you’ve just stepped off the plane from Ibiza.