Student prince starts college

William wants to be an "ordinary" student

Prince William has arrived at St Andrews University to begin four years of what he hopes will be "ordinary" student life.

On Sunday he is settling into his university halls of residence, and on Monday he starts his History of Art MA (Honours) course.

"I just want to go to university and have fun," he told journalists ahead of his arrival at the Fife university.

I thought I would probably end up in a gutter completely wrecked

William on skipping Freshers' Week

"I want to go there and be an ordinary student. I mean, I'm only going to university. It's not like I'm getting married - though that's what it feels like sometimes."

William laughed at reports that over-eager female students had already ordered their wedding dresses.

"I suppose they're saying that tongue-in-cheek," he said.

"But people who try to take advantage of me and get a piece of me - I spot it quickly and soon go off them."

William said he was looking forward to studying in Scotland, which he "loved".

"The reason I didn't want to go to an English university is because I have lived there and wanted to get away and try somewhere else.

"I also knew I would be seeing a lot of Wales in the future.

The prince skipped Freshers' Week for a series of engagements around Scotland

"In St Andrews, it's a small community and so I can mingle how I like. Edinburgh (which he also considered) is just too big and busy," he said.

He seemed doubtful that his course would help him very much in his career.

"I'm much more interested in doing something with the environment, but I'm not sure what yet," he said.

The prince missed out on the traditional pre-term fun of freshers' week - synonymous among many undergraduates for excessive partying.

Instead he opted to join his father Prince Charles for a series of engagements in Scotland.

"It would have been a media frenzy and that's not fair on the other new students," he said.

"Plus, I thought I would probably end up in a gutter completely wrecked, and the people I had met that week wouldn't end up being my friends anyway."

Making new friends

William insisted he would not closet himself away with a small circle of friends from similar backgrounds while at St Andrews.

"It's not as if I choose my friends on the basis of where they are from or what they are," he said.

I just hope I can meet people I get on with. I don't care about their backgrounds

William on making friends at university

"It's about their character and who they are and whether we get on. I just hope I can meet people I get on with. I don't care about their backgrounds."

William had no illusions that he may find the upheaval of starting university quite stressful.

"Having more independence is quite a big thing, although I've always got policemen around so I'm never completely independent."

He said he would not be returning to his home in Highgrove, Gloucestershire, very often.

I'm not a party animal, despite what people might think, but I like to go out sometimes like anyone else

William on socialising

"It's going to be difficult to get back home. Even if I had the time, and I probably won't, it's seven-and-a-half hours by car and three-and-a-half by plane."

He said he did not expect to be spending many weekends in the small town of St Andrews either.

"Weekends at St Andrews, I've been told, are not particularly vibrant," said William.

"I'm not a party animal, despite what people might think, but I like to go out sometimes like anyone else," he said.

"Most of my friends are at other universities. So, once I have made new friends, I would like to spend my weekends with them."

Gap year

Like an increasing number of students, Prince William took a "gap year" between school and university.

I got my hands dirty, did all the chores and had to get up at 4am. I got to see a completely different lifestyle

William on his gap-year stint as a farm labourer

During the year he included a trip to Mauritius, more than three months in Africa, time trekking with the Army in Belize, and work as a Raleigh International volunteer in Chile.

But it was, he claims, his short stint working as a labourer on a dairy farm in south-west England which he enjoyed the most.

"I loved working on a farm, before foot-and-mouth, which is partly why I've got so much sympathy for the farmers who have suffered so much from it.

"It was the best part of my year. I enjoyed the fact that I was put in as a hand and was paid and was just another guy on the farm.

"I got my hands dirty, did all the chores and had to get up at 4am. I got to see a completely different lifestyle."

The principal of the university has cautioned William's fellow students against speaking to members of the media about the prince.

If other people are getting fed up with the fact that I'm causing them to be hassled... I'll have to think about it all again

William on his fears of press intrusion

But William is nonetheless concerned that excessive media interest could make his life uncomfortable.

"It would take a lot to really irritate me, but if other people are getting fed up with the fact that I'm causing them to be hassled and are stopping talking to me, I'll have to think about it all again."