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TSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Open Days

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Contents 1 A Quick Guide to University Open Days 1.1 When are University Open Days? 1.2 Decide if you are going alone or with someone 1.3 Organisation is key for getting the most out of an open day 1.4 Know what the day will consist of 1.5 Write a checklist for the day 1.6 And Finally... Some tips for when you get there 2 External Links

A Quick Guide to University Open Days

Choosing the correct university for yourself is an important decision - you may spend three years or longer there. Reading a prospectus or chatting with people already there may not be enough to get a real feel for the place. You might be having difficulty choosing which universities to apply. Or you might have some doubts about one university you want to put at ease. A university open day might be exactly what you need to attend.

All universities will hold at least one open day for prospective students. It is the university's opportunity to woo you and your chance to decide whether it is a place you wish to spend the next few years of your life. Visiting a university, especially on an open day, is very important as it gives you the opportunity to look at accommodation, facilities such as the library, sports facilities, students' union and gain a deeper insight into life at the university. Prospectuses will show the university in the best light, often literally when the photos are taken in the sunshine, the nicest places and happy, smiling students. Visiting a university in the pouring rain on a cold day in October is something completely different. Going to the universities will also tell you things not listed in a prospectus, like how far a big supermarket is or the walk from accommodation to your lectures. Open days will mainly consist of talks on both subjects and general matters such as accommodation, finance, student life and tours, especially if the university is a campus one. At open days it is important that you speak to current students and get their opinions, ask questions and don't be afraid; they are there to help and they will give the students' perspective, which is what you want. At an open day you will get a feeling for the place, which may be a good or a bad one. Many students, having visited a university, decide that it just is not for them. On the contrary, many students also fall in love with a university after visiting it.

When are University Open Days?

Most university open days are held in the spring and summer before you apply to university in the autumn, although many universities will hold another open day during the autumn. To find out about each individual university's open days, you can either check their website or go to opendays.com. Some universities will also require booking for an open day, which is generally done through their website.

If you are doing a lot of rail travel to open days, get a Young Persons Railcard.

Decide if you are going alone or with someone

Parents, friends, relatives, anyone can come with you. However you need to decide which option is best. Going alone now seems to be the minority choice, however there are good reasons to do it, the same with going with people. Therefore, weigh up the pro’s and cons of all options, e.g.:

	By Yourself	With Parents	With Friends
Pros	More likely to talk to current students, More independent, ready for Uni	Easy to get there Don't have to buy lunch, Can ask questions you didn't think of, Will go to unappealing talks	Won't be lonely, Got company for journey, May think of questions you don't ask,
Cons	Have to go by train/ drive, Can be scary, Have to go to talks by yourself	May be embarrassing Could ask lots of questions, Not good preparation for going,	Could end up going to their talks, May not ask questions because embarrassed

Organisation is key for getting the most out of an open day

It’s good to be organised for university open days whether with parents, friends or by yourself. Writing down all the Unis you are planning to visit with dates helps, plus remember, some or most Unis want you to book, this can normally be done quite easily by email, online booking or phone.

Now, guessing that the Unis you are planning to visit are the ones you are planning to apply to, it’s good to get all the information together. Before you go try and plan the day because this could be only one of two days you get to see the Uni (the other being if you get an offer there is normally a subject day.) So, here is a list of things to do if you want to be super super organised, take which ever ones seem relevant to help you...

• Print off or rip out the pages from the website/ prospectus which have the information about the course you want to do.

• Staple a post-it-note to the front page

• Write the Uni and code, type of degree (course and no. of years), accommodation – on or off campus, average offers, is General Studies accepted, open day dates, website address.

These will help for at-a-glance comparison.

Footnote: Be sure to check out TSR Wiki Travel if using public transport.

Know what the day will consist of

Most Unis have the same basic layout. Begin around 10am, and finish around 3pm. In between, there are a mixture of campus tours, subject talks, subject tours, financial talks, parent talks, ICT talks, accommodation tours, there are a lot of things that are available, it can be quite daunting, but remember you can go to as many or as few of the talks/ tours as you like.

Write a checklist for the day

It is a good idea is to have a checklist for the day. If you are going by yourself this might help you to relax as going to new places can be hard. If going with your parents, then a checklist can make sure that both you and your parents do what each other want. Ideas for the checklist include, Course outline (exam / coursework ratio, practical/theoretical, average time table, etc.) Accommodation (near or far away, catering/self-catering, big/small, cost, ensuite/standard etc.) Social side (societies, nightlife, etc.) Ratings, these although seem like a drag before going, does make everything easier when you get there. If going by train, you can organise it then (especially when there are 5 hours to kill on a train and you have ended up on the family carriage!)

And Finally... Some tips for when you get there

• See if you need to register, if you do there may be a chance to pick up pens, pencils, bags, wristbands, information packs, even Frisbees!

• ALWAYS say YES to a plastic bag!

• Try getting your lunch at unusual times – it gets very crowded

• Try and see some accommodation that isn’t on display – the ones they show will be the top of the top range

• Talk to the students showing around, they are friendly and will give a proper insight into the Uni (though it’s best to leave your parents while doing that)

• If you are going north – always bring a coat!!!

• Talk to everyone and ask questions. Don't know what to ask? Here's a few suggestions:
  • What careers to graduates from this course go into?
  • What do emlpoyers think about the course?
  • How is the course taught?
  • How is the course assessed?
  • How many hours of teaching are involved each week?
  • How satisfied are current students with the course?
  • What other facilities does the Student Union provide?
  • What activities does the Student Union provide?
  • Is there a XXXX society and how can I find out more about it?
  • Are current students happy with university accommodation?
  • How easy is it to find somewhere to live in my second year?
  • How good are the social facilities on campus?
  • How good is the social life in town?
  • How easy is it to get into town?
  • What sort of sports facilities are available? How much do they cost?
  • What else is on offer in the area?
  • What help can I get with study skills?
  • Is there any extra support available for mature/disabled/international students?
  • What sort of childcare is available?
  • What sort of financial help is available if I run out of money?
  • What makes this university special?

External Links

http://www.opendays.com/

http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk/student_info/university_open_days.cfm