Guide to University Open Days

Throughout the year, universities hold open days where prospective students and their families can come and take a look around the site. This is a great opportunity to find out more about the course, tutors, facilities available and the university as a whole. However, with so much going on, it can be difficult to know where to start. How can you find out everything you need to know in just a few hours? With that in mind, here are my top tips for making the most out of an open day:

Plan in advance

The last thing you want to be on an open day is stressed. So make sure you look up where you're going and how to get there in advance. All open days are free, but some universities might want you to register before you go so that they can get an idea about numbers. If you're not sure, they should say on their website, and you can always call them up and check.

Go to the talks

Open days usually have talks happening throughout the day on the subjects they offer and general uni information. These are really good opportunities to get some in-depth information on your chosen course. This is also a great time to ask some of the more course-specific questions you have.

Look at accommodation

Regardless of whether or not you were planning on staying in student accommodation, it's always a good idea to find out more about what's available. It might be that, for whatever reason, you didn't think that staying in halls was a realistic option for you, but you never know until you ask. You might be surprised!

Go on a tour

Tours of the campus or specific buildings are usually available throughout the day. These are a great opportunity to get an idea of what it would be like to study there. The tours are often operated by student ambassadors, so consider asking them questions about student life and the support available.

Explore the uni

Open days can be quite overwhelming, so it can be nice to go off on a bit of a wander by yourself. This can help you get a feel for the atmosphere and also allow you to absorb some of the information you've been given.

Explore its surroundings

Finding out about the university is important, but so is finding out about its surroundings. If you're used to living in a small town, how will you feel about moving to a big city and vice versa? How close is the local supermarket and what is the public transport like? You want to find a university that you like, but you need to make sure you'll enjoy living there as well! Go for a wander and grab yourself some lunch while you get a taste for where you could be living for the next three years.

Take leaflets

Make sure you take home some of the leaflets and brochures available while your there. This will help you compare one uni to another and give you something to refer to when you're trying to make your decision.

Ask questions

Make sure you ask as many questions as you can on an open day so that you're not left with any doubts. Don't be afraid to walk up to a member of staff or student ambassador and ask them! If you're worried you're going to forget what to ask, make a not on your phone or a post-it of your questions as you think of them.

Have fun

Above all else, an open day should be fun! Yes, you want to find out as much information as possible, but you also want to enjoy yourself while you're there. That's the best indicator of if that university is the right one for you.