Going to university is a high-stake game, not only because it involves many funds, but mainly because you are going to spend three or four years there, depending on your course, and it will be your new home for that time.
Despite that as an international student I didn’t have the chance to attend an Open Day, working as a student ambassador made me realise how important is to visit the universities before starting the course.
Many times when I was doing a campus tour or I was chatting to students who wanted to go into higher education, they were telling me that going to Open Days had a key role in influencing their decisions.
Why? Because at an Open Day at the University of Worcester you can (this is basically your checklist for the day):
- Meet current students on the course you want to apply for
This way you can get a real insight into what is best about the course, what the in and out of class activities are, what the social life is like.
- Meet the tutors
Meeting the people who will be teaching you during these three years is a must – they are the best people to answer any subject-specific questions.
Let’s imagine you have a vague idea about what you want to study and there a number of combinations you can select from and you’re not quite sure what the differences between all of them are.
Speaking to the relevant course leaders will give you all these clarifications and you will be able to decide which the best option for you is.
- See the halls of residence
Living on campus in the first year is one of the best ways to make friends and to get used to the new lifestyle. There are 5 different types of accommodation and seeing the actual rooms can help you decide which one you want to live in.
Also, this is your new home in the first year and it is important to get a feeling of what the campus is like.
You can check out Becki’s, Mitchell’s, Christopher’s and a previous blog post of mine about living at the University’s halls of residence to get a sense of the life at Worcester.
- Explore the facilities – Campus tours
Over the past couple of years, the University has grown big time – as students we now have access to our £60 million library, The Hive and to my favourite £15 million, University of Worcester Arena, where we can all enjoy different events.
Also, you will be able to see the science labs we have in the Charles Darwin building, the hub for all science courses.
You will also be able to enjoy a tour of the City campus, the home of the Business school, as well as other facilities.
- Get university student life right
On the day, there will be many general university life talks – from accommodation and applications to juggling part-time work and studies, subject-specific talks and student life panels.
You can attend all of these and you will know how you can fund your education, what you can expect, etc.
How does this sound to you? If I had the chance to go back in time when I was applying to universities, I would have tried to make the most of each and every open day!
Hope to see you tomorrow, it’s not late, you can still book a place or just turn up on the day!
Worcester Student Life 