Open Days: Planning a visit

You may have heard of them, you may have been to one, but do you really know what they are for? Open days are a good opportunity to take a look around a university, ask questions and meet tutors. When I was applying for university, I went to a lot, and I mean a lot of open days because I wanted to be sure I was making the right choice. But while I was there, I wasn’t too sure exactly what I was supposed to be doing.

That is why I have created this list of 4 things that I learnt when attending open days, which will hopefully help you make the most out of your day.

Attend a welcome talk – the talks run throughout the day and it’s a great way to get an overview of what the university is like. Sometimes they have a question and answer session, which is a great chance for you to ask any questions you may have. It might be a good idea to prepare some questions before you go – for example, do you want to know how many students the university has? Or what it’s like on campus? At the University of Worcester, one of the Graduate Ambassadors is always present during a welcome talk so you can get an insider’s view of the university.
Visit your subject desk – These are often scattered throughout the university, so find where yours is and visit it! The subject tutors will be there and it’s a great chance for you to ask questions specifically about the course.
Go to a Student life talk – you will be studying at university for 3 or more years so you should find out what it’s actually like to be a student at the university. These talks will cover everything from accommodation to fresher’s week.
Campus tour – open days are a good chance to have a look at the place you may be living and studying at for the next few years. Have a look at the library, the SU and accommodation – can you imagine yourself there?

Hopefully, these tips have given you some insight on what to expect and prepare for on a university open day. It’s really useful to plan your time so you don’t miss anything. Some open day programmes, similarly to the one at the University of Worcester, have a section at the back where you can create a timetable of what you are going to do, which is really useful!