A university open day is a taster day for potential
students. These are a chance for you to see the
university's facilities, ask any questions and to
meet lecturers and potentially other students.
Open days can be a great way for you to experience
the local culture as well. You can get an idea of
your surroundings, the transport and see what the
area has to offer.
What should I bring to a university open day?
We recommend bringing a pen and a pad for your open
day. If you prefer to use the Notes app on your
phone, then that will work too.
You won't need much more than that as the university
will likely have a lot of literature and resources
to take away with you.
How long are university open days?
This typically depends on the university and how
long you stay. Some students decide to stay all day
at the university to see everything, whereas others
may come for a campus tour and then leave.
Generally, open days don’t tend to exceed longer
than 6 hours.
When should you go to a university open day?
This is up to you. There is no right or wrong
answer, some choose to go in October, others may
choose to go in January.
Universities tend to hold a lot of open days, so you
shouldn't struggle to find an open day at a time
that suits you.
How many open days should I attend?
This is up to you. Open days are a great way to
filter out your options. Some students are sold on a
university until they visit it, so visiting as many
as you like is a good way to separate the ones you
like from the ones you don't.
What questions should I ask at an open day?
Ask the questions that you want to know the answers
to. Many websites will tell you to ask things such
as “What grades do I need?” but this will already be
detailed to you before you even apply.
You should ask questions that are going to help you
in your choices, such as:
- What does the course cover?
-
How many hours-a-week am I timetabled to be in?
-
What is the tutorial and self-study split like?
- How am I assessed?
- What are the facilities like?
- Are there any other course costs?
- How big are the tutorial groups?
There will also be alumni and present students at
the open day who will be able to give you more
insight on university life.
What is a virtual open day?
A virtual open day takes place online, rather than
in-person. From here, you can access curated
content, attend information sessions, webinars and
you can speak to teachers and students via a live
chat function.
A campus tour is a tour of the university. Campus
tours are almost always carried about by current
students at the university and will allow you to see
the facilities, different buildings and the
accommodation.
Some universities have been known to allow students
to sit-in on lectures. This will depend on the
university and depend on when you are attending your
campus tour.
What is a Clearing open day?
These are open days set up for students who are
going through the Clearing process. If you find
yourself going through Clearing, then it is better
if you have visited one of these universities,s o
you know what they are like.
Clearing open days work the same as normal open
days, but on a slightly smaller scale. If your
Clearing option does not have one, you can call the
university and request a Clearing open day.
Why open days are so important
Uni open days are a lot more important than you
think. How else will you learn about a campus, it's
facilities, what the different departments are like
and how good the facilities and accommodation are?
Whether you're attending an open evening or a
general opening day, any taster you can get of what
your university is like will be invaluable to you
and will give you the chance to make a much more
informed choice about which university is best for
you.
